Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Hand oiled fret board


SteveFord

Recommended Posts

I think it was 2014 when Gibson touted a hand oiled fret board as a feature of the current models.

I didn't think too much about it until I bought a 2014 Firebird V and the fret board on that is really nice feeling, it's one of those plays like butter things.

Today I loosened the strings up on my 335, soaked a Scotchbrite pad in Lemon Oil and gently scrubbed the fret board lengthwise, let it sit for a bit, scrubbed it again and then buffed the residue off with a paper towel until the paper towel stopped picking up black residue.

Now the 335 has the same feel as that Firebird.

Much more better than just wiping Lemon Oil on with an old tee shirt and then buffing it off.

I believe I ended up working it into the rosewood a bit instead of just letting it sit on the top and hoping it would get sucked in there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's all purely personal.....

 

I've used spray furniture polish on guitar fretboards for ever....[thumbup]

 

The spray liquid component makes an effective cleaner/dirt remover.....the wax polish feeds the wood, buffs up really well and dry.....

 

Previous trials with lemon oil and linseed oil, although well established, for moi left a sticky residue.....

 

It's all purely personal.....[biggrin]

 

V

 

:-({|=

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's all purely personal.....

 

I've used spray furniture polish on guitar fretboards for ever....[thumbup]

 

The spray liquid component makes an effective cleaner/dirt remover.....the wax polish feeds the wood, buffs up really well and dry.....

 

Previous trials with lemon oil and linseed oil, although well established, for moi left a sticky residue.....

 

It's all purely personal.....[biggrin]

 

V

 

:-({|=

 

I hope you've checked if those sprays contain silicone. Silicone will add an extra layer and do more harm than good

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope you've checked if those sprays contain silicone. Silicone will add an extra layer and do more harm than good

 

I think it's safe to say most if not all spray furniture polish will contain Silicone, serious bad news, you can never get rid of the stuff without resorting to some heavy weight chemical solutions, but if you've already done put some on Versatile it's to late to worry about it.

 

Ian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re : 'It's all purely personal'......dry.gif

 

Yes agreed, many polish products include silicone....it adds 'slip' when dry....which for many furniture folks is a desirable property....

 

Many guitarists like a fretboard with some 'tack' to the surface

 

Others....probably the minority....like a slippery surface to facilitate slides and bends etc

 

Never had any issues with silicone hanging around : it gets rubbed away in playing and wiping off sweat......

 

V

 

:-({|=

 

PS It is particularly welcome on a violin/fiddle fingerboard.....and looks nice and shiny too.....[thumbup]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use 'Wood Silk' which is a silicone- free polish available in many supermarkets (UK).

 

Thin sewing-machine type oil is perfect but 3-in-1 does just as well. Use very sparingly, once a year maximum, leave it to soak in.

 

[thumbup]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1507652624[/url]' post='1885751']

Since 1971 I've never put anything on any fretboard except either Dunlop cleaner or Windex if I'm out of guitar stuff, for the every other string change cleanup.

 

rct

That's what I've used too, Dunlop. There was a thread in the past on this and talk about pure almond oil. So I finally found some and have used that for the fret boards since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was living in Tucson, my guitar tech there recommended using Guitar Honey on my fretboards. He said it worked well in the desert environment. I have applied it about once a year to my ebony and rosewood fretboards and haven't found any reason to switch to something else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was living in Tucson, my guitar tech there recommended using Guitar Honey on my fretboards. He said it worked well in the desert environment. I have applied it about once a year to my ebony and rosewood fretboards and haven't found any reason to switch to something else.

Gerlitz Guitar Honey works great! I've been using it for a long time.

It depends a lot on where you live and the climate (as you intimated).

Out here in California, the dry climate makes it necessary for me to put a little on my rosewood fretboards once every year or two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

snapback.pngSteveFord, on 10 October 2017 - 05:03 PM, said:

 

Yes, the black residue is not wood.

I'd get the same results with an old tee shirt.

 

 

That's good news...

 

 

But wait... The same results as far as discoloration on the t-shirt vs scotch brite doesn't necessarily mean the effect is the same. It is an abrasive so you could be "polishing" the board more than just cleaning it.

 

Not saying that's bad necessarily (could be good) but could be more of a polishing effect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...