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Care And Feeding Of A Walnut Fretboard...


Murph

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I'll probably give it a taste of Gibson Fretboard Conditioner when I change out the strings in a month or so. This J-15 was built in June, so has zero time on it except for me, I found it a few months ago in the Store and nobody else was really dealing on it. I've only owned it under 2 weeks.

 

With a day job, family and property obligations, and the Holidays/anniversaries/and multiple Birthdays in December, I've really haven't gotten to spend much time with it, but I am seeing a LITTLE darkening where I play. I might hold off a few months on the Gibson Oil just to see what happens naturally.

 

I'm also digging the contrast in tone with the Masterbuilt Strings vs the Elixir 80/20's I use on the J-45 and might stick with this combination for a while. Sorry no clips yet, the house has been so full of people and activities galore. I'll get something up eventually.

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My J-15 was one of the earliest made, on 1/2/14. I have yet to do anything to the fretboard, but do plan to use F-One oil on it in the near future for conditioning, and also to darken it up a bit.

 

I first came across F-One about a year & a half ago, and I've been very pleased with the results after using it on a number of rosewood and ebony boards. It contains a mix of natural oils, and there are no petroleum distillates (seen in every other conditioner I have around here, including Gibson, Fender, and Guitar Honey).

 

A couple of other pluses: It's inexpensive & widely available.

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Whoa, I just looked up that F-one. Made by Deering.

 

I own a Deering !

 

Looks more like a linseed oil, which makes PERFECT sense for walnut. Me and my Dad used linseed oil 50 years ago on walnut gun stocks.

 

I'm going to research that stuff some more, thanks for that one Bob !

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More apologies, Murf, for using your post to state the obvious... but....

I was in a luthier's crammed workshop once and noticed an old, aged bumper sticker up on the wall:

"Save A Fretboard - Wash Your Hands!"

I cringe at the thought of the years of dirty fingers with untrimmed nails abusing the fretboard on my old LG1.

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More apologies, Murf, for using your post to state the obvious... but....

I was in a luthier's crammed workshop once and noticed an old, aged bumper sticker up on the wall:

"Save A Fretboard - Wash Your Hands!"

I cringe at the thought of the years of dirty fingers with untrimmed nails abusing the fretboard on my old LG1.

I did frets on a D18 that belonged to a diesel mechanic. Every rag that got near the finger board turned black from the day I got it until the work was done. His frets loosening up was in my opinion due to all the fuel oil it had absorbed from his fingers over time..

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Murph - Just to be sure we're talking about the same product, the company distributing this item is Music Nomad. Looking it up on Amazon, their price is approx. $7.00 per bottle.

 

Part of Amazon's online descriptor reads: "This product is 100% free of any lemon extracts, waxes, petroleum distillates, detergents, and water. Developed using only naturally produced oils."

 

Another plus is that one bottle goes a long ways. I'm so pleased with the stuff that I bought a second bottle one day while in GC, and that will most likely constitute a lifetime supply!

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Murph - Just to be sure we're talking about the same product, the company distributing this item is Music Nomad. Looking it up on Amazon, their price is approx. $7.00 per bottle.

 

Part of Amazon's online descriptor reads: "This product is 100% free of any lemon extracts, waxes, petroleum distillates, detergents, and water. Developed using only naturally produced oils."

 

Another plus is that one bottle goes a long ways. I'm so pleased with the stuff that I bought a second bottle one day while in GC, and that will most likely constitute a lifetime supply!

 

It is the same, one description mentions seeds. I think the first one I "clicked" must have been a Deering site, but is was the same stuff now that I look around.

 

Thanks again.

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I spent some time 3 years ago. looking at natural, non-petroleum wood preservatives. Hit on Cutting Boards as a metaphor for Fret Boards and found the people there swear by Coconut Oil. So I put some on our 2 cutting boards and it did pretty well. Didn't seem to 'last' due to the constant use and occasional hot soap and water. Slopped some on a 1" thick oversized 'coaster' I use on my nightstand, only o one size. After 3 years ... it is still in good shape, and the other side is stained and faded.

So ... this month I'm scheduled to do a string change, detailing on my J45ck - and will use the coconut oil. No more Lemon Oil. (Which, upon learning it was petroleum - started my on this quest.)

I mean - it's got to be better than diesel oil, right?

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I spent some time 3 years ago. looking at natural, non-petroleum wood preservatives. Hit on Cutting Boards as a metaphor for Fret Boards and found the people there swear by Coconut Oil. So I put some on our 2 cutting boards and it did pretty well. Didn't seem to 'last' due to the constant use and occasional hot soap and water. Slopped some on a 1" thick oversized 'coaster' I use on my nightstand, only o one size. After 3 years ... it is still in good shape, and the other side is stained and faded.

So ... this month I'm scheduled to do a string change, detailing on my J45ck - and will use the coconut oil. No more Lemon Oil. (Which, upon learning it was petroleum - started my on this quest.)

I mean - it's got to be better than diesel oil, right?

 

 

Don’t you smell a bit girly?

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Which makes me wonder...........

 

What if a brain surgeon was to play a guitar often, after surgery, without washing his hands.

 

If you had brains smeared all over your fretboard, would it make you play better?

 

Smarter?

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Which makes me wonder...........

 

What if a brain surgeon was to play a guitar often, after surgery, without washing his hands.

 

If you had brains smeared all over your fretboard, would it make you play better?

 

Smarter?

 

I think the diesel oil would make some smarter in here , never mind brains

😂

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