Fretboard “conditioner”

[fortyearspickn]

48 minutes ago, Whitefang said:

Thanks for the information anyway, but I rarely go running to online when I can't find something in any stores around here.  Unless it's something REALLY important I need(or want).  Like they say....

"The search makes the finding more triumphant".  Or some such crap.   Like that Christmas song I mentioned somewhere....

Whitefang

Sorry I mis-understood.  Can't help you find some in Detroit.   

[Pinch]

Wouldn't almond oil go rancid? I'll stick to products actually made for guitars. 

[kidblast]

1 hour ago, Pinch said:

Wouldn't almond oil go rancid? I'll stick to products actually made for guitars. 

this is what I don't get Pinch,  but then again, I am perhaps too pragmatic.

 

 

 

[rct]

8 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said:

Looks like we can pretty much slather her up with whatever’s greasy

Yup.  Wine/cocktail glass condensation.  Between set cigar fingers.  Run your left hand through your product'd up hair.  

rct

[fortyearspickn]

9 hours ago, Pinch said:

Wouldn't almond oil go rancid? I'll stick to products actually made for guitars. 

Yep. But that’s why coconut oil works. It won’t go rancid. 

[kidblast]

I give up..  

 

 

[duane v]

23 hours ago, kidblast said:

why wouldn't one just use this???  $8.99 from amazon.

 

I've used that one and it works well. 

[kidblast]

45 minutes ago, duane v said:

I've used that one and it works well. 

There's another one out there Duane, maybe you've tried it.  Gerlitz Guitar Honey.  I have some of that too  I kind of like the Nomad stuff over the Gerlitz treatment.

Amazon.com: Gerlitz Guitar Honey Fretboard Oil - Premium Guitar Fretboard Cleaner and Fretboard Conditioner For All Dark Natural Woods - Rosewood, Ebony, and Exotic - 2 Oz. Spray Bottle : Musical Instruments

Doesn't seem to be available via Prime anymore though

[badbluesplayer]

I'll send y'all some mineral oil in a little bottle for however much you want to pay.  I still have at least half a quart.

I can mix in a few drops of moonshine.  Maybe that'll help. 

"Boardshine"  that's it!  Two ounces of mineral oil with a couple drops of shine for$9.99.  Get a second bottle for free, just pay a separate fee.

[Whitefang]

One thing I learned through photography that can be applied to almost anything.......

For every product developed and marketed for a "special" purpose there are plenty of lower priced or free items that can accomplish the same results that won't make somebody needlessly wealthy.  Or an alternative that will work as well for far less money.

And that's true with many other things people waste money on.  To whit:

A guy I worked with kept going on about the frames of his eyeglasses. Called them his "sweet" frames.  Actually, they looked pretty much ordinary in design.  But  he claimed what made them "sweet"  were the silver and gold bindings on the arms and around the lenses.  Bindings you'd never really notice unless he pointed them out to you.  And it's a sure bet they did nothing to improve his eyesight more than if he had plain, simple frames.  And they sure did nothing to make HIM look any better.  Yet he felt it all was worth the $600.00 he claimed he paid for them.  And that price did NOT include the lenses.   🙄

UPDATE:

I finally did find Almond oil at the same health store I went to for the grape seed oil I use on the skin of my lower legs stretched due to the swelling caused by lymphedema.  It also is sold as a skin emollient.  Made me wonder if the grape seed oil might also be a good fret board treatment.  As it's a long way off before I change strings I put off buying the almond oil for now.

Whitefang

[duane v]

On 12/15/2022 at 7:07 AM, kidblast said:

There's another one out there Duane, maybe you've tried it.  Gerlitz Guitar Honey.  I have some of that too  I kind of like the Nomad stuff over the Gerlitz treatment.

Amazon.com: Gerlitz Guitar Honey Fretboard Oil - Premium Guitar Fretboard Cleaner and Fretboard Conditioner For All Dark Natural Woods - Rosewood, Ebony, and Exotic - 2 Oz. Spray Bottle : Musical Instruments

Doesn't seem to be available via Prime anymore though

I think I do have that somewhere and tried it once but if my memory serves me correctly it stained my finger tips to a reddish hue and never used it again. I think there was a dye in it. 

[kidblast]

18 minutes ago, duane v said:

I think I do have that somewhere and tried it once but if my memory serves me correctly it stained my finger tips to a reddish hue and never used it again. I think there was a dye in it. 

You're right it is reddish in color.  No sure why / what that is  and it's one of the reasons I just went to nomad after using if for a bit of time.

[Sheepdog1969]

On 12/9/2022 at 9:46 AM, Whitefang said:

I never heard of the pencil in the nut slots thing.  I'll have to give it a try.

And I forgot to mention that before I treat the fret board with the lemon oil I give it a good going over with wood cleaner.  

Whitefang

Murphy pure vegetable oil soap "safely cleans wood". I have used this product for decades on high end furnature, wood gun stocks, and a few filthy ebony/rosewood fret boards. The directions call for dilution with water, but I strongly recomend using only purified water, not tap or well, to eliminate "hard water staining" (mineral deposit issues like lime scale, iron oxide, etc.) and chemical treatments/contaminents  (floride, chlorine. nitrates, etc.). I use the "less is more" approach, and choose to do light, conservative "cleanings", once a day, until my cleaning cloth remains clean after the "wipe down" step, per the directions. (the cleaner the surface, the more "lather" will be created during step one, fyi).  This multi day process also allows grime embedded in the wood grain time to come to the surface and thus be removed during subsequent cleanings.  

[Sheepdog1969]

On 12/9/2022 at 10:32 AM, Larsongs said:

I use an X-Acto knife & scrape Graphite off a Pencil into the Nut slots..

What kind of Wood Cleaner do you use?

Try Murphy pure vegetable oil soap and purified water, not tap or well water

[fortyearspickn]

7 hours ago, Sheepdog1969 said:

Murphy pure vegetable oil soap "safely cleans wood". I have used this product for decades on high end furnature, wood gun stocks, and a few filthy ebony/rosewood fret boards. The directions call for dilution with water, but I strongly recomend using only purified water, not tap or well, to eliminate "hard water staining" (mineral deposit issues like lime scale, iron oxide, etc.) and chemical treatments/contaminents  (floride, chlorine. nitrates, etc.). I use the "less is more" approach, and choose to do light, conservative "cleanings", once a day, until my cleaning cloth remains clean after the "wipe down" step, per the directions. (the cleaner the surface, the more "lather" will be created during step one, fyi).  This multi day process also allows grime embedded in the wood grain time to come to the surface and thus be removed during subsequent cleanings.  

Yep.  That's what I use to clean off the gunk on the bare wood.   I let it dry real good before putting on the conditioner.

[Larsongs]

I’ve used Martin, Gibson & other Guitar Polish’s. I’ve read on some Guitar Forums many Guitar Polish’s are the same as Meguire’s & Mother’s Car Polish.  I have used that on occasion too.

We have Murphy oil.. My wife uses it.. I’ll give it a try..

Thanks

Edited December 17, 2022 by Larsongs

[Sgt. Pepper]

31 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

I’ve used Martin, Gibson & other Guitar Polish’s. I’ve read on some Guitar Forums many Guitar Polish’s are the same as Meguire’s & Mother’s Car Polish.  I have used that on occasion too.

We have Murphy oil.. My wife uses it.. I’ll give it a try..

Thanks

Just make sure to use one of those huge industrial polishers (like ones made for a car) to finish the job in 4 seconds. 

[Larsongs]

2 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Just make sure to use one of those huge industrial polishers (like ones made for a car) to finish the job in 4 seconds. 

I’ve actually got one for my Cars! LOL! And a Dremel for smaller jobs..

Edited December 17, 2022 by Larsongs

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

I’ve actually got one for my Cars! LOL! And a Dremel for smaller jobs..

The Dremel one might take an hour or so.

[Larsongs]

35 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

The Dremel one might take an hour or so.

LOL…. For polishing Frets.  Although, I haven’t used it yet. I keep necks clean. I don’t play with dirty or greasy hands, ever.. So, my Guitars never need more than a light cleaning & Polish..

I hand Polish my Guitars… Never needed to use a Buffer on them…

[Sheepdog1969]

9 hours ago, Larsongs said:

I’ve used Martin, Gibson & other Guitar Polish’s. I’ve read on some Guitar Forums many Guitar Polish’s are the same as Meguire’s & Mother’s Car Polish.  I have used that on occasion too.

We have Murphy oil.. My wife uses it.. I’ll give it a try..

Thanks

It is important to note that Polish's, like Mothers, Maguires, etc., are intended for finishes such as clear coats on cars and other painted surfaces that have enough "material" thickness that allows for some of said "material" to be removed, (think oxidized, lightly scratched, etc.), thus removing a tiny layer of said to even out it's surface. They contain abrasive particulates in emulsion of specific hydrocarbon compounds, that in combination provide a compound capable of removing damaged and/or imperfect surface layers of finishes. As such, using polish on wood surfaces would not "clean" the wood, but rather abrasively and inefficiently remove wood from the fretboard and presumably scratch the fretboard surface. Abrasive polishes, as mentioned above, are not cleaners for open grain completed wood surfaces, nor are they able to remove contaminates embedded within the deep grains of the board. Polishes also require non porous surfaces to allow complete removal. Porous surfaces will prevent complete removal of the polish.   

[Larsongs]

Fender used Rebranded Meguier’s for sometime..  But, not anymore.. Not ideal for Nitro-Cellulose & other Finishes.. 

I don’t recommend it or any Silicone or abrasive Polish for regular use polishing Guitars..

Repair & Re-Finish work calls for other Products..

[fortyearspickn]

19 hours ago, Larsongs said:

I’ve actually got one for my Cars! LOL! And a Dremel for smaller jobs..

 

21 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Just make sure to use one of those huge industrial polishers (like ones made for a car) to finish the job in 4 seconds. 

Lars,   Sgt.Pepper  is just yanking your chain.   Nothing he writes here should be taken seriously,  at least that's what he's written here.

Wait ... !  

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 hours ago, fortyearspickn said:

 

Lars,   Sgt.Pepper  is just yanking your chain.   Nothing he writes here should be taken seriously,  at least that's what he's written here.

Wait ... !  

He’s read more than one of my posts, I’m sure he knows I was kidding. It would cut polishing time down considerably though.

[kidblast]

another thread I am done with,

 

some of you guys honestly..  are nuts...