rocketman Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 There have been threads here and there on fretboard conditioners. I've been using raw linseed oil, but I ordered Fret Doctor today to give it a try. You can find more information here. Has anyone used this before? Any advice from luthiers on this product? I'm not an expert but this article is very convincing. I'd like to hear from the pros that have used this stuff though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G u e s t Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 . . I used to clean and condition my fretboard with a very light application of thoroughly mixed 33% Boiled Linseed Oil, 33% Oil Of Turpentine (White Spirit will do) and 33% Wood Alcohol (Methylated Spirit). The free 1% was Sandalwood Oil to make it smell good - but that is expensive stuff..... Nowadays I prefer a generous application of Snake Oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 I have had guitars 30 years this year and never have I used a product like this; not that there is anything wrong with it. I use lemon oil on the fretboard and I purchase it in bulk (pint bottle) from high end furniture stores. The easiest way to take care of your guitar (IMO) is to start good habits: washing your hands if possible wiping down the guitar before you play wiping down the guitar when your finished swap out your strings regularly (once a month for me at the very least) Completely clean your guitars when you swap strings I apply lemon oil to the fret board when I replace me strings Always keep your guitars protected by keeping them in their cases until you use them. This makes for a clean and dependable guitar. Honestly my 30 year old acoustic looks brand new I do everything you list here, but I use raw linseed oil instead of lemon oil and I only put it on twice a year. I've heard/read so many things on the pros and cons of various conditioners (honestly it can make a head spin), but the article on Fret Doctor was the most complete I've ever seen. So I thought I'd give it a try. Doesn't seem like many people here have used it though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I searched around the Les Paul Forum and My Les Paul a while back, everything people had to say about it was positive...not one bad word; so, I ordered it. It's the only product I'll use; again, because I haven't read anything negative about it. Every other product seems to have people that say it's great and others that say it's bad. Same goes for cleaners/polishes/waxes... Seems great so far, just don't overdo it. You only need to apply it to your fretboard around once a year. If you do over do it, your rosewood fretboard will actually swell up over time, you won't notice it but it'll make any future refrets a pain in the a$$ for the guy doing the work. That's what a luthier told me. I use a Q-Tip to apply it and then wipe it off with a cotton rag. I've read that it'll also darken your fretboard if you leave it on for around an hour. I haven't used it for that purpose yet but I will when I use it on my CR8. I'll take before and after pics. Ed runs Fret Doctor. Email him and ask a whole bunch of questions. Him and I had a great conversation. When he found out that I'm Greek, he tried getting a pan of baklava off me. He also wanted us to exchange mother-in-laws because he wanted who could cook him Greek food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 I searched around the Les Paul Forum and My Les Paul a while back' date=' everything people had to say about it was positive...not one bad word; so, I ordered it. It's the only product I'll use; again, because I haven't read anything negative about it. Every other product seems to have people that say it's great and others that say it's bad. Same goes for cleaners/polishes/waxes... Seems great so far, just don't overdo it. You only need to apply it to your fretboard around once a year. If you do over do it, your rosewood fretboard will actually swell up over time, you won't notice it but it'll make any future refrets a pain in the a$$ for the guy doing the work. That's what a luthier told me. I use a Q-Tip to apply it and then wipe it off with a cotton rag. I've read that it'll also darken your fretboard if you leave it on for around an hour. I haven't used it for that purpose yet but I will when I use it on my CR8. I'll take before and after pics. Ed runs Fret Doctor. Email him and ask a whole bunch of questions. Him and I had a great conversation. When he found out that I'm Greek, he tried getting a pan of baklava off me. He also wanted us to exchange mother-in-laws because he wanted who could cook him Greek food.[/quote'] Great! Thank you my friend for the information. I just emailed Ed with a bunch of questions, which I'll post later. I also told him that my mom makes all the Greek dishes.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I used the Gibson Fretboard Conditioner on my daughters '08 Studio because it just looked dry to me. It did darken it, and it looks good now. My '07 ES-339 hasn't gotten anything yet, except "Fingerease" and sweat and natural oils. I'm reluctant, but will probably do it someday. I gigged a '72 Les Paul Recording (that I bought around 1980) for 14 years in bars all over the U.S.A. and never heard of fretboard conditioner. I'm kinda like "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Best to ya. Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Alright, I'm gonna do the CR8 now. Here goes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Ed told me another use for FD is to wipe your old(er) strings with it and it makes them feel like new again. He's right, it does. Figured since I wasn't really doing anything tonight I'd clean the new guitar. Been meaning to since I got it... Here are the before shots. It's been soaking for around 90 minutes now. I'll have to wait a day or two and let it dry before I take the after pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Immediately after... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Took these today, a day-and-a-half later. Overhead lighting, with & without flash. It's pretty dark, in person. Looks just like the first pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Looks great! I have been in regular contact with Ed this weekend about a number of topics. He certainly knows what he's talking about. He actually said to apply it with my finger. In his own words "If the strings are off, use your finger. This stuff ain't cheap. Why waste it?" I also told him that I use Dunlop 65 string cleaner and conditioner. This is what he said about it: "I always associate the name, "Dunlop," with oil, because they provided oil for vacuum diffusion pumps used in GCMS and electron microscopy. Those oils were essentially mineral oil, as is the Dunlop 65. It will do no harm to a fretboard. Some guitar makers slather their boards with mineral oil. It does no harm but it doesn't no good in terms of crack prevention and dimensional stability. Think of driving at night on a dry road. The road ahead appears gray in color. It begins to rain and now the road appears black. Wetting the road changed the refraction of light from its surface. When one applies an oil to a board, something similar occurs, creating the "darkening" effect so desirable to guitarists. But, most oils, topical in nature, evaporate eventually, so the oil must be reapplied. Any oil, on the strings, will protect them from corrosion from salt in perspiration. Getting the Dunlop oil on the fretboard, particularly after it has been treated with FretDoctor, should have no effect. FretDoctor will protect the strings as well." Murph, I understand your thoughts too. I never used anything on my Sonex (now 28 years old) and it was fine. But that doesn't mean they all will be fine and I think it's best to be mindful of it. I just put it on my Sonex and Les Pauls. The Les Pauls did darken up nicely too. I did a lot of extensive research on this subject. In fact, being a Ph.D. means that I most likely over-researched this! My results are the same as Are Nine's. I've seen pluses and minuses about various products, but all of FretDoctor's comments have been positive (honestly see if you can find one negative thing stated about their product please let me know). I'm not endorsing a product here and I don't want to make this a sales pitch. I'm just encouraging people to do their own research... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Using your finger is a good idea, I never thought of that. My R9 is due for a string change, think I'll give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshole Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 I am a firm believer Erine Ball wipes, It is a very dense oil leaves the fretboard super soft and smooth. And its relativley cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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