blindboygrunt Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 what do you guys like to finish your fretboard with? linseed oil (not boiled) seems to be top choice by my online research , lemon oil to b avoided aparently how in hell's name do companies manage to sell stuff for guitar treatment that is actually bad for the guitar ? and the little bottles of 'guitar polish' for the body of the guitar is actually just removing the finish ! i'm gonna buy a set of drums its all too much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 OOPS! Did your info give reasons for not using lemon oil? I change one string at a time, but once a year or thereabouts I take 'em all off and work a small dab of l'oil into the f'board. My house tends to be dry in winter and it keeps the rosewood tight and stable. I'll switch out to linseed if it's better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Nilppeznaf Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 what do you guys like to finish your fretboard with? linseed oil (not boiled) seems to be top choice by my online research , lemon oil to b avoided aparently how in hell's name do companies manage to sell stuff for guitar treatment that is actually bad for the guitar ? and the little bottles of 'guitar polish' for the body of the guitar is actually just removing the finish ! i'm gonna buy a set of drums its all too much Hmmmmm? I use lemon oil also..... was under the impression this is what to use.. except on maple ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Nilppeznaf Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 BBG here is advice from one of the best guitar sites I know "As you scrub, make sure you don't snag the ends of the frets! There's usually no need for cleaning agents, because the steel wool will scrape the dirt away. Some players talk of "feeding" the unfinished surface of the fingerboard with oil. Fingerboards are not actually hungry and don't really need to be fed, but a light coating of oil gives them a finished and clean look. If you do choose to oil the fingerboard, do it with care. Use a tiny amount of lemon oil or mineral oil on the rag, wipe it on the fingerboard, and then wipe it all off. You don't want to saturate the fingerboard, and you don't want a lot of oil running down into the fret slots. If there are cracks in your fingerboard, consider having them filled professionally, and don't get oil in the cracks. Generally, you'll want to stay away from linseed and other natural vegetable oils, which become sticky and gummy over time:" http://www.frets.com...cleaning02.html This is a site by a luthier who really knows his stuff. Where did you read about lemon oil being bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I actually use teak oil. Any good wood oil will work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Cleaning grubby fretboard and just maintaining are different. So we got two processes here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Cleaning grubby fretboard and just maintaining are different. So we got two processes here. Actually, I do both at the same time. I use fine bronze wool (not steel wool) and Planet Waves Hydrate. Wipe off all the excess, and buff with a clean, soft cloth. Raw linseed oil can become very sticky over time. More refined oils, less so. In either case, it really is important to wipe the board well when you finish, or the board will simply attract dirt over time. A little oil goes a long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 what do you guys like to finish your fretboard with? ..... Are you asking about finishing? . . Or cleaning? . . Or moisturizing? Cleaning - a bit of lemon oil once or twice a year - not too much, it's a solvent. Oiling/moisturizing - Bore oil - the stuff woodwind players use to keep their wooden instruments moisturized - aka Fret Doctor - http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm Finishing - manufacturers use a stain or oil, then allow it to cure. Fender likes to seal their maple F/Bs with poly or nitro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Gibson recommends either lemon or linseed oil. Link to Fretboard Cleaning An earlier version of this article on the Gibson site recommended lindseed. That's what I've been using for the last few years. I find it keeps the fretboard darker looking longer than lemon oil, and really accentuates some of the interesting characteristics of the wood. I just did the AJ and a Texan last week during a string change. They look great! Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double0blues Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I usually use Gibson "Luthier's Choice Fretboard Conditioner" when I change strings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 sorry B.K. finish was a bad word to use , i meant as in finish a good clean with , not as in a build it finish thanks to you all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Well, boys...here's what I do if I bang myself or my guitar...you just rub some dirt on it....toughen up you guys....just rub some dirt on it....Regarding that fret board....a little spit'll clean almost anything off that ole fretboard. Forget them dern fancy oils and big city tricks...Them guitars were made to get played and get dirty!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I use refined linseed oil, the kind you get from an art supply store. But once that's all gone, maybe I'll give that dirt 'n spit thing a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 linseed oil wins on this board too , i'll get a bottle of that . cheers guys and wily , a man of your age and stature should not be still using a bit of spit in place of the proper lubricant ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 linseed oil wins on this board too , i'll get a bottle of that . cheers guys and wily , a man of your age and stature should not be still using a bit of spit in place of the proper lubricant ;-) LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hmmm . . . I was really surprised to see linseed oil recommended, I thought it was a big no no for guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson101 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 linseed oil wins on this board too , i'll get a bottle of that . cheers guys and wily , a man of your age and stature should not be still using a bit of spit in place of the proper lubricant ;-) hahaha that's just wrong!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 lemon oil is sold (unfortunately) because it doesn't last as long. the fretboard can easily dry out again. then you have to buy more. tricky, huh? here is a new suggestion for you........ bore oil. not the kind for guns. the kind for clarinets. it works great! the wood clarinets are made of is extremely dense and this stuff penetrates well. also, you don't want to take clarinets apart often to oil them and keep them from getting too dry. this stuff stays in the wood so well, it lasts for what seems like forever. we use it around the shop all of the time. give it a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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