bobouz Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Has anyone come across credible information related to caring for Gibson's new baked maple fretboards? I recently acquired a '60s Tribute LP with a very dark baked maple board. Should these be oiled at any kind of interval? If so, would standard treatments such as Fret Doctor be safe? I'm guessing not, but haven't yet seen any guidelines that specifically address this. Would greatly appreciate any fact based info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiamondJig Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 I haven't seen anything but to me it's an unsealed piece of wood, so I clean my boards with oil whenever i change my strings, I wipe it on work it in and then wipe it off. This has worked for all my guitars including my baked maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Hello Bobouz! I use Planet Waves Lemon oil on my CC's fingerboard. Use only small amount, do not soak the whole fingerboard, just lightly coat it using a pure cotton rag. Do not apply it often: every three months or so! Nicely darkens the board. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 Thanks for the replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 You can use lemon oil, or our fretboard conditioner: http://store.gibson.com/care-kits/ Kind regards, Stijn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 You can use lemon oil, or our fretboard conditioner: http://store.gibson.com/care-kits/ Kind regards, Stijn The info is much appreciated, and as luck would have it, I've already got some of the Gibson fretboard cleaner on hand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGgypsyboy Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Many manufacturer's recommend raw linseed oil (never boiled linseed oil!) for fretboards versus lemon oil which sometimes contains alcohol and certain esthers that actually DRY the wood instead of conditioning it. Guild Guitars, Taylor, and Heritage Guitars are some of the sources cited for using raw linseed oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namvet Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've used Petros oil on mine. Darkened it nicely and evenly. Advertised as made to treat rosewood but has worked well on the baked maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I don't think I've ever used any kind of cleaner on a fretboard of any guitar I've ever owned, other than wiping it with a soft dry cloth now and again and I've never had any kind of problem with a fretboard. So my question is is it really necessary to clean a fretboard at all? I always make sure I have clean hands before I play but that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM2112 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I don't think I've ever used any kind of cleaner on a fretboard of any guitar I've ever owned, other than wiping it with a soft dry cloth now and again and I've never had any kind of problem with a fretboard. So my question is is it really necessary to clean a fretboard at all? I always make sure I have clean hands before I play but that's all. If the wood is not sealed it is best to occasionally condition it as its natural oils are lost over time and can eventually lead to problems. These problems are not going to show up over night, it's likely to take some time to happen. If you live in a very dry environment then certainly condition the wood on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I don't think I've ever used any kind of cleaner on a fretboard of any guitar I've ever owned, other than wiping it with a soft dry cloth now and again and I've never had any kind of problem with a fretboard. So my question is is it really necessary to clean a fretboard at all? I always make sure I have clean hands before I play but that's all. Fretboards can dry out, sometimes causing frets to protrude. Boards can also crack in worst case scenarios (ebony more so than rosewood). I consider periodic fretboard maintenance a regular part of caring for an instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 You can use lemon oil, or our fretboard conditioner: http://store.gibson.com/care-kits/ Kind regards, Stijn Thank you for the heads up on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian_Charlie Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I'd use lemon oil on it, its not a sealed piece of wood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leftycajun Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Real lemon oil is fine for fingerboards. Lemon furniture polish, not so much. Real lemon oil can be found any place that sells aromatherapy type stuff. I found mine at Whole foods. Look for 100% lemon essential oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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