treating the fingerboard

[kjbllc]

I am getting ready to change strings, and was wondering if you treat the Fb with something, I have had it for about 8 years now and have not done anything with it. ebony. thanks

[multidon]

I like "lemon oil" which is as I understand it mineral oil with a little lemon scent. Wipe it on let it sit a few minutes wipe of excess. You should notice some dirt on your cloth. It seems to clean as well as preserve. I use the Stew Mac version.

Some will say use olive oil because of its supposed " purity". I think it's a bad idea since anything organic can go rancid. Mineral oil cannot.

Some use linseed or Tung oil. I also consider this not such a great idea unless you really want an actual finish on your fingerboard. These types of oils will self polymerize which is why they are used as wood finishes.

So in short the so called lemon oils that are sold for fingerboards are to me the best choice for Ebony or rosewood.

[High Lonesome Valley]

I use olive oil on fingerboards, well-applying it and then rubbing it off real good after it soaks in.

I also use olive oil as the oil for french polishing.

I use it on my salad, dip bread in it, and moisturize my hair and skin with it in this dry Colorado climate.

For us guys, the use of olive boosts our testosterone production. It also contains HDL's, the good cholesterol. Also high in Omega 3's and 6's.

Olive oil can't be beat.

[spufman]

I've tried a bunch of stuff on many fingerboards through the years. My personal favorite is woodwind bore oil. A couple drops between frets, spread with a Q-Tip, then wiped off with a Bounty. Don't let is seep into the fret slots. Don't need to do it very often, maybe once a year for me.

[Stephen Perry]

So many choices. Naptha to clean. Mineral oil with some johnson's paste wax. Very lightly. Don't get under frets. That's probably as good as anything. Probably don't even need the mineral oil. I prefer not to just pour on anything - minimal!

[Shelagh Moore]

Like multidon I've used instrument-quality lemon oil for the last 30 years or so which I apply sparingly and let soak in (avoiding going under the frets). I've never had a problem with it and it helps stop the fretboard from feeling and appearing too dry.

[sunburst]

Keep the instrument clean and humidified or dehumidified depending on the situation, and nothing else is required.

[kjbllc]

thanks for all the input!

[Jim Hilburn]

You could eat at KFC and then do some picking but you'll have to play all the way up the neck.

[JeffD]

Keep the instrument clean and humidified or dehumidified depending on the situation, and nothing else is required.

I am glad to hear that John, because I have never oiled or treated my fingerboard. Ever. I clean it with a microfiber cloth before putting it away and that is entirely it.

In fact, I do not ever take all the strings off at once, for any reason, much less to get access to the fingerboard for treatment. When I change strings I remove and replace, remove and replace, one at a time. I don't want to take the risk of taking the string tension off the neck or not getting the bridge back right, and screwing up the excellent set up.

I do nothing and so far nothing has ever needed to be done.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I tend to agree that nothing is 'really' needed,but, after a while, salty perspiration can build up on a fingerboard & it'll start to look a bit greyish. I use Ronseal 'Teak Oil' to restore the colour. A small drop on a clean cotton cloth (old handkerchief - WASHED !),wiped on & rubbed in for a few seconds & then wiped off,does the job & the f/board looks nice & black once more,
Ivan

[Michael Lewis]

Don't put a bunch of oil on your fingerboards! As John stated, you don't really NEED anything there. Just keep it clean and play it. I hate the fret jobs I get that have oil in the fret slots. Oil and DNA and that green stuff that grows out of the frets as they corrode. What a mess!

IF you do use any oil use it VERY SPARINGLY, and only on the tuning machines.

[pfox14]

Oiling your fingerboard has a couple of benefits. I use Teak Oil, which cleans and oils at the same time. It keeps the FB from getting too dry. It provides a finish that helps keep it clean and protected. Lastly, it looks good. The oil will darken the FB wood and bring out any nice grain patterns.

[Mark Wilson]

I have a Tacoma Papoose guitar with rosewood fretboard. The manual suggests using a small amount of old english dark oil on the fretboard. I rubbed in a few drops with an old tshirt once and it made the rosewood look pretty nice. Ruined the tshirt. I have no idea if thats a bad thing for the fretboard or not but it seemed effective.

[Markus]

I have never oiled the fretboards on my current instruments and wonder why I ever did, as my no oil guitar fretboard has gone 15 years just fine and is in great shape.

Humidification and simple cleaning with string changes have done me well. Unless you have a serious problem, IMO less is more.

[LongBlackVeil]

Oiling the fretboard does not keep it from drying out. Moisture does, Fretboards dont dry out from lack of oil, they dry out from lack of moisture. So keep your mandolin humidified and youll be fine.

Fretboard oil is essentially useless, and can actually be a bad thing if you use to much, it can seep under the frets and rot wood out. Making for difficult fret jobs. The only advantage it has, is that it makes it shiny, which is not necessary imo

[High Lonesome Valley]

Oiling the fretboard does not keep it from drying out.

Ebony, rosewood, bloodwood, etc. fretboards have so much oil in them it is recommended to hit them with mineral spirits or acetone before you glue them.

That's what evaporates or is rubbed off over time, the oil, and no amount of humidification will stop it.

I wonder if, in the back of some folks mind, they think oiling a fretboard will compromise the glue joint. It won't, as these exotic hardwoods are so dense they won't allow that kind of seepage.