RolanTHUNDER
New member
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Nifty! Thanks for the link. I didn't know about this tool before
Nifty! Thanks for the link. I didn't know about this tool before
Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
- Thread starter RolanTHUNDER
- Start date
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Never know about this. It is a great idea- thanks!
Never know about this. It is a great idea- thanks!
devastone
New member
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Again, if there is a finish on the maple, which there probably is, treat it like any other finished surfaces. Oil will just sit on finishes and make a mess. The reason you use oil on rosewood and ebony fretboards is that they are not finished, so oils get absorbed. If the maple is unfinished a little oil won't hurt it, but it won't absorb as much as rosewood. Unfinished maple is pretty much impossible to prevent getting dirty worn spots on though, so if you want a pristine maple board, you want a finish on it.
Again, if there is a finish on the maple, which there probably is, treat it like any other finished surfaces. Oil will just sit on finishes and make a mess. The reason you use oil on rosewood and ebony fretboards is that they are not finished, so oils get absorbed. If the maple is unfinished a little oil won't hurt it, but it won't absorb as much as rosewood. Unfinished maple is pretty much impossible to prevent getting dirty worn spots on though, so if you want a pristine maple board, you want a finish on it.
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
There is definitely such a thing. You just wont find it in a furniture polish or fretboard cleaner that claims to be "lemon oil". If one really wants pure lemon oil they pretty much have to look at the aroma therapy or organic products. Or, maybe industrial products. There are tons of them. But personally I wouldn't use it straight out of the bottle anyway. Pure lemon or citrus oil will take sticker residue off better than goo-gone. If I really wanted to use it on fretboards, I'd mix a little bit in with a carrier oil like fragmented coconut oil. That should provide some grime removal along with conditioning the board. But there are already products that work and wont hurt anything, despite being petroleum based, without the hassle.
There is definitely such a thing. You just wont find it in a furniture polish or fretboard cleaner that claims to be "lemon oil". If one really wants pure lemon oil they pretty much have to look at the aroma therapy or organic products. Or, maybe industrial products. There are tons of them. But personally I wouldn't use it straight out of the bottle anyway. Pure lemon or citrus oil will take sticker residue off better than goo-gone. If I really wanted to use it on fretboards, I'd mix a little bit in with a carrier oil like fragmented coconut oil. That should provide some grime removal along with conditioning the board. But there are already products that work and wont hurt anything, despite being petroleum based, without the hassle.
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Coconut oil itself is pretty stable. A lot more stable than some other natural oils. But, it is a solid at room temperature. It would be like rubbing lard into the fretboard. Fractionating the coconut oil removes a lot (most) of the saturated fats and ends up being a very stable oil that remains a liquid. It will not go rancid or is unlikely to do so. It's frequently used as the carrier oil for other ingredients for massage therapy or straight up as a moisturizer. It's also the main ingredient in some bore oils (for woodwinds).
I've been using it to condition fretboards for years.
Coconut oil itself is pretty stable. A lot more stable than some other natural oils. But, it is a solid at room temperature. It would be like rubbing lard into the fretboard. Fractionating the coconut oil removes a lot (most) of the saturated fats and ends up being a very stable oil that remains a liquid. It will not go rancid or is unlikely to do so. It's frequently used as the carrier oil for other ingredients for massage therapy or straight up as a moisturizer. It's also the main ingredient in some bore oils (for woodwinds).
I've been using it to condition fretboards for years.
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RolanTHUNDER
New member
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Thank you for the coconut oil suggestion but I will not go that route lol.
Just 2 nights ago after a thorough jam on my JEM 505 (maple fretboard mentioned earlier) while wiping my strings down I just decided to push the cloth onto the "dusty" spots near some frets and voila, the dirt rubbed off easy! I haven't used any conditioner on her board before. It's as it came out of the Prestige factory. If I compare my Charvel San Dimas board to the JEM its got darker spots here and there but the grade of maple looks lighter. Maybe it looks a little drier in comparison. Time to get that F One oil/conditioner (or one of the products mentioned above) and take it to task. I'll do the conditioning process when I change strings to EVH 9-46 (Eb)
Thank you for the coconut oil suggestion but I will not go that route lol.
Just 2 nights ago after a thorough jam on my JEM 505 (maple fretboard mentioned earlier) while wiping my strings down I just decided to push the cloth onto the "dusty" spots near some frets and voila, the dirt rubbed off easy! I haven't used any conditioner on her board before. It's as it came out of the Prestige factory. If I compare my Charvel San Dimas board to the JEM its got darker spots here and there but the grade of maple looks lighter. Maybe it looks a little drier in comparison. Time to get that F One oil/conditioner (or one of the products mentioned above) and take it to task. I'll do the conditioning process when I change strings to EVH 9-46 (Eb)
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Use whatever you are comfotable with. But my suggestion was NOT for coconut oil. It was for Fractionated coconut oil. Pretty big difference.
Use whatever you are comfotable with. But my suggestion was NOT for coconut oil. It was for Fractionated coconut oil. Pretty big difference.
RolanTHUNDER
New member
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Best Fretboard Cleaners - SAFE on Maple?
Again, I would never use oil of any kind on a finished MAPLE board. Clean warm water on a damp rag, followed by a dry cloth will remove 99.9% of the dirt and contaminants. That's all you really need.
Bill
Again, I would never use oil of any kind on a finished MAPLE board. Clean warm water on a damp rag, followed by a dry cloth will remove 99.9% of the dirt and contaminants. That's all you really need.
Bill
