oiling fingerboard?

Brian110687

Red Sox Hateologist
The fingerboard on my LesPaul is beginning to look and feel verry dry. What should I use to oil it. And what steps should I take in doing it. I have never done it before.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

I use lemon oil, just wipe it on, let it sit 5-10 minutes, wipe it off. Don't do but maybe twice a year or so, too much moisture and you'll rot the frets right off the neck. I only recently found that out, so I'm sharing the knowledge haha.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

Brian110687 said:
It's rosewood. Where can I get rosewood oil?
I got mine at Whole Foods. You can probably find it in granola-esque shops that sell aromatherapy stuff.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

Brian110687 said:
Is it safe to use old english on fretboards?
OK? probably
something like Kyser's Dr. Stringfellow's lem oil is likely of better quality
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

I use Stew-Mac's Fretboard Finishing Oil on my rosewood and ebony fingerboards and recommend it highly.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

OK, here's a little Q & A from Ernie Ball's FAQ:
-----------------------------
Q: How do I clean and maintain my Music Man neck?

A: To clean the neck, use a high-grade of lemon oil. If the neck is very dirty, try Murphy's Oil Soap diluted 3:1.

Rosewood fingerboards should be treated with a high grade of lemon oil. Again, for cleaning, try using the same high grade of lemon oil to clean the entire neck, both maple and rosewood fretboards. If the neck is very dirty, you can use a small amount of Murphy's Oil Soap, diluted 3:1 to clean it. Keep in mind that if the dirt has gotten into the wood, it cannot be removed except by sanding it down, which we do not recommend. It is better to keep it clean in the first place. Washing your hands first helps! On an unfinished neck, some discoloration after many hours of playing is normal. Be sure to follow all of the manufacturers recommended safety precautions when using any of these.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

thanks for all the advice guys. I think I'm going to order either Dr. Stringfellow's lemon oil or Stew-mac's.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

Very cool, just remember you can let it get too dry AND you can over-moisturize.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

More from Frets.com - this time on cleaning & maintaining the guitar, and the fingerboard in particular.

IME a tiny bit of naptha is good for getting the gunk off the fingerboard, especially right along the edge of a fret. If you use steel wool, use the finest grade available and take the neck off the guitar (assuming it's a bolt on). Surprise: your magnetic pickups will pick up every tiny piece of steel wool that comes close to them.

I've been using Bore Oil lately on rosewood fingerboards on the theory that if it's good enough to take care of an oboe, it's gotta' be good enough for a guitar.

Hope this helps,

Chip
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

You can also tape off your pickups to keep steel wool from clinging to them.
 
Re: oiling fingerboard?

Plain old orange or lemon oil is fine. It's cheap and you can get it at any grocery store. Juat make sure it is REAL leamon or orange oil, not mineral oil. Rosewood is a pretty resiliant wood, it's not delicate or anything. There are people out there that use a million different oil types on thier boards that I don't know anything about, I've been using orange oil for years and it's just fine. It smells good too!
 
Back
Top