Fretboard oil

[Phil-osopher10]

it's a martin dc1xe its prob about 6 years old and it is a matte finish, if that helps?

[harleyheath]

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1351076405' post='1846929']
it's a martin dc1xe its prob about 6 years old and it is a matte finish, if that helps?
[/quote]

As far as I know Martin use a catalysed nitro finish on there tops, think its called 'chem sheen'? I think they used a rub on poly on the X series, if you want to restore and re-protect it I would use either of these, i'm sure a e-mail to Martin will get you the info on the one they used and then a trip to your local car paint place will knock you up a rattle can of nitro an you can buy wipe on poly from most good furniture finishing places, you wont be able to buy from Martin as they cant ship volatiles over seas! hope this helps.

[Phil-osopher10]

Thanks harleyheath, I'll look into that! Never thought of that!

[Phil-osopher10]

Thanks harleyheath, I'll look into that! Never thought of that!

[xgsjx]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1351069855' post='1846812']
Only skimmed this thread, so someone might have already said it. But ordinary common or garden sunflower oil from yer local supermarket works fine.
Of course it wont smell of Lemons or Strawberries, or whatever, but it does the job.
[/quote]

Don't put cooking oil on wood, it will go rancid.

Like Coilte says though, oiling isn't something that needs to be done. I've oiled mine once in 22 years & that was about a year ago.

[miles'tone]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1351069966' post='1846814']
The thought that always springs to mind with threads like this is how people looked after (or more to the point, [b]didn't[/b] look after) their fret boards in times gone by. To my knowledge, this idea of cleaning and oiling is comparatively recent. It has all the hall marks of being a marketing ploy. There are so many manufacturers out there saying that theirs is the best and only way to clean and oil your fretboard. Yet I regularly see basses from the 60's for sale which are in immaculate condition. I'm sure their original owners did not clean or oil the FB.

Don't get me wrong, I like to look after my instrument as much as the next person. I just think we are inclined to go OTT with this.

Also, it is often the case that the people who feel the need to oil and clean regularly, are the ones who

don't have the presence of mind to wash their hands before picking up the bass.
[/quote]

Reminds me of that famous James Jamerson quote (a guy who NEVER cleaned his fretboard) - 'the funk is in the gunk'

[Coilte]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1351080336' post='1847007']
Don't put cooking oil on wood, it will go rancid.
[/quote]

+1.

Better to not oil it at all than use cooking oil.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1351069855' post='1846812']
Only skimmed this thread, so someone might have already said it. But ordinary common or garden sunflower oil from yer local supermarket works fine.
Of course it wont smell of Lemons or Strawberries, or whatever, but it does the job.
[/quote]

If you meant Olive Oil then yes, you'd be right, but lemon oil would possibly still be cheaper.


[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1351069966' post='1846814']
The thought that always springs to mind with threads like this is how people looked after (or more to the point, [b]didn't[/b] look after) their fret boards in times gone by. To my knowledge, this idea of cleaning and oiling is comparatively recent. It has all the hall marks of being a marketing ploy. There are so many manufacturers out there saying that theirs is the best and only way to clean and oil your fretboard. Yet I regularly see basses from the 60's for sale which are in immaculate condition. I'm sure their original owners did not clean or oil the FB.[/quote]

The same could be said for vintage cars; you don't see nearly as many of them around as you do vintage guitars. But maybe if the owners had put more maintenance in them you would. Things weren't always the right way of doing them in the "good old days".
As I said a few posts ago, I was told by lifelong luthiers that too much lemon oiling with risk lifting your frets, twice a year max - that's not OTT it's about the same number of times I change an air-fresher in the car.
AFAIK the lemon content is a degreasent, the rest of the wood is to feed what is essentially dead wood in the same way any other product does.

Edited October 24, 2012 by Big_Stu

[4 Strings]

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1351080438' post='1847009']
Reminds me of that famous James Jamerson quote (a guy who NEVER cleaned his fretboard) - 'the funk is in the gunk'
[/quote]

Another 'amen' from here too. Unless you're going to leave your bass in the garden it shouldn't need oiling.

HOWEVER, the MM necks are unsealed and so DO require a periodical clean and a tiny application of the gunstock wax to seal and stop dirt getting into the grain and to give it its slippy surface. The unsealed maple fingerboards are susceptible to this and don't cleanup with a scrub like rosewood so the lemonoil helps to seal them.

Also, if you're unlike Jamerson and want to scrub even your rosewood fretboard clean a little oil (I used to use Mr Sheen on the odd occasion I did this) will help it regain its colour.

Apart from this, as I mentioned earlier, it just gives us owners an opportunity to apply some tlc to our bass!

[KingBollock]

I had never oiled my fretboards before, just a bit of furniture polish when I changed the strings, which is incredibly rarely (I'm talking years in between new sets). The only reason I thought of it was because I watched a Guitar repair video where the bloke used Linseed Oil on the fretboard before he refitted the strings, then, while rummaging around under my desk amongst my paint stuff, I found a bottle of Linseed Stand Oil and wondered if it would be any good.
Yesterday I decided to give it a go on an old Guitar that has a very dry fretboard, this thing has been through the wars, including spending several years in bits in a box. The Stand Oil has made it come up lovely. I don't think I'll bother with my other Guitars and Basses because they don't need it, but it worked on this one.

[RhysP]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1351069855' post='1846812']
Only skimmed this thread, so someone might have already said it. But ordinary common or garden sunflower oil from yer local supermarket works fine.
[/quote]
There are all manner of things added to cooking oils to aid heating & retard burning that would make using them on a guitar a pretty bad idea. They will also go off & smell pretty bad.

[RhysP]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1351080336' post='1847007']
Like Coilte says though, oiling isn't something that needs to be done. I've oiled mine once in 22 years & that was about a year ago.
[/quote]

This.
Fingerboard treatments are basically just another way for manufacturers to get people with more money than sense to part with even more of it. People are verging on OCD about stuff like this these days.

[Steve G]

When I changed my strings I gave the whole thing a good clean with baby wipes (these will shift anything!); use your nail or other suitable implement behind the wipe to get into corners edges etc. Then wiped down with kitchen roll and left for a little while to ensure it was dry. Then gave it a spray over and wipe with GT85, teflon based aerosol lubricant stuff more likely associated with bikes / cars but left a good finish and nice smell (imo).

Have given a once over with the GT85 since

[Coilte]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1351083657' post='1847079']
If you meant Olive Oil then yes, you'd be right, but lemon oil would possibly still be cheaper.




The same could be said for vintage cars; you don't see nearly as many of them around as you do vintage guitars. But maybe if the owners had put more maintenance in them you would. Things weren't always the right way of doing them in the "good old days".
As I said a few posts ago, I was told by lifelong luthiers that too much lemon oiling with risk lifting your frets, twice a year max - that's not OTT it's about the same number of times I change an air-fresher in the car.
AFAIK the lemon content is a degreasent, the rest of the wood is to feed what is essentially dead wood in the same way any other product does.
[/quote]

Maintenance is quite a different thing altogether than using oil in a "if it's not broken, why fix it ?" manner. I was not implying that you should not maintain your instrument in whatever way is required.

My basic point is with regards oiling the FB, if we are talking about extremes, no oil at all, is better than too much.

From what I have read on other forums, people [b]are [/b]inclined to go OTT in my opinion.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1351086024' post='1847119']
if we are talking about extremes, no oil at all, is better than too much.

From what I have read on other forums, people [b]are [/b]inclined to go OTT in my opinion.
[/quote]

The first part I would agree with entirely;
but I've generally found on most other (guitar forums anyway) forums that players tend to be cautious with their expensive instruments - you certainly see a lot of questions being asked on here which is [u]great[/u], [i]some[/i] of the answers not so great & I steer clear of those users who tend to get their rulers out & demonstrate their [i]knowledge[/i] (such that it is in some cases) rather than offer any practical answers or valid opinions.

Personally I would stress the importance of asking an expert who stands or falls, ie. earns a living, by their advice far above any other forum user who can shrug and ignore any issues that ill-founded advice can cause. That has as much validity as the buyers of Mark D Philips butchered guitars ( - I see he's now advocating "oiling" pots) it may work for him, it may work in a select number of cases - but it's not a way forward.

[harleyheath]

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1351079636' post='1846994']
Thanks harleyheath, I'll look into that! Never thought of that!
[/quote]

No problem at all, I hope it goes well.

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1351084034' post='1847088']
There are all manner of things added to cooking oils to aid heating & retard burning that would make using them on a guitar a pretty bad idea. They will also go off & smell pretty bad.
[/quote]

How dare you sir ? My Bass playing might stink, but my Basses dont.

Pure sunflower oil aint got no additives. I dont mean Mazola, anyway, you wipe a little bit on and then wipe it off once every 6 months or so, not saturate the fretboard. First did it a few years ago, never oiled one in thirty odd years of playing before that tbh.

[harleyheath]

If you clean and put some oil on the biggest thing it does is put a smile on your face because your fretboard is all clean an new looking with the wood all lovely coloured again! and thats the best part! no matter what oil you put on, i'm sure every one puts only a small amount on and wipes off the excess inside a matter of a minute so the thin oils like lemon oil only really penetrate the wood by a few microns if your lucky and the heavier oil really just sit on top, neither really do the wood much good internally, its just a matter of cleaning them, sealing them a bit and protecting them from moisture, which in your warm houses isn't so much of a problem. fretboards are made of the hardest woods nothing really soaks in, unless you have indian rosewood an piss thin hot oil and you bath it in it for hours, sh*t a lot of the wood used for fretboard don't even float! lol
I like lemon oil for fretted guitars as it cleans as it goes and I don't like heavy oil on my frets even after wiping then but on a fretless I fancy linseed as its more protective, but sh*t in the old days I used all sorts of things! I found that used car oil gives it a lovely ebonized effect, joking, lol an I wouldn't use cooking oil because I would end up rushing out mid gig for chips! lol

[KingBollock]

I've found some Creosote in the shed... I wonder...

[xgsjx]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1351091311' post='1847219']
How dare you sir ? My Bass playing might stink, but my Basses dont.

Pure sunflower oil aint got no additives. I dont mean Mazola, anyway, you wipe a little bit on and then wipe it off once every 6 months or so, not saturate the fretboard. First did it a few years ago, never oiled one in thirty odd years of playing before that tbh.
[/quote]

Be careful. Apparently sunflower oil sometimes doesn't dry properly & can end up just being sticky.
Check if there's a use by date on the oil, Then a few months after it's past, have a sniff of your fretboard.

[harleyheath]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1351094507' post='1847290']
I've found some Creosote in the shed... I wonder...
[/quote]

Lmao! Well at least it won't ever rot!!

[KingBollock]

[quote name='harleyheath' timestamp='1351096306' post='1847320']
Lmao! Well at least it won't ever rot!!
[/quote]
I know someone who used Creosote on his bedroom furniture. It made his whole house stink of it and he completely refused to admit that he'd done anything wrong. Hmmm, I wonder if that's what made him go nuts and attack his wife and kids (and my brother) with a sword?

[Protium]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1351084335' post='1847092']
This.
Fingerboard treatments are basically just another way for manufacturers to get people with more money than sense to part with even more of it. People are verging on OCD about stuff like this these days.
[/quote]

£3.50 and had it 8 years so far, not exactly breaking the bank

[harleyheath]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1351096481' post='1847322']

I know someone who used Creosote on his bedroom furniture. It made his whole house stink of it and he completely refused to admit that he'd done anything wrong. Hmmm, I wonder if that's what made him go nuts and attack his wife and kids (and my brother) with a sword?
[/quote]

Lol, no... That's some brave man, and that's some stink!! He must of spent a few high days! Lol

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1351096225' post='1847318']
Be careful. Apparently sunflower oil sometimes doesn't dry properly & can end up just being sticky.
Check if there's a use by date on the oil, Then a few months after it's past, have a sniff of your fretboard.
[/quote]

Been a few years and it dont stink yet. On a similar vein though, anyone on here found anything that will lubricate strings ? there used to be some stiff that came in little aerosols, but I cant find any mention of it these days.

I just bought a new Precision and theres way too much zing for my liking, I'm too tight fisted to change the strings just yet but they sure are taking a lot of playing in.