Lemon Oil

[Pikefloyd]

I've been using lemon oil to clean the neck (ovangkol) and fretboard (wenge) of my Warwick. The body is swamp ash, and has a coloured oil finish. Does anyone think there may be problems using the lemon oil on the body too, or is there some other cleaner that might be better suited with the type of finish I have?

Any help much appreciated

[neilb]

Warwickhunt will be able to help you here. I would say not to use the oil on the body, but what do I know about unpainted basses.

[bassmandan]

wax on....... wax off!

I wouldn't use oil on the body, wax is best for the oil finishes, Warwick supply their own wax with all new basses but it's just the same kind of stuff they use in the furniture/antique trade, a sort of synthetic beeswax equivalent I think.....

[Paul Cooke]

don't use any product that contains silicon...

[G-77]

i use Warwick Wax on my thumb, and my explorer that been striped down to the wood,, hhmm i think it time to get the wax out now , thanks for reminding me,,,

[Pikefloyd]

Thanks for the info.

Think I'll leave the lemon oil for the neck and fretboard only. The Warwick site say the wax should only be used on the natural finish bodies. The coloured oil finishes do not need waxing. Think I'll just use a dry cloth for a wipedown, unless there are any other suggestions.

cheers

[King Tut]

You're correct - you don't need to wax the coloured oil finishes. I use furniture polish....shock horror!!

[charic]

Just chisel the dirt off haha


Plz dont hurt me

Edited September 23, 2007 by charic

[mybass]

I believe the wax that Warwick use and sell, contains Carnuba wax. Not all waxes for polishing contain this, so I've been told in shops. Someone mentioned not to use silicon wax. I heard that it isn't that good a wax to use too, something to do with build up of residual muck.
Your bass has already been oiled at the factory, so waxing should be the only necessary job now, unless you strip the body back to bare wood and start again.
When I oil my (fretless) macassar ebony fingerboards, I use "Bore Oil". This was used by my double bass repairer on fingerboards. It is used for the bores on woodwind instruments, stops all that spittle from rotting the insides I guess. It is supplied in small quantities for a few pounds, made by Yamaha and obtainable or to be ordered in many music shops. When applying it, dab some onto a piece of cloth and rub that into the fingerboard. DON'T pour it onto the fingerboard direct. That goes for any oil.
If you are going to oil the fingerboard, use sparingly, it can and will seep under the frets and maybe just maybe, loosen them. I can relate a story where an over zealous roadie kept disregarding both my protests and our guitarists' about the method and use of lemon oil "cleaner" he insisted on using. Instead of giving the guitars a good wipe down, he kept using this lemon oil "cleaner". This resulted by the third gig with my right hand being soaked in excess lemon oil seeping out of the bridge and strings. Worse still, the guitarist had a graphite nut on his lovely strat. The oil literally softened the nut and the strings had sunk into the graphite itself. The guitarist had a new nut put on. There was so much oil though that had soaked into the wood that this new nut also softened up.
The lesson is to be sparing with any oils on and around the fingerboard area.

[quote name='Pikefloyd' post='64402' date='Sep 23 2007, 04:03 PM']I've been using lemon oil to clean the neck (ovangkol) and fretboard (wenge) of my Warwick. The body is swamp ash, and has a coloured oil finish. Does anyone think there may be problems using the lemon oil on the body too, or is there some other cleaner that might be better suited with the type of finish I have?

Any help much appreciated[/quote]

Edited September 25, 2007 by mybass

[Pikefloyd]

That's great, thanks for the info

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='King Tut' post='64538' date='Sep 23 2007, 10:51 PM']You're correct - you don't need to wax the coloured oil finishes. I use furniture polish....shock horror!![/quote]
Yup! I have a Streamer LX6 in "Honey Violin". I just use a bit of polish on a cloth.
Wax the back of the neck if you like.
I've used Lemon oil (very sparingly) on the Wenge Fretboards with no ill-effects. Just don't go turning that open grain into lots of little lemony reservoirs!

[warwickhunt]

All good and correct suggestions. Lemon oil is fine for the fingerboard every now and again and won't do any harm if wiped over the natural finish of the neck, it will evaporate off naturally but a buff to take it off is by far the best. The stained body finishes will require little more than a wipe down after use with a clean cloth but again if you've got the strings off just give it a wipe with a little light dusting of Mr Sheen or similar onto a soft lint free cloth. Once a year or so I strip the bridge hardware off my main gigging bass, dismantle it and give it a thorough clean and a smidgen of WD40 on screws etc to stop them seizing, everything should be done sparingly so that there is no residue to collect the muck!

Then enjoy a shiny, trouble free bass... unless you want to go for the distressed retro look

[Pikefloyd]

Great info, I'll be getting my Lemon Oil and Mr Sheen out at the weekend!

Cheers