Given my experience here, I have to heartily agree with Mr. Breakstone's and Mr. Collin's recommendations on fretboard and fingerboard treatment - specifically the use of Howard's. It seems as though there is a lot of myths, misinformation, or misconceptions on fret board and fingerboard care, so we have a printed instrument care and maintenance handout that we give to customers during the first visit which has a section on fretboard and fingerboard care. From the Instrument Care Guide:
Quote: - The wood in your instrument's fretboard or fingerboard is dead; it died shortly after the tree was harvested and converted to fretboards, fingerboards, and other instrument components. It does not need to be fed, petted, or told 'Good boy!' to do its job. Anyone that suggests the wood in your instrument, furniture, or floors is alive and needs feeding is trying to sell you something that you do not need and which may do more harm than good.
- The primary reason to treat the fretboard or fingerboard is to increase water resistance - specifically, to keep sweat from the player's body from soaking into the wood and attracting dirt and debris, leading to accumulation of an unsightly layer of greasy dirt on the fingerbaord. For fretted instruments, this amalgam of dirt, skin oils, salt, and perspiration may wick into the fretboard/fret interface, leading to corrosion or compromise of the bond between the two.
- Secondary reasons for fretboard or fingerboard treatment are for appearance or to reduce perceived friction between string and fingerboard material.
- Most fretboard and fingerboard oils are just repackaged mineral oil with a touch of scent or other marketing-driven ingredient. Mineral oil is neither durable nor particularly effective as a moisture barrier - it is primarily an appearance enhancement. We don't recommend mineral oil as a wood treatment.
- Some fretboard preparations are repackaged linseed oil with metallic dryers added - they form a film on the fingerboard or fretboard, which helps resist moisture, but will break down over time, requiring renewal and eventually removal and reapplication. We don't recommend modified linseed oil as a wood finish where it will be exposed to sweat and wear.
- We DO recommend wax-based fretboard and fingerboard cleaner/protectant formulations like Howard's Feed and Wax or Johnson's Paste Wax. Wax is an inexpensive, durable, self-renewing fretboard or fingerboard treatment, and does an excellent job in repelling water even when applied in very thin films. More importantly, wax does a better job of sealing the gap between fretboard and fret without causing a build-up of oily film. When a hard wax like carnuba is combined with a soft wax like beeswax, durability and water resistance is further increased versus a single type of wax, and addition of a solvent/cleaner component like orange or lemon oil makes the treatment self-renewing. Wax treatments generally use a carrier/solvent like naphtha to allow easy application, and that carrier/solvent also functions as a cleaner for oily grime.
- Along with many other repair shops, we recommend Howard's Feed and Wax over other treatments, due to low cost (~$9/pint), durability, lack of toxicity, and ease of use. Howard's is sold at most home centers, hardware stores, and online. Howard's combines hard and soft waxes, a naphtha solvent base, and orange oil in just the right proportions necessary for an effective treatment for instrument fretboards and fingerboards.
- Treat your fretboard or fingerboard as needed to avoid build-up of greasy dirt and maintain moisture resistance; for most players, that will be 2-3 times per year.
As I am the assigned editor/printer/general dog's body responsible for updating this guide (as well as every other print document), feel free to work as an unpaid editor to improve our care guide! Comments welcome!
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