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In nearly 30 years of guitar playing, I've never applied any kind of wax to my fretboards, and never felt the need to. Nor have I yet had a customer request wax on their FB. Until now. A guy who brought me his Strat for fret dressing and set up asked me to wax the FB. He said he's used Butcher's Wax in the past. I would be inclined to advise him against using wax on the FB, but... I don't know, maybe it has its merits. One thing I'll say is that the FB on his Strat looks amazingly good. The frets are quite worn, so it's certainly seen plenty of playing time, but the FB looks like new. No wear, no grime.

A quick web search has turned up a variety of oils made for use on FBs (such as Petros FB oil), but the only wax I see advertised for the purpose is Howard Feed 'n' Wax.

Any advice? Howard Feed 'n' Wax or Butcher's Wax on a FB? Good idea? Bad idea?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Sounds like your customer gave you some of the best first-hand experience FOR using the wax. As a player, he must have some very good reasons for requesting the treatment. All you need do is continue the interrogation. Was the Strat FB maple or rosewood?

I wonder if it either prevents finger gunk buildup or renders it more easy to remove? I typically treat my fbs with Stewmacs FB oil about yearly after giving it a good cleaning to remove said gunk. I like the renewed look following treatment along with fret polishing.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I have been using a carnuba floor wax on fretboards for 30 years with no complications. It is just another fretboard treatment to prevent drying out and providing some slight protection. The thing I like about wax is that it works with you during construction/fretting to protect the fretboard from glue, water, whatever.

So you apply prior to fretting. what is your process?

Howard Feed-N-Wax on FB and bridge, wipe it on, wipe it off a few minutes later and a quick buff with a soft cotton rag. Butcher's wax on jigs so the glue doesn't stick to the jig, and also on a bound FB when I CA frets ends.
It seems Feed-N-Wax is a more penetrating and long lasting, but Butcher's wax works and is used by many.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Thanks for your input, JJ, Barry, and Laurent.

The only time I ever put wax on a FB, it was when gluing down some fret ends with CA. I used Black Bison paste wax, and, man, did I regret using that method as soon as I began to clean up. After lots of tedious cleaning with mineral spirits and a toothbrush, I still was not able to remove all the wax from the pores of the ebony. The Black Bison wax is a fairly yellow wax, but it looked white in the pores. I thought it looked terrible.

So, you guys are telling me that carnauba wax, the carnauba-based Butcher's wax, and the Howard beeswax/carnauba wax/orange oil blend all won't do that? Really? You promise?

This is actually a handmade Strat copy. The FB is ebony. The excellent condition of the FB might testify to the good effect of using wax, or it may be that he is just one of those players who doesn't wear down FBs and also wipes it clean a lot. I will ask him some more questions about it.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Michael, I put the wax on right after final sanding. The wax protects the fretboard from the Titebond glue that I use during fretting.

I use Tree-Wax which is a paste floor wax with the main ingrediant of carnuba. It does not turn white in the pores. I use it on new builds and all fretboard repairs.

Thanks Barry! I’m well famillure with carnauba wax. Was just curious to your application process

Todd,

Any of the good carnauba based waxes are fine. I use Butcher's before gluing my frets with CA, makes wiping the CA off a lot easier. But for final setup I use Howard's Feed and Wax. It is thinned out and penetrates more, but more importantly I feel it leaves less on the surface than Butcher's. The only problem that I might have with the Butcher's is that if it is left on too heavy it might collect dirt and grime. By the way, I believe all these high quality waxes also have beeswax in them. Pure carnauba is very hard. The beeswax softens it and help it stick to the wood. If your interested I have a couple of pounds of pure carnauba wax flakes.

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Randy Muth
RS Muth Guitars Website
RS Muth Guitars Blog
Facebook Fan Page

Barry, thanks for the Trewax info.

Filippo, thanks for the Zymol info.

Randy, thanks for your input. Black Bison has carnauba, beeswax, and mineral waxes and seems to be generally well-regarded. I used the "neutral", which is yellowish-creamy colored, and had the problem I complained of above. Maybe if I'd have used the Black Bison "clear", it would not have done that. It was bone-headed of me to not test it on a piece of scrap ebony first.

You guys are using Butcher's wax successfully - the clear "White Diamond" stuff? I'll give that and/or the Trewax a try, and I'll pick up some of the Howard Feed 'n' Wax as well.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

How do those of you who wax before fretting keep the wax out of the fret slots? Or, if you don't keep it out, doesn't it negate the effect of any glue you use?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Butcher's wax "liquefies" with a little bit of rubbing, so it is easy to get it free of the grain. If you buff it out with a long wicking type cloth (cheese cloth for example), it'll come out of the grain and not leave visible color. Just watch out with it and unfinished wood you intend to finish. It will be VERY difficult to clear the oils from the wood. Glues that rely on grain penetration for their adhesion will probably not stick very well to a Butcher's waxed surface.

I would never have thought to Butcher's wax a fretboard, but it makes sense that it would leave a nice finish. It also pretty much self cleans, so it will not leave heavy layers of wax. That makes it nice for cleaning up a fretboard. Since it dries pretty hard, I'm sure it provides a bit of protection to the wood against string wear.

Howard, I hammer the frets in, then apply the wax with a paper towel along the fret. It doesn't get in the fret slot and IMHO beats cleaning up the CA with acetone. There are probably better methods…

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I would think you could work your way from the first fret or last fret and inserting a feeler gauge as you go or fake plastic credit card ould work pretty good