Official Luthiers Forum!

As a luthier, I'm frequently asked by players how to approach oiling the guitars fingerboard. Seems like every guitarist out there is of the opinion that it's something that should be done, and that there is a right way and wrong way to do it. Usually, I'm asked something along the lines of "How often should I oil my fingerboard and what kind of oil should I use?" I usually reply with something like, "You dont actually need to oil your fingerboard because the wood is dead and doesnt require anything. Too much oil can also contaminate the fingerboard, so don't over do it. But if you must, use bore oil, and just do a really light coat no more than once a year, after your clean your fingerboard."

So, what do you tell people when they ask, and what do you think the best way to approach it is?
Also, what are the reasons you might want to oil your fingerboard? The primary reasons I find myself oiling a fingerboard is to help hide glue after a refret(shhh..), and to give an old fingerboard a more uniform appearance if it has had lots of playing in only certain positions. Both reasons are cosmetic.
Also, to my knowledge, bore oil=mineral oil, Lemon oil=mineral oil w/lemon scent and maybe solvent of some sort, valve oil(like for a trumpet)=mineral oil, "fretboard" oil=mineral oil. Is it all the same?

Also, while we are at it, for a new build, what do you apply to the fingerboard? I like putting a light coat of mineral oil on them, just as I recommend customers to do no more than once a year. I have a feeling that most people here don't do this on new guitars, but I''ve always been happy with the short term and long term effects of using it.

Discuss!
Thank you.

Slow down.

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

The main ingredient in most all FB cleaners/oils is mineral oil. I oil all my new BB and oil a FB during setup if needed. Use sparingly, only takes a drop or 2 for the whole board. I bet haven't oiled the FB on my 69 Gibson LG0 more than 12 times since I got it new in 69.

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Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC

I've used a commercial lemon oil and beeswax mixture for oiling fingerboards. It might help seal it up a little bit and slow moisture migration slightly, but mostly I do it to clean off finger grunge and make it look nice.

Howard Feed-N-Wax after cleaning up the board, frets with OOOO steel wool.

We make it a point to hand back serviced instruments cleaned up provided that the client does not need a filthy pre-war Martin for an album cover - true story.... But that's the exception, most clients appreciate removal of finger jam, drool, boogers, and who knows what when they pick up their ax.

Howards cleans, conditions, lasts about 6 months (visually) and generally darkens the wood nicely leaving no oily residue to come off on anyone's hands.

Good stuff - lots of Loofiers use it.

This thread reminds me of an idea for another thread - grossest things you have seen as a Luthier.... For me it was the yellow toe nail used under a saddle as a shim..... but I digress...

I use canning wax.

I bet that was a real tone-ail, too.

Yeah that too.... I can't be specific about what was going through my head at the time since this is a G rated forum....

PS: I've had clients actually take me by the arm and as politely as possible ask me NOT to clean their guitar....

PSS: There was a post on the OLF likely 8 years ago or so about a repair person who encountered a guitar that someone had vomited in the sound hole.... Tone vomit, crunch chunks...., finger-style bile, Travis picking toe jam.... Hope everyone enjoys their breakfast this morning....

+ 1................ accept for the toe nail part.

Lemon oil on all new builds and all refrets, but very lightly and with all excess immediately wiped off. I re-oil my own guitars as often as the FB looks dry, which for some is 1-2 X a year and for others every time I re-string. Keeps Ebony looking really nice and no harm done if applied very sparingly.

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It will probably be alright.

Back in the early 80's, a client brought in his Telecaster who wiped his Tele neck with Trop-Artic on a weekly basis! This is NO LIE. The thing absolutely reeked of rancid motor oil. The fingerboard had gotten so punky, the frets could be pulled using fingernails. The bottom of the fret slots were glistening with oil.

I turned the thing upside down on a batch of newspaper over a weekend to let it drain, and then bathed the fingerboard regularly for a week with lacquer thinner until the oil supply finally dried up. Then I buried the neck facedown in kitty litter for a week to further pull the oil from the fretboard.

I refretted by epoxying new frets back in (it needed a refret anyway), doing a fret level, and fabricating a new nut. I had the client wrap the neck in a towel while in the case to absorb any new oil that seeped from the fingerboard.

As for oiling the board, I have never used anything but lemon oil - and that's ALL I recommend. I figure lemon oil came from a tree, and something from the ground shouldn't be used to treat raw wood.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

The stuff that is sold as "lemon oil" doesn't actually contain any lemon ...it is simply mineral oil with a chemically enhanced fragrance.

Bore oil , such as "Fret Doctor", OTOH, does come from a tree.

Is this the type of "lemon oil" you are using?:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Old-English- ... /202820656

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I like Pennzoil 30w and reapply every 5k miles.


Actually, I don't like any oil on fingerboards. On fretboard repair jobs my last steps are to clean the fingerboard with mineral spirits and then apply one coat of Trewax which is a fairly hard paste wax for hardwood floors that contains Carnauba.

Absolutely NOT!
I buy 100% pure lemon oil from a nearby healthfood store.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I have been using the Stew Mac fret Board finishing oil by Trutone . Seems to work nicely . Then again I only do it once .

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I do use 3 in 1 oil Martin used the same thing till a few years ago when the switch to duck wax.

I don't oil more than once every few years if that.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I tried some Howard feed n wax on Mesquite. Looks nice and has a good non oily feel.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

New builds - various "fretboard oil".

Cleaning - I rub a generous amount of "dark walnut" Old English with 0000 steel wool. Then wipe off real good with lots of cut up little blue shop towels. Usually have to wipe again before string up as some oil comes out from around the frets. The darker oil is good especially for darkening up cheaper light rosewoods.

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Pat

I do a light coat of lemon oil or the Stew Mac oil on new builds and refrets. Just a little bit then wipe it off. I like the depth, darkness, and sheen it provides to the wood, and I have a feeling it really helps keep the board from drying out. I've seen many old tenor banjos and cheap guitars with dried out, cracked fretboards. I know they used pear wood or something other than what we mostly use now, and these cheapos were probably in an attic for 60 years, but it still makes me feel good to have oil on the fretboard.

I have a friend who is a professional musician and he likes to keep his fretboard completely soaked with oil, like almost dripping off it looks like. He says it helps him move around the fretboard better.

I use a good quality silicone free paste wax. I like the look and feel.

Howard Feed n Wax here too. I have used the oil from StewMac and in my pre-luthier days I used the lemon oil in the bottle that was used on furniture. Always used all of them very sparingly.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I put a coat of oil on the fretboard and bridge when a guitar is new. Then maybe every 3-5 years after that. I use to use the oil from LMI but ran out. Now I just use olive oil. Odd perhaps but seems to work fine.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I use Watco Danish oil on new fret boards to seal the wood.

Bob

We use the dr duck.