Official Luthiers Forum!

I've got some nice Macassar Ebony fretboards that I want to preserve the color variations and not darken. Anybody have any suggestions for an oil that will leave the color of the fretboard the same?
Thanks

_________________
Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

I don't know of any oil that won't darken wood at all, maybe someone does.
But I have noticed that Camelia oil (when I use it on tool handles like beech) darkens it the least of all the oils I've used, barely at all, but I've only seen it on after a year or two.
Or maybe a wax would be an idea?

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Bill Howard Feed-n-wax is what we use on fret boards. It will darken some but not nearly as much as oil and the darkness does not last as long as oil either. Every instrument that we set-up or do restoration work on gets the Howard treatment and folks seem to love it.

Mom & Pop "real" hardware stores carry it.

Thanks guys. I'll give them a try

_________________
Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

Try canning wax.