Moisturizing the finger board
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wileypickett
Enlightened Member
This is just anecdotal, but when Guild at New Hartford repaired my D50 a few years ago Kim had one of the guys in the shop polish the guitar, including the ebony fretboard, on their buffer.
The ebony gleamed like a mirror! When I oohed and aahed over it, my recollection is that Kim said that Guild also polished the ebony fretboards on new guitars. (Kim made the distinction that it was just ebony that they polished. Maybe because ebony is a dense hardwood, unlike rosewood?)
They use stick wax on their buffing wheels to polish the guitars, not a liquid:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-POLIS...GRAMS-Buffing-Soap-Wax-Bar-P254-/281701243232
Whether they've always done this, I have no idea, nor what, if anything, they do to the rosewood.
davismanLV
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AZ, that's some beautiful rosewood on a really lovely Guild!! Thanks for the photo regardless of what's on the fretboard!! :encouragement:
wileypickett
Enlightened Member
Hey Neal,
How often you clean and treat your fretboard (if you do) probably depends on how much you play, how filthy your fretboard gets, how persnickety you are about taking care of your guitar, etc. There's not necessarily one answer that applies equally to every player.
Some people here said they do nothing, others that they clean the strings and fretboard with a cloth after each use and that's all, others that they clean and treat their fretboards once or twice a year. No one has reported having a problem following whatever method they prefer. (Though I do wonder about people who have reported having problems with sticky fingerboards. That's something I've never encountered. But it's been reported that polish that is intended for finished wood will both soften raw wood and make it sticky.)
There are oils in your fingers and if you play a lot, you are oiling your fingerboard. You may not need to do much else, but clean off the dirt occasionally that gets smooshed into the fingerboard along with the oils.
Some people perspire more than others and sweat can damage a fingerboard.
Some have a light touch, some a heavy touch. People that really grind the strings into the fingerboard are more quickly wearing away whatever may be nominally protecting it, in addition to grinding in sweat, dirt and oils. (We've all seen fingerboards that are black and oily over the heaviest played areas of the fingerboard, but where the grain of the wood is still visible in areas that don't get a lot of play.)
I'm not an expert myself. Cleaning the fretboard with 0000 steel wool and applying boiled linseed oil to the fretboard once or twice a year was recommended to me by someone who knows more about these things than I do. I've been doing that for some years, and it works for me. YMMV.
In an earlier post here I made a list of what things are NOT recommended, and WHY they aren't recommended.
Something to add: whatever you put on the fingerboard, even if applied sparingly and wiped off quickly, will still seep in and under the frets.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Just to add my five cents, a few links from guitar manufacturers and Luthiers about that topic:
Martin Guitar: "We do not recommend using lemon oil on our fingerboards. The acids in lemon oil break down the finish of our guitars. It may also aid the corrosion of the frets and lessen the life of the strings."
Gibson: "If you notice that your fretboard has dried out or developed hairline cracks, you may finish this process with Gibson’s Luthier’s Choice Fretboard Conditioner. Alternately, you can rub one or two drops of oil (mineral, almond or linseed oil) into the fretboard to condition it. Make sure to wipe off excess oil with a soft, dry rag."
Taylor (mind they don't use nitro finishes like Guild or Martin!): "I’d have no worries about using lemon oil on my fretboard. It’s safe. Use it only on the unfinished wood like the fretboard and bridge. The wood can dry out over time, and an oil like this, or linseed oil, or even mineral oil, can protect the wood and beautify it as well. Don’t overdo it. Once a fretboard has been oiled a few times, you can slow down the frequency. The nice thing about lemon oil is that it cleans while it oils, so it won’t build up as easily, but be sparing. I don’t think your fretboard will need oiling more than twice a year, and eventually, once a year."
Collings Guitars: "Fingerboards can occasionally dry out, but require only a very small amount of boiled linseed oil (thoroughly buffed) to restore. Less is always best."
Frank Ford from Gryphon: "Some players talk of "feeding" the unfinished surface of the fingerboard with oil. Fingerboards are not actually hungry and don't really need to be fed, but a light coating of oil gives them a finished and clean look. If you do choose to oil the fingerboard, do it with care. Use a tiny amount of lemon oil or mineral oil on the rag, wipe it on the fingerboard, and then wipe it all off. You don't want to saturate the fingerboard, and you don't want a lot of oil running down into the fret slots. If there are cracks in your fingerboard, consider having them filled professionally, and don't get oil in the cracks. Generally, you'll want to stay away from linseed and other natural vegetable oils, which become sticky and gummy over time. This kind of fingerboard cleaning should be a once-a-year event, at the most. Too much scrubbing and oiling can easily do more damage than good. Lemon oil and other oils are often sold as instrument polish. None of these will injure any finish, and can be used without fear of damaging the finish itself. The oil type cleaners will tend to remove oil soluble dirt, BUT, it is very important to realize that oils and polishes can penetrate any little breaks in the finish, and may make quite a mess over time. A guitar with cracks or a "crazed" finish, should be approached with utmost caution. Oily polishes will leach right through the cracks in the finish and stain the surface of the wood, and the stains will "bleed" and become more ugly as the years go by."
One product I found (but have not actually tried) that was recommended a few times is D'Addario/Planet Waves Hydrate fretboard conditioner. "It’s safe on all woods and finishes, smells good and cleans up easier than lemon or linseed oil. Application is so easy! With linseed and lemon oil, things always got messy; with the Planet Waves Hydrate, just spray it on, let it absorb into the wood and wipe it off with a paper towel. No more oily rags around my shop! (I wonder if I can get my insurance rate lowered now) Don’t worry about over-conditioning; the fretboard will only absorb what it needs. Clean it up with a paper towel and you’re ready to restring."
And regarding Ebony vs Rosewood fretboards somebody at the SD Forum wrote: "The key factors are stable oils and resins, which ebony is greatly lacking in comparison to rosewoods. The oils and resins in rosewoods will generally remain in the wood for centuries, while ebony's lack thereof can leave it prone to drying out and splitting or cracking if neglected over time. Therefore it actually requires more care than rosewoods, but an occasional, perhaps annual oiling of the board is all that's really necessary."
And at TGP somebody who seems to be a luthier summed it up:
"1) It is a common misconception that oiling a fretboard will prevent cracking. It almost never does. Wood cracks due to loss of water vapor, not oil. The only sure-fire crack prevention is to make sure the wood does not lose that H2O...enter, the case humidifier (etc) if needed.
2) Oil does not present any level of a significant moisture barrier. The H2O molecules can quite easily slip past the larger oil molecules.
3) Under normal conditions most members of the Rosewood family have so much natural oil that...technically...they should very seldom need any extra. They will however crack due to loss of H2O, as in the case of a lousy flatsawn piece of BRW stumpwood fretboard I saw recently.
4) Ebony is quite crack prone and should be hydrated. It will lose H2O quickly.
5) I do not recommend putting any oil on a fretboard more than once a year...twice at most...and go really easy on it.
6) Over the past 36 years, over-oiled fretboards have provided me with plenty of refrets, and not the fun kind. You can loosen your frets, and rot the wood under the frets via over-oiling.
7) The fretboard oil that I use is Watco Danish Oil, sparingly."
Ralf
Martin Guitar: "We do not recommend using lemon oil on our fingerboards. The acids in lemon oil break down the finish of our guitars. It may also aid the corrosion of the frets and lessen the life of the strings."
Gibson: "If you notice that your fretboard has dried out or developed hairline cracks, you may finish this process with Gibson’s Luthier’s Choice Fretboard Conditioner. Alternately, you can rub one or two drops of oil (mineral, almond or linseed oil) into the fretboard to condition it. Make sure to wipe off excess oil with a soft, dry rag."
Taylor (mind they don't use nitro finishes like Guild or Martin!): "I’d have no worries about using lemon oil on my fretboard. It’s safe. Use it only on the unfinished wood like the fretboard and bridge. The wood can dry out over time, and an oil like this, or linseed oil, or even mineral oil, can protect the wood and beautify it as well. Don’t overdo it. Once a fretboard has been oiled a few times, you can slow down the frequency. The nice thing about lemon oil is that it cleans while it oils, so it won’t build up as easily, but be sparing. I don’t think your fretboard will need oiling more than twice a year, and eventually, once a year."
Collings Guitars: "Fingerboards can occasionally dry out, but require only a very small amount of boiled linseed oil (thoroughly buffed) to restore. Less is always best."
Frank Ford from Gryphon: "Some players talk of "feeding" the unfinished surface of the fingerboard with oil. Fingerboards are not actually hungry and don't really need to be fed, but a light coating of oil gives them a finished and clean look. If you do choose to oil the fingerboard, do it with care. Use a tiny amount of lemon oil or mineral oil on the rag, wipe it on the fingerboard, and then wipe it all off. You don't want to saturate the fingerboard, and you don't want a lot of oil running down into the fret slots. If there are cracks in your fingerboard, consider having them filled professionally, and don't get oil in the cracks. Generally, you'll want to stay away from linseed and other natural vegetable oils, which become sticky and gummy over time. This kind of fingerboard cleaning should be a once-a-year event, at the most. Too much scrubbing and oiling can easily do more damage than good. Lemon oil and other oils are often sold as instrument polish. None of these will injure any finish, and can be used without fear of damaging the finish itself. The oil type cleaners will tend to remove oil soluble dirt, BUT, it is very important to realize that oils and polishes can penetrate any little breaks in the finish, and may make quite a mess over time. A guitar with cracks or a "crazed" finish, should be approached with utmost caution. Oily polishes will leach right through the cracks in the finish and stain the surface of the wood, and the stains will "bleed" and become more ugly as the years go by."
One product I found (but have not actually tried) that was recommended a few times is D'Addario/Planet Waves Hydrate fretboard conditioner. "It’s safe on all woods and finishes, smells good and cleans up easier than lemon or linseed oil. Application is so easy! With linseed and lemon oil, things always got messy; with the Planet Waves Hydrate, just spray it on, let it absorb into the wood and wipe it off with a paper towel. No more oily rags around my shop! (I wonder if I can get my insurance rate lowered now) Don’t worry about over-conditioning; the fretboard will only absorb what it needs. Clean it up with a paper towel and you’re ready to restring."
And regarding Ebony vs Rosewood fretboards somebody at the SD Forum wrote: "The key factors are stable oils and resins, which ebony is greatly lacking in comparison to rosewoods. The oils and resins in rosewoods will generally remain in the wood for centuries, while ebony's lack thereof can leave it prone to drying out and splitting or cracking if neglected over time. Therefore it actually requires more care than rosewoods, but an occasional, perhaps annual oiling of the board is all that's really necessary."
And at TGP somebody who seems to be a luthier summed it up:
"1) It is a common misconception that oiling a fretboard will prevent cracking. It almost never does. Wood cracks due to loss of water vapor, not oil. The only sure-fire crack prevention is to make sure the wood does not lose that H2O...enter, the case humidifier (etc) if needed.
2) Oil does not present any level of a significant moisture barrier. The H2O molecules can quite easily slip past the larger oil molecules.
3) Under normal conditions most members of the Rosewood family have so much natural oil that...technically...they should very seldom need any extra. They will however crack due to loss of H2O, as in the case of a lousy flatsawn piece of BRW stumpwood fretboard I saw recently.
4) Ebony is quite crack prone and should be hydrated. It will lose H2O quickly.
5) I do not recommend putting any oil on a fretboard more than once a year...twice at most...and go really easy on it.
6) Over the past 36 years, over-oiled fretboards have provided me with plenty of refrets, and not the fun kind. You can loosen your frets, and rot the wood under the frets via over-oiling.
7) The fretboard oil that I use is Watco Danish Oil, sparingly."
Ralf
Rayk
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So that 6" pcv tube filled with oil that my guitar neck sets in is a no no ? Kind of thought that was a little over the top that plus the neighborhood dogs keep hanging around . I'll just poor the peanut oil back in the turkey fryer . Hahaha sorry first cup of coffee for the morning .
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Just ordered that MusicNomad Fretboard F-One Oil which Mike recommended. Will see how it works. Incl. shipping from Musicstore.de it is €10.20 here. Guess my remaining Gibson Premium Fretboard Conditioner will see the bin soon.
Ralf
Neal
Senior Member
Ryak! Bad boy! Go to your room!
And don't try to fry a frozen turkey.
Neal
And don't try to fry a frozen turkey.
Neal
adorshki
Reverential Member
Pulled out my D25 last night to take a closer look.
More convinced than ever that they do (or at least did) something to 'em as an initial finish and protection just like the guy on Talkbass describes.
Remember, that thread was about initial finish of a brand new fretboard to prep it for a lifetime of use.
Again, more about sealing against penetration of finger acids and "fret jam", than in the interest of humididy control, since the majority of expert references mention the basic stability of rosewood in that regard.
The stickwax would fit the bill, even though that same thread mentioned avoiding use of wax, but that would have been emulsified type in the furnituire polish.
And I'm thinking that there's still a distinction between finishing and polishing.
And I don't think the ebony on my F65ce had a polishing compound applied, but I think it was buffed.
SO now I'm also thinking that NH did do things differently than Westerly, in that regard at least.
And I got all 3 of mine new, so I'm looking at 'em with the advantage of knowing nothing was done to 'em until I did it.
I've never even treated the F65 yet.
wileypickett
Enlightened Member
At this point, we may have exhausted this topic. I'm going to throw away my guitars and take up the kazoo!
adorshki
Reverential Member
Waxed sandwich tissues or crepe paper?
Ever tried one with plain brown wrapping?
And do you moisten the kazoo paper? If so, with what?
walrus
walrus
adorshki
Reverential Member
We're just plain merciless 'round here, ain't we?
adorshki
Reverential Member
Oh yeah, I'd think it'd be the same stuff they use to moisturize reeds.
And we ain't talkin' Jergens here.
And we ain't talkin' Jergens here.
Rayk
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I have a bud in Florida making kazoo's nice ones to ... I can link to if to want ?
But I was wondering if anyone was gunna run with moisturizing finger boards but alas not a one ... How politely dry lol anyhow do long as you don't go over to my flute playing ... Let's just end on kazoo's
http://www.aswegohomestead.com/
Thought I was kidding didn't ya !
But I was wondering if anyone was gunna run with moisturizing finger boards but alas not a one ... How politely dry lol anyhow do long as you don't go over to my flute playing ... Let's just end on kazoo's
http://www.aswegohomestead.com/
Thought I was kidding didn't ya !
Impressive kazoos, Ray! For those prices, they should come with a under-kazoo pickup...
walrus
walrus
adorshki
Reverential Member
I note the presence of a beeswax finish on the, uh, Hawaiian Hummer.
Rayk
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Haha and lmfao ... Butch is a cool dude old time ttm'r and Kristal auto user . Used to have aswegohomestead Sunday morning vids .. Gosh I miss that ... Friendship and comradery Good times
