Applying Fret Oil On Bridge

Stuball48

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Just bought by a 1997 DV52 with satin finish and will restring it today or tomorrow. Want to give guitar a good cleaning. No problem polishing the frets and polishing them with dry cloth but you have a little "wiggle" room on the frets. However, when it comes to the bridge that fits, tightly, to the top - how to you apply the oil to the edges of the bridge against the top? Never felt I have gotten entire bridge covered and polished, properly.
1. Will frog tape or painters tape harm the Satin finished top? Just tape next to bridge edges and apply oil?
2. What device do you use to apply oil and polish bridge?
I am ignorant on how to do this, please correct me -- I just don't want to stay ignorant!
 

F312

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I use my wives makeup like Q tips. it's more pressed cotton than a Q tip with a arrow head so you have more control when you apply the oil. You can buy them at Walmart, or ask your wife, if you happen to have one.

Ralph
 

gjmalcyon

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I use my wives makeup like Q tips. it's more pressed cotton than a Q tip with a arrow head so you have more control when you apply the oil. You can buy them at Walmart, or ask your wife, if you happen to have one.

Ralph

Good idea. I've been applying with an old cotton t-shirt, then cleaning up the resulting mess on the top.
 

Guildedagain

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I like Walnut oil because it's wood, whatever it is you should always wipe it all off, any oil. People who work on instruments tell you that.

What I do with the bridge is put drop of oil on finger, lightly quench wood over its surface avoiding falling off the edges, then take Q Tip if you must do the edges, I do. I find that oil can be the only thing that negates the look of polish stuck to those edges that you can never get rid of otherwise. Avoid touching the body. If you do, be in good light, and just wipe the oil off with dry Q tip instead of smearing it around.

Use a business card up to the bridge as a protector to prevent oiling the top, I do the same over the bridge if I have to lever a pin out. It's a lot nicer than leaving marks on the bridge wood. Rosewood is very soft.

Oil doesn't go though Nitro unless it's checked, not for just a moment anyway. Poly of course never.
 

Stuball48

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Stu, what kind of oil are you using? Boiled linseed? Bore oil? What's the concern about getting oil on the satin body? It shouldn't affect anything.... Sorry, just wondering.
Using MusicOneNomad oil designed for the fretboard and will change strings and clean and polish today. Have decided to be very careful and just do top of bridge for right now. And for the guitar's body and neck use a damp cotton cloth (old times baby diaper) and then a dry one to wipe it clean.
And Guildedagain, like the using a business card, idea.
 

Stuball48

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Cleaned, fretboard and bridge oiled, and restring with D'Addario EJ16s. Still looks and sounds great. Guess it is up to me to enjoy.
 
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Brucebubs

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I used Music Nomad F-One on my Martin JDP II fretboard and bridge.

WstB7cSl.jpg


Sent these 'before & after' pictures to them and they used them on their site.

S1oPkyyl.jpg
OE69ZTzl.jpg
 

F312

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I used Music Nomad F-One on my Martin JDP II fretboard and bridge.

WstB7cSl.jpg


Sent these 'before & after' pictures to them and they used them on their site.

S1oPkyyl.jpg
OE69ZTzl.jpg
I guess you have to lube, but it sure does take the grain away, which I don't like, and, I have experience in time, it stays that way. I don't think when a guitar leaves the factory, it is ever oiled, but I'm guilty of oiling, except for the last few, which I like the grain, and not wipe it away with oil that seems to never dry.

Ralph
 

chazmo

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Ralph, try bore oil (woodwind product used on clarinets and oboes). Indeed, rosewood darkens substantially when it's given some oil, just like Bruce's Martin, but bore oil always absorbs into the wood, i.e., I never see a situation where bore oil doesn't dry.
 

Guildedagain

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Bore oil does sound like the right stuff. Need to try some.

Maybe in a picture, dry RW shows grain better, but IMO even better oiled in person, richer, darker, better.
 

davismanLV

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I use Bore Oil as well. A little goes a long way. Let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess and buff the fretboard/bridge with a soft cloth. Really perks it up.
 

adorshki

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Stu, what kind of oil are you using? Boiled linseed? Bore oil? What's the concern about getting oil on the satin body? It shouldn't affect anything.... Sorry, just wondering.
I'm guilty of posting before I've read all posts, but excellent point. Before I saw this I was simply thinking "I never worried about getting the edges of the bridge because the oil's gonna permeate the edges over time, anyway."
Maybe somebody's already mentioned it.
Re bore oil, probably fine, what's important is that all oils have volatile aromatic impounds that help 'em dry out, some better than others. It's the stuff that give lemon oil have it's flavor. Or walnut oil. The VoAC's can be strong enough to be solvents in their own right, take concentrated lemon oil for example. Why furniture polish is actually very low percentage of actual lemon, and all buffered up and waxed up so it polishes up nice.
But that's why furniture polish builds up: the wax.
And note lemon oil's specifically recommended against use on maple fretboards.
Walnut oil's supposed to have a high percentage of very high volatility aromatics, means it would dry even quicker, and not as potentially damaging as lemon oil.
Bore oil's volatility (drying speed) is enhanced by using petroleum distillates, they evaporate really fast.
I gotta admit my Guitar Honey's got pd's and a lot of commercial products do too, so now it's only "do you want to use a natural oil or are ok with man-made treatment oils?"
Re factory fretboards "oiled?" question:
I believe that yes in fact 'boards were given some kind of light initial final treatment (probably the linseed oil?) and even saw a comment that a carnauba wax buffing was the final step to seal it, at at least some points during Westerly.
It stuck with me because it corroborated the marvelously smooth finish the (D25's, and all of 'em in fact) 'board had when new, and still have pretty much, with an occasional treatment of Guitar Honey, maybe once every 18 months?
And clean the 'board when I change strings with maybe just a wet cloth, don't let the grunge build up, that's maybe once a year on a given guitar.
 
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adorshki

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Cleaned, fretboard and bridge oiled, and restring with D'Addario EJ16s. Still looks and sounds great. Guess it is up to me to enjoy.
If ya really wanna duplicate the factory L350 gauge set at the time, y'need to buy that PB025 single G string to sub into the EJ-16's.
:D
(I'm just carrying on the old running joke about my mania for that .025 G, but for my style anyway it really does make a difference!
Kinda thickens up the midrange or something.)
 

bobouz

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Fret Doctor is very effective.

It’s bore oil & has no petroleum distillates.
 

adorshki

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Fret Doctor is very effective.

It’s bore oil & has no petroleum distillates.
Alright you made me look and by golly a google search turned up some links that indicated there's a difference between mineral-based bore oil (the only kind I knew of) and what I'm guessing must have been the more traditional true vegetable oils used: saw grenadillo (tree nut) oil mentioned on "the Clarinet Pages" for example. Didn't read it yet but it gave me a new insight. Sorry still haven't figured out how to post links under Safari, yet.
PS missed you while I was "away", buddy!
 
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bobouz

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PS missed you while I was "away", buddy!
You too, Al!
Re fretboards in general, my "go to" method has been finalized. I use a soft bronze wool (non-magnetic, so great for electrics) to thoroughly clean gunk off the board, and then apply Fret Doctor. Fingerboards & bridges simply come out looking beautiful (just did a Brazilian rosewood board). If the board isn't truly cleaned first, fretboard oils will build up on top of the gunk - not ideal, and not the best look over time.
 

adorshki

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You too, Al!
Re fretboards in general, my "go to" method has been finalized. I use a soft bronze wool (non-magnetic, so great for electrics) to thoroughly clean gunk off the board, and then apply Fret Doctor. Fingerboards & bridges simply come out looking beautiful (just did a Brazilian rosewood board). If the board isn't truly cleaned first, fretboard oils will build up on top of the gunk - not ideal, and not the best look over time.
It occurs to me that I'm also "spoiled" by having owned all mine since new so gunk build-up's been minimal (as opposed to maybe a newly-purchased vintage piece needing a thorough going over) and I've been able to get away with simpler methods. The D25 has had the most use over the years, and a couple of times I've taken a little more stringent methods to get the 'board completely "fresh" before treating, but I also treat very rarely, maybe only once every 18-months to couple of years even, depending on much play a given piece has had.
 

bobouz

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Lots of variables here. Some used & vintage boards need quite a bit of TLC, while others need next to none. Same can be true when buying new, where some boards need nothing for years, and others look like they’re gasping for moisture from day one!

The wonderful uniqueness of instruments.
 
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