We call it.......wood
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Thereasonulive
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Hey, whats the best way to stop the fretboard drying out quick? i dont have a clue what mine is. (mahogany, rosewood ,ebony, it looks preety unique) i tried lemon oil, water, saliva(!), help me out dudes!
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Instrumentalrockrocks
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Try oil people uses for tables and such!Thereasonulive wrote:Hey, whats the best way to stop the fretboard drying out quick? i dont have a clue what mine is. (mahogany, rosewood ,ebony, it looks preety unique) i tried lemon oil, water, saliva(!), help me out dudes!
That works fantastic!!!
Shred On
I think the jury is still out on what you should condition your fretboard with. I'll occasionally use Dr. Stringfellow's LemOil (not exactly lemon oil) to clean my strings. However, I use it sparingly on the board itself.
You should figure out what type of wood your fretboard is made from before you go applying products to it.
You should figure out what type of wood your fretboard is made from before you go applying products to it.
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Big Bad Bill
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These guys make and repair guitars for many famous guitarist like Jimmy Page. They make and use this:
http://www.mansons.co.uk/product_info.c ... =Access_01
and I can vouch for it-it's excellent and smells divine!
http://www.mansons.co.uk/product_info.c ... =Access_01
and I can vouch for it-it's excellent and smells divine!
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vaiisagoodguitarplayer
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- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 4:17 pm
What's the best for Ebony fretboards?
I wouldn't put anything but bore oil on my fretboards.
I would heed much of the information given here in IbanezRules' excellent tutorial.
I would stay right away from furniture polish and household wood oils.
Mikey
vai.com
I would heed much of the information given here in IbanezRules' excellent tutorial.
I would stay right away from furniture polish and household wood oils.
Mikey
vai.com
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Big Bad Bill
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- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2003 12:40 am
I asked a local violin maker who specialises in repairing pre-1700 string instruments (!) about ebony fingerboards. I assume that he'd have far more experience in this kind of thing since the violin has been around for hundreds of year! He said ebony is just so tough it doesn't need any attention at all! He suggested that in the old days they put a little olive oil on the board if they thought it was necessary and allow for slinkier glissando movements-a sort of early Fast Fret! But this was often in the hotter, drier climes of Italy. But in his experience an unfretted instrument with an ebony fingerboeard doesn't need anything!
But he said that adding frets to an instrument increases the surafce area of the timber so it may benefit from a yearly, sparing application of boiled linseed oil or any preparatory fingerboard oil-preferably a 'light' oil ie quite runny and fluid, not thick and tenacious. He didn't rate lemon oils which have 'petroleum distillates' in them however, since these are designed to de-grease a wooden surface to clean it.
But he said that adding frets to an instrument increases the surafce area of the timber so it may benefit from a yearly, sparing application of boiled linseed oil or any preparatory fingerboard oil-preferably a 'light' oil ie quite runny and fluid, not thick and tenacious. He didn't rate lemon oils which have 'petroleum distillates' in them however, since these are designed to de-grease a wooden surface to clean it.
on the very rare occasion that I have all the strings off at one time,
I use Gibson "Luthier's Choice" Fretboard Conditioner.
I couldn't find tung or bore oil.
seems to do pretty well.
when I scalloped the last 4 frets on my RG, this stuff soaked right into the scallops & worked just fine.
Now, since the sweat from my hands is like freakin' acid to my
strings
AND I can't afford to change them as often as I should.....
I've been using "Finger Ease" spray.
helps keep the strings alive a bit longer & seems to help keep
the fretboard in good shape too.
I use Gibson "Luthier's Choice" Fretboard Conditioner.
I couldn't find tung or bore oil.
seems to do pretty well.
when I scalloped the last 4 frets on my RG, this stuff soaked right into the scallops & worked just fine.
Now, since the sweat from my hands is like freakin' acid to my
strings
AND I can't afford to change them as often as I should.....I've been using "Finger Ease" spray.
helps keep the strings alive a bit longer & seems to help keep
the fretboard in good shape too.
You guys heard the man.
BORE OIL!!
It can't be found at most guitar shops but it can be found readily at your local school band store. Anyplace that does windwood or violins and the such. DO NOT USE FUNITURE POLISH!!!
With All Due Respect.. <bowing>
I might add that if your having an acid problem with fingers you can take your Lem oil spray and spray it in the air and wave your hand through the mist. That is far better than Finger Ease..
BORE OIL!!
It can't be found at most guitar shops but it can be found readily at your local school band store. Anyplace that does windwood or violins and the such. DO NOT USE FUNITURE POLISH!!!
With All Due Respect.. <bowing>
I might add that if your having an acid problem with fingers you can take your Lem oil spray and spray it in the air and wave your hand through the mist. That is far better than Finger Ease..
1st off, I would never use furniture polish on my fretboard.Logic wrote:You guys heard the man.
BORE OIL!!
It can't be found at most guitar shops but it can be found readily at your local school band store. Anyplace that does windwood or violins and the such. DO NOT USE FUNITURE POLISH!!!
With All Due Respect.. <bowing>
I might add that if your having an acid problem with fingers you can take your Lem oil spray and spray it in the air and wave your hand through the mist. That is far better than Finger Ease..
hell, I don't even use it on the guitar body!
2nd...for my own knowledge,
what's wrong with Finger ease?
Its silicone.
Designed to seal the pores of whatever it is you spray it on. It works.
makes stuff slippery. but thats the only advantage. After that it stacks up on your guitar and seals everything up. The lem oil, used as mentioned, does the same thing and is alot better for your guitar.
P.S. I learned this the hard way..
Designed to seal the pores of whatever it is you spray it on. It works.
makes stuff slippery. but thats the only advantage. After that it stacks up on your guitar and seals everything up. The lem oil, used as mentioned, does the same thing and is alot better for your guitar.
P.S. I learned this the hard way..