Fretboard cleaner/conditioner - what's best?

[frankie5fingers]

Lemon oil?
Guitar Honey?
What?

[BPlexico]

For many, the Fret Doctor and his bore oil are the best for rosewood boards, YMMV.

http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

A search of this site will reveal a world of opinions.

Barr

[Bobster]

I use the dunlop ones for my firebird v and pau ferro finger board.

[Kendrick68]

Use bore oil. Not bore oil for firearms, but bore oil for woodwinds. This method has been used for many years to clean and protect the wood of these instruments. Look for it at any music store. The most popular brand would be Selmer.

Use it sparingly and wipe off all excess oil after allowing a few minutes for the oil to penetrate the wood. Repeat this process once or twice a year and your wood will be well maintained.

This is the best option for this task. I'm not saying that XYZ brand isn't any good, or that it will cause any damage, just that this method is proven to work and has worked for millions of players for many years. Why go out and spend more money for a different product that does the same job. A bottle of bore oil that costs around $5 will last you 2-3 years or longer.

[henry_the_horse]

naphta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphta) (i.e. lighter -zippo- fluid)

Regards

[levelfrets]

All of this works and I respect everyone's method if it works. I might suggest trying something that I like to do after refrets or dressings. Mix thoroughly 1 part Butchers Amber furniture wax (Not the bowling alley wax!) with 1 part lemon oil or teak oil. Rub it onto the finger board and let it dry for at least 1/2 hr. Then rub it off. This works like a dream and makes for less need to oil the board as often. Not to mention the reduction of fingerboard drag with low frets. Makes bending easy.

[Jack Briggs]

Naphtha, lemon oil or lighter fluid will dry the fingerboard out. I use and recommend bore oil by Roch-Thomas, or Fret Doctor. Teak oil would be my next recommendation.


Cheers,

[movingpictures]

All of this works and I respect everyone's method if it works. I might suggest trying something that I like to do after refrets or dressings. Mix thoroughly 1 part Butchers Amber furniture wax (Not the bowling alley wax!) with 1 part lemon oil or teak oil. Rub it onto the finger board and let it dry for at least 1/2 hr. Then rub it off. This works like a dream and makes for less need to oil the board as often. Not to mention the reduction of fingerboard drag with low frets. Makes bending easy.
Interesting.. have you ever tried Tru Oil on a Rosewood fretboard? Sounds similair.

[AnthonyL]

Does anyhone know what Guitar Honey is made of?

http://www.gerlitzusa.com/images/honey_large.jpg

[levelfrets]

Yes naptha should only be considered for cleaning lacquered boards. Lemon oil cleans unfinished boards best IMO. And Teak oil is my personal favorite. I'll have to give the bore oil a try. I've heard of it being used for this but I have a hard time trying new stuff. When I find something I like I stick with it. :)

[VaughnC]

From what I've read, rosewood fretboards, due to their natural oil content actually need little or any "treatment". However, I have also read that you have to be very careful using any "Lemon Oil" products as most also contain solvents that can dissolve adhesives that hold inlays, binding, and some fretwork in place. I also wouldn't "soak" the wood with any oil as that could dull the tone and/or loosen fretwork. I think it's best to let the pores of the rosewood breathe so any sweat from your hands evaporates quickly, which should lessen the chance for rot. I've found that cleaning my rosewood fretboards about once a year with 0000 steel wool is sufficient with maybe a few drops of 100% rosewood oil to redress the top surface works well and still lets the wood breathe.

[rockinlespaul]

Selmer Bore Oil.

[K-Line]

I really like the Stew-Mac rosewood oil. Use a touch of lighter fluid (sparingly to get gunk off, then coat, let dry over night and buf to a shine. It will darken up a board very nicely and last for awhile!

[Frenster]

Does anyhone know what Guitar Honey is made of?

http://www.gerlitzusa.com/images/honey_large.jpg

Don't know what's in it, but it's my first choice to condition a rosewood board after cleaning it with naphtha. A little dab'll do ya!

[frankie5fingers]

I Emailed this question to Gerlitz yesterday, along with another inquiry about bore oil. Harvey Gerlitz called me shorthly thereafter saying the basic ingredient for Guitar Honey is mineral oil, combined with some other proprietary ingredients. For what it's worth, I can't remember the last time someone whose name is on the bottle called a stranger to see what he thought of his product. Besides the fact that Guitar Honey works, I'm pretty impressed with the owner.

[ungarn]

For many, the Fret Doctor and his bore oil are the best for rosewood boards, YMMV.

http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

A search of this site will reveal a world of opinions.

Barr

+1 for Be A Fifer

[HoboMan]

Does anyhone know what Guitar Honey is made of?

http://www.gerlitzusa.com/images/honey_large.jpg

That's what I use and it works great.

[PEAVEYPOWERED]

okay so i play bass and have a question. can i use teak oil on my pau ferro fretboard? (and, if so, will it remove the black gunk on it too)?

[PEAVEYPOWERED]

yay