lemon oil on fretboard with abalone inlays
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geoguy
Senior Member
I think "lemon oil" is typically just mineral oil with a bit of a lemon scent.
Should be fine on those inlays, imo.
Should be fine on those inlays, imo.
davismanLV
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Depends on the lemon oil. A lot of it has chemicals and preservatives and scent. Plus the smell, I don't care for. I use Bore Oil on my fretboards and bridges!! Works well on inlays. No smell. Pure.
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Bore oil. Bore oil. Bore oil! Use bore oil.
As posted above most lemon oil is nothing of the sort. I used lemon oil for years only to discover that it was actually furniture polish (the label had worn off years ago) and that was not at all good for the fretboards. I discovered this on a rosewood fretboard with larger pores that suddenly turned white after I "oiled" it.
Buy this stuff and never look back. It's all I use:
Yes the website is straight out of 1998, but this stuff is wonderful and I've used it on every guitar I've owned since, well probably since 1998!
As posted above most lemon oil is nothing of the sort. I used lemon oil for years only to discover that it was actually furniture polish (the label had worn off years ago) and that was not at all good for the fretboards. I discovered this on a rosewood fretboard with larger pores that suddenly turned white after I "oiled" it.
Buy this stuff and never look back. It's all I use:
Yes the website is straight out of 1998, but this stuff is wonderful and I've used it on every guitar I've owned since, well probably since 1998!
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
I always use this: https://www.amazon.com/FOneOil-T/dp/B006WPGZAG/?tag=lemonoil01-20
www.musicnomadcare.com
There is a lot of debate regarding "Lemon Oil" products:
www.guitaranswerguy.com
Ralf
Fretboard F-ONE Oil - Guitar Fretboard Cleaner & Conditioner - MuiscNomad - Music Nomad
F-ONE gives guitar fretboard and fingerboard wood its life back. F-ONE is lemon oil-free and petroleum-free. Protect your unfinished fretboard/fingerboard.
www.musicnomadcare.com
There is a lot of debate regarding "Lemon Oil" products:
The Great Debate: Is Lemon Oil Safe for Guitar Fretboards?
When people debate whether or not lemon oil is safe for guitar fretboards, the real question is: What exactly do they mean by "lemon oil"?
www.guitaranswerguy.com
Ralf
GuildedCage
Member
I bought a bottle of that a few years back. I don't use it every string change or overuse it, but it seems to work well on ebony and rosewood. I also love their Tune-it nut lube.I always use this: https://www.amazon.com/FOneOil-T/dp/B006WPGZAG/?tag=lemonoil01-20
Fretboard F-ONE Oil - Guitar Fretboard Cleaner & Conditioner - MuiscNomad - Music Nomad
F-ONE gives guitar fretboard and fingerboard wood its life back. F-ONE is lemon oil-free and petroleum-free. Protect your unfinished fretboard/fingerboard.
There is a lot of debate regarding "Lemon Oil" products:
The Great Debate: Is Lemon Oil Safe for Guitar Fretboards?
When people debate whether or not lemon oil is safe for guitar fretboards, the real question is: What exactly do they mean by "lemon oil"?
Ralf
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Sounds good! And seems to be lower priced compared to what I used:
Texas Guitar Whiz - René Martinez — GraphitAll ® – WHITE TUBE
www.texasguitarwhiz.com
Ralf
jp
Senior Member
I also use the F-One Oil. It reconditions dry, thirsty fretboards really well.
merlin6666
Senior Member
I use plain mineral oil from drug store. Seems to work fine on wood and should not affect Inlays.
I have the Dunlop Lemon Oil product, my guitars always get a new coat of it when I change strings.
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I use castor oil -- don't know if it helps the fretboard, but I've never had a guitar with a case of worms.
Cougar
Enlightened Member
I always use this: https://www.amazon.com/FOneOil-T/dp/B006WPGZAG/?tag=lemonoil01-20
Fretboard F-ONE Oil - Guitar Fretboard Cleaner & Conditioner - MuiscNomad - Music Nomad
F-ONE gives guitar fretboard and fingerboard wood its life back. F-ONE is lemon oil-free and petroleum-free. Protect your unfinished fretboard/fingerboard.
I just ordered one of those. My F50R needs a string change, and I want to put some good stuff on the ebony board....
F-One oil for me, also
davismanLV
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What you have to know is that wood is like any living thing. Say skin for example. When it gets dry, you need to hydrate it. You do that with water. On your skin and on your wood, water hydrates. What OIL DOES is keeps what moisture is in the wood (or skin) from evaporating. So take a damp cloth and wipe down the raw wood and let the moisture soak in. it also cleans off the schmutz. Then wipe it off and seal the water in with Bore Oil. Easy peasy.....
Just remember oil doesn't hydrate, water hydrates. Oil seals.
Just remember oil doesn't hydrate, water hydrates. Oil seals.
GuildedCage
Member
It conditioned and put a really nice shine on my ebony board. I have not noticed any build up from it. If your board is fairly dirty you can let the oil sit on it for 10mins or so before wiping it off.
bobouz
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F-One is good, but Fret Doctor (bore oil) is better, imho. Neither one contains petroleum distillates, which is why I first went with F-One a number of years ago. But on some of my boards, F-One seemed to dry out rather quickly & the board would soon return to it's pre-treatment appearance. I then tried Fret Doctor, and it is superior to F-One. It darkens the board a little more & produces highlights in the wood that remain stable. I've tried a lot of different fretboard conditioning products over the years, and without a doubt, Fret Doctor is the best I've ever used. It may cost more, but a small bottle will last a very long time.
Additionally, if a fretboard has any accumulated grime on it, I first clean the whole board with fine bronze wool (great for electric guitars because it's not magnetic), which then allows the Fret Doctor to fully & evenly treat the fretboard. With this simple two step process, the results have been outstanding every time.
Additionally, if a fretboard has any accumulated grime on it, I first clean the whole board with fine bronze wool (great for electric guitars because it's not magnetic), which then allows the Fret Doctor to fully & evenly treat the fretboard. With this simple two step process, the results have been outstanding every time.
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I agree that Fret Doctor is the best. I gave up on any kind of steel (or other metal) wool when I discovered Gorgomyte. The stuff is incredible.
I have almost 100 guitars so I change strings all the damn time. The Gorgomyte/Fret Doctor routine is the simplest, cleanest, no-mess solution I’ve come across. Fret doctor has saved rosewood fretboards that looked like Death Valley when I got them and kept ebony boards looking new for years. I love the stuff.
I have almost 100 guitars so I change strings all the damn time. The Gorgomyte/Fret Doctor routine is the simplest, cleanest, no-mess solution I’ve come across. Fret doctor has saved rosewood fretboards that looked like Death Valley when I got them and kept ebony boards looking new for years. I love the stuff.
lungimsam
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I wish there was something that lasted a really really long time.
They have that for bike chains but not fingerboards I guess.
Or it would be cool if Guild did finished fingerboards like Ric does.
The Bore oil sounds interesting. Maybe I will try that and see if it last longer since it is said to penetrate deeply.
They have that for bike chains but not fingerboards I guess.
Or it would be cool if Guild did finished fingerboards like Ric does.
The Bore oil sounds interesting. Maybe I will try that and see if it last longer since it is said to penetrate deeply.
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geoguy
Senior Member
That white stuff might have simply been perspiration salts, brought to the surface by the oiling process.
Same thing happens when you use an oily leather conditioner (e.g. Leatherique) on leather automotive upholstery. The salts are displaced by the oil, brought to the surface, and then cleaned off.
Only difference being that the salts are from butt-sweat on the car seats, & fingertips on the fretboard.