Best oil for freboards?

#41
jTrolt said:
2023 revival:
Just received a Sadowsky bass with Morado fingerboard on a roasted maple neck. It is clear that the neck is finished with a matte film, all the way up the side edges of the fretboard. It then appears completely dry on the flat fretted surface. Here is what the official Operating Manual that came with the instrument says about it:

"All Morado fingerboards of the Sadowsky MetroExpress instruments are unvarnished and need a little care every now and then to prevent them from becoming brittle or dull. Maintain and protect the fingerboard with care products specially made for this purpose."

As the instrument is new, I'm not terribly concerned yet, but it most certainly is dull, and I prefer the deeper colored look of a rosewood fingerboard. So, I am tempted to put something on there very quickly, in part for depth of color, but also to assure I do not end up discoloring the fretboard with the oils from my fingers.

Hoping for a response from Bruce, as his statement about a dry-looking fretboard has me interested in the Stew-Mac stuff, but I am a little more inclined to reach for that Watco can I have on the shelf for Chapman Stick maintenance. I just like the look of a well-oiled fingerboard, with it's rich color tone. Bad Idea?
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I usually use TruOil and have used BLO on unfinished (there’s probably something like the StewMac oil on there) fretboards with no issues.
 
#42
For many years Roger Sadowsky recommended boiled linseed oil as a fretboard conditioner. Used sparingly. Too much oil can be harmful to a fretboard. Don't let it "soak in". Wipe on a few drops and wipe it off. Let it dry for an hour or two then rub hard - generate a bit of heat from rubbing and it will develop a soft shine. Repeat infrequently - maybe once a year.
 
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#44
dreamadream99 said:
Another vote for bore oil. It can be purchased cheaply at any school band instrument shop. It is designed for the inside of wooden clarinets, to keep them from drying out and cracking.

Avoid furniture oils, like lemon oils and such.
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...and doesn't work. The wood needs moisture, not oil. But the problem with using water is it throws the intonation off, sometimes so far off that the barrel can't compensate. Almost any clarinet with some real age and use on it has cracks. I attribute that to the moisture in the players wind/mouth; not a lack of bore oil or moisture. But with Buffet Crampons unwitting and indirect admission that the composition/material used in the construction of woodwinds doesn't matter, expect to see more resilient instruments in the future; without the cracks OR bore oil.
 
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#46
The Debate rages On, apparently. I like how the Stewmac Fingerboard Oil looks, here it is on Faux Ebony and Bubinga. A couple coats gets you a satin sheen that just looks like polished wood. Nothing plastic-y about it, and it's a one-time application. Pity it doesn't "feed" the wood because.... dead cellulose fiber is hungry? :D

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#47
I use Gerlitz fretboard conditioner, it only takes a tiny amount of this product to hydrate, darken and pull out the grain.

If you prefer a clean, nice looking board (I do) this product has worked well for me, if not (to each his/her own). Here’s a pic, silly to argue or naysay after you see the difference but this is TalkBass…
7FEB56F0-DCED-47CD-92E2-DE021FA7B6F9.jpeg
 
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#48
C Stone said:
I use Gerlitz fretboard conditioner, it only takes a tiny amount of this product to hydrate, darken and pull out the grain.

If you prefer a clean, nice looking board (I do) this product has worked well for me, if not (to each his/her own). Here’s a pic, silly to argue or naysay after you see the difference but this is TalkBass…
View attachment 5275757
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Just so you know - Gerltz is mineral oil. So is Roche-Thomas Bore Oil. And most other brands of fretboard oil and bore oil. In fact fretboard conditioners that are not mineral oil are very much in the minority.You can buy mineral oil at a cost of $2 per ounce as a specialty product, or for about 70 cents per ounce for the same thing as simple food grade mineral oil. And if you don't plan on licking your fretboard you can go with industrial grade mineral oil that's quite a bit cheaper again.

Also noteworthy, one manufacturer of a fretboard oil stated -

"A seal of any kind over or in the wood will just block [oil] from penetrating it and would not recommend it."

Pretty well every manufacturer of guitars and basses seals the wood of a fingerboard. So penetration of an oil is highly unlikely. Whatever you put on the fretboard will just sit on top. That's exactly what makes mineral oil look so pretty on the wood - it's not that it penetrates the wood, it sits on top of the sealer and improves the look by changing the reflective surface. The effect can be demonstrated by spraying water onto frosted glass. It looks dull until you spray on the water then becomes transparent as the water molecules form a coating that smooths out the surface of the glass.
 
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#49
Turnaround said:
Just so you know - Gerltz is mineral oil. So is Roche-Thomas Bore Oil. And most other brands of fretboard oil and bore oil. In fact fretboard conditioners that are not mineral oil are very much in the minority.You can buy mineral oil at a cost of $2 per ounce as a specialty product, or for about 70 cents per ounce for the same thing as simple food grade mineral oil. And if you don't plan on licking your fretboard you can go with industrial grade mineral oil that's quite a bit cheaper again.

Also noteworthy, one manufacturer of a fretboard oil stated -

"A seal of any kind over or in the wood will just block [oil] from penetrating it and would not recommend it."

Pretty well every manufacturer of guitars and basses seals the wood of a fingerboard. So penetration of an oil is highly unlikely. Whatever you put on the fretboard will just sit on top. That's exactly what makes mineral oil look so pretty on the wood - it's not that it penetrates the wood, it sits on top of the sealer and improves the look by changing the reflective surface. The effect can be demonstrated by spraying water onto frosted glass. It looks dull until you spray on the water then becomes transparent as the water molecules form a coating that smooths out the surface of the glass.
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Not licking the fretboard? Hmmm… I’ll be back. I’ve got some choices to make. :D
 
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#50
@Turnaround you got it! Virtually all of the fretboard conditioners are mineral oil, they are really meant to help clean and enhance fingerboards and work well to bring out the natural character of the wood grain, it also helps to keep some moisture out on those damp/humid gigs and keeps the sweat, salt and grime from stickin. Think about it more as an additional protective barrier for cleanup with the bonus of a great looking board!
 
#51
C Stone said:
@Turnaround you got it! Virtually all of the fretboard conditioners are mineral oil, they are really meant to help clean and enhance fingerboards and work well to bring out the natural character of the wood grain, it also helps to keep some moisture out on those damp/humid gigs and keeps the sweat, salt and grime from stickin. Think about it more as an additional protective barrier for cleanup with the bonus of a great looking board!
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Remember Brylcreem?
 
#53
I visit The Huntington Library in Pasadena about once a month.
Don't think the Curators are slathering the fine Louis XVI furniture
with any mineral oil based products, our anything else. Looks just fine.
 
#54
Ol Sparky said:
I visit The Huntington Library in Pasadena about once a month.
Don't think the Curators are slathering the fine Louis XVI furniture
with any mineral oil based products, our anything else. Looks just fine.
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They might be using Renaissance Wax, which was/is a common product for museum and conservation applications. I used it for photographs. Perhaps that is a harmless way to make fingerboards and bodies look better.
 
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#56
C Stone said:
Maybe, (a little before my time). Is that the “a little dab will do ya” seems fitting.
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A little dab will do ya. And the fact that it pretties up your hair without doing it any good and just leaves a greasy mess behind. Much like mineral oil on a fretboard. Worth noting too that Brylcreem also contained mineral oil.
 
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