Can the damage caused by lemoned oil be repaired?

[Jean Rodriguez]

This is more of a quick question rather than a discussion starter, but it could turn into one. A friend of mine told me that he used too much lemon oil on his P bass rosewood fretboard and it has suffered permanent damage. He says that it now looks cheap, dry and a bit corroded. I asked him how did he know that it was permanent and he said by the way that it looks (Neither of us are techs so we don't know much on the subject). What do you guys think? Is the fretboard done for or can it be brought back to life?

 

[hondo4life]

I use lemon (mineral) oil on all my rosewood and ebony fretboards with only positive results. How about a picture?

 

[Jean Rodriguez]

I use lemon (mineral) oil on all my rosewood and ebony fretboards with only positive results. How about a picture?

He's grabbing his bass for a picture as we speak

 

[CaptainWagner97]

I use lemon (mineral) oil on all my rosewood and ebony fretboards with only positive results. How about a picture?

 

[CaptainWagner97]

I'm that friend by the way.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I don't see any damage.
I see a very dry board though. It needs to be nourished and buffed to go back to pristine.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Before dunlop Lemon oil … and after.

You can expect similar results. Just be sure to buff off all the residue.

 

[danosix]

Looks to me like it was SO dry that the lemon oil just removed the crud that was making it look moisturized.
When they are that dry what I do (was a repair guy for many moons) is oil the crud out of it, rub it in with a finger and then just wipe it off with a dry rag. You should leave it overnight to absorb the surface oil. Then, clean in the morning with just guitar polish and repeat until it looks pretty again. Never fails.
P.S. After the first step it should actually look wet when you leave it.

 

[Jay Corwin]

Looks to me like it was SO dry that the lemon oil just removed the crud that was making it look moisturized.
When they are that dry what I do (was a repair guy for many moons) is oil the crud out of it, rub it in with a finger and then just wipe it off with a dry rag. You should leave it overnight to absorb the surface oil. Then, clean in the morning with just guitar polish and repeat until it looks pretty again. Never fails.
P.S. After the first step it should actually look wet when you leave it.

I agree with all of this except the guitar polish part. I would say as long as the polish doesn't contain polymers or petroleum based stuff. You don't want that stuff soaking into an unfinished board.

 

[chriss]

I have had great results with this:

GHS GORGOMYTE Treated Fret and Fingerboard Cleaning Cloth

 

[TinIndian]

Instead of lemon oil, I've been using Planet Waves Hydrate. I know that Roger Sadowsky recommended and sold this, I bought mine on his site.
Works great!

Planet Waves

 

[rogerb]

Second the Dunlop stuff, and probably other commercial products, not sure what damage can be done. Here were my results on a 'yuck' guitar I found on a cycling trail (of all places).

Dunlop Lemon Oil on Rosewood Fretboard

• rogerb
• Jun 13, 2016

 

[Ewo]

Instead of lemon oil, I've been using Planet Waves Hydrate. I know that Roger Sadowsky recommended and sold this, I bought mine on his site.
Works great!

Planet Waves

Me, too. I use it on my Sadowsky Will Lee 5s, a Metro with a morado board and an NYC with rosewood. Leaves a dry finish (following package directions to apply and immediately buff off) but the wood is conditioned just fine.

My local music store carries it, so I buy it there.

 

[bassliner50]

My finger boards are noticeably improved after treatment with lemon oil. It should not do damage. An alternative is Scotts "liquid gold" wood treatment. Clean those frets and remove finger cheese with a good pink rubber eraser. Cracks in the FB are indicative of wood shrinking and dryness which is not a result of lemon oil.

 

[bassman10096]

Good recommendations on fingerboard products. I did once have a fingerboard that was seriously crudded up (decades of finger oil, dust, oversprayed acrylic lacquer from finish repairs). I couldn't get this stuff off with just oil - it just created greasy sludge and didn't remove the bottom layer of filth. Finally, I tried alcohol (and scrubbing w paper towel) and it did remove the dirt (it dissolved all the oil that was holding it down). The fingerboard came up slightly dry, but really clean. I immediately applied Dunlop or Stew Mac's fingerboard treatment and it came out beautiful (no ill effect from the drying alcohol). I wouldn't chance it again with dirt that oiling would dissolve, but I was surprised and pleased to have found a more powerful option.

 

[petrus61]

The board doesn't look ruined, it just looks like it was very dry to begin with and probably soaked up whatever oil was applied. I use Meguiars fretboard conditioner and it works really well. I use enough to cover the whole board, let it soak in for a while (you'll see that the board looks dry, except for a few pores where the oil is leeching back out...a sign that the board has absorbed what it needs) and wipe the rest off. I might do this once or twice a year, in the winter when my home is very dry. I've heard some caution against over oiling the board, that there is a risk of the wood swelling, causing frets to become loose. I'd imagine you'd have to really overdo it for that to occur though.

IME, some boards are just dry looking, no matter what you throw at it. I had a AVRI 62RI P bass with a board like that. Very open, long pores that I think more gave the appearance of a dry board, rather than actually being dry. That may be what you have on this bass. Very long, open pores.

 

[danosix]

I agree with all of this except the guitar polish part. I would say as long as the polish doesn't contain polymers or petroleum based stuff. You don't want that stuff soaking into an unfinished board.

Sorry - when I say guitar polish, I mean something mild and wax/polymer free like Martin or Dunlop guitar polishes (there are others, those are the ones I know are good) which are just a mix of VERY mild detergents and guitar wood- and finish- friendly oils.
NEVER use something which leaves anything behind or has harsh solvents.

 

[danosix]

Good recommendations on fingerboard products. I did once have a fingerboard that was seriously crudded up (decades of finger oil, dust, oversprayed acrylic lacquer from finish repairs). I couldn't get this stuff off with just oil - it just created greasy sludge and didn't remove the bottom layer of filth. Finally, I tried alcohol (and scrubbing w paper towel) and it did remove the dirt (it dissolved all the oil that was holding it down). The fingerboard came up slightly dry, but really clean. I immediately applied Dunlop or Stew Mac's fingerboard treatment and it came out beautiful (no ill effect from the drying alcohol). I wouldn't chance it again with dirt that oiling would dissolve, but I was surprised and pleased to have found a more powerful option.

I've done that too - only way to go with a REALLY dirty fretboard and acceptable because the crud absorb most of the harshness of the alcohol - then, naturally, oil, oil, oil.
This guy didn't need that though 'cause he was already down to clean and dried-out rosewood.

 

[202dy]

Damage: The fret sits in a kerf. Over-oiling can cause the walls of the kerf to become punky or soft. Depending on conditions, that could lead to a popped fret. It is more likely to be an issue during a re-fret. When the lumber is not sound and will not hold a new fret. The remedy is to run liquid thin CA into the kerf to stabilize the walls. Time consuming, major pain in wherever it is that you feel this kind of sensation, and therefore expensive. But not, as a rule, ruinous.

Oiling once a year is o.k. More might be. Once a month over a decade, probably not. No one has done a study on this nor is anyone likely to do so.

By the way, not oiling is fine, too. There is at least one regular, knowledgeable poster here who has not oiled his fingerboards for four decades to no detriment whatsoever. Oiling is cosmetic.

Rather than prolong this thread (this subject comes up more than quarterly) search "oil fingerboard." There are many hours of reading pleasure for you on this board alone.

 

[RustyAxe]

I'm one who has never applied anything to the fretboards (ebony and rosewood) other than my fingers. All of them look as good as new. That ugly dryness that some pics show is usually the result of using such products. That's my experience ... others will vary ... invariably.