Lemon Oil For A Dry Fret board

I need to get some lemon oil to put on the fret board of one of my basses. What kind of lemon oil do I need to get?

Why?

1. Fretboards should almost never need oiling. Maple are finished and rosewood are naturally oily.

2. If you do, lemon oil is just mineral oil with fake lemon scent. Buy mineral oil from the hardware store.
 
Why?

1. Fretboards should almost never need oiling. Maple are finished and rosewood are naturally oily.

2. If you do, lemon oil is just mineral oil with fake lemon scent. Buy mineral oil from the hardware store.

Can't you also get mineral oil at any drug store, also?
Where the oil on my fingers gets on the fretboard, it looks good. Where I never play looks really dry and the color in those areas keeps getting lighter and lighter. Someone said to rub a little lemon oil on there and that would take care of it.
 
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Can't you also get mineral oil at any drug store, also?
Where the oil on my fingers gets on the fretboard, it looks good. Where I never play looks really dry and the color in those areas keeps getting lighter and lighter. Someone said to rub a little lemon oil on there and that would take care of it.

Yes, you can, and actually baby oil is fine too. It’s mineral oil with fake...baby...smell. It and mineral oil are also way cheaper per ounce than fretboard-specific lemon oil.

Your fretboard is probably fine, unless where it’s kept is really dry, in which case you’d also probably see sharp fret ends. But for aesthetic purposes, it won’t hurt to rub some whenever it looks “ashy” like that.
 
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A little goes a long way... I did my Highway One awhile back, as it had set a while (in case, with controlled temps)... after you do the first couple of frets, the rag will saturate a bit, where you can do the rest of the neck, using less and less of the oil... twice a year, at the most.
 
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Yes, you can, and actually baby oil is fine too. It’s mineral oil with fake...baby...smell. It and mineral oil are also way cheaper per ounce than fretboard-specific lemon oil.

Your fretboard is probably fine, unless where it’s kept is really dry, in which case you’d also probably see sharp fret ends. But for aesthetic purposes, it won’t hurt to rub some whenever it looks “ashy” like that.
"Ashy" was the word I was looking for but couldn't think of it. It has gotten worse since it has been cold and we have been running the heat during some really cold weather. I will pick some up tomorrow at the "mart".
 
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"Ashy" was the word I was looking for but couldn't think of it. It has gotten worse since it has been cold and we have been running the heat during some really cold weather. I will pick some up tomorrow at the "mart".

Yeah, just don’t use linseed or olive oil or anything that will either go rancid or actually seal the wood. Assuming it’s rosewood. Maple will be sealed and is a different animal altogether.
 
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Yeah, just don’t use linseed or olive oil or anything that will either go rancid or actually seal the wood. Assuming it’s rosewood. Maple will be sealed and is a different animal al together.

Yeah, it is rosewood. I was told not to use linseed or olive.
Yeah, just don’t use linseed or olive oil or anything that will either go rancid or actually seal the wood. Assuming it’s rosewood. Maple will be sealed and is a different animal altogether.

Yeah, someone said not to use olive oil or linseed oil. I had saw that on another thread but I couldn't find it to see about lemon oil. Thanks for your help DD.
 
I've used Fret Doctor oil for years and that stuff works really well. I also recently bought a bottle of Music Nomad F-One oil, which looks similar and has a lot of good reviews, though I haven't tried it yet.

I will probably go by our local music store and see what they have. I am not confident they will have it. I don't think they are gonna be around too much longer. Thanks for the info.
 
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Don't use much mineral oil at all, just a very thin coat. And then wipe it right back off. Enough mineral oil will stay on there to achieve what you're after.

If there are any cracks in your fretboard, you definitely don't want the oil in there. You don't want it seeping into the Fret slots either.

I will use it sparingly. I didn't see any cracks in the board but I will recheck it before I put anything on. Thanks for the advice.
 
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I will probably go by our local music store and see what they have. I am not confident they will have it. I don't think they are gonna be around too much longer. Thanks for the info.

They might have the Music Nomad stuff, as its widely available. Fret Doctor is just made by some guy and you have to buy it online. They're both designed to be similar to the natural oils present in the wood though. A lot of the other options are either petroleum-based or include weird stuff that can leave a residue on the fretboard.
 
They might have the Music Nomad stuff, as its widely available. Fret Doctor is just made by some guy and you have to buy it online. They're both designed to be similar to the natural oils present in wood though. A lot of the other options are either petroleum-based or include weird stuff that can leave a residue on the fretboard.

Good advice right there. If I can't find it in our local shop I will order some online.
 
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NP

A lot of times that ashy/chaulky look on a rosewood fretboard is because someone got guitar polish on the fretboard.

Not always the case but sometimes that's what it is.

That's true. White powder residue can also be mineral deposits on the guitar from an ionizing humidifier.
 
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get Dr Duck. Cheap and you can use it on every part of your guitar.

It is basically mineral oil but smells ok.

My advice is to get the Planet Waves XLR8. long story short it has some mineral oil on the applicator. When that thing dries up, get the Dr Duck and pour some of it onto the applicator and reuse.

You are basically paying for the applicator when you buy the xl8. This thing is handy since it lubricates your strings, fretboard, neck, body, etc and can apply a thin film of mineral oil without getting the oil everywhere.

If I had known about this, I would not have spent so much money on 100 different cleaners and lubrication fluid. Trust me, this is the way you want to go. It's light and you can carry it everywhere.

JFYI, my applicator has lasted me 12 months of stupid heavy usage. I rub the fretboard and string every single day ( I have over 30 guitars) with this thing and it has still lasted all these months. When I say rub, I mean really scrub my strings. Dr Duck is 25% gone after 12 months. So that should tell you how economical it is.
 
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Been using Jasco Lemon Oil for lotsa years.
“For Woods, Paneling and Fine Furniture, Replace Wood Oils and Enhances Natural Luster of the Finish”

But, may not be able to find this any longer (this is not pure lemon oil, but distillates including lemon oil).

Jasco.jpg
 
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