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For cleaning and oiling rosewood necks pure lemon oil is a standard treatment. However, Old English "lemon oil" is probably not pure lemon oil, Furniture polish usually has mineral spirits and other things mixed in. I've used lemon oil for initial cleaning of a fretboard an then because it evaporates in a month or so I've used "bore oil" (like for clarinets) after that. But since those days I've decided while that worked well, commercial products like those by Fret Doctor or Ernie Ball work better and last longer between treatments especially if you are trying to restore a bass to "former glory". I especially like Fret Doctor though I've had other commercial fretboard products that seem to work as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Fret-Doctor-Fingerboard-30ml-Bottle/dp/B01AV6385G
Most people have their favorite treatments, but I would beware of anything that seals the wood like tung oil or linseed oil unless you really want the wood sealed.
Perhaps I'm in the minority here but when I acquire a used rosewood instrument I only use a slightly damp rag to wipe away the gunk and never oil it. In fact, I've never oiled any of my rosewood boards and they seem just fine.
I figured if I went through and already polished all the frets and cleaned all the dirt and gunk away, it was worth it to oil it. I've heard it conditions the rosewood and it couldn't hurt to oil this one. I just oiled it, and it looks spectacular.
Without proper care of a rosewood or ebony fingerboard over time there will be a possibility of cracks. I highly recommend a product by Music Nomad, Its called F-one Oil. All Luthiers will recommend you oil in some way a rosewood fingerboard. Some will use it more than others but it will be used. Fretboard Cleaner and Conditioner - F-ONE Oil for Rosewood, Ebony, Maple - Music Nomad
I've gotten a lot of use out of this Dunlop Body & Fretboard Kit. It takes a moment for the oil to start flowing (Do not squeeze the bottle hard to get the oil flowing faster! The last thing you want is a pressurized jet of oil exploding out over everything. It'll flow when it wants to…no faster.), but once it does, I…
- Lay down a shiny line of it between the frets.
- Use the cloth supplied with the kit to spread around and wipe up the excess oil, making sure I push some of it into the wedge between the board and the frets.
- Use a dry portion of the cloth to make sure there's no residue on the frets or pools of excess oil on the board.
- Restring and go to town!
I don't clean my basses very often but one time I used Dunlop 65 Lemon Oil on a rosewood fretboard. It brings up a great finish. Looks great.
I use a mixture of tung oil and boiled linseed oil. Remove gunk. Wipe on a thin film, wipe off excess oil after 15 minutes. Discard rag in a safe manner (spontaneous combustion!). Wait 24 hours before playing it again, darkens the wood a bit though. Once a year is enough, perhaps two times if you play it a lot.
This really is all you need. Anything else is just overcomplicating things!
Doesn't need to be oiled but if you're insistent, I use a dab of Howards Feed 'n Wax and wipe it off immediately. Don't let it marinate like a London broil as the stuff will seep under the frets and wick-up thru the end grain.
Riis
Riis
I just use a heavy non-fluffy paper towel with a bit of it (Dunlop Lemon Oil), rub it into the fingerboard and cleaning it in the same process then wait for 5 minutes and then use a fresh paper towel to get rid of the moisture that is still on top of the fingerboard.
I use Old English lemon oil on a q-tip and do a quick soak of each fret (not crazy amount, but enough that all the wood looks pretty wet). Let it sit on the fret while I treat two others similarly, then go back and wipe the excess oil off the first one with a soft cotton cloth. If the fret is especially dirty, I'll scrub it pretty hard (as a hard a q-tip will allow without bending). Repeat 21-23 times. You'll be amazed how much gunk comes off of there - even on relatively clean guitars.
I've done this on all my rosewood boards for the last 10 years with excellent results.
I've done this on all my rosewood boards for the last 10 years with excellent results.
+1, I do the same thing, but with a rag instead of a swab. Old English may not be real/pure lemon oil, but it works well enough that I don't care.
I used to feel the same way (and I only have rosewood neck basses), but like @Malak the Mad, I started using Dunlop Body & Fretboard Kit about 2 years ago and noticed a very positive, significant difference in feel. And appearance. I have been cleaning and conditioning the fingerboards now with every (or every other) string change, and there is a really nice darkening of the rosewood that seems to amplify the appearance of the grain.
I don't remember what I paid for my bottle of lemon oil, but probably less than $10, and it will last my entire life. I guess I've been duped by the industry!The oil companies created the myth that you need to drown your bass in oil I think
Mineral oil, the key ingredient in things like Baby Oil, is inorganic oil rendered from, well…minerals, thus the name. Lemon oil is rendered from organic material and is not the same. Organic oils will break down naturally, while mineral oils will just sit there and clog up pores, taking nearly forever to break down.
Fun Fact: Speaking as a long-time massage therapist, this is Day Two of our training…never use mineral oils on skin. It just gunks things up. Even though it's got great "glide", it's not good for the skin. By that thinking, I choose not to use the stuff on anything organic…skin or wood or whatever.
