Rosewood fretboard conditioner??

[ESQUIREoholic]

What do you use on a Rosewood fretboard that looks a little dry in places or just needs some attention?
Lemon oil, Mineral oil?
Is there a product specifically for this?

[old.boy]

I always use lemon oil and a rag.

This one kind that came in a Dunlop type kit. But I think you can buy them individually.

[cRaZY Tom]

http://www.guitar.co.uk/accessories/...mate_lemon_oil

Thats the stuff! last ages as well, i've had the same bottle for about 8 years

[old.boy]

Yeah! That's the one, although mine has a little felt applicator--it's almost exactly the same.

[cRaZY Tom]

yeah mine has the felt thing too, i think it depends what size bottle you get, there's a small one and a larger one (which has the felt applicator)

[cRaZY Tom]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...Oil?sku=425264

thats the larger 1

[guitarzan13]

Originally Posted by cRaZY Tom

http://www.guitar.co.uk/accessories/...mate_lemon_oil

Thats the stuff! last ages as well, i've had the same bottle for about 8 years

Yea..... it seems to last forever..... almost like the bottle keeps refilling itself. A little goes a loooooooooooooooooonnnngggggggggg way! It is the best that I have ever used. I have the wick top version....not the spray.

[jefrs]

Do not use mineral oil, nasty stufff that's only for metal.

Rosewood, like ebony and teak, is a very hard 'oily' wood. They don't take varnish or paint at all well. They are usually lightly oiled as they age to preserve them.

Try the lemon oil first. If it is still dry or starting to crack, the wood needs feeding...

First clean it, take the strings off and clean the frets with something that won't stain the board. GHS Fret Fast does the job well, it appears to be a metal polish wadding on a stick.

Then clean the fretboard, I've been known to attack it with powdered pummice, rag and a toothbrush, this cleans the frets too. Lemon oil is a degreasant, it will clean the board but it is not a very good wood treatment oil for dry bits. Good for routine cleaning though.

For a dry board, a very light application of wood finishing oil - 'finishing'; danish; tung; teak; etc, even raw linseed - depending on what you've got or can obtain. These oils treat the wood but air-harden, so once it's soaked in a bit, wipe it off, unless you want a shiny fretboard. Do not use too much oil and do not do this at all often, no more than every five to ten years.
I've been doing this to one guitar for over forty years and the board is like new.

[harry the filter]

I find the grease on my forehead gives rosewood a deeper more lustrous shine.

[XKnight]

How about Rosewood oil for a Rosewood fretboard.

[braderrick]

Bought my lemon oil at wal mart. Says on the bottle "Holloway House lemon oil for fine wood. Moisturizes & preserves, tones down scratches & blemishes. A natural oil that gives wood a rich glow. No wax, no water, no buildup."

[jclark]

Lemon oil and mineral oil are the same thing for the most part, but lemon oil has scent added (some have various waxes, too). Good for restoring the luster to rosewood.

[Tele Fan]

I've always used plain ol' mineral oil. $.97 a bottle US and it works.

[VWAmTele]

I've been using Bore oil for several years. It is made for hard woods like ebony and rosewood. It conditions the wood and leaves it nice and smooth. It is typically used for treating the bores of woodwind instruments such as clarinets. You can buy it at any music store and a $2 bottle can last years. I wouldn't put anything else on my fretboards.

[Inclenberg]

not sure if this is the proper posting method as it is a new subject but if you play a telecaster. you will play a brand new instrument by placing a string retainer, near the nut, for the lowest two strings...

[PJ]

The Gibson stuff is terrific. I think it's called Gibson Fretboard Conditioner. It's an oil-based product with a drying agent in it. Each time I change strings on my rosewood guitars, I put some on a rag and wipe down the fretboard. Magic stuff (IMO). I get it at the Music Store for a few bucks
for a small bottle.

[Tdot]

This stuff seems to work well. Clean and shine.

[wetland10]

Go to a hardware store or a Home Depot and get a bottle of boiled lindseed oil. This works very well. put it on the neck for a while and wipe off the excess.

Wayne

[Michaell]

mineral oil is the best.....least chance of problems

lemon oil , over time, dries out wood

with any "oils" on a fretboard, remember, a little goes a long way

[ryokan]

My finger oils seem to do the trick -- you just have to play a lot.

[bluesjuke]

Use Fret Doctor one time and you'll never use anything else again;

http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

[stxrus]

another vote for bore oil. used it on clarinets for years and still use it on my SG (ebony board) and would use it on a rosewood board, if i had one.
nothing better, IMHO

steve

[bender-freak]

Originally Posted by braderrick

Bought my lemon oil at wal mart. Says on the bottle "Holloway House lemon oil for fine wood. Moisturizes & preserves, tones down scratches & blemishes. A natural oil that gives wood a rich glow. No wax, no water, no buildup."

got a jug of their stuff for less than two bucks several years ago and have barely made a dent in the contents, and i'm anal about my guitars with rosewood boards; i give them a little "lemon oil rub" with every string change...the bottle i have will not run out for another 15 years ....my maple fingerboards??...any more i just wipe them down and forget about them....but i used to "lemon" them, too.....

[PJ]

I find this stuff in the local music stores. GC has it, also. Works real well. But, then again, Gibson should know a thing or two about rosewood boards, huh?

[voided3]

I use lemon oil on rosewood and regular guitar polish or a hot breath on maple boards (depending on how dirty it is). That's what has worked for me every time.

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by harry the filter

I find the grease on my forehead gives rosewood a deeper more lustrous shine.

Must be fun to watch you apply.

[Rob DiStefano]

Naphtha for cleaning, and any natural oil for conditioning/preserving (never any resin or polymer based oil) - Scott's Liquid Gold furniture cleaner/polish is my fave, and any natural lemon oil.