I'm sure this has been beaten to death, but I have a couple 90s Jacksons with super pourus and dry looking rosewood boards, I was wondering if there was a particular oil that would work well for these. I use the Dunlop stuff even after 2 soaks the boards go back to looking pretty dry pretty quick, I'm sure part of it is just how they are but just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas.
Fret board oil options
- Thread starter DimMak
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groverj3
Bioinformagician
I just use the Dunlop stuff. F1 oil from Music nomad (same thing) is also fine. I've heard of people using bore oil for woodwind instruments, but I can't speak to that. Honestly, I think you could just use unscented mineral oil as well.
However, if the board looks dry after 2 applications that just might be how it looks.
When I lived in a VERY dry climate (Arizona) I used to leave a generous application of Dunlop stuff on the board for about an hour once a year. However, that's as extreme a situation as I've seen.
However, if the board looks dry after 2 applications that just might be how it looks.
When I lived in a VERY dry climate (Arizona) I used to leave a generous application of Dunlop stuff on the board for about an hour once a year. However, that's as extreme a situation as I've seen.
Yeah, dry and looking dry are two different things.
It sounds like you're dealing with the latter.
I've used just about everything, and always come back to plain old mineral oil. It's cheap, readily available, works on everything, and seems to work at least 99% as well as specialty formulations that cost significantly more and contain who knows what.
If the boards just are what they are, which it seems to be the case, you have some options if the look it killing you, like dyes and even burnishing if you want to go all out.
It sounds like you're dealing with the latter.
I've used just about everything, and always come back to plain old mineral oil. It's cheap, readily available, works on everything, and seems to work at least 99% as well as specialty formulations that cost significantly more and contain who knows what.
If the boards just are what they are, which it seems to be the case, you have some options if the look it killing you, like dyes and even burnishing if you want to go all out.
Crash Dandicoot
» B E H O L D
Agreed with Max, mineral oil works everytime. I've used Danish oil to great success, as well. Always use sparingly, a little goes a long way.
Grindspine
likes pointy things
First, make sure that your guitars have proper hydration. Keep your guitars in a case with a humidi-pak to get the guitar wood close to 50% relative humidity before oiling a fretboard.
Unscented mineral oil, the Dunlop 65 lemon oil, Music Nomad fretboard conditioner, PRS fretboard conditioner; they all work equally well for keeping humidity trapped in the fretboard properly.
Unscented mineral oil, the Dunlop 65 lemon oil, Music Nomad fretboard conditioner, PRS fretboard conditioner; they all work equally well for keeping humidity trapped in the fretboard properly.
I do that during the drier months, I have humidifiers in the cases but when it gets around 50-60% I leave them out on stands. Is that ok?
Danish oil is a hard finish, like tung oil, as it's a varnish blend.
Omzig
Well-Known Member
I stick with Walnut oil (also sold as salad oil) or boiled linseed oil (don't use RAW linseed oil as it never cures)
walnut is better if you just want to enrich a board without adding a gloss/hard surface finish.
walnut is better if you just want to enrich a board without adding a gloss/hard surface finish.
Grindspine
likes pointy things
Absolutely! Guitars typically like that close-to-50% range in relative humidity.
The branded BC product or one of the various "gunstock oil" recipes for actual guns?
The former, Tru Oil stuff, is mostly linseed oil, and creates a hard finish. The latter depends on what you're looking at, I've seen some that are variations on danish oil or even straight varnish.
It's not something I'd use on a fretboard, barring something really light in color that would be a candidate for a hard finish anyways.
JimboLodisC
black Ibanez plz
regular fretboard oil from Dunlop or Music Nomad should be the regular maintenance, if the wood keeps soaking it up and looking dry then maybe something a bit more aggressive like Monty's Montypresso wax can help
but I'd stay away from a lot of these suggestions that are oil based finishes, unless that's your goal here
but I'd stay away from a lot of these suggestions that are oil based finishes, unless that's your goal here
plague doktor
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Boiled Linseed Oil For the board and the neck(old t-shirt, rag). wipe of after 10 minutes(old t-shirt, rag). use 0000 steel wool after on the neck to your liking. can even mix a ratio of boiled linseed oil to mineral spirits so its not to thick (which it isnt anyway).
3xt3rm1n4t0r
Well-Known Member
A guitar repair man I know recently made a post about golden tips for any guitar player and he said that Lemon oil, and other more volatile oils, are what makes your fretboard dry out. They dissolve the resin in the wood leaving the wood dryer than before applying it.
Moisture in the wood should not be too high. Don't forget that typically the moisture content of woods when used for building guitars is about 4 % and sometimes even less, like when the wood is thermally aged.
Moisture in the wood should not be too high. Don't forget that typically the moisture content of woods when used for building guitars is about 4 % and sometimes even less, like when the wood is thermally aged.
plague doktor
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like omzig said make sure its boiled linseed oil. i love this stuff
