looking after ebony fret boards (oil Y/N)

[thompy]

I give the rosewood Fret board on my electric a dose of boiled linseed oil twice a year. And I don't put anything on the maple board of my other electric (I've heard that oil = death for maple boards :shock: ).

But what should i do with the ebony board of my classical? To oil or not, and what oil to use, that is the question

ps. for rosewood boards: lemon oil or boiled linseed oil; is one better than t'other?

[andrewrg]

An ebony board doesn't really need any 'treatment' as such and, to be honest, neither does rosewood-the oils in your skin are enough.
I only use lemon oil as a cleaner about twice a year; it smells nicer than linseed too!

[axetec]

I use lemon oil on rosewood, but I've never had to treat an ebony fretboard.

Lemon oil wouldn't do it any harm and might be a good choice if it needs a good clean. But if it doesn't need cleaning, I'd leave it be.

[thompy]

Coolio thanks guys. I'll probably leave it as it is then. It's not dirty or anything, I just thought maybe you had to oil it to stop it drying out or cracking.

[WezV]

the best thing for refreshing a fretboard is 0000 steel wool available here:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-L...Wool-23679.htm

Anything rougher will scratch it to peices but the 0000 really cleans it up great and polishes the frets as well.

lemon oil is a good cleaner as mentioned but will not have any lasting effect on a fretboard as some people seem to think.

There should be no need to oil maple fretboards if they are lacquered but if it is an oiled maple neck its fine to re-oil it as long as you make sure you buff all the oil off before restringing. Strings dont like oil!!!!

On particulaly dry pieces of wood i prefer to use danish oil (availble at wilko's) or even tru-oil (if you can get it). This actually sets in the wood a bit more than raw oils so the shine it gives will last longer

[SimonBradley]

Lemon oil wouldn't do it any harm and might be a good choice if it needs a good clean. But if it doesn't need cleaning, I'd leave it be.

+1

[SNAKEBITE]

Not that \i ever would BUT................

What would happen if I oiled my maple fretboard

[WezV]

if its lacquered - nothing!! The oil wont soak into lacquer

If its bare wood it will make it feel nicer - assuming you use the right sort of oil and apply it the right way


Maple fretboards that are not lacquered generally get pretty grubby anyway, its fine to re-oil them but they will never be clean. It a sacrifice some people make (like EVH) because they find the feel of an oiled maple neck so appealing. G&L offers oiled maple necks on its guitars but most manufacturers dont because of the fact it will wear and the wood will get dull grey dirty patches. Its not a good advert for a company if its brand new guitars look so worn withing a couple of years

This whole oil being bad for maple necks is not true - its just pointless oiling a lacquered maple neck !!!!

[SNAKEBITE]

Its not a good advert for a company if its brand new guitars look so worn withing a couple of years!

I thought the distressed look was fashionable at the moment!

Oh and thanks for the info.

[axetec]

On particulaly dry pieces of wood i prefer to use danish oil

I definitely wouldn't use danish oil on a fretboard! It's basically varnish !!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: