• Ernie Ball
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  • Sterling by MusicMan

Quarter

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Messages
626
Location
San Diego, North County
I'm clueless when it comes to proper instrument care, I only started playing a month ago.
I want my Ball to have the best possible care. It's just too sweet to pull a noob mistake and screw it up.

Is there anything I should be doing to take care of the neck of my new Rosewood SS?
Should I treat the fretboard with anything?
Any other thing(s) I should / need to know?

Thanks
Quarter
 

Jimi D

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Joined
Feb 27, 2003
Messages
1,962
Location
Ottawa ON
mmmm... a Rosewood Axis... SWEEEET! :D

RE: neck care & etc., you might want to check the FAQ...

http://www.ernieball.com/site/faq_guitar.php

and I always recommend Dan Erlewine's books on guitar maintenance to anyone who wants to learn how to maintain and setup their own guitar....

Welcome to the forum! :)
 

Quarter

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Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Messages
626
Location
San Diego, North County
Thanks Jimmi D, I should of thought to check for a FAQ.
I could use a little clarification though.

From the FAQ
Rosewood fingerboards should not be treated with the gunstock oil; instead they should be treated with a high grade of lemon oil.

Being that the neck is Rosewood, should I NOT use gunstock oil on it also?
Is gunstock oil a no no for Rosewood in general, or is this just a fingerboard thing?
Also, any recommendations for a high quality lemon oil?

Thanks again
Quarter
 

tommyindelaware

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Joined
Dec 24, 2002
Messages
3,274
Location
wilmington , delaware
rosewood contains it's own natural oil....& needs no oil. it likes to be naked. if yer one of those grimmy people who play w/ dirty hands.......& u finally wanna clean the back of the neck.......0000 steel wool will make it look like new.
 

thindave

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Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
448
Location
Manalapan, New Jersey
Quarter, I have one too - Jon recommended a different oil or wax for the back of the neck but I can't remember what the heck it is now. Let me check my other mac's bookmarks - I may have it saved there...
 

Funky Chicken

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Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
197
Location
Apex, North Carolina
At 1 month old your guitar shouldn't need much care other than a wipedown as needed. I believe that the less you use in terms of oils/cleaners/chemicals the better.
I cut the sleeves off of old t-shirts to use as wiping rags. I have a polishing cloth that's intended to be used on jewelry that I use on the frets every so often. If you stay on top of keeping the guitar clean and wash your hands before you pick it up, things don't get too funky in the first place.
I like to use a couple of drops of Rosewood Oil on a cloth to wipe down the neck on my Rosewood Super Sport once a month or so. You can get rosewood oil at a health food store or an organic supermarket-just use a couple of drops at a time. I figure that if I'm going to put anything on a solid rosewood neck it might as well be the same stuff that's already on the wood. It also brings out the scent of the rosewood.
Enjoy your new EBMM! Which one do you want to get next?:D
 

guitrr

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Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Messages
120
Location
Port Orange, Florida, United States
I have 3 guitars with raw rosewood necks, and I treat them all with Smith Classic Wax Polish, with is designed for "oil finished instruments". It's a blend of beeswax, lemon oil, and some other unspecified oils; it has always worked great for me and a small dab will treat a whole neck.

Around here I get it from my tech at his shop, but it's produced by Ken Smith Basses company; so anyplace that is a Ken Smith dealer should be able to get it for you.

I also use it on the rosewood fingerboards of my other guitars. Rosewood oil is a good treatment too.

Kane
 

Chad

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Joined
Apr 18, 2006
Messages
58
Location
Indiana, USA
I use clarinet bore oil on all of my rosewood and ebony fretboard guitars. Works great and darkens them a bit too (which is a good thing IMO)! I only apply this once a year or so....maybe twice a year if the guitar gets a lot of play. You don't want to overoil...that can be worse than not oiling at all.
 
Last edited:

csbullock

New member
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
2
As I've posted before, the best oil for an unsealed/unfinished rosewood fingerboard is pure mineral oil. The easiest way to get 99.99% pure mineral oil is at your local pharmacy. Just buy a mineral oil enema. dab the tip of a cotton cloth and rub it all over the fretboard after cleaning and drying it with a little water and a soft toothbrush, if you need to get rid of sweat stains.
 

Slingy

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Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
1,526
Location
Fair Oaks, CA
Fret Doctor for my fretboards(A high quality bore oil, there's a great article on their site comparing different treatments).

I'd like to hear from EB about the neck itself, since I have one coming. I'm assuming it will have the gunstock oil/wax treatment which really lasts a long time on my maple neck.
 
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