What type of oil is recomended to moisturize fretboards?

[tkarter]

Apparently Michael Dolan uses lemon oil, while Roger Sadowsky prefers boiled linseed oil. Here's another thread on the subject.

http://p219.ezboard.com/fthedudepitfrm33.showMessage?topicID=743.topic

Not to be argumentative on this subject, but... Linseed and Orange oils must be applied sparingly and in my opinion are more time consuming to use with the desired results than is the lemon oil.

The various versions of lemon oil provided to the consumer such as Dunlop are better to use. Once agan my opinion.

tk

 

[spectorbassguy]

.......I may used a small amount of MR Sheen aswell!

Charlie or Martin?
Or Billy? (Oops that's Sheehan)

 

[NotPer]

What about maple fretboards?

 

[dlloyd]

What about maple fretboards?

The advice about maple fretboards in the article I posted above should be ignored for newer MM basses, as it only holds true if they're laquered.

From the Ernie Ball faq (http://www.ernieball.com/faq_mmbass.php):

Q: How do I maintain the neck on my new Music Man bass?

A: To clean the neck, use a small dose of high-grade lemon oil. If the neck is very dirty, give us a call or email us at [email protected].

Since the neck is unfinished, it is more susceptible to humidity changes. A very infrequent dose of gunstock oil will help to keep the neck maintained; we recommend Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil, but any good quality gunstock oil will work. Clean neck first. Use a small amount of Tru-oil, leave it on for 5 minutes, then wipe it off with a paper towel. Then apply Birchwood-Casey Tru-Wax. Be sure to douse the paper towel with water before disposing of it! Read the wax and oil manufacturer's instructions regarding disposal of these used paper towels.

Birchwood-Casey products are available at most sporting goods or gun stores. Their web address is http://www.birchwoodcasey.com.

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

For cleaning, try using the same high grade of lemon oil to clean the entire neck, both maple and rosewood fretboards. Keep in mind that if the dirt or grease has been worked into the wood, it cannot be removed except by sanding it down, which we do not recommend unless exercised with extremely fine sandpaper (1200-1600 grit), and even then very sparingly. It is better to keep it clean in the first place. Washing your hands first helps!

Some discoloration after many hours of playing is normal on unfinished necks. Be sure to follow all of the manufacturers recommended safety precautions when using any of these oils or waxes.

 

[lowstrung]

I like to use the pure oil extract from the shell of the Texas Dung Beatle. It really does a good job. Makes the frett board nice and dark. You just gotta get past the smell. Plenty of mojo here.