Fretboard Conditioning

[tomcstokes59]

I have been using it for about three years. It’s especially effective on older guitars which may have not been touched in years. I have used on all types of fretboards with the same positive results.

[RADJJD]

for those of us that play other musical instruments made from Ebony; i.e. clarinets, oboes piccolos, & bagpipes, etc., Bore oil or Almond oil is used.

$10 bottle lasts me for 10 years on my 92 year old ebony fretboard; wiped clean (usually a small bit of alcohol) during string change, then just a few drops on a piece of cotton, spread it until everything looks shiny.

Any music store that sells woodwind instruments will have it in stock; and Amazon, of course.

Enjoy

[abn556]

Originally Posted by RADJJD

for those of us that play other musical instruments made from Ebony; i.e. clarinets, oboes piccolos, & bagpipes, etc., Bore oil or Almond oil is used.

$10 bottle lasts me for 10 years on my 92 year old ebony fretboard; wiped clean (usually a small bit of alcohol) during string change, then just a few drops on a piece of cotton, spread it until everything looks shiny.

Any music store that sells woodwind instruments will have it in stock; and Amazon, of course.

Enjoy

I just ordered some of this to try from McKnight. I have been using Doctor’s Bore Oil for decades with no issues. I’m always game to try something new though, so I will check it out.

[jmagill]

Originally Posted by fazool

what data or information brought you to this realization?

Fretboard residue is what creates 'vintage tone'.
.

[phavriluk]

Originally Posted by jmagill

Fretboard residue is what creates 'vintage tone'.
.

So who shared this secret with you?

[RADJJD]

Originally Posted by jmagill

Fretboard residue is what creates 'vintage tone'.
.

why i lightly wipe the board with alcohol first, you ask?

Firstly, I'm not a germophobe.

However, Scientific testing shows hundreds of thousands of bacteria PER fingertip, mostly under nails.

Soapy wash will clear loose dirt, but won't disinfect.

So, quick wipe with alcohol, then a light dose of oil.

My 92 year old ebony board looks like it's a 12 year old, hehe

[jp2558]

I too have been using bore oil (sparingly) for about fifty years, and nothing ever on my Martins.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by jmagill

Fretboard residue is what creates 'vintage tone'.
.

Wow, I thought it was Buffalo Wild Wings and Deep Dish Pizza…

[Godfather]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

Wow, I thought it was Buffalo Wild Wings and Deep Dish Pizza…

…plus Crunchy Cheetos!

[Murphy Slaw]

The more genius's I hang out with, the smarter I get...

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by abn556

I just ordered some of this to try from McKnight. I have been using Doctor’s Bore Oil for decades with no issues. I’m always game to try something new though, so I will check it out.

I received your order and your kit will go in the mail tomorrow. Please let me know, after receiving it, if you have any questions.

Thanks,
tim...

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Bowie

Years of experience/observation that I later found to align with the opinions of many luthiers/techs. Like this guy;
"Some players talk of "feeding" the unfinished surface of the fingerboard with oil. Fingerboards are not actually hungry and don't really need to be fed..." -Frank Ford

Exactly. Fretboard treatments don't "feed" the wood or add any substantial level of protection. Like other oil treatments for wood, including things like butcherblock oil, they will improve the appearance for a short period of time, usually a matter of a few weeks.

Like other hobby-related endeavors, guitar playing and maintenance have a significant amount of snake oil. In audio, it's things like $100 power cords and speaker wires that will improve the sound. Confirmation bias makes us believe these products make things better. They have to, since we paid way too much money for them!

If you want to learn about how various wood finishing products work, I highly recommend Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishing."

[phavriluk]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

Exactly. Fretboard treatments don't "feed" the wood or add any substantial level of protection. Like other oil treatments for wood, including things like butcherblock oil, they will improve the appearance for a short period of time, usually a matter of a few weeks.

Like other hobby-related endeavors, guitar playing and maintenance have a significant amount of snake oil. In audio, it's things like $100 power cords and speaker wires that will improve the sound. Confirmation bias makes us believe these products make things better. They have to, since we paid way too much money for them!

If you want to learn about how various wood finishing products work, I highly recommend Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishing."

Don't omit the various permutations of fish tank pumps....

[JayBee1404]

I’ve never deluded myself that applying oil to a fingerboard somehow ‘feeds’ or ‘hydrates’ it - the wood is dead, and doesn’t need ‘food’, and hydration involves moisture, not oil. But I do enjoy the look and feel of a very-lightly-treated fingerboard and, in this regard, the best product I’ve used on my boards, by a long, long way, is Tim McKnight’s Fingerboard Revival Balm.

I treated the boards on my guitars, following the instructions on the sheet that comes with the container of the product, two years ago, and they still look and feel as smooth and luxurious as they did back then.

To treat fingerboards or not is a personal choice, and everyone is entitled to do whatever they wish with their guitars but, for anyone who likes their FBs to look and feel smoothly luxurious, I have no hesitation in recommending McKnights.

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.

[LFL Steve]

Originally Posted by phavriluk

Don't omit the various permutations of fish tank pumps....

Yes, we do have an endless stream of amusing “I did X and it made a huge difference in tone!” or the charmingly human “I did Y and it made a subtle but definitely noticeable difference in tone” hopeful variant.

But this doesn’t seem to be that. People on this topic are talking about appearance. And the photos of the results do look impressive. Yes, there is a little bit of an undercurrent of taking proper care of the wood’s health, but mostly it’s about just making the fretboard look nice.

Nobody has mentioned linseed oil or teak oil. When I started playing guitar in the ‘70s I remember being advised to treat the fingerboard with boiled linseed oil. I think I might still have a tin of it somewhere.