What does the majority say about lemon oil?

[Rodger Knox]

Since this is an opinion question, here's mine.
Use naptha for cleaning.

The fretboard and bridge do not need any type of oil as general maintenance, it's use is cosmetic.

All the oils recommended so far are non-drying oils, so whatever is applied and not removed stays on the surface or penetrates into the wood. There's no significant performance difference in any of the products recommended, they all work.

When I'm initially "finishing" a bridge or fretboard, I use walnut oil, which is a drying oil. A couple of coats rubbed on gives a nice sheen and texture, and it drys on the surface.

[RustyAxe]

The majority? I've never paid attention to that, history tells us the majority is often wrong. No "lemon oil" ever. Not necessary. Cleaning with a damp cloth at string changes is all that's required. So far, no issues after 50+ years of playing guitar.

[lonecedar]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

FWIIW...

I asked the folks at Martin what they recommended for use on the fretboard. The answer was a bit of a surprise.
They say DON'T use lemon oil.
They recommended 3-1 Oil, used sparingly.

YMMV

Yep - a well known luthier that is also an authorized CF Martin repair shop that I learned under uses 3-1 oil. I think his was "lemon scented"

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by dneal

Unfinished wood is porous and absorbent. Mineral oil will help repel contaminants that would otherwise be absorbed into the fret board. It's the same reason you treat a wooden cutting board with mineral oil.

The primary reason to apply mineral oil to a wooden cutting board is to prevent absorption of water applied while washing the board. Repeated wetting and drying will cause the cutting board to crack.

Far as I know people don’t usually scrub their fingerboards with soapy water while immersing them in water.

Mineral oil on fingerboards is cosmetic.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by Rodger Knox

Since this is an opinion question, here's mine.

Use naptha for cleaning.



The fretboard and bridge do not need any type of oil as general maintenance, it's use is cosmetic.



All the oils recommended so far are non-drying oils, so whatever is applied and not removed stays on the surface or penetrates into the wood. There's no significant performance difference in any of the products recommended, they all work.



When I'm initially "finishing" a bridge or fretboard, I use walnut oil, which is a drying oil. A couple of coats rubbed on gives a nice sheen and texture, and it drys on the surface.

Walnut oil...you might have something there. Will look into that more.

And...i use 3 in 1 oil on a lot of stuff. But wood? Needs more research, which i'll do.

[jjrpilot]

I use WD-40 liberally all over the fretboard. My strings no longer squeak.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

Walnut oil...you might have something there. Will look into that more.

Obviously, not for those with allergies to nuts, one of the reasons to avoid using it on cutting boards for the general public.

[Wade Hampton]

Rodger wrote:

Originally Posted by Rodger Knox

Since this is an opinion question, here's mine.
Use naptha for cleaning.

The fretboard and bridge do not need any type of oil as general maintenance, it's use is cosmetic.

Then Charles wrote:

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

The primary reason to apply mineral oil to a wooden cutting board is to prevent absorption of water applied while washing the board. Repeated wetting and drying will cause the cutting board to crack.

Far as I know people don’t usually scrub their fingerboards with soapy water while immersing them in water.

Mineral oil on fingerboards is cosmetic.

Something that folks who oil their fingerboards every time they change strings ought to know is that oil can build up and seep through the wood of the fingerboard and cause serious problems weakening the glue joint between the neck and fretboard. Typically this doesn't manifest itself until other repair work is being done, such as planing the fretboard and replacing the frets. But when it does it has an impact it can be very difficult for repair techs to deal with.

If you're oiling your fingerboard every time you change strings, you're doing it way too often.

Another cost to maintaining what you think is a clean appearance is that the oil attracts dust and grit, making the fretboard dirtier, not cleaner. That grit can act as an abrasive - like sandpaper, in effect - and since oiling also softens the wood, frequent fretboard oiling accelerates the wear.

So by oiling frequently you're speeding up the wear process, particularly on rosewood fingerboards. You're not preserving or maintaining anything, just the opposite.


Wade Hampton Miller

[rokdog49]

I use F One by Music Nomad.


https://media.sweetwater.com/api/i/q...N105-large.jpg

[gmel555]

Direct from Martin Website FAQ: "Martin Guitar does not recommend using lemon oil on the fingerboard. The acids in lemon oil break down the finish of your guitar. It may also speed the corrosion of the frets and decrease the life of your strings." As others have said though many of the products called "lemon oil" are really mineral oil scented w lemon.

This is what I use (1x-2x a year). I first bought it in the 1833 shop at the Martin factory. I get it on Amazon now. Why not use something designed for the purpose:

[Archsas]

Originally Posted by gmel555

Direct from Martin Website FAQ: "Martin Guitar does not recommend using lemon oil on the fingerboard. The acids in lemon oil break down the finish of your guitar. It may also speed the corrosion of the frets and decrease the life of your strings."

If that's their reasoning, I wonder if Martin is making the same mistake that's been mentioned earlier in the thread: confusing actual lemon oil for the "lemon oil" that gets sold to guitar players. Real lemon oil is corrosive and people shouldn't use it for the reasons Martin is saying. But as others have pointed out, the stuff you buy from Dunlop or whatever other manufacturer isn't actually lemon oil, but a scented mineral oil. I don't think it's acidic enough to cause any kind of damage, and mineral oil also gets recommended for use in woodwind instruments as "bore oil." Honestly, I'm with fazool in thinking that's it's probably much safer to use on untreated wood than the 3-in-1 oil Martin recommends.

After all, "lemon oil" is the product most widely sold and recommended in the guitar world. If it was inherently destructive, I think people would have noticed by now and that wouldn't be the case.

[Arch Stanton]

I gotta agree with Archsas, and the post prior to it, a few drops of fingerboard oil once a year, or maybe the walnut oil the other guy mentioned should be just fine.

There is a high-end official Martin luthier/repair shop near me in Northampton, MA. I will also see what they say.

http://harrybecker.net/Luthier/Guita...ar_Repair.html

[Aaron Smith]

I've seen people recommend linseed oil, walnut oil, etc. which are hardening finishes. I would never use those because they partially polymerize and get gummy. Applied frequently, they would cause a buildup on the fingerboard.

The only time I ever bother oiling the fingerboard is if it's accumulated nasty gunk or is starting to look dry and bleached out. In that case I clean all the grot off the fingerboard with naphtha and a green Scotchbrite pad, then oil after it dries. I don't need to do it any more than every 3 or 4 years, or whenever I get a new-to-me guitar that needs cleaned up.

Somebody told me about bore oil a while ago, and that's what I use. I think it's typically used for woodwind instruments; it's very thin, absorbs quickly into the wood and doesn't harden. One Q-Tip is enough to do the entire fretboard.

I agree with whoever said that it's purely cosmetic.

[dneal]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

The primary reason to apply mineral oil to a wooden cutting board is to prevent absorption of water applied while washing the board. Repeated wetting and drying will cause the cutting board to crack.

Far as I know people don’t usually scrub their fingerboards with soapy water while immersing them in water.

Mineral oil on fingerboards is cosmetic.

Far as I know, people (who know what they're doing) don't scrub their wooden cutting boards while immersing them in water. If they're well maintained (oiled), a damp soapy rag is sufficient. Oil is reapplied as needed.

Take two new wooden cutting boards and oil only one. Use both and see which one gets stained first.

You luthiers finish every bit of the guitar that might get touched, to protect the wood; and ignore the part that gets touched the most. Oil is more than cosmetic.

[Aaron Smith]

Originally Posted by dneal

You luthiers finish every bit of the guitar that might get touched, to protect the wood; and ignore the part that gets touched the most. Oil is more than cosmetic.

That has been the standard for fingerboards on stringed instruments going back almost 1,000 years. I don't think it's by accident. The woods typically used for fingerboards are very hard and very oily by nature, and many players don't like the feel of glossy finish under their fingers. Ever played a Strat or Rickenbacker with a finished maple fingerboard? Yuck.