Hello Andrew, Thanks for the information on your blog. I cleaned my unfinished rosewood fret board with ethanol and then oiled it with 100% sweet almond oil purchased at a health food store which worked just great and went into the wood immediately. I highly recommend it. Thanks, Frank
Andrew you have to try MusicNomad's F-ONE Oil 100% natural combo of tree and seed oils. No lemon oil, water, petroleum, etc. Best Cleaner/Conditioner for unfinished fretboards.
I've been using almond oil since a year and I think its great because it lubricates the fretboard so you can play smoothly. It really helps for doing slides and shreding in general. Try it!
Do not use light fluid. it leaves a residue. Do not use a toothbrush, depending on grit and pressure applied, toothbrushes can scratch your fretboard. Mineral oil is ok, but often can leave the fretboard too oily feeling.
hey andrew, do you only answer questions of people living in the united states and canada? you always say where the people come from but never heard something out of america^^
@28monkeyking28 sorry for late reply. This is reportedly some kind of buffing cream, applied by the factory to the frets. I have seen it mostly on overseas made guitars. A toothbrush with lemon oil may work. 0000 steel wool also. The way I got rid of it on my Epiphone LP was to follow instructions from luthier Roman Rist on fingerboard scraping with a razor blade...UA-cam may have a video on it.
Most lemon oils are simply Light Mineral Oil and a splash of naphtha (or a similar solvent), and many times a lemon scent is added because people expect a lemon oil to smell like lemons. It's fine for wood. It seals in, and seals out, moisture...which is exactly what you want for bare wood. You can buy real Lemon Oil made from actual lemons too, at a health food store, but you wouldn't want that on wood. It's a different thing altogether, it's a powerful degreaser and it's acidic & corrosive.
This is something I have been looking into for some time now. So many people use different things I'm sure a lot of these products do the same job. Gibson, Music Man, and Dan Erliwine say to use lemon oil. That's good enough for me. Music man suggest using gun stock oil and wax on their unfinished necks. They also recommend Lemon oil first to clean or oil soap. To each his own. But its is always good to get some different opinions Keep posting vids. Good stuff
I came here because I thought you were going to talk about cleaning unfinished necks, i.e where the thumb goes. I saw someone spray dunlop 65 on it because it high water content/low oil & wax.Many say don't use anything with water because it "raises the grain".I have an old mahoghany neck with a ding or two in it. It appears unfinished or it seems that the finish was taken off purposely.I just want to clean it up so it smooth as it gets grimy and it's harder to slide the thumb with a dirty neck.
Just a quick question, but isn't it likely that using almond oil could go rancid being placed on the guitar's fretboard? Personally, I'm not sure. Thanks.
Though most companies that sell lemon oil add petroleum distillate Which is like putting lighter fluid on your guitar It does great to clean it but in the long run it's no good for the fret board
@guitarblogupdate: Please refer to Toronto as Toronto Ontario, Canada and not Toronto, Canada. Just as Winnipeg is in Manitoba, Canada and not Winnipeg Canada. You sound like an American when you do that. Just a pet peeve of mine. Other than that your videos are very informative and thanks for sharing your knowledge to aspiring guitarists. Ken, Toronto, Ontario
Hey i have a guitar with a rosewood fret board. In between the grooves of the wood is white. Not sure if it's dust.. but how do i get rid of it? Your vids are always informative! Thankyou!!
Thanks for the lesson. My guitar has an unfinished rosewood fretboard and I've been using rosewood oil on it. It tends to create some white gunk in the pores. Could you give me some advice on how to avoid and get rid of it? Thanks
if you got a rosewood fretboard just seal it with laquer prep it before you seal it. thats it. rickenbacker have been doing it for years on there walnut fretboards.
Hello, I enjoy watching your videos and I wanted to thank you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge with everyone. I do have a question pertaining to this topic. I recently purchased an American series Fender Strat which was sandblasted, the wood looks raw, any advice on what to clean the body with? Thank you in advance. Tommy
Once you get finish off. Apply a couple coats of Johnson paste wax and wipe off when it dries. That will make it really smooth and fast feel. Also good protection from moisture.
Thanks the tips. Just brought a Takamine TAN46C guitar and don't want to damage it, so decided to get deep into factors that cause damage, like humidity, poor guitar care etc. If rosewood is untreated then it is considered to be porous, and if the battle with moisture is to not let moisture in or out of the wood then it makes caring for rosewood a challenge. I am even sceptical about using natural oils as they will still penetrate the untreated wood, which I would guess is not a good thing. I read that using a small amount of saliva is good to coat the wood; something about the natural occurring enzymes, but I don't know what to believe any more. I might risk trying the almond oil, although my guitar cost £1350 brand new. I only paid £850, but still don't want to hurt my baby. Probably would have reconsidered purchasing the guitar if I knew what I know now about untreated wood like rosewood. I didn't mean to write an essay.
@udsahn, It won't go rancid once it's applied upon the wood. But, it will only sit on the shelf for about a year. So, after 10 to 12 months it would be smart to buy a new bottle. The problem is that over time it slowly thickens up and gets like a syrup. I wouldn't use it after that. The stuff they put into all of those other products to sustain the shelf-life is exactly what is bad for the exposed wood. Using pure 100% almond oil that is fresh (and not cut with a solvent), will work excellent.
I'm trying Howard Feed and Wax.. I saw someone using it here on youtube and thought I'd give it a try.. It was about $15 at home depot for a 16 oz bottle.. The label say's " This unique blend of beeswax, camauba? wax and orange oil enhances the natural beauty and depth of grains in finished and unfinished woods,. Feed and Wax also prevents further drying of the wood and deterioration of the finish. This product is recommended as a follow up Howard Restore-A-Finish to maintain the newly restored finish ., Does not contain silicone or linseed oil .. Saturate and let sit for 20 minutes.. wipe with soft dry cloth.. It seems to go on pretty thick.. But wipes off very nice.. Has a dark luster.. better than anything I've used in the past.. I hope it works.. I just finished 12 guitars with it...lol.......
this is the first time i downvote one of your videos, but both Warwick and Taylor officially recommend using lemon oil... I'm pretty sure they know a lot more about the inner workings of wood in guitars than pretty much anyone.
Got to agree - any straight nut oil is perishable and will go rancid quickly. Whether or not it gums up, idk, but it will smell bad within a few weeks.
wuf ... really? with a little research you do on the internet, most specialist refuse it. You can damage the instrument or rancid it! Is a guitar, not a salad mate :(
@@strobelightstrobelight never had any problems! It make miracle on those dry enginereed rosewood fretboard; For me it's super on rosewood fretboard and similar(pau and lrl), of course you have to leave it for little time(5 minutes are ok) and then clean it with some water to avoid the damages. But i did too when i used the lemon oil from dunlop. If you clean it after the use it's ok, the wood has to drink the oil a little bit and then you have to clean... instead on maple fretboard i use only water...
@@SinRitual I'm happy for you to hear that. You should ask your luthier or any worker in that specific field, I tell you with the best of my purpose. You should use mineral oils, ultra-refined tree and seed oils or Naphtha. For example the well known Lemon Oil is a mineral oil with some citric acids components to help with the cleaning task. That's why you should use it with moderation without soaking the fretboard. Is not bad, just we should know how to use it, how often, how much, in which fretboards etc... I took the time to search two good articles to share with you, now you can compare the info by yourself. The first one is really well explained: rockguitaruniverse.com/best-fretboard-oil/ This also is a good article: zinginstruments.com/best-oil-for-a-guitar-fretboard-review/ Good luck friend!
i use almond oil at my rosewood fretboard and its epic. but now i have an unfinished maple fretboard and i dont think its a good idea. it will not colourize the fretboard? i think with this, will became black. i search these days at forums and i dont find a good simple answer . most suitable answers for me ( didnt use them to see) is the cheap and simple overlay (supermarket) and the complex way -> birchwood gunstock oil & wax (2 items) .. i dont know what i will do... i see the overlay right now and i should change the strings.. maybe put a little amount too see ...
the reason you don't use almond oil, is because its biodegradable. It smells, and will rot. Not suitable for a guitar basically. May as well use veggie oil from your cupboard. Would it turn black? No, I don't think so? Oils that have driers in them use oxidation to dry. A good example is boiled linseed oil. It contains drying agents in it, and over time it WILL darken any wood its on. Gunstock oil and wax is a good way to go. A little bottle of that and some bees wax isn't the cheapest thing ever, but a bottle of that stuff will last you a LONG time. If you just use it for guitars, unless you have 50 guitars, you will likely throw the bottle out before you go through all of it.
Thanks for the info, I just learned today that almond oil is what they use on the wooden flutes, but what's wrong with mineral oil, and what do you think of Music Nomad's F One Oil?
Hello Andrew,
Thanks for the information on your blog. I cleaned my unfinished rosewood fret board with ethanol and then oiled it with 100% sweet almond oil purchased at a health food store which worked just great and went into the wood immediately. I highly recommend it. Thanks,
Frank
Andrew you have to try MusicNomad's F-ONE Oil 100% natural combo of tree and seed oils. No lemon oil, water, petroleum, etc. Best Cleaner/Conditioner for unfinished fretboards.
I've been using almond oil since a year and I think its great because it lubricates the fretboard so you can play smoothly. It really helps for doing slides and shreding in general. Try it!
Dr.Ducks Axe Wax (not a wax) Best there is. CF Martin uses it. Nuff said.
i use cory all natural coconut oil spray and it works like a charm,smell great too
Great video, thanks for the advice. What is best to use on finished neck?
Guitar lemon oil is a misnomer. It isn't real lemon oil, but mineral oil with a little lemon scent added to it.
Angel`s tears.
It makes you play better too!
Thank you for the advice😃😃😃
Lololol ear wax.
Do not use light fluid. it leaves a residue. Do not use a toothbrush, depending on grit and pressure applied, toothbrushes can scratch your fretboard. Mineral oil is ok, but often can leave the fretboard too oily feeling.
hey andrew, do you only answer questions of people living in the united states and canada? you always say where the people come from but never heard something out of america^^
@28monkeyking28 sorry for late reply. This is reportedly some kind of buffing cream, applied by the factory to the frets. I have seen it mostly on overseas made guitars. A toothbrush with lemon oil may work. 0000 steel wool also. The way I got rid of it on my Epiphone LP was to follow instructions from luthier Roman Rist on fingerboard scraping with a razor blade...UA-cam may have a video on it.
Most lemon oils are simply Light Mineral Oil and a splash of naphtha (or a similar solvent), and many times a lemon scent is added because people expect a lemon oil to smell like lemons. It's fine for wood. It seals in, and seals out, moisture...which is exactly what you want for bare wood.
You can buy real Lemon Oil made from actual lemons too, at a health food store, but you wouldn't want that on wood. It's a different thing altogether, it's a powerful degreaser and it's acidic & corrosive.
This is something I have been looking into for some time now. So many people use different things I'm sure a lot of these products do the same job. Gibson, Music Man, and Dan Erliwine say to use lemon oil. That's good enough for me. Music man suggest using gun stock oil and wax on their unfinished necks. They also recommend Lemon oil first to clean or oil soap. To each his own. But its is always good to get some different opinions Keep posting vids. Good stuff
I came here because I thought you were going to talk about cleaning unfinished necks, i.e where the thumb goes. I saw someone spray dunlop 65 on it because it high water content/low oil & wax.Many say don't use anything with water because it "raises the grain".I have an old mahoghany neck with a ding or two in it. It appears unfinished or it seems that the finish was taken off purposely.I just want to clean it up so it smooth as it gets grimy and it's harder to slide the thumb with a dirty neck.
Just a quick question, but isn't it likely that using almond oil could go rancid being placed on the guitar's fretboard? Personally, I'm not sure. Thanks.
Just purchased a sterling by musicman.It has a neck that does not have a heavy laquer if any on it.Neck is white so I take it as maple.What to use?
Though most companies that sell lemon oil add petroleum distillate
Which is like putting lighter fluid on your guitar
It does great to clean it but in the long run it's no good for the fret board
@guitarblogupdate: Please refer to Toronto as Toronto Ontario, Canada and not Toronto, Canada. Just as Winnipeg is in Manitoba, Canada and not Winnipeg Canada. You sound like an American when you do that. Just a pet peeve of mine. Other than that your videos are very informative and thanks for sharing your knowledge to aspiring guitarists.
Ken, Toronto, Ontario
Hey i have a guitar with a rosewood fret board. In between the grooves of the wood is white. Not sure if it's dust.. but how do i get rid of it?
Your vids are always informative! Thankyou!!
Thanks for the lesson. My guitar has an unfinished rosewood fretboard and I've been using rosewood oil on it. It tends to create some white gunk in the pores. Could you give me some advice on how to avoid and get rid of it? Thanks
What about the body? I have a satin finish guitar with sweat stains and I can't remove them, should I use regular guitar polish?
Mayonnaise lol
i use cold pressed linseed oil from a local mill. its all natural with no chemicals inside. takes some extra time to dry but it's worth it.
if you got a rosewood fretboard just seal it with laquer prep it before you seal it.
thats it. rickenbacker have been doing it for years on there walnut fretboards.
Hello, I enjoy watching your videos and I wanted to thank you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge with everyone. I do have a question pertaining to this topic. I recently purchased an American series Fender Strat which was sandblasted, the wood looks raw, any advice on what to clean the body with? Thank you in advance.
Tommy
would wipeout stain and dirt remover be fine for unfinished necks?
Once you get finish off. Apply a couple coats of Johnson paste wax and wipe off when it dries. That will make it really smooth and fast feel. Also good protection from moisture.
Thanks the tips. Just brought a Takamine TAN46C guitar and don't want to damage it, so decided to get deep into factors that cause damage, like humidity, poor guitar care etc. If rosewood is untreated then it is considered to be porous, and if the battle with moisture is to not let moisture in or out of the wood then it makes caring for rosewood a challenge. I am even sceptical about using natural oils as they will still penetrate the untreated wood, which I would guess is not a good thing. I read that using a small amount of saliva is good to coat the wood; something about the natural occurring enzymes, but I don't know what to believe any more. I might risk trying the almond oil, although my guitar cost £1350 brand new. I only paid £850, but still don't want to hurt my baby. Probably would have reconsidered purchasing the guitar if I knew what I know now about untreated wood like rosewood. I didn't mean to write an essay.
Would 100% Sweet Almond oil work the same? Or are they basically the same thing?
Any guitar shop carries actual guitar neck conditioner, just buy that.
Great advice,Andrew! I've heard good things about the music nomad F-1 fretboard oil. Any thoughts on that product? Thanks.
what can i use on my unfinshed mohogony les paul that has a tung oil protective coat
i dont have the problem with oils on fretboards. as i hate rosewood boards.
maple is all i prefer.
couldn't almond oil potentially soften the wood and cause uneven frets?
How often should the wood be treated with the almond oil?
@udsahn,
It won't go rancid once it's applied upon the wood. But, it will only sit on the shelf for about a year. So, after 10 to 12 months it would be smart to buy a new bottle. The problem is that over time it slowly thickens up and gets like a syrup. I wouldn't use it after that. The stuff they put into all of those other products to sustain the shelf-life is exactly what is bad for the exposed wood. Using pure 100% almond oil that is fresh (and not cut with a solvent), will work excellent.
But aren't most lemon oils just lemon-scented mineral oils?
Andrew, is wood balsam/beeswax okay?
sanding sealer-- feels like unfinished wood but is sealed
no lemon oil,period
I use WD-40 for my fingerboard. Like Andy James.
What is that red ibanez pedal in the intro ?
What about pure coconut oil?
Peavey Tour 450 in the back? :p
Gerlitz Guitar Care is the best!
I'm trying Howard Feed and Wax.. I saw someone using it here on youtube and thought I'd give it a try.. It was about $15 at home depot for a 16 oz bottle.. The label say's " This unique blend of beeswax, camauba? wax and orange oil enhances the natural beauty and depth of grains in finished and unfinished woods,. Feed and Wax also prevents further drying of the wood and deterioration of the finish. This product is recommended as a follow up Howard Restore-A-Finish to maintain the newly restored finish ., Does not contain silicone or linseed oil .. Saturate and let sit for 20 minutes.. wipe with soft dry cloth.. It seems to go on pretty thick.. But wipes off very nice.. Has a dark luster.. better than anything I've used in the past.. I hope it works.. I just finished 12 guitars with it...lol.......
A lot of people recommend Howard feed and wax...gotta try it.
You just have to treat your wood right, good things will follow. :P
Trolling...
Gotta keep that wood slippery for the times when the fingering gets too much friction hey?
How bout coconut oil?
use fast fret ;)
THNX!!
this is the first time i downvote one of your videos, but both Warwick and Taylor officially recommend using lemon oil...
I'm pretty sure they know a lot more about the inner workings of wood in guitars than pretty much anyone.
Got to agree - any straight nut oil is perishable and will go rancid quickly. Whether or not it gums up, idk, but it will smell bad within a few weeks.
+1 Almond oil will work but its no better than Olive oil and both can turn rancid.
I use Olive oil from my real trees, i made it i use it :D and the guitars love it
wuf ... really?
with a little research you do on the internet, most specialist refuse it. You can damage the instrument or rancid it!
Is a guitar, not a salad mate :(
@@strobelightstrobelight never had any problems! It make miracle on those dry enginereed rosewood fretboard; For me it's super on rosewood fretboard and similar(pau and lrl), of course you have to leave it for little time(5 minutes are ok) and then clean it with some water to avoid the damages. But i did too when i used the lemon oil from dunlop. If you clean it after the use it's ok, the wood has to drink the oil a little bit and then you have to clean... instead on maple fretboard i use only water...
@@SinRitual I'm happy for you to hear that. You should ask your luthier or any worker in that specific field, I tell you with the best of my purpose. You should use mineral oils, ultra-refined tree and seed oils or Naphtha.
For example the well known Lemon Oil is a mineral oil with some citric acids components to help with the cleaning task. That's why you should use it with moderation without soaking the fretboard. Is not bad, just we should know how to use it, how often, how much, in which fretboards etc...
I took the time to search two good articles to share with you, now you can compare the info by yourself.
The first one is really well explained: rockguitaruniverse.com/best-fretboard-oil/
This also is a good article: zinginstruments.com/best-oil-for-a-guitar-fretboard-review/
Good luck friend!
@@strobelightstrobelight oh wow! Thank you!!!
Thats going to go bad my friend
just use a good wood furniture polisher and be happy!!
Where can I buy ear wax
i use almond oil at my rosewood fretboard and its epic. but now i have an unfinished maple fretboard and i dont think its a good idea. it will not colourize the fretboard? i think with this, will became black. i search these days at forums and i dont find a good simple answer . most suitable answers for me ( didnt use them to see) is the cheap and simple overlay (supermarket) and the complex way -> birchwood gunstock oil & wax (2 items) .. i dont know what i will do... i see the overlay right now and i should change the strings.. maybe put a little amount too see ...
the reason you don't use almond oil, is because its biodegradable. It smells, and will rot. Not suitable for a guitar basically. May as well use veggie oil from your cupboard. Would it turn black? No, I don't think so?
Oils that have driers in them use oxidation to dry. A good example is boiled linseed oil. It contains drying agents in it, and over time it WILL darken any wood its on.
Gunstock oil and wax is a good way to go. A little bottle of that and some bees wax isn't the cheapest thing ever, but a bottle of that stuff will last you a LONG time. If you just use it for guitars, unless you have 50 guitars, you will likely throw the bottle out before you go through all of it.
JgHaverty thanks for the info and your time !
Thanks for the info, I just learned today that almond oil is what they use on the wooden flutes, but what's wrong with mineral oil, and what do you think of Music Nomad's F One Oil?
Get lemon oil for anything other than maple.