How to clean & rehydrate your guitar fretboard with baby oil
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Hi guys! Today I'm gonna show you how to clean the fretboard of your guitar with baby oil. I've been using baby oil to clean the fretboard of my guitars for the past 20 years without any issues. Say goodbye to that expensive 'LEMON OIL'!
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Tried this today, and OH BOY did it work like a charm! I have never done any maintenance on any of the guitars i’ve owned over the years other than changing the strings, but I will be doing this for sure! Thanks x100000!
Glad it helps!
Of course! On the day I purchase my first bottle of lemon oil, UA-cam recommends this video :D Anyway, good to know I can use baby oil when the lemon oil is empty.
A local guitar tech showed me this hack about 20 years ago. Since then I never looked back!
@@GuitarAddict101 genius!!!!
LOL, guess what, the lemon oil just arrived in the mailbox an hour before I saw this video.
@@The_Weissman Well, just use it up mate. Make sure your next purchase is the cheaper baby oil 🛢 😉
@@GuitarAddict101 hey i am using super super cheap shoes polish(shiner) on string and guitar, it has great results strings are now super slidy and guitar shines like nothing else and no side effects
I've never thought that u could use baby oil on my guitar thank you I enjoyed the video
Hi Marco, glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching 😊.
Hey, so I just used little water with my soft cloth like how you did with the oil and now i am wondering if baby oil is actually safe. Also my guitar’s fretboard is made up of mahogany so will baby oil be fine?
Thank you.😄
Yes baby oil is 100% safe, many luthiers @ guitar techs use it in place of branded lemon oil.
Thanks ☺️
You are most welcome!@@Miransh_25
How do you know what not to use this on? I have a few gutairs and each fret board is a different colour, feel and look. I have no idea what most of them they where made from. But the baby oil idea is very good. Thank you.
As a rule of thumb, you can use it on open pore woods like rosewood, ebony jatoba etc and not on finished wood like maple. Hope this helps 🙏
@@GuitarAddict101 can i use it on amaranth?
@@t1naftore Yes, definitely, since amaranth is also an open pore wood. Baby oil will work on any open pore woods.
@@GuitarAddict101 thanks man. Beginner here, just got my first guitar and the fretboard is dry as shit.
@@t1naftore No problem man. Always happy to help!
Nice!!! I used to clean my fretbroad with lemon oil but this is a more practical way to do it. Cheers from Perú
Cheers 🍻 mate! Thanks for watching 😊 !
Thank you
I haven't used my guitar in over a year and I noticed it was dry
I will try it
You are most welcome 🤗!
Does it work on morning wood? Asking for a friend.
Haha 🤣...knock on wood it would!
I've been using vaseline oil since ages, following the suggestion of a well known luthier of my town. And the baby oil is just flavored vaseline. 😎
It's really perfect to remove all the dirty stuff on the fretboard!
Nice sharing dude👍! Thanks!
I thought Vaselin could be good, because it's petroleum originated and doesn't go wrong (spoil) like natural oils like olive or coconut.
so petroleum jelly works too? never thought of that.thanks man.
Cool. Now will shift to baby oil. In times like this, its better to be practical in spending money. Thanks to this hack cleaning. 👍
You are most welcome 🙏!
I was just about to order lemon oil but this video saved me my money. Thankyou.
Also, I use Fast Fret as my string cleaner and now it has finished all the oil content, can we use the same baby oil to clean guitar string too?
Hi Ritesh. Glad that you found this video helpful. With regard to cleaning the strings with baby oil, I haven't tried it yet! In fact that is a very good idea. We might experiment with it and see how it will go 😉 !
@@GuitarAddict101 please do try it & give me feedback. Thanks for replying.
Will do 👌. Thanks!
@@GuitarAddict101 So did the baby oil clean the strings ok ? I usually just use rubbing alcohol to clean my guitar strings, and it usually breaths new life into them for a little while longer.
@@rayseguin8933 Yes it did
is it ok to use baby oil as my electric guitar string cleaner?
I guess it is ok as oil generally (including baby oil) can somewhat help to prevent corrosion.
Good to know way easier to get than lemon oil, can literally get it everywhere
Yup!
Would this work on a gloss finished maple fingerboard?
Unfortunately no. It only works on open pore wood like rosewood, ebony, jatoba etc.
Hi thanks. What would you recommend for a gloss finished maple fingerboard to clean it up. Damp cloth?@@GuitarAddict101
@@bigtorrisi You can use a dry, lint-free microfiber cloth and any standard guitar cleaner. Be sure to avoid anything that contains silicone though.
Thank you for that.@@GuitarAddict101
@@bigtorrisi You are most welcome.
Is it okay not to remove the strings?
Yes, it's not necessary. Just put the towel under your strings
Yes, perfectly fine 🙂 . Oil won't harm the strings. But, it would be slightly harder to work with strings on. That's why I always clean my fretboard everytime I change the strings.
Hi, i oiled the ebony fretboard of my Jazzguitar with dunlop lemon oil yesterday. Now it feels a little oily! Ist that normal and will it it go away by time or did I overoil it and what can I do to fix it if If I did
It will feel a little oily/greasy as the fretboard has absorbed some of the oil. Depending on humidity, it will go away within few days (in my case about 5-6 days). Make sure to wipe the fretboard clean about 20-30 minutes after applying the oil. Hope this helps!
@@GuitarAddict101 thank you very much! I did this.
My pleasure. Always happy to help 😊!
Can i add some to the back of the neck as well? Ive noticed the back dries out when im playing chords and it make’s switching a lot harder and not as swift
I think baby oil won't help that much. Perhaps you need to refinish your neck.
bro can i use baby oil to the body of guitar?
Two main purposes of using baby oil are to clean and rehydrate (or remoisturize) unfinished open pore woods like rosewood, ebony or wenge. I believe the body of most guitar are finished either in matte or gloss. Applying baby oil (or any kind of oils) would probably just makes it greasy and you need to use soap to remove it afterwards.
Hope this helps and thanks for watching by the way!
Can i use castor oil for acoustic guitar?
Yes it will work fine 👍
can you do this with the strings on?
I tried it once. Quite hard and the result isn't the same.
I didnt know that you are a malaysian! Jadi guna baby oil johnson x de masalah la kan? Lepas apply berapa kerap nak kena lap lebihan? Kalau dah pasang strings kena lap jugak ke?
Haha...Salam dr 🇲🇾 boss...mmg xde masalah guna baby oil ni saya dh lama guna. Dgr cite King Shah pun pakai jgk .
Lepas apply tggu around 30 minit lps tu lap dgn kain lembut sampai kering. Kadang2 saya lap juga lps psg strings cuma struggle sket la especially kat area nut.
@@GuitarAddict101 kalau camtu cantek tq bos
@@zulaqil Sama2. Eh, satu lg lupa nk pesan, kalau fretboard maple xleh guna baby oil.
@@GuitarAddict101 rasnya yg ni rosewood, thank you brader mmng membantu jimat duit x yah beli lemon oil
@@zulaqil Sebenarnya kandungan baby oil sama je dengan lemon oil tu, iaitu mineral oil. Cuma lemon tu dia tambah scent pewangi lemon je pastu jual mahal2. huhu
Baby oil has scent it. You can buy pure mineral oil without scent, so why not?
Good point!
Bagusan mana lemon oil sama baby oil bang?
Baby oil lebih bagus karna harganya lebih murah tetapi kontennya mirip 100% lemon oil yang ternyata lebih mahal.
Do you have any suggestions for maple?
Same question
You can clean maple fretboard with superfine steel wool (grade 0000). Be as gentle as possible. Hope this helps!
@@GuitarAddict101 is it also good for glossy finish maple fretboard?
@@tristan_840 Unfortunately no. Luthiers/guitar tech advise against using it on maple fretboard.
@@GuitarAddict101 what would you recommend on a glossy maple fretboards?
Is baby oil safe in unfinished maple fretboard?
Some people suggest naphta for unfinished maple fretboard. You might wanna take a look at this thread: www.talkbass.com/threads/uncoated-maple-fretboard-lemon-oil.690360/
I use linseed oil for 40 years.
Nice sharing mate👍. Thanks!
How to cleam the hardware?
You can use a soft brush and a mini vacuum cleaner like this one: ua-cam.com/video/47lV27u2suU/v-deo.html
I have epiphone hummingbird pro can i use baby oil on the fret boards my board is very pale and dry looking ?
If the fretboard is made of open pore woods like rosewood, ebony, pau ferro etc then you can use it. I've been using baby oil for more than 20yrs now. Not for finished fretboard like maple though. BTW, thanks for watching!
@@GuitarAddict101 yeah its rosewood gibson made a video about it too they said lemon oil is mineral oil with a lemon scent thats all thanks dude
You're most welcome 🙏
Turns out my fingerboard is pau fero i can’t find any info on the type of oil it needs haha 0 lol
You can also use baby oil on pau ferro cause it's a type of open pore wood as well
How about the guitar body, how do clean it?
For a solid body electric guitar, just wipe it clean with soft cloth. However, if you're cleaning acoustic guitar, that's a different story, have a look at this video at 3:41 ua-cam.com/video/ulXQh9i4jtE/v-deo.html. Hope this helps!
Is baby oil safe for the fretboard ? I read on quora that it's harmful for guitar fretboard..
It is completely safe, I've been using it for almost 20 years! The main content of baby oil is mineral oil, which is identical to the commercial@ branded lemon oil.
@@GuitarAddict101 thank you so much ❤️
You're most welcome.
@@GuitarAddict101 what about on maple necks
@@TheRealDealBobbySteele Doesn't work on maple necks unfortunately.
i use it on every type of wood except maple and works i tried today on my basses :D
Glad it works. Thanx for watching by the way!
Does that work on indian laurel too?
Yes, baby oil will work fine on Indian laurel as it is a type of open pore wood as well 😊. Thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe for more contents!
I use lavender. Smells nice.
Yep, who doesn't love lavender!
Can I use olive oil ?
Hi Aysha, thanks for dropping by. I haven't tried olive oil yet, but I'm guessing it could be an expensive alternative to baby/mineral oil. Plus it contains several fatty acids which may (or may not) adversely affect your guitar. Nice suggestion by the way!
@@GuitarAddict101 Thanks for replying .
You're most welcome!
No don't use it, it will rot
@@lorenzosantigli9206 Hi Lorenzo, thanks for the input!
I found out on Google that mineral oil is the safe oil for guitar and baby oil have 98%oil
Exactly!
does it work on wenge board for my warwick bass?
Yes, baby oil works on any type of open pore woods including wenge.
I have my own recipe: linseed oil, turpentine, beeswax and carnauba wax. works great
Great tip! Thanks for sharing.
I can use it on acoustic guitars that has rosewood right?
Yes, but make sure to protect the body.
Can i use Vaseline tonic
Yes off course
@@GuitarAddict101 u sure like Vaseline hair tonic itll work right?
@@anderson-xx3hr Because its contents are almost 100% identical to baby oil (mostly mineral oil). But if you can, better use baby oil because it is much cheaper!
@@GuitarAddict101 thanks brother but is have it at the moment and i live in village where theres is greenery so my guitar is getting infested by wood eating bugs termite on my fret board since its unfinished thats why i had to do it soon as possible is it for rose wood to he in contact with sun?
@@anderson-xx3hr Whoaa...! that's terrible! better get yourself termite repellant as well. Yes, it is ok for rosewood to be in contact with sunlight provided that it is not too extreme because extreme temperature may cause the neck of the guitar to bend or warp. Hope this helps!
Can you use that baby oil on maple neck fret board?
Unfortunately, no. Baby oil won't work on finished fretboard like maple.
@@GuitarAddict101 OK he just uses it for his hands if thay get sticky when playing it helps aparntly
@@susanlloyd1133 Glad it helps!
Is that method same goes to an acoustic guitar?
Yes, but be sure to cover the body properly.
Does it work for rosewood?
Yes definitely 👍. And for other open pore woods such as wenge, ebony, meranti etc. as well
although i got the lemon oil i want to try onion oil can i ??
Save your onion 🧅 oil for cooking dude 😄
@@GuitarAddict101 haha onion oil for hair though
@@yoriichi25_ 😄
Uish! Saya baru tau guna minyak baby pun boleh. Selama ni guna brand Kyser.
Terima kasih, bang.
Boleh je sebenarnya sbb content dia sama. King Shah dgn Julian Mokhtar pun pakai baby oil je
Can i use baby oil to a maple fretboard to clean up?
Unfortunately it won't work on maple fretboard.
How about beard oil?
Those are expensive 😅
thank you, sir
You are most welcome 🙏
You can't hydrate anything with oil. Hydration is, by definition, adding water.
Perhaps the correct terminology is 'moisturize' 😊!
Can we use mustard oil?????
I use olive oil btw
Xtra virgin?
@@GuitarAddict101 huh??
@@f8tilldie I mean the olive oil, is it extra virgin oilve oil?
This video is very helpful
Thanks for watching!😊
...or just use wipe out.
Good suggestion!
Terima kasih bang diatas perkongsian ni. Ianya sangat membantu 🙂
sama2 bang. Terima kasih juga sudi menonton!
Mineral oil in to my precious wood? No way Jose
The main content of lemon oil sold at guitar stores is mineral oil. You can read it here: travelingguitarist.com/what-is-guitar-lemon-oil/#:~:text=Guitar%20lemon%20oil%20is%20usually%20mineral%20oil%20mixed,doesn%E2%80%99t%20have%20any%20lemon%20in%20it%20at%20all.
Thanks for watching and commenting by the way!
Em also use baby oil
Yeah, I've been using baby oil for more than 20 years now. The main content is the same (mineral oil) but it is way cheaper than lemon oil.
P/S: Only use on open pore wood fretboard like rosewood and ebony only, don't use it on maple.
DO NOT use baby oil. smh at Matthew Ward
@bluesbeer music because many sales going down of lemon oil from guitar shops, that's the only reason lmao.
Guys I recommend dog poo to clean your fretboards, it's free and can be obtained even easier and it has so many natural oils in it that dogs always get that funny stare when they poop. Sheesh... the wonder solutions people come up with to smear on their $$$$ fretboards in order save $5 bucks for a bottle of proper fretboard conditioner that lasts half of a lifetime.
Been wanting to clean my dirty acoustic fretboard. Thanks man!
You're welcome!
whats your result of trying baby oilon fretboard?