By using a natural oil like Dunlop’s Lemon Oil or Fender Custom Shops Fingerboard Remedy, you can replace the moisture that your fretboard is naturally losing. Dunlop Ultimate Lemon OIl 65 (pictured below)- Ultimate Lemon Oil removes grime and returns your fretboard to original luster. Prepare yourself for some fireworks. I have a brand new, EVH Wolfgang WG Standard, with an un-finished, “hand-rubbed”, neck and fretboard….. Can I use ANYTHING at all on it? That said, I personally do not use lemon oil on guitar fretboards. This isn’t because I’m “anti lemon oil.” It’s because I don’t know how much actual lemon oil is in any of them. Yes I have some rookie experience using “chopping board” lemon oil (it’s cheap!) This is at no additional cost to you. Please cite some online sources I (and my readers) can check out. And, very infrequently (like once a year or less), you can use a maple-safe fretboard oil to help remove dirt and grime, like the Music Nomad F-One Oil I recommend in this post. In fact, some contain no real lemon oil at all. Again, avoid lemon oil on maple–even baked maple like yours. I have Dunlop 01 Cleaner and Prep. When my son-in-law passed away , I “inherited” an electric guitar, a Yamaha RGX 312. It can take some time (years), but over the long term it’ll take its toll. Use a soft paintbrush to brush away any steel wool fibers that remain. Then wipe off the lemon oil with the clean, soft towel until it is dry and the oily feeling is gone. Dishwashing detergent is designed to degrease grease and essential oil, and while cleaning the fretboard, it can also destroy natural oils inside the wood, causing it to dry and decompose. Also, note that maple does not need to be oiled like more porous woods such as rosewood. Many people, myself included, have used these 3 lemon oils and had really good results. A guitar is not furniture. Your email address will not be published. This kind of pure lemon oil, as well as other citrus oils pressed from peels, contains d-Limonene. I’ve noticed some white-ish stains on the fretboard. For context, that was in … Although it is helpful enough for me at this point, one day I may find myself interested in understanding the actual mechanism of the processes occurring, while curing fine woodwork with different substances. They are made by luthiers for luthiers. Yikes. First, let’s address the question of why clean your guitar. For raw maple fretboards, you’ll want something like Tried and True Original Wood Finish, or a similar oil that won’t darken the maple. But I use it once or twice a year. ... How often to use Lemon Oil on the Fretboard? Francisco. If you add lemon oil, those little areas will absorb oil and become darker than the rest of the fretboard. However, vinegar and liquid hand dishwashing detergent can only be used to remove stubborn dirt if they are diluted. I finish it with fretboard conditioner of good quality, and so it’s shiny and clean. Hi Bob. I repeat: "essential oils" are NOT oils. Avoid exotic oils like cedarwood oil, almond oil, and definitely stay away from the “food oils” like olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, etc. Way too intense for the fine wood of your guitar’s fretboard. Bore oil is for woodwind instruments that pick up spit and moisture from the instrument being blown into. So, I’d recommend not oiling it for 1 year and see if the spots disappear or begin to diminish. I’ll try those tips. Safe for all fretboards, even maple: Music Nomad F-ONE. You may need to repeat the process a couple of times until the fretboard is no longer oily to the touch. Their safety data sheet reveals their 65 Ultimate Lemon Oil is 90% white mineral oils. There are a couple things you could try: 1. At one end of the spectrum we have pure, full-strength lemon oil that has been pressed directly from the peels of lemons. Just remember (for anyone who might be reading this), don’t use it on maple fretboards. Lemon oil cleaning products above 2% purity must be avoided for cleaning any guitar fretboard. Yet, you should correctly use it as a cleaning agent when dealing with the fretboard. These don’t contain lemon oil or any artificial colors that can discolor maple. Do you have a strong position “for” or “against” using lemon oil? Even the mandarin oil that might contain organic acids, is not acidic by itself, also humidity might make it so. I can’t be 100% certain without seeing your fretboard, but I suspect the cedarwood oil might have something to do with it. Instead, just wipe it thoroughly at each string change (while all the strings are off) with a microfiber cloth or soft cotton cloth. But, hard to know for sure without having the guitar in my hands. The D’Addario lemon oil has a warning on the label letting you know it contains “petroleum distillates.” This means that any rags used to apply lemon oil need to air out in a well-ventilated area afterward, otherwise they can spontaneously combust. "Essential oils" are not oils at all. Bobby Davis is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. It certainly helped, and my guitar's fretboard looks far more healthy than it did. How to turn off headphone mode on Android, How to Fix Sound Delay in Bluetooth Headphones, How to connect a gaming headset to your PC. Again, because maple is a very light-colored wood, adding lemon oil will make the wood darker, which isn’t what most people want to do. Mis-no-mer. Period. versus guitar lemon oil. We use Bore oil. Hello! However, here’s the bottom line: You’re definitely not going to do any damage to your Alembic by NOT using the lemon essential oil they’re recommending on that page. Oil – Lemon Oil; A Credit Card, Toothbrush Etc. This bottle sprays a fine mist which makes it easy to use with a soft cloth. He said “Don’t expect much, oils for the most part are almost never acidic”… he put a nice big drop on the litmus, and…. I would agree that his advice and products are top-notch and can be trusted to take good care of your axe. I’m somewhat curious whether you’re ACTUALLY using 100% pure lemon oil. I’ve used Formby’s Lemon Oil for 18 years with great results. I’ve been watching Ben’s YouTube videos for years now–since he first started making them. You could argue that it is not even neutral, because these terms refer to hydrophilic, especially water based, environments. So, along with the F-ONE, I guess I’ll buy a fret file. The reason why they say don't use lemon oil on maple fretboards is because the typical maple fretboard from Fender and many others has an impermeable finish on it, usually polyurethane or polyester. The fact that you’re following it with a proper fretboard conditioner may be working in your favor. In addition to that, fretboards are usually made up of very dedicate Rosewood, and therefore it is essential that you utilize only specialized cleaners that are formulated specifically for this type of wood. you can’t seem to get rid of certain gunk or grime). There are a few reasons you shouldn’t use lemon oil on maple fretboards: First, because it’s so tight-grained, maple just doesn’t tend to dry out, so there’s really no need to add oil to it. Essential lemon oil in its natural form affects the look and feel of the wood. Some people use what I call “furniture-grade lemon oils” on their guitars–usually because of the larger quantity you get for about the same price as a small bottle of guitar lemon oil. Required fields are marked *. Excellent article! The question of whether using steel wool for cleaning fretboard is a good idea or not is a topic of discussion among guitar users. Be aware that it’ll make the wood a bit darker though. First, I thought it was mold or salt air (I live by the beach) but doesn’t seem like. To properly clean it, you will need to unstring the guitar, protect the sensitive areas, remove the dirt, condition and polish, and restring the guitar. Feel free to tell them what you read here and even link them to the article. Double yikes! Cleaning a rosewood fretboard without damaging it can be done using wood oil soap, steel wool, lemon oil, and a towel. Very impressive operation… and guitars. My all-time favorite is Music Nomad’s F-ONE Oil, pictured here. Affiliate Disclaimer and Earnings Disclosures. These are the areas that you need steel wool for. If they do, then you have your culprit. I prefer Formby's which you can get at any hardware store. Personally, I keep things that are made for furniture away from guitars. It is recommended to use a fretboard conditioner with the steel wool to condition the wood and protect it as you clean. When it makes contact with the fretboard, it can ‘dry out the wood’ and over time ‘remove the adhesive’ holding the inlay markers to the wood. What about those? Then, only oil your fretboard about once a year, max, and use an oil made for fretboards like Music Nomad F-One oil or another brand, if you prefer. Bleach or other cleaning agents containing heavy chemicals should be avoided at all costs. I’d like to know what I can use to clean a FINISHED MAPLE fingerboard. So great article. People have been using them for years with great results. When I asked him about lemon oil, he reiterated what you said above. Just one little dot of oil on each fret, only about once ever 1-2 years, and that bottle will last forever. If what you say is true, I’d like to learn more. I’m here to teach you how to work on and maintain your own guitar and show you what the best tools and products are, but also let you know when you really should take it to a pro instead. Also Read: The Best Guitars for short fingers, Your email address will not be published. 4) Lemon Oil. Pick your favourite guitar/bass forum and there’s a good chance you can find at least one multi-page thread about what oil to use on your fingerboard. Be careful to stop when the grime is removed and not to damage the wood surrounding the grimy patch. These sites, articles, and PDF’s all played a role in informing the research of this blog post: No, no no. That’s not an oil that is typically used to condition fretboards, so I’m unfamiliar with it. Since your fretboard is maple, stay away from lemon oil. Thank you for your time and effort! But it’s just a matter of a few days to become white-ish again. This is on purpose, so readers will remember it. Natural household items such as vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and baking powder should be avoided.