Hello, Folks.

I have a Fender Deluxe Player's Strat that I've owned for a year (I bought it new). It has a thick slab of Rosewood for the fretboard that I've been oiling every four months with Old English Lemon Oil. My problem is that it dries out rather quickly, and my instincts (based on a visual examination) tell me that I should be oiling it every month.

I once per month too often? Would a different oil be better?

Thanks.

_________________
Ibanez Artwood 200vv
Fender Deluxe Player's Stratocaster

Once a month is too much. I go maybe three times a year as you want some of your natural oils and wear and tear to break the neck in and that happens by playing. Most string changes I just a cloth in a bit of warm water and go over the neck by the time I reach the top it is dry. Fret Doctor is great for rosewood necks. You can get it on line.

Rosewood is a naturally oily wood so don't over clean or over oil you fingerboard. Here's what I do:
Twice a year I clean my rosewood and ebony fingerboards with Formby's Deep Cleansing Build-up Remover. This product will not harm the finished surfaces of your guitar if you accidentally get some on it.
http://formbys.com/products/buildup_remover.cfm
Then treat the fingerboard with Fret Doctor. Read and order here:
http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm
IMO this is the best way to clean and condition unfinished fretboards.

I use Gerlitz Guitar Honey. It's made for dark woods (rosewood). Don't use it on a maple fretboard.

It's a fingerboard treatment that conditions rosewood fretboards. I use it whenever I change strings. And it darkens faded rosewood fretboards, and makes them look like new.

It can be found at Guitar Center.

It's a blend of conditioning oils formulated for the treatment of rosewood. It will cleanse the fingerboard, and protect against moisture, sweat, and grime.

_________________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

I suppose it really depends on the climate of where you live. If you live somewhere really dry that eats the moisture out of anything, the 3 maybe four times a year. Somewhere with a good deal of rain and a naturally moist atmosphere will need less.

I do it twice a year on setup.

_________________
No no and no

Ooo - is that a brand name? I'm old and English, but I've never heard of that one!

For what it's worth, in a mild climate and a house that is centrally heated half the year I find I need to use about a drop and a half of lemon oil on my rosewood fingerboards once every year or so.

I don't think more will actually do any harm - but it's probably a bit of a waste of time.

Cheers - C

Yes, that's a popular brand of wood polishes here in the good ol' USA.

I don't suppose you'd be able to use the brand in the UK (not without getting a letter from the the good Old English folks).

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Or some sort of anti defamation body putting in a complaint about you being age-ist.

_________________
No no and no

For getting light scratches out of guitar finishes I've sometimes recommended a British brand of automotive polish called T-Cut. But the other day I found at the back of a shelf in the garage an old bottle of a different make of swirl remover and mean to give that a try soon.

I notice that this other brand carries a royal crest on the front marking it as "by appointment to her majesty The Queen". I find it charming to think this is the brand of swirl remover Her Maj uses: I can picture her now with her yellow rubber gloves on giving the Roller a nice rub down on a Saturday afternoon, while Phil is indoors watching the footie on the TV...

For that matter, Orange Amplifiers also carry a royal seal of approval - which explains the bloody row coming out of Buckingham Palace whenever I'm passing. Liz is rocking out.

Cheers - C

I thought the orange crest was a re-design of Cliff Coopers family crest based around an orange tree.






Do they have an actual royal seal of approval on them too. I blew one of my jcm's through the roof lastnight.

_________________
No no and no

No, no: I don't mean that.

They won a Queen's Award For Industry, which used to appear at the bottom of their ads in guitar magazines. And I have a strong belief that they are also "By appointment..."

- But I've just been going round their website without finding mention of the appointment bit. So either they've lost it again (Her Britannic Maj having moved over to HiWatt), or they think it looks a bit un-rock 'n' roll... or I just dreamed that whole part.

Liz II uses Sovereign Guitars - that much I do know; with custom crown inlays. When she's not wielding her Brian May Sig Red Special, that is...

Cheers - C

Well it wouldnt play a Gibson Steve Jones signature would she.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeP220xx7Bs

_________________
No no and no

I use Old English. I had a Strat I bought that had been at the guitar shop for a while. The rosewood was a light color because the guys at the shop didn't oil the guitar fretboards periodically and it was dried out. I oiled this guitar frequently until the oil didn't soak in immediately. The color returned to a darker tint like it's suppose to be. Oil from your hands is usually enough if you play the guitar alot. My '89 Strat has been oiled only a couple of times in it's lifetime.

I only oil/clean my rosewood boards once or twice a year. My 1974 Strat is showing no ill effects from this schedule and it's older than some of the kids posting to this forum

_________________
"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Unnecessarily sliming up of fingerboards with various potions not only invites various and assorted gunk buildups but it also runs the risk of loosening the frets.

_________________
You dig?