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Post subject: worn maple boards
Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2010 9:13 am
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Roadie
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Location: Rhode Island
My 1953 has alot of finish wear on the board where there is no longer finsh just bare wood. Do you think imight benefit by conditioning those bare spots? I have that lemon oil made for guitars a luthier I know sold me a small bottle I use it on my roseoowd p basses but I wander about the wear on the '53. Thanks!


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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 12:46 am
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I don't have an answer for that. I just want to say I love the look of a very worn maple fingerboard...


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Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 2:00 am
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Quote: "My 1953 has alot of finish wear on the board where there is no longer finsh just bare wood.

Do you think imight benefit by conditioning those bare spots?

I have that lemon oil made for guitars a luthier I know sold me a small bottle I use it on my roseoowd p basses but I wander about the wear on the '53. Thanks!"



Please do not do this.

The oil will soak deeper into the wood further than you anticipate.

And work its way under the Cellulose Varnish currently still covering the fingerboard.

Thus far, the Clear Varnish has been worn through because of fingering use, penetrating from above.

Ultimately, the natural Oils and Acids from your fingertips, will work into the wood and gradually get beneath the Varnish.

But if you use Lemon Oil on this type of fingerboard, at those points of wear, the Oil will accelerate this process, penetrating through the wood from underneath.

Over time, it will cause the Clear Varnish to lift upward and away from the fingerboard, now working to create a critical loss of resin adhesion, from beneath the wood itself.

There is every likely hood, it will greatly increase the rate of speed at which, the Clear Varnish is shed from the Instrument, starting by enlarging the points of wear, that already exist.



I would take the Instrument to an experienced Luthier simply to ask for a recommendation as to what is best to do, and a 'rough ball park figure' of what any work recommended, would be likely to cost. And then try a few others, without committing to anything, to see if there's a consensus of opinion.



You can leave it 'as is'.

You may be able to effect 'local repairs' to areas of the fingerboard, that may be possibly, made 'invisible'.

You may have to have a complete reworking and refinish of the fingerboard, greatly affecting its 'Original Value' to a Collector should you ever want to sell it.

The Fender Factory could Strip down, Refinish and Re-fret, the Instrument for you, I know they have done this in the past for others, such as Mr. Clapton (a British Guitarist of repute).



An illustration.

How a Car rusts, is that stone chips fly up from the ground, penetrating the Phosphate Finish through to bare metal, beneath the underlying Sealer, Basecoat Colour and Clearcoat Varnish.

Once the bare metal rusts, it works its way along inside, rusting more metal beneath the existing good Paint, and causing these layers of Paint to lift from underneath.

The warranty on your Car, will exclude rust accompanying such lifting caused by stone chips, if you have failed to repair exposed metal with a touch up stick.

The Lemon Oil you mention, will work in and through the wood, by means of illustration, in a fairly similar fashion to rust lifting good Paint on a Car.

A 1953 Instrument, is not something any novice should be attempting to work on at all.


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Post subject: Thanks
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:03 am
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Roadie
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Location: Rhode Island
Thanks for your input. I think I'll just leave it as is. I love the feel of the board as it is. I wouldn't attempt any refinish work no matter who does it. Thanks again!


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Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 12:23 pm
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Rock Star
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+1 on what Pink Panther says. Never use lemon oil on a maple board. Just clean it with a dry clean soft cloth. No polish, oil, or anything or you'll regret it.


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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:07 am
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Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:44 am
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Location: Bowling Green Kentucky
If it starts to get too bad you can always put another neck on it and save the old one in case you ever want to sell it.

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'09 Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass '93 Fender P-Bass '08Yamaha APX500 Acoustic '89 Yamaha FG400A Acoustic G-K and Crate Amps


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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:16 pm
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Location: Newfoundland
DantheBassist wrote:
I don't have an answer for that. I just want to say I love the look of a very worn maple fingerboard...


I'll second that one.


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Post subject: Re: worn maple boards
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:03 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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If I were lucky enough to have a 1953, I'd leave it alone. This wear is expected and unavoidable if the instrument was ever played. Lemon oil will destroy the remaining finish! Anything you do to this instrument other than playing it and periodic setup / maintenance will seriously detract from it's value ;) It won't hurt it to leave it as-is. Collectors deal with excessive wear much better than any repairs when considering purchase of a vintage axe.


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Post subject: Re: worn maple boards
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:28 am
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Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:54 am
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Location: Shropshire UK - Centennial CO.
Steve-oh-no wrote:
If I were lucky enough to have a 1953, I'd leave it alone. This wear is expected and unavoidable if the instrument was ever played. Lemon oil will destroy the remaining finish! Anything you do to this instrument other than playing it and periodic setup / maintenance will seriously detract from it's value ;) It won't hurt it to leave it as-is. Collectors deal with excessive wear much better than any repairs when considering purchase of a vintage axe.


+1 to that as well, well said !
Anyways if its just spent the last 58yrs or so as it it then guess its doing just fine how it is but i do appreciate your concern about it, it sounds like a beautiful bass.

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