# best oil for fretboards?



## Steve Adams (Dec 31, 2009)

what is the best oil to keep your fretboard nice? also, what do you use to clean it? a couple of mine have "Crud" on them. 

thanks


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

The best stuff to use is "Bore Oil". However, its not easy to find and is expensive. The consensus on most forums these days is that lemon oil is the next best alternate. It will clean and moisturize your board so it doesn’t dry out causing you fret ends to pop-out.


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## Lab123 (May 27, 2007)

Steve ,I use Lemon oil also....If its a rosewood fingerboard I don't worry about it so much....Its a very oily wood.....Larry


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

I use Fret Doctor, you have to buy it online, but it isn't expensive. It is a bore oil. A small bottle lasts a very long time. 
For regular bore oil, check at any music store that sells woodwind instruments.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I wipe the strings down with olive oil ( extra virgin  ) to keep them from corroding, they last much longer & the bit of oil that gets on there keeps the fretboard from drying out

plus it's nontoxic...unlike bore oil or lemon oil etc, so if you get it on your hands it doesn't matter if you ingest it


plus it smells good!


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## Steve Adams (Dec 31, 2009)

Thanks guys, 

I will pick up some more lemon oil. 

just wondering if that was the best option....


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## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

I was always under the impression that mineral oil was the best for your fretboard. It's basically non-toxic, and it doesn't dry, it penetrates the rosewood and stays oily.

Are bore oil and mineral oil the same thing? Mineral oil is quite inexpensive. Olive oil probably isn't the best thing to use.. being a fairly passive, organic oil, it can become rotten. Lemon oil is acidic, which probably accounts of the reason that it doesn't go bad.



For cleaning strings, I actually use WD-40. I have sweaty hands, so I have a tenancy of rusting strings up.. WD-40 helps prevent that. Probably not great for the fretboard, so I'm careful when applying it. That's just me, though, lemon oil and mineral oil would probably be better alternatives for both.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

Lemon oil has nothing to do with Lemons. It's actually a petroleum distillate. Bore oil is quite inexpensive and is available here:

Be A Fifer! Learn to Play the Fife!

Click on Fret Doctor on the left hand side. Bore oil is far and away the best thing for your fretboard. Clean it first before using the oil.

Olive oil is likely to go rancid over time.


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## House Guitars (Jan 4, 2010)

I use lemon, but I know other builders who use tung oil and linseed oil as well as some of the other oils mentioned above.

Josh


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2010)

+1 for lemon oil


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

this guy restores old woodwind instruments, some interesting notes here:

Oiling the bore of clarinets and other wooden-bodied woodwinds



"Vegetable oils are the closest match, but not all such oils are suitable. Some have certain properties that render them useless for our purposes.
Linseed oil is one such example. It is a ‘drying oil’ - which means that if you were to place a drop on a sheet of glass and leave it for a time it would harden into a resinous blob. Imagine that on the bore of your instrument!
Over the years the layers would build up, closing up the diameter of the bore and blocking the pores of the wood.
I cannot stress this strongly enough - Linseed oil MUST NOT be used. Walnut oil too is a drying oil.

There are two oils in common use for our purposes: Groundnut ( or peanut ) oil and Sweet Almond oil.
I used to recommend Lemon oil, but it seems that standards vary as to the composition of this oil - with some brands containing mineral oils and spirits. In some cases this oil can react with existing oils to form a greasy skin. Because there's no 'standard' for this oil I can't be certain you'll buy the right stuff - so it's off the list!
You can also buy Bore Oil from most music stores - but these can often be mineral based oils, which are nowhere near as good for the wood. Mineral oils will have a warning on the bottle saying ‘do not ingest’! Also, you may not know what additives commercial bore oils contain.
If you are allergic to nut products then seek medical advice before using Groundnut or Sweet Almond oil. Either of these may be purchased from most general food stores. I use Groundnut oil.

There has been some debate as to the risk of such oils going rancid. In theory all vegetable based oils will break down over time - but this assumes a quantity of oil left standing for a considerable amount of time. I have never found this to be a problem once the oil is applied to the bore - but you'd be well advised to ensure you use fresh oil in the first place. Choosing an oil like groundnut makes good sense in that it's a culinary oil...you can use it in the kitchen, thus ensuring a regular turnover of fresh oil. "

doesn't specifically mention olive oil...funny I used to use vegetable oil but prefer the smell & feel of olive, maybe I'll ask him about it


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