[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1351069966' post='1846814']
The thought that always springs to mind with threads like this is how people looked after (or more to the point, [b]didn't[/b] look after) their fret boards in times gone by. To my knowledge, this idea of cleaning and oiling is comparatively recent. It has all the hall marks of being a marketing ploy. There are so many manufacturers out there saying that theirs is the best and only way to clean and oil your fretboard. Yet I regularly see basses from the 60's for sale which are in immaculate condition. I'm sure their original owners did not clean or oil the FB.
Don't get me wrong, I like to look after my instrument as much as the next person. I just think we are inclined to go OTT with this.
Also, it is often the case that the people who feel the need to oil and clean regularly, are the ones who
don't have the presence of mind to wash their hands before picking up the bass.
[/quote]
Reminds me of that famous James Jamerson quote (a guy who NEVER cleaned his fretboard) - 'the funk is in the gunk'