StevieD_FenderP2009 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Hey guys The fretboard on my custom Tobias Toby Pro IV is starting to look a bit dirty/dry so I'm wondering what is the best stuff to use on it to revitalise it a bit. I've heard lemon oil is a big no no as it will end up drying it out even more but let me know what you think. It's my most cherished bass so I don't want it to get damaged and have to replace the fretboard if it ends up splitting. Cheers Stevie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Dunlop 65 Lemon oil seems to be widely used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heminder Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) i used to use the commercial lemon oil you find in guitar shops, but nowadays i just use a slightly damp cloth and elbow grease. rosewood is an oily wood and doesn't need much done to it. Edited April 7, 2012 by heminder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Yeah, clean it with a damp cloth first, then use lemon oil sparingly once a week or so a few times in a row. The lemon oil will lift out any gunk that's sat in there by closing the grain. After that I'd just use a bit of lemon oil every 6 months or so. Leaves a little sheen so new gunk sits on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Lemon oil can mean various things, some that is basically detergent is what gives the 'makes it worse' idea. Other stuff is actually oil. I'm using the dunlop 65 stuff currently, seems fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 (edited) Aye, I've been using the 65 on rosewood for years. It's good stuff. Lemon Cif, or Lemon Toilet Duck is a bad idea. Edited April 8, 2012 by bigjohn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 some lemon oil is also petroleum fraction - naphtha (lighter fluid) with a scent added, this is a good degreaser but can dry out the wood. I use an oil now that prevents drying out, its a bit wierd but its great stuff for rosewood, its Selmer Bore Oil which will be familiar to woodwind instrument players. Its light mineral oil. You can also use turpentine or linseed, just a touch and rub in well then remove excess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Yeah Linseed is excellent for it, but doesn't smell as nice and doesn't normally come with such a handy applicator. That Dunlop 65 Lemon oil does the job easy peasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieD_FenderP2009 Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Well thanks for all the help guys. Seems like the overall majority vote goes out to the Dunlop 65 so i've just ordered a bottle of it. Hopefully that'll be here this week some time and i'll get on to getting my Tobi looking pretty again Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 (edited) It's good if you like lemons. Also naptha (zippo brand lighter fuel) in preference than normal refined lighter fuel can also be useful for getting stubborn gunk out. Just got to be careful to put the removed oil back into the wood. A light scrape with a nice sharp Stanley blade can also have its place in my book. Edited April 8, 2012 by bigjohn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I did just remember that the applicator of my Dunlop oil shed fibers for ages, was a bit annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieD_FenderP2009 Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Cheers bigjohn, i'll definitely have a go at doing that. The board isn't extremely dirty as I do clean it every month when I restring it or give it a quick wipe over after I play it but there's just that bit of build up either side of the frets that you can't wipe away. Hopefully this will sort it all out anyway. I just want a new pre amp for it after this. The Dave McKeen pre-amp I fitted is crap. Sounds so dull. It was apparently out of a Zon bass too which is a big surprise. I'll be taking it out and replacing it with an Aguilar OBP-3 next. I had a Spector Tone Pump (not JR version) installed for a while but that stopped working so I had to put the McKeen one in The Aggy with a set of Seymour Duncan ASB-BO5 Active Blackout Soapbars will sound amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I use Gerlitz guitar honey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1333864913' post='1607441'] I use Gerlitz guitar honey. [/quote] Same here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Big fan of Fret Doctor myself [url="http://www.willcuttguitars.com/accessories/fret-doctor"]http://www.willcuttguitars.com/accessories/fret-doctor[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I use a brazil nut cut in half and rub it on. Learned this from an old cabinet maker,also for disguising small scratches that aren,t to deep. If you don,t polish it off enough you get a milky look but give it a buff up and it disapears. Alittle goes a long way,it,s a very oily nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosebass Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Meths is wonderful stuff good for cleaning as well, as it will not soak in. Refinish with teak oil and buff up. Cheap and simple, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 (edited) I use stuff called 'Liquid Gold', well known by the antique furniture fraternity. You'll find it on Ebay or in some antique/pine shops. It's mainly almond oil, but there's some Triklone (trichloroethylene) in it too. Use a *little* of the fresh stuff on a cloth if you need to remove gunk, otherwise, I leave some in a saucer for a couple of days and the Triklone evaporates leaving the heavier almond oil which I use maybe once a year. Not to everyone's taste, but some times I also give the fretboard a wipe with Tung oil & then wipe off the surplus. This, when done on a warm & sunny day will give a 'skin' to the board & protect it from dirt bedding into the grain, & the Tung is fairly easily rubbed off to the extent that it won't be there at the same time next year. G. Edited April 8, 2012 by geoffbyrne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I found a pint of this stuff at TKMaxx. Is it any good? http://www.parkerbailey.com/index.cfm?pid=10249 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 [quote name='Dandelion' timestamp='1333925722' post='1608444'] I found a pint of this stuff at TKMaxx. Is it any good? [url="http://www.parkerbailey.com/index.cfm?pid=10249"]http://www.parkerbai...x.cfm?pid=10249[/url] [/quote]Yeah I bought some of that, It won't do any harm as it will be easy to clean out. I use Dr Ducks and the bottle I have looks like it will last 20 years so i don't know when I'll get round to the lemon oil. It's good on furniture though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janmaat Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I went to a pro wind instrument supply shop. They had a whole cabinet full of oils to chose from they use for recorders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Lizard spit fretboard conditioner. Works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightSix Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I may be wrong but I have read that lemon oil can attack certain metal alloys used for frets. I've been using Ernie Ball Wonderwipes - pre-soaked individual cloths with a mixture of orange Oil, Jojoba and Linseed Oil: [url="http://www.ernieball.co.uk/products/productdetail/Wonder+Wipes+Fretboard+Conditioner+6+pack/part_number=4276/574.1.4.3.16140.0.0.0.0?pp=8"]http://www.ernieball.co.uk/products/productdetail/Wonder+Wipes+Fretboard+Conditioner+6+pack/part_number=4276/574.1.4.3.16140.0.0.0.0?pp=8[/url] One single cloth can easily do two necks or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 never heard that about lemon oil, its mostly solvent or mineral oil mix. Maybe someone draw wrong conclusion... lemon = citric acid and acid corrodes metal. I really wouldn't be worried about this, its not like you leave the frets to soak overnight in the stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightSix Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 It may be that there are many different types of 'lemon oil' and some formulations are different to others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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