# Oil for an Ebony Fretboard



## Cyborg_Ogre (Jun 22, 2018)

I've been reading tons of threads on guitar forums and still can't decide, what oil to use to condition and moisturize my fretboard. Because according to these forums

- Lemon Oil dries fast and doesn't do much
- Linseed Oil can't penetrate ebony fingerboard, so it's good only as a finish
- Olive Oil is ok for moisturizing, but it will eventually rot

So what's left? A mix of theese useless (according to guitar forums) oils? I don't have Fret Doctor in my country. Most of what guitar stores sell here is Dunlop and Planet Waves lemon oils. Lineseed and Olive oils can be bought in not guitar oriented stores.

So I need an advice on what to choose. Maybe there is better type of oil I'm missing.

Thanks in advance.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 22, 2018)

Plain old mineral oil. 

I've been using it for decades. It's cheap, easy to find and will work on all woods.


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## bostjan (Jun 22, 2018)

Cyborg_Ogre said:


> I've been reading tons of threads on guitar forums and still can't decide, what oil to use to condition and moisturize my fretboard. Because according to these forums
> 
> - Lemon Oil dries fast and doesn't do much
> - Linseed Oil can't penetrate ebony fingerboard, so it's good only as a finish
> ...


Lemon oil dries fast? That's a new one.

For the record, lemon oil is just mineral oil with lemon scent added to it. But also, mineral oil can be hundreds of thousands of different chemical compounds and mixtures thereof. I work in a testing lab that tests mineral oil on a daily basis. Depending on where it comes from, it can have a vast range of vapour pressures (volatility), but none of it dries at any rate that I would call "fast."

I would definitely stay away from olive oil. I'm certain that it could be treated to not rot, but the kind you buy at the grocery store would be a terrible idea. The idea isn't to moisturize the wood so much as to protect it. Grocery-grade olive oil would do the opposite.

I've always used either double boiled linseed oil (raw linseed oil will cause potential damage to your fretbaord, but what's worse is that it's toxic!) or low molecular weight mineral oil.


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## Cyborg_Ogre (Jun 22, 2018)

I see, mineral oil then. Thanks *MaxOfMetal* and *bostjan*


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## LiveOVErdrive (Jun 22, 2018)

Yeah on my rosewood boards in the past I've just used mineral oil from the pharmacy. Wipe it on thick. Let it sit a few minutes. Wipe it off and buff with a clean cloth.


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## LordCashew (Jun 22, 2018)

I use butcher block oil from a woodworking store. It's a clear, odorless, foodsafe mineral oil specifically for unfinished wood. Bought a pint bottle for something like $7 over a decade ago, and after maintaining a couple dozen fingerboards throughout that time, I still have more than half of it left.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Jun 22, 2018)

I've been using the Planet Waves lemon oil on several guitars and haven't noticed any adverse effects  haven't tried it on a maple board yet, but it works fine for my ebony and rosewood boards.


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## tedtan (Jun 22, 2018)

I use bore oil, which is a thick mineral oil formulation designed for use in the bores of wind instruments (clarinet, oboe, etc.). But any mineral oil should be fine.


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## LiveOVErdrive (Jun 22, 2018)

LordIronSpatula said:


> I use butcher block oil from a woodworking store. It's a clear, odorless, foodsafe mineral oil specifically for unfinished wood. Bought a pint bottle for something like $7 over a decade ago, and after maintaining a couple dozen fingerboards throughout that time, I still have more than half of it left.


I have some of that too. It's some kind of mix of mineral oil and beeswax and maybe carnauba wax.


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## A-Branger (Jun 23, 2018)

for my rosewood I always used the "dunlop 02 fingerboard deep conditioner"

as now I got my first ebony guitar. Do Im safe to use that?


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jun 23, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Plain old mineral oil.
> 
> I've been using it for decades. It's cheap, easy to find and will work on all woods.





bostjan said:


> Lemon oil dries fast? That's a new one.
> 
> For the record, lemon oil is just mineral oil with lemon scent added to it. But also, mineral oil can be hundreds of thousands of different chemical compounds and mixtures thereof. I work in a testing lab that tests mineral oil on a daily basis. Depending on where it comes from, it can have a vast range of vapour pressures (volatility), but none of it dries at any rate that I would call "fast."
> 
> ...


What specifically should I buy for rosewood fretboards with binding? The H1001 also had the inlay binding (pearloid or whatever it is). This thread is pertinent to my current search and didn't want to start another thread of similar topic. I was thinking of just getting the Dunlop 65 stuff. Thanks.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 23, 2018)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What specifically should I buy for rosewood fretboards with binding? The H1001 also had the inlay binding (pearloid or whatever it is). This thread is pertinent to my current search and didn't want to start another thread of similar topic. I was thinking of just getting the Dunlop 65 stuff. Thanks.



Just plain mineral oil. 

The Dunlop stuff is perfectly fine too, just a lot more expensive than a bottle of mineral oil from the grocery store, hardware store, Walmart etc.


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## ElRay (Jun 23, 2018)

LordIronSpatula said:


> I use butcher block oil ...


If you’re going to go this route, I recommend putting the bottle in a glass of hot water, rubbing the oil I while warm, and then the next day, wipe off the excess that didn’t completely soak in.


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## Lukhas (Jun 23, 2018)

I just use Dunlop's Lemon Oil. I never had more than two guitars, bought it a good 8-10 years ago and I can't see the end of that bottle. If it wasn't for the dirty, worn out applicator or the outdated Dunlop logo, you'd think I opened it yesterday!


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jun 23, 2018)

Lukhas said:


> I just use Dunlop's Lemon Oil. I never had more than two guitars, bought it a good 8-10 years ago and I can't see the end of that bottle. If it wasn't for the dirty, worn out applicator or the outdated Dunlop logo, you'd think I opened it yesterday!


I just went with this. Got some new strings and some 0000 steel wool as well.


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## AkiraSpectrum (Jun 24, 2018)

I tend to use either Dunlop 65 Lemon Oil or Ernie Ball Fretboard Wonder Wipes on my Ebony fretboard on my Gibson Les Paul.


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## Humbuck (Jun 24, 2018)

Bore oil. Perfect for ebony.


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## LordCashew (Jun 25, 2018)

ElRay said:


> If you’re going to go this route, I recommend putting the bottle in a glass of hot water, rubbing the oil I while warm, and then the next day, wipe off the excess that didn’t completely soak in.



I've found that letting the oil soak for a few hours to overnight, then wiping/polishing whatever is left gives the best results.

The idea of heating the oil, however, is new. What is the rationale behind that?

If it makes any difference, the block oil I'm using is _only _oil, not an oil/wax mixture like another poster mentioned. The original plastic bottle wore out long before it was half empty and the contents are now in a mason jar, but it said something like Butcher Block Oil - 100% pure mineral oil on the original label.


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## bostjan (Jun 25, 2018)

Hot oil has a lower viscosity and surface tension that cool/room temp. oil, so it soaks into the wood deeper and more quickly, and also drives out moisture (which is replaced spatially by the oil). There's always a risk along with the benefit, though, and, in this case, if the wood expands too quickly, either from heating or from the rapid impregnation of oil, it can crack in the process.


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## ElRay (Jun 25, 2018)

bostjan said:


> Hot oil has a lower viscosity and surface tension that cool/room temp. oil, so it soaks into the wood deeper and more quickly, and also drives out moisture (which is replaced spatially by the oil). There's always a risk along with the benefit, though, and, in this case, if the wood expands too quickly, either from heating or from the rapid impregnation of oil, it can crack in the process.


 Plus the versions with a hard drying wax (carnauba, etc.) seem to be more common than the ones that are oils only.


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## wakjob (Jun 25, 2018)

Yep...mineral oil.

I bought a large bottle of "butcher block oil" YEARS ago,
it's just mineral oil...only ingredient on the back label.

Been working wonderfully so far.


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## V_man (Jun 28, 2018)

I used this and it worked like a charm. Is not that expensive. Comes with some extra things like a cloth and other stuff. I used it on a dean vmnt korea, a esp horizon hrf, a jackson rr1t and a sl2h.


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## Headache (Jul 8, 2018)

I use that Kyser Dr Stringfellow lem-oil and I think it's amazing. Works on my ebony boards just the same as the maple and rosewood boards.

Plus it smells good!


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## BigViolin (Jul 18, 2018)

Surprised no one mentioned Fret Doctor. It's a bore oil developed just for this purpose. It's not cheap but a small bottle goes a long way and it does not take much. Someone gave me the advice years ago to just buy the good stuff and be done with it and I'm glad I did.


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## JimF (Jul 18, 2018)

Cyborg_Ogre said:


> I don't have Fret Doctor in my country.


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## BigViolin (Jul 18, 2018)

Oops, missed that, thanks for the catch. The op could order it, Amazon has it, but probably would be quite expensive with shipping. Then again I've had the same bottle for a long time maintaining many guitars as it take so little and works really well.


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## JimF (Jul 18, 2018)

I was being a bit snarky, apologies for swooping in and correcting you. Your advice is sound though. To not skimp on things that have such large impact on the feel and subsequent enjoyment of your instrument.


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## Avedas (Jul 18, 2018)

I took some Dunlop 65 to my ebony board about half a year after buying it new. Took all the shit off and looks real nice now. The stupid container with the fabric top absolutely does not absorb any oil though. I had to squeeze the bottle super hard to get it to soak through.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 18, 2018)

Avedas said:


> I took some Dunlop 65 to my ebony board about half a year after buying it new. Took all the shit off and looks real nice now. The stupid container with the fabric top absolutely does not absorb any oil though. I had to squeeze the bottle super hard to get it to soak through.



The top used to be made of a thinner material, almost like a cotton ball. It was the opposite problem, it would come out like crazy, and I suspect folks complained so they put in that super thick wadding that’s in there now.

You’re right to remove the top, there’s really no reason to use an applicator like that.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jul 19, 2018)

You're supposed to kind of tap the applicator against the fretboard until it starts to soak the applicator, and then apply the oil to the wood. After I did that, I took an old shirt to get it all over the wood, and after that, rubbed it in about a minute later going with the grain of the wood. This worked it into the grain of the wood, as well as wiped up excess oil. I cleaned my fretboard prior to oiling it up, but anything that was left behind was cleaned off from oiling it.

The fretboard plays so much nicer now that the frets are degunked and the freboard has been oiled up properly.


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## Avedas (Jul 19, 2018)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> You're supposed to kind of tap the applicator against the fretboard until it starts to soak the applicator, and then apply the oil to the wood. After I did that, I took an old shirt to get it all over the wood, and after that, rubbed it in about a minute later going with the grain of the wood. This worked it into the grain of the wood, as well as wiped up excess oil. I cleaned my fretboard prior to oiling it up, but anything that was left behind was cleaned off from oiling it.
> 
> The fretboard plays so much nicer now that the frets are degunked and the freboard has been oiled up properly.


Maybe I just got a bad one, dunno. I basically had to repeatedly smash the applicator into my other hand which was holding a rag while squeezing the bottle at full strength to have anything at all come out. I even left it standing upside down for like half an hour before that. Totally unusable piece of shit but the oil itself works nicely.


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## Kovah (Jul 20, 2018)

I've been using MusicNomad F-ONE for a few years. No issues


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## Tinker (Nov 15, 2021)

I have found that when lubrication is needed a wee bit of vasaline goes a long way.


ElRay said:


> Plus the versions with a hard drying wax (carnauba, etc.) seem to be more common than the ones that are oils only.


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## Tinker (Nov 15, 2021)

Vasaline.


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## /wrists (Nov 15, 2021)

i used old english 


Tinker said:


> Vasaline.


trolling?


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## USMarine75 (Nov 15, 2021)




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## MaxOfMetal (Nov 15, 2021)

USMarine75 said:


> View attachment 100139



You just go and finish them? 

I know ESP did that for the longest time.


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## Werecow (Nov 16, 2021)

evade said:


> trolling?


They have a 100% usage record of the word "vasaline" in their posting history. Just thought that should be pointed out


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## xzyryabx (Nov 16, 2021)

I would suggest going natural with sebum oil. Cheap, environmentally safe, and readily available since supply is not affected by the resourcing issues the world is currently facing.


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## USMarine75 (Nov 16, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> You just go and finish them?
> 
> I know ESP did that for the longest time.



I’ve only only used the wax on the neck after the oil. Fretboard itself just oil.


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## X1X (Dec 4, 2021)

This is the best oil I've tried. Lapella 33.


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## Giest (Dec 6, 2021)

Just a PSA in case this hasn't been mentioned yet in this conversation, as in cursory fashion it typically is- and again in cursory fashion I would have missed such, but don't lather your fretboards down like a Scandinavian swimsuit model. Use absolutely as little as possible for full coverage. You'll goof it up.


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## noise in my mind (Dec 25, 2021)

I use Dr. Duck's Ax Wax. You can use it on frets and hardware too. It last forever, I am on the same bottle I bought 10 years ago. A few drops of it goes a long way. Works great as a string lube also.


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