Fretboard clean / condition ?

[Joe N]

What product do you guys find best to clean and condition the Rosewood fingerboard on a 2019 SG Std. 61 ?

Guitar is in need of new strings and I would like to clean and condition the fretboard at this time -

Thanks

Joe

 

[Chuteboxehero]

Music Nomad F-One has worked well for me especially on dry rosewood.

 

[papagayo]

1- Damp sponge
2- D' Addario paper for shine the frets
2- Lemon Oil

 

[Chubbles]

Agreed. This works good with rosewood:

 

[donepearce]

I never use water on a fretboard - it will get into the fibres and swell them. I have a small plastic scraper that I use to remove the gunge that has collected alongside the frets. After that, 00000 steel wool restores the shine to the frets and cleans the fretboard. For oiling the fretboard I don't use lemon oil. The lemon bit is just a smell - it isn't lemon oil. It is just the same as paint thinner - it evaporates. I've raided the cosmetics shelf and I use argand oil which is normally a hair treatment. You can use this very sparingly and it will put a deep shine on the fretboard that doesn't vanish in a hurry.

 

[papagayo]

1- Damp sponge
2- D' Addario paper for shine the frets
2- Lemon Oil

I use this, the result is awesome :

 

[Joe N]

Thanks guys for taking the time to reply, lots of opinions, probably can't go wrong with any of the suggestions

I think I will try the Music Nomad F One product - I'll let you know how it works for me -

Joe

 

[LordOrange]

I've had some particularly stubborn gunge on my rosewood fretboard for some time now, these suggestions should help me too.

 

[Bbr6704]

I use Ballistol on my rosewood and ebony fretboards. It's a natural oil, perfect for many things, as to clean and take care of wood, leather, plastics, and many more things.
My luthier advised me on this product, it's fantastic, multi purpose for home, cars, tools, pets, an guitar fretboards.
https://ballistol.de/shop/en/products/people/ballistol-multi-purpose-oil/

 

[McAmpson]

Naptha to clean up all the DNA, I've used IPA (isopropyl alcohol) as well. After a chemical cleaning is when you truly do need to add oil. All of your fretboard oils are going to be basic mineral oil plus whatever "spice" the maker thinks will differentiate their product, if they even bother. I spent an hour reading some fretboard threads yesterday, and finally looked at the MSDS for the expensive fretboard conditioner I had purchased a few years ago only to find it is 100% "white oil 70" == mineral oil. Lemon oil is mineral oil with some limonene added; it is not a volatile substance like paint thinner or kerosene. If mineral oil alone will get you 99% of the way there, why spend more, ya know? I tried coconut oil once, it looked great but didnt seem to last.

 

[Bubbalou88]

NAPTHA is excellent for cleaning the fretboard. Never use Water or Petroleum Distillates or vegetable oils on a fretboard, especially Rosewood or Ebony. Music Nomad F One product is good but I had a person in a forum recommend Howard's Feed N Wax. Very easy to use wipe it on, let it sit about 30 seconds to soak in and wipe the excess off. What a good job it does! I am forever sold on this product. It can be found at Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and I believe Amazon as well as others. Cost is $8-10 for 16 fl. Oz bottle and will last you many years or do many guitars. Highly recommended. It feeds and protects wood and is formulated solely for wood.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Howard-Fee...VRNbACh2-EAxdEAQYASABEgJtwPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Les537]

I've used drug store mineral oil on my Gibsons and other guitars for 30 years. Doesn't smell, doesn't junk up, keeps the wood in perfect condition, doesn't charge you for a brand logo and a scent.

 

[Jason]

Be careful with alcohol it will mess up the nitro paint finish

 

[kongssund]

Gorgomyte once in a while, every 2 months ish. When the dry winter set in, i use a little bit of f-one oil from musicnomad.

 

[El Marin]

When needed, when I change all the strings once each two years (it depends on everybody) or so, I clean DNA with soapy water and and old toothbrush... let it DRY and then we use Pure Olive oil Virgin Extra to condition the fretboard.

Real Pure Olive Oill Virgin Extra never goes bad or rancid. I know guitars from some old flamenco players has been treated like that for more than a hundred years and they are still in working and shiny condition

 

[GrumpyOldDBA]

Music Nomad F-One has worked well for me especially on dry rosewood.

Bingo winner winner chicken dinner!!

Yeah i would not use anything else it doesnt take much though!

 

[Chris Kline]

I use Gorgomyte or mineral oil, plain or lemon flavored. Either will clean and condition but the Gorgomyte is a bit more effective cleaning and the mineral oil is a better conditioner. Do not use any plant-based oil, all of them no matter how pure can go rancid. Also no water and I would avoid isopropyl too. If I had to use something stronger then Gorgomyte or mineral oil I'd use Naphtha but with your guitar being newish that shouldn't be an issue. I clean and condition every time I change strings and that seems to work well.