Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: henry_crun on April 24, 2007, 04:27:06 PM

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: henry_crun on April 24, 2007, 04:27:06 PM

I've just oiled the ebony fretboard on my Elan using Lemon oil as recommended.  An idle question: why lemon oil?  What is it about lemon oil that makes it special?  Are there alternatives?
 
With greetings from NZ
Grant

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: bsee on April 24, 2007, 04:43:31 PM

If you do a search you'll find an answer.  It was something about lemon oil containing exactly some of the naturally occurring compounds in ebony that are lost when the wood dries out.  I think we discussed some alternative oils, but I don't remember anything else being declared worth using.

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: jbybj on April 24, 2007, 07:23:07 PM

And there is the added bonus of a nice fragrance for a few days!

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: terryc on April 25, 2007, 06:16:59 AM

No alternatives..lemon oil is the choice for all guitar fretboards which are darkwood.
Put plenty on and let it soak in..you will be surprised how much does considering your bass goes into smoky venues and lives at home in air conditioned and heated homes.
I knew one person who used aerosol furniture polish until I put him right!!! I guess if no one instructs you how to care for your guitar then the natural assumption is that it is wood just like furniture and needs the same cleaners.
NOT!!!!!!

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: David Houck on April 28, 2007, 10:48:18 AM

In addition to the above responses, there is a post (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=210) in the FAQ section on this subject that you might find helpful.

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: henry_crun on April 28, 2007, 05:29:48 PM

Hi, thanks to all who replied - most interesting.  The threads in the FAQ are worth the read.
 
I bought a 150 mL (5 fl oz) bottle of lemon oil from a speciality foods shop.  It's made from crushed lemon peel and packed in Canton MA, see www.boyajianinc.com (http://www.boyajianinc.com)
 
Regards
 
Grant

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: lbpesq on April 29, 2007, 09:08:56 AM

That's the one I use.  I ordered it direct from the company and they also sent me a small sample bottle of wasabi oil, free of charge.
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: Bradley Young on April 29, 2007, 10:11:34 AM

How did the wasabi oil work for your fingerboard?
 
Bradley

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: crgaston on April 29, 2007, 10:23:35 AM

I bet it'd be great for hot licks!

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: lbpesq on April 29, 2007, 10:27:44 AM

The wasabi oil is perfect for raw wood! hehehehe
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: paulman on May 03, 2007, 08:46:53 AM

Thanks for that link, Lemon oil is on the way for my baby.  
 
Bill, you don't need Wasabi for your hot licks, just a kick-ass Further guitar...the one I've been following construction on for what seems like years.  I cannot wait to SEE it when it's done.  It's inspiring!

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: lbpesq on May 03, 2007, 09:22:36 AM

Thanks Roger.  It looks like the wait is almost over.  The last inlay took quite a bit of time to figure out how to do, but the result looks well worth the wait.  
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: wuuw on May 03, 2007, 12:32:39 PM

Just found out The Body Shop has pure Lemon essential oil
 
 
Wu

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: juggernaught on May 15, 2007, 10:14:56 PM

On the same topic: I live in New Mexico and it's pretty dry here.  The thought of my ebony fingerboard drying up is a terrible one.  Anyone here that lives in a similar climate: how often do you soak your fingerboard in lemon oil?  Can you over-lemon it?

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: terryc on May 16, 2007, 07:33:30 AM

Don't think you can over oil it, the down side that if it was over oiled it would 'sweat' out of the wood and into the strings/fingers, maybe making the strings go 'dead' prematurely or make your fingers slippy,.
I guess if you live in a  hot dry climate 4 or more times a year is suficient, heated/air conditoned houses will have the same effect.
Then there is humidity, whilst I was on holiday in florida from the UK, I talked to a bass player who used a modulus if he played outdoor gigs as the humidity played havoc with his jazz bass neck.
There is a thread about it all somewhere here

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: lbpesq on May 16, 2007, 07:52:11 AM

Every 3 months seems like a lot to me, but what do I know?  Perhaps Mica may notice this thread and chime in.
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: jacko on May 16, 2007, 08:14:34 AM

Twice a year when I change my strings seems enough to me.
 
graeme

Title: Lemon oil
Post by: terryc on May 17, 2007, 03:23:10 AM

Depends on how many gigs you do a year(especially in smoky bars/warm rooms etc)
Oiling wood will not harm it, in fact it will be more beneficial, As a son in law of a retired french polisher through what he has told me, untreated woods require much more attention than finished woods. Sealed wood(varnish, polyurethane etc) protects it from the atmosphere but even these finishes need polish to make them shine.
even really hard woods like ebony will eventually shrink if not looked after and use the correct preparatons(see my reply about some bass player who used aerosol furniture polish on his rosewood board...ouch!
If someone has already done this(god forbid) then it would need cleaning with a mild solution of vinegar and water, don't soak the board but wipe it with a cloth barley damp with the solution, the mild acetic acid will remove the silicons in spray polish(1 teaspoon vinegar to half pint of water)
Apply liberal amounts of lemon oil afterwards!!!