Oil For neck Maintenence.

[treader]

Hi,
 
I believe I have read that Lemon oil is the oil of choice for an Alembic neck (in my case a 4 string Elan).
 
However, this stuff used to be cheap before the Aromatherapy crowd started demanding the stuff. I was in Bangkok and someone had about 1 fl. oz. for sale for the equivalent of, $30.00.
 
I have about a 1/2 gallon of pure Teak wood oil. Which I think would be OK. I'm actually into aromatherapy a little. So, I have quite a few odd oils hanging around.
 
Less practical, but available. I also have pure cold-pressed Linseed oil, and extra-virgin coconut oil.
 
Can you give me any, suggestions? Personally, I think the Teak Oil should be really suitable. The main reason I'd use it over the Linseed is that it is much less viscous. The coconut oil is not all that viscous, but has a freezing point of around 70 degrees fahrenheit.
 
Thanks, Treader

[mike1762]

In honor of Paul TBO, I used Olive oil on my Orion the other day.

[poor_nigel]

Do a search on the internet for Pure Lemon Oil and buy the cheapest 5 or 6 ounce bottle for a around $10 you can find - Like Boyajian (It is for cooking - Hey, pure is pure, right?).  The bottle should last years and no go bad and does not need to be refridgerated.  Cheap enough and works very well on ebony.

[sonicus]

I WOULD NOT use the teak oil. I just go to my local health food  store and purchase the correct specified Lemon Oil because my Alembics deserve it and I also like the smell ! A small bottle goes a long way !

[keith_h]

You do not want to use any oil that hardens. Absolutely do not use linseed oil. It will ruin the finger board. While I advocate lemon oil Brother Paul used to use olive oil and claimed good results (not to mention you can use it in salads :-) ).  
 
Keith

[treader]

Hi!
Thanks for all the kind and courteous responses.
 
Sorry, Michael, I didn't understand the significance of your answer at all, but I felt it was important - if you'd care to fill me in.
 
I kinda put the cart before the horse by asking the question first, and then doing the research later. As it turns out, there seem to be more luthier's recommending teak oil than any other oil. So I think that's the way I'll go - but maybe not for every instrument's neck.  
 
As I said, being a dabbler in aromatherapy. I have a lot of oils. I have Ebony, Rosewood, and walnut necks. Teak isn't recommended for walnut. So I have to do some more research there, but I have rosewood oil, which I can use on those necks (but may use Teak) as the rosewood is very expensive. I'll use Teak on the Ebony, snd Seven Season's Lo-Cal on my Ukulele necks.  
 
I would still prefer to use Lemon oil on the Alembic. Poor Nigel and Sonicus must have forgotten I live in Thailand, but it isn't just a matter of either find it at a health-food store, or send away and get something here like you can in America or UK. Shipping it a costs a lot, and mail rip-offs are high. Also the amount they charge for import taxes can be anything they figure they can get away with.
 
Still going to do some research. If anything really interesting comes up, I'll add to the info here.
 
Thanks - Treader

[cozmik_cowboy]

Welcome to the board, Treader.  Mike was referring to Paul the bad one (TBO) Lindemans, a much-beloved forum member who passed away just about a year ago, and who advocated the use of olive oil on fretboards.  You can find out more about him, olive oil, beer bottles, & stockings .
 
Peter

[adriaan]

Oil treatments are prone to leave residu on the surface, so it can go sticky and over time dirt will build up.
 
Essential lemon oil cleans and replenishes the wood. No stickyness, less dirt. Recommended certainly for ebony, probably also for rosewood.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Though, interestingly, C.F. Martin specifically recommends against lemon oil.
 
Peter

[adriaan]

Quote: We do not recommend using lemon oil on our fingerboards. The acids in lemon oil break down the finish of our guitars. It may also aid the corrosion of the frets and lessen the life of the strings.
 
Note that we're recommending essential lemon
oil, which is not the same as regular lemon oil.
 
Perhaps C.F. Martin applies a finish to the fingerboard?
 
As long as you follow the Alembic guidelines - just a drop or two, wipe off any excess - you should be fine.
 
(Message edited by adriaan on January 26, 2010)

[treader]

Hi,
 
Since posting this the other day, I've been keeping up by reading the responses that come in, then researching the answers.
 
One must bear in mind that none of us are experts in every area, and even experts will not subject everything in their field to complete scrutiny. It might just be that they 'like' a thing - like lemon oil. So why investigate something you're happy with. But the Luthier's creation can outlast the luthier. So, the luthier might not see the long term effects of a product on his work.
 
I used lemon oil exclusively on my Ibanez Artist EQ 'Steve Miller' model I bought new in 1977. While the fretboard and inlays seemed t do well, the bindings deteriorated (and even this I can't say that was the lemon oil's fault. However, Lemon oil is a lot more corrosive than other oils available also, it works quite well as a solvent, and there's no telling what effect it's going to have on various glues it's in contact with over a period of time. However I've no run into any links that that blamed it on their fretboard delaminating, or anything else like that.
 
The oils most preferred (in my unscientific search of the internet) are tung oil which is Linseed oil which is Linen oil, teac oil, Teak oil, and Crisco (which will ruin both your guitar neck and your human body.
 
Some boil the Linseed oil before application. People don't like it because it never really dries. People like it because it never really dries. Depends what you like.
 
Then there is the, What is proper for Ebony/Rosewood fretboards, isn't proper for Walnut fretboards. problem. Another problem is that some of those are varnished.
 
Then there are those of the persuasion that you don't need to oil your fretboard. The wood has oil in it already, so all you need to do is clean it.
 
Or it seems the guitar world is crying out for a custom made case with a built in sprinkler system to dose your guitar everytime you close it up.
 
Personally, I think I'm going to stay with a small amount of Teak oil applied 2X a year and wipe off the residue the next day. I'll fugure out what to do with my Walnut fretboards, but I think the idea here, and with necks in general is moderation is the key.  
 
Also, Linseed oil might be good for your guitar, but it's absolutely wonderful for your body. Has lots of Omega-3's in it. Buy it in the cold-pressed version, throw spices in it, and you've got a great salad dressing, that can double as a fretboard dressing - in a pinch.
 
Thanks! Treader

[sonicus]

If your concerns are regarding an ALEMBIC instrument and not ANY  OTHER manufacturer this link will guide you  to the CORRECT procedure for the care of your ALEMBIC instrument. PLEASE READ.
http://alembic.com/support/care.html

[lbpesq]

Personally, I stay as far away from linseed oil as I can as I am highly allergic to it.  The last time I was (unknowingly) exposed to it was when I restrung a 12 string acoustic that I had bought used.  Someone had apparently used linseed oil on the fretboard and I went into anaphylactic shock.  It's pure lemon oil for me.  I trust Alembic knows what they are doing.  By the way, previous to this thread I had never heard of teak oil before.  Certainly none of the luthiers I've encountered over the years has ever recommended it.  And, whatever type of oil, I wouldn't leave it soaking overnight.
 
Bill, tgo

[hydrargyrum]

I know this discussion has occurred on the forum in the past.  In fact, the name Lemon Oil is a bit misleading, as it contains a whole host of cyclic terpenes, rather than long chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, although it is true that they are both hydrophobic and miscible with one another.  One of the primary constituents of lemon oil is a compound called Limonene.  This chemical is commonly found in degreasers as an alternative to more strong solvents, but make no mistake, it does work to remove oils, and would tend to dissolve certain glues.  I commonly encounter it in my work as a substitute for xylene in histology labs, where it serves essentially to dissolve human fat.  Having said that, I doubt it would be particularly effective in removing the oil from a fretboard unless you were bathing the wood in gobs of it, but it might do things such as damage bindings (possibly, maybe, but no guarantee).  If Alembic recommends it for their instruments, then I'm sure they'll stand by it.  Personally, I would tend to think any light transparent oil that didn't tend to be too waxy would be fine to use as a conditioner, and that lemon oil would work better as a fretboard cleaner.  This is just my humble opinion, but I think the chemistry of these compounds validates it.
 
Limonene is increasingly being used as a solvent for cleaning purposes, such as the removal of oil from machine parts, as it is produced from a renewable source (citrus oil, as a byproduct of orange juice manufacture). It also serves as a paint stripper when applied to painted wood.

[mica]

There's also an FAQ on the oiling subject from a few years ago. It is the turpenes in the lemon oil we like so much. It's also relatively easy to find just about anywhere. Plus, it smells nice  
 
I know someone that delaminated the fingerboard on a Gibson guitar with MASSIVE amounts of lemon oil. I mean MASSIVE amounts. It's the only time I've ever heard of this happening.  
 
Yeah, on plastic binding, I can imagine an interaction with lemon oil. There's probably fewer than 10 Alembics with binding, so it won't really apply to our instruments.