Author Topic: Lemon Oil (Read 1667 times)

ajdover · « **on:** December 05, 2003, 05:30:33 PM »

Anyone know where I can get some lemon oil for my fretboard?

Thanks,

Alan

mica · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2003, 05:32:15 PM »

You can get pure lemon oil from most health food stores.

Jan R · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2003, 09:42:35 PM »

So Mica, I may put the lemon oil I normally use in the kictchen on my fretboard(s) ?

bob · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2003, 11:25:35 PM »

Okay, let's get this cleared up...

As we know, Jan-the-river-one, you've been hanging out with Paul TBO, who uses extra virgin olive oil on his fretboard, apparently with great success (do a search on olive). But some of us think that a bit, well... unusual (though no reason at all to think it's bad, it just never occurred to us).

What you've posted here looks to me like lemon-flavored olive oil, if my limited Spanish(?) serves me.

There is also what those of us in the US would find, in the furniture polish section of stores, labeled as lemon oil. Old English is a popular brand, which I believe is mostly a mineral oil product with some lemon thrown in to make it smell a bit nicer. Another brand here is Jasco, again mostly mineral oil, and maybe a bit better quality, but same idea.

Mica has suggested using the pure extract of lemon skin, as you would find in a health foods store. No olives, no minerals (oil from a stone?), just the pure oil you would get by squashing the very outer skin, or zest, of a lemon. In some places, certainly here in California, you can also find pure lime, orange, and a few other varieties.

When Mica talks about these in person, her whole body relaxes, and she wistfully describes the long-chain turpene molecules (something like that, I'm not going to research tonight), and how good they are for replenishing wood, perhaps ebony in particular. And at one point, she mentioned how great it was to throw in a few drops of tangerine oil, though that was mostly for the sensation of smell.

Personally, so far I've used both Old English and Jasco, but am about to switch to pure lemon when my new instrument arrives.

I don't know what all this means, but I do have a sense that the citrus-based extracts may be somehow superior to those from olives or minerals. If anyone out there can shed some light on this, it would be appreciated.

palembic · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2003, 02:36:17 AM »

I can be mistaken but in my humble stupidiity I thought that the oil is to feed the surface of the fretboard. When it's drying out -it's mostly pure wood exposed to the elements- it need oil to be feeded. IMHO the lemon part is added for colour (lemon oil is lighter) or for cleaning at the same time you feed (I was thinking about the lemon = acid aspect ). I know it sounds extremely dumb but indeed I use olive oil sparsely. I can clean a neck with some cloth and light soapy water but aferwards I use a small brush to paint the olive oil over it. let it work for some hours, restart and finally wipe off the excess with dry cloth. I have a neck as a brand new instrument, ask Jan the River one.

Paul the bad one

glocke · « **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2003, 03:50:58 AM »

I use bore oil for horns on the fretboards of my jazz basses. I was told my someone fairly knowledgeable about jazz basses that lemon oil can discolor mother of pearl block inlays on my jazz basses.

ajdover · « **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2003, 08:08:01 AM »

Thanks for the info to all. I'll check out a health food store today!

Alan

Jan R · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2003, 09:08:33 AM »

From my part, also a big thank you Bob.
You explained it very well, I'll have a look for the Old English and Jasco.

Cheers
Jan

dela217 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 06, 2003, 11:47:13 AM »

What happens if you do not oil the fingerboard? I have never oiled the fingerboards on my Alembics. Some of these basses I have had for 20 years. I have heard that they could crack. Can that really happen? I have yet to see it, but I live in an area with VERY high humidity.

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2003, 11:48:49 AM »

Just to add to the choices for your consideration; I'm using Stewart-MacDonald's Fretboard Finishing Oil.

[edited to condense URL]

spliffy · « **Reply #10 on:** December 08, 2003, 11:59:58 AM »

Anyone use or hear about snake oil? I believe it is used for brass instruments, but was told it is effective on wood!!! I dunno?

kmh364 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2003, 07:05:55 AM »

If you'll allow me to throw my two cents in: I have used lemon oil (i.e., Olde English, Formby's, etc. - those with petroleum solvents in addition to lemon oil) for more than 20 years on my guitar's fingerboards (and wood bridges on acoustics)without a problem. It keeps the wood looking great, and it also smells pleasant. Some Manufacturers say use it, others say no way. Mica says use only pure lemon oil (no solvents). My Guitar repair guy (He's a noted Luthier/Repairman with over 30 years experience, including OEM warrantee repairs - name, address and phone available upon request)says no way to lemon oil of any kind. He uses a catalyzing finishing oil (i.e., tung oil)that hardens within a day or so. He claims that lemon oil never truly dries and only serves to keep the wood soggy instead of hardening it, which ruins the tone. Don't believe it? Hit a dried piece of wood against a hard surface and listen to the sound it makes, then hit the same surface with a thoroughly water saturated piece of the same wood and see if you can tell the difference in tone.

811952 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2003, 08:09:57 AM »

Tung oil is what I've always used, with good results.

bob · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2003, 10:36:04 AM »

Dave, can you tell us anything more about what's in Steward-MacDonald's Fretboard Finishing Oil? There aren't any details available on their site, maybe something more on the bottle itself?

Personally I'm a little skeptical about hardening oils, but I'm curious. I've used mostly Old English on my fretless ebony fingerboard for more than 12 years (in fact, on the entire body as well) and if anything, it both looks and sounds better over time - certainly not waterlogged.

mica · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2003, 10:37:01 AM »

Our standard figerboard is unfinished. Pure tung oil always seems a litle tacky to the touch. Polymerized tung oil like kmh's repairman uses finishes the fingerboard and will feel different from a more raw board. Formby's has wax in it, which won' hurt anything exept the next set of strings you put on your instrument.

As Bob stated eariler, we like the lemon oil because it replaces some of the large molecules that evaporate out of the wood as it ages, and leaves the fingerboard unfinished with the nice touch of the natural wood. Cracks in the board start at cells where one of these large heavy turpines has evaporated. The heavy turpines in lemon oil are similar to the ones in ebony, so it's not like soaking it in water, more like ebony juice

and just replacing what was lost.

I've heard horror stories about lemon oils (the solvent types). A friend of mine hurt his Les Paul after vigorous over oiling with a solvent based lemon oil. He oiled it for months nearly everyday to the point of oversaturation. The fingerboard started to separate from the neck! Now, I suppose the oil may not have been to blame, but it does make one wonder.

With the pure lemon oil, you only use a scant amount, it cleans up easy, nourishes the wood, smells nice and makes the ebony a rich wonderful black.

Just like most things, there's no one correct way to care for the fingerboard. There's lots of products out there we have no experience with, and unless something will actually hurt the wood, if it works for you, I wouldn't worry.