Lemon Oil

[Pete si]

My bass will be 25 on December 11. I have noticed a black residue when I rub the fingerboard. I’m assuming this is grime that has accumulated over the years. I read somewhere that treating the ebony with lemon oil would be beneficial. Anybody have experience or thoughts about treating the fingerboard with lemon oil?

[lbpesq]

Yes, Yes, Yes!  If you search you will find numerous posts on the subject.  Lemon oil is the official recommendation of Alembic.   Be careful to only use 100% pure food quality lemon oil.   Not Lemon Pledge, lemon scented, or any “lemon oil” that doesn’t say 100% pure on the ingredients list!   I use Boyajian.   A little goes a LONG way.  Just a small bottle of this stuff lasts me years (keep it refrigerated).

Bill, tgo

[cozmik_cowboy]

But only on unbound (or wood-bound) fretboards!  C.F. Martin explicitly says not to use it; I'm told that's because it will eat the plastic binding.

Peter

[BeenDown139]

my 1995 unlined fretless ebony fingerboard gets lemon-oil'd every 4 months or so.  the climate in Denver is pretty dry and so it soaks it up.  It gives me a excuse to take the strings off (maybe even put new ones on) and admire the workmanship that went into building this bass.

imho not many things finer than a freshly oiled unlined fretless ebony alembic fingerboard.  the picture hardly does it justice...

[Pete si]

Beautiful!

[hammer]

When I use lemon oil I always let in soak in for a few minutes and then do a thorough wiping. The old strings go back on for at least a few days until any residual oil is gone. Then its one more wipe down and if new strings are warranted the replacement set. I do it twice a year in the fall (just before the heat comes on) and in the spring (after a winter of low humidity conditions here in Minnesota).


I've never heard of keeping in in the refrigerator (the lemon oil not the Alembic) and am wondering what others (i.e., Bill) feel is the need for that approach.

[lbpesq]

100% pure Lemon Oil will oxidize.   I’m on the East coast and my bottle is in the fridge at home, but I’m pretty sure it says refrigerate after opening.  And a search of the internets reveals that lemon oil will last twice as long in the fridge.

Bill, tgo

[kilowatt]

Bill is correct. The bottle does say to refrigerate after opening.

Regards,
Pete

[edwin]

100% pure Lemon Oil will oxidize.   I’m on the East coast and my bottle is in the fridge at home, but I’m pretty sure it says refrigerate after opening.  And a search of the internets reveals that lemon oil will last twice as long in the fridge.

Bill, tgo

I'm going to check on that. My lemon oil is from my wife's perfumery supplies and has been around for a while, probably 5 years old. Smells fine. Truth is, I don't use it all that often. Maybe I should? Although my Modulus basses don't need it and my Starfire is 53 years old and seems very stable.

[hieronymous]

I never heard the advice to refrigerate until this post. I have a bottle that's a few years old and has been through a couple of heat waves - used it the other day, and in hindsight realized that it may have lost its potency in the scent department, does that mean it's less effective?

[hammer]

I wouldn't think loss of scent would impact the effectiveness of the oil. On the other hand have you been checked for covid lately. They say the sense of smell goes first 

[hieronymous]

I wouldn't think loss of scent would impact the effectiveness of the oil. On the other hand have you been checked for covid lately. They say the sense of smell goes first 

Good point! My smeller is working fine though - whew! I think it's time for a new bottle though.

[keith_h]

Plant based oils will go rancid after a period of time. How long will vary by the type of oil, temperature it has been exposed to, etc. Refrigerating should extend the time before the oil would go rancid since heat is the biggest enemy. I don't refrigerate mine being in an air conditioned house but do buy a new bottle for on the first of two oilings I do each year. 

[edwin]

So, I checked with the essential oil guru and she said that true lemon oil can indeed oxidize (she had some technical term for it, which I have forgotten), but in general won't affect the use for fingerboards. I have a bottle that has to be at least 5 years old, unrefrigerated, and it seems fine. But, the prudent thing to do would be to put it in the fridge.

[lbpesq]

My last fridge bottle lasted 5+ years before I ran out.  The current one has been in there for at least a couple of years now.   The only down side I ever experienced with lemon oil is Senior Management complaining about the smell when I do a neck on the couch, next to her.

Bill, tgo