Vaseline Fretboard

Paul Cote

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OK so I was concerned about making sure the fretboard was properly preserved and was getting to thinking... read posts about bore oil and lemon oil. Neither seemed that approved by manufacturers. I read about Nose Oil .... I know that works for fishing... so then as I was greasing my hair one morning with this 'ethnic' hair grease I have, I got to thinking... hmmmm vaseline is the right thing to grease a fretboard with maybe.... and I googled it ... and lo and behold, some guitar manufacturers recommend after cleaning fretboards to use a little vasoline on them!!!!! I was like... 'oh I reckoned that'... am curious about thots on this topic?
 
yep there's definitely a joke in that, but I'm not going there. Mind you, when the family gets tired of my practising, sometimes I get told what to do with my uke. mebbe I should be using some of that 'ethnic hair grease' on the neck just in case.
 
I've got an old banjolele with an ebony fretboard that is pretty dried out. I'm in the process of putting a new head on it, so the strings are off. I wonder if some Vaseline on it would work OK?
 
Oh yeah there's jokes.. I had at least a half dozzen of them just by the thread title.. But I'm not going there either.. But I'm sure somebody will give ya a hand with it..

Ive just used nothing but lemon oil on all my banjos, guitars and uke for over 30 years... It's simple, and it works..
 
Oh yeah there's jokes.. I had at least a half dozzen of them just by the thread title.. But I'm not going there either.. But I'm sure somebody will give ya a hand with it..

Ive just used nothing but lemon oil on all my banjos, guitars and uke for over 30 years... It's simple, and it works..

a-hem... Really?

:)
 
Tudorp, what exactly is Lemon oil? I'm not doubting it's excellence but I am curious what it is made of?
 
I use Gibson Luthier Choice Fretbaord conditioner, it is just lemon oil, and it is what is sounds like. Oil from lemon rinds. I like the gibsons due to it being in an eye dropper bottle
 
I got to be honest and admit that I really don't know. I just been using it since I was a teenager playing guitar. Thats what the guitar shop I used to hang out at used, so being a kid, monkey see monkey do. Lot of old schoolers use it and swear by it (at least they did back then, but now those old schoolers are either dead, or near it), and I am one of the old schoolers.

But, I really don't think it is oil from an actual lemon tho (so I've heard). It may not even have anything to do with lemon other than it's in the name of what it is called. But, I do think it is a synthetic, maybe vegitable based, and not petrolium though. Anyone that actually knows correct me if I am wrong..
 
It's oil from the lemon tree, I believe (not absolutely certain, though). I too have used nothing but lemon oil on rosewood and ebony fretboards for fifteen years. You have two choices, you can buy the expensive lemon oil sold for ~$10 an ounce as fretboard dressing in guitar stores, or you can go with a an 8oz bottle of "Formby's Lemon Oil Treatment" from your local *Mart for about $5.

I have a bottle of Formby's that I've been using for ten years or more and even with as many instruments as I have I still have about a sixth of the bottle left.

For lighter wood (I'm not sure what's on my KoAloha but it's very light, lighter even than the Koa of the body) I was a bit worried about the oil maybe darkening it so I just used Renaissance Wax on it. That's an expensive paste wax highly recommended by top-notch woodworkers and such.

John
 
ok, I just looked it up and it is in fact oil extracted from lemon peel. But I like it because it not only treats and protects the wood, it also has awesome cleaning properties.
 
Oh, BTW, I would be cautious about vaseline on fretboards - other treatments, like lemon oil, actually clean and penetrate (you can apply lemon oil fairly thickly and watch it soak into dry wood). I supsect that vaseline is (A) going to remain greasy, (B) not really going to clean anything, and (C) not penetrate the wood very well for lasting protection.

Just my $.02.

John
 
Oh, BTW, I would be cautious about vaseline on fretboards - other treatments, like lemon oil, actually clean and penetrate (you can apply lemon oil fairly thickly and watch it soak into dry wood). I supsect that vaseline is (A) going to remain greasy, (B) not really going to clean anything, and (C) not penetrate the wood very well for lasting protection.

Just my $.02.

John

I would think the same thing. I wouldn't use it just because I wouldn't want the freatboard all greasy feeling. I think it would hang onto dust and other crap too and just feel grungy over time.

Lemon oil like you said, soaks in. When you wipe off all the excess, and rub it down, it doesn't feel oily, only smooth and clean.
 
Wow, TudorP, we must be practically reading each others minds! :)

John

Maybe it's because the both of us have worn out our physical selves, and have a more enlightend spiritual self because we're closer to the grave, lol..
 
Maybe it's because the both of us have worn out our physical selves, and have a more enlightend spiritual self because we're closer to the grave, lol..

BWAAA-HAA - sounds like as good an explanation as any.

John
 
It IS oil from a lemon. It is extracted from the peel. Most maintenance kits you can buy have lemon oil in them. I use the Dunlop kit with a dauber top bottle of lemon oil in it.
 
I also have to put my vote in for lemon oil.

Like others I have been using it for decades on guitar fretboards.

John
 
Aloha Paul, I've used Dr. Ducks Axwax. Works for me.
 
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