rosewood ~ oil conditioning

[Lewguitar]

True. But they're made of a different type of mineral oil than the kind that's compatible with food.

They're actually scented naphtha, which is...lighter fluid/dry cleaning fluid, and a petrochemical. They're meant to be wiped on just to clean the surface and immediately wiped off.

Yet people leave it on for hours as though lighter/dry cleaning fluid is good for the wood.

I'm not so sure of that. Not if the guy I quoted is who he claims to be.

He says he checked and according to the CAS# it's all 100% white mineral oil. Baby oil.

Here's the quote:

"Well, every lemon oil/fretboard conditioner I checked (all the big brands; Dunlop, D'ADDario, Dr.Duck, Music Nomad and more) are 100% White Mineral Oil (CAS# 8042-47-5)."

 

[JasonE]

True. But they're made of a different type of mineral oil than the kind that's compatible with food.

They're actually scented naphtha, which is...lighter fluid/dry cleaning fluid, and a petrochemical. They're meant to be wiped on just to clean the surface and immediately wiped off.

Yet people leave it on for hours as though lighter/dry cleaning fluid is good for the wood.

You know why the wood looks nicely oiled after using it? Because it leeches oil from the wood itself and deposits it on the surface, which is how the dry cleaner uses naphtha to clean your suit, so it can be easily brushed off.

Ignorance is bliss, right?

I had a new PRS Artist II back in 1993 or so. After a while, a tech did a setup for me, and then did me the "favor" of letting lemon oil sit on the fretboard for a few hours.

It completely discolored the wood purfling inlays on the fretboard. Was I ever disappointed to see that. This was a guy with a great reputation, too.

Like I said, everyone's got their shtick when it comes to this stuff, and most of it is misinformation.

Disappointed? I would have been super ticked and talking to the guy about paying for the damage. That is ridiculous. You should NEVER leave any sort of liquid on bare wood for an extended period of time like that? Another thing soaking the fretboard does is causes the frets to loosen. That is damage that cannot be easily repaired. You have to remove and replace the fretboard.

 

[Lewguitar]

Disappointed? I would have been super ticked and talking to the guy about paying for the damage. That is ridiculous. You should NEVER leave any sort of liquid on bare wood for an extended period of time like that? Another thing soaking the fretboard does is causes the frets to loosen. That is damage that cannot be easily repaired. You have to remove and replace the fretboard.

I leave it on for maybe a minute and then wipe it down.

Been doing it like that for years.

 

[SinSir]

My only 'who asked you, anyway' comment is that the maker says it's abosorbed into the wood and doesn't dry out.

At least according to Dan Erlewine, who's written some pretty good books on guitar care (and whose band I remember from Ann Arbor BTW), you want something that stays on the surface and dries, instead of something that penetrates the wood.

So it's the exact opposite of what he recommends!

My guess is the man knows his stuff, but everyone's got their methods.

Think of it this way: If the wood absorbs a liquid what happens? It swells. You don't want the fretboard to swell, because the wood bunches up against the metal frets. This is what messed up the area next to the frets on my Martin many years ago when I used the edible type of mineral oil.

You also don't want rosewood's natural oil to be displaced by some chemical and brought to the surface. You want to keep it in the wood.

It makes a lot of sense when you think about Erlewine's advice.

Appreciate the comments, but I've used it for years and sticking with it. Lol Zero issues so far, only positive results. I'm not one to get too caught up on a word and sometimes it's just marketing word play anyhow. Definitely not arguing your point, but sometimes we stick with what works for us. Best stuff I've used. Mileage may vary as I have zero skin in the game.

It's the brother of my luthier.

 

[Greywolf]

which is why I stated originally about using only a trace amount and buff a lot. Just to restore luster , NOT to soak into the wood .


Kind of like detailer spray vs the liquid wax for your car

That appoach is also true when shooting lacquer, light coats ... the temptation is to make it look glossy right away ... slow down padawan...


Before I knew much , about 30 years ago I saturated my rosewood Fender Fretless bass fingerboard , with successive light coats of Watco Danish oil . Hoping for a harder surface that would stand up to roundwound strings. I never let it sit , but did light coats , letting it fully dry before trying again until it would not absorb more. I let it dry for a few days and then hand buffed for a few hours , in 5-10 minute sessions. It has held up like a champ with very little signs of wear , and it's been my #1 the whole time.

I did the same to an Ash covered cab I made for my old princeton ... 40 years and still rockin

Not recommending it ... just anecdotal , pragmatic experience.

 

[László]

Disappointed? I would have been super ticked and talking to the guy about paying for the damage. That is ridiculous. You should NEVER leave any sort of liquid on bare wood for an extended period of time like that? Another thing soaking the fretboard does is causes the frets to loosen. That is damage that cannot be easily repaired. You have to remove and replace the fretboard.

He was a reliable vendor, one of those guys who'd drop everything to take care of me when I needed a setup or repair. I decided it was more of a disappointment than a big deal.

The only problem was the discoloration of the inlay, thank goodness.

 

[László]

Appreciate the comments, but I've used it for years and sticking with it. Lol Zero issues so far, only positive results. I'm not one to get too caught up on a word and sometimes it's just marketing word play anyhow. Definitely not arguing your point, but sometimes we stick with what works for us. Best stuff I've used. Mileage may vary as I have zero skin in the game.

It's the brother of my luthier.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[László]

I'm not so sure of that. Not if the guy I quoted is who he claims to be.

He says he checked and according to the CAS# it's all 100% white mineral oil. Baby oil.

Here's the quote:

"Well, every lemon oil/fretboard conditioner I checked (all the big brands; Dunlop, D'ADDario, Dr.Duck, Music Nomad and more) are 100% White Mineral Oil (CAS# 8042-47-5)."

The guy is wrong. It's unfortunate.

F'rinstance, D’Addario lemon oil has a warning on the label that it contains “petroleum distillates.” It's naphtha. So are most of the other commercially available lemon oil products for guitars.

Dr. Ducks Ax Wax: "Contains petroleum distillates. Do not Drink! Will stain clothes!"

Dunlop: "If swallowed call a POISON CENTER" (their caps). Doesn't say what's in it.

Taylor: "Do not swallow. If swallowed do not induce vomiting Get immediate medical attention" and includes warnings against contact with skin and eyes.

Music Nomad: "Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes and do not swallow. In case of eye contact rinse thoroughly with warm water for 15 minutes and call physician."

This stuff sound like baby oil to you?? You sure wouldn't want to rub it on your baby's behind.

If you read the labels you know what you're getting - though sometimes there's no info. PRS lemon oil has no info. But I'll bet it's the same stuff as Dunlop or D'Addario.

People like your source are simply not doing their homework, and yet they're going off half-cocked, making incorrect claims.

All that said, naphtha is fine for cleaning the fretboard if it's wiped off right away. It's a good cleaning agent. But that's all it's for.

 

[László]

Incidentally, "white oil" IS another name for naphtha. It's not ingestible mineral oil, which is something entirely different. I'll quote a Wiki here, but you can check for yourself:

"Specialty naphtha comes in many varieties and each are referred to by separate names such as petroleum ether, petroleum spirits, mineral spirits, paraffin, benzine, hexane, ligroin, white oil or white gas, painters naphtha, refined solvent naphtha and Varnish makers' & painters' naphtha (VM&P).

 

[show_a_little_faith]

Not to be such a "company man", but am I the only one who uses the PRS Tung Oil?
https://us.prsaccessories.com/collections/guitar-care-maintenance/products/prs-fretboard-tung-oil

I think it's great, use it 1-2 a year on my rosewood and ebony boards. It's massively marked down now, was $12, now $4 a bottle which likely means it's discontinued and they're clearing it out. Maybe I *am* the only one who uses it!

 

[DISTORT6]

Not to be such a "company man", but am I the only one who uses the PRS Tung Oil?
https://us.prsaccessories.com/collections/guitar-care-maintenance/products/prs-fretboard-tung-oil

I think it's great, use it 1-2 a year on my rosewood and ebony boards. It's massively marked down now, was $12, now $4 a bottle which likely means it's discontinued and they're clearing it out. Maybe I *am* the only one who uses it!

Next week they’ll be throwing in a free pair of Dragon II’s…

 

[László]

Not to be such a "company man", but am I the only one who uses the PRS Tung Oil?
https://us.prsaccessories.com/collections/guitar-care-maintenance/products/prs-fretboard-tung-oil

I think it's great, use it 1-2 a year on my rosewood and ebony boards. It's massively marked down now, was $12, now $4 a bottle which likely means it's discontinued and they're clearing it out. Maybe I *am* the only one who uses it!

I'd try it but my fretboards aren't dry.