Fretboard Maintenance

[slayerxv]

shit i thot the lemon oil and the conditioner do the same purpous.fml

[jarredgamarra28]

how would you be able to clean a maple fretboard w/ gloss???

[lockpicker2k]

FRET DOCTOR!!!!

[SanjeevGeorgeV]

Can I use olive oil to clean the fretboard?

[alfalfasprout69]

No

[7xrepiv]

what should i use for a maple fret board?

[dOmO0351]

is using Dark Wood Fretborad Cleanser on Rose Wood Fretboard fine?

[johnchang7]

Guitar Honey works well for ebony or rosewood.

[criminaldesatado]

Man, what song is at 1:40 ?

thank you

[alfalfasprout69]

@criminaldesatado - queen in love by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN

[jehovahuponyou]

YOU CAN ALSO RUB YOUR FRETBOARD ACROSS A KANGAROOS' ASS SEVERAL TIMES, DOES WONDERS - AND THE STINK GOES AWAY IN A MONTH OR TWO!

[malmsteen80]

@jehovahuponyou LOOOOL hahaha

[jehovahuponyou]

@malmsteen80

:^)

[DigitalPimpSlap]

how is that talman?

[alfalfasprout69]

@DigitalPimpSlap = dont by one dude.. they are cheap toy's... 

[gustavohadad]

Hi, I'm from Argentina, and my english is not very good :(

I have to clean my rosewood fretboard, and I bought the same Dunlop 65 Lemon oil, but I can't tell what's the other product you use after the lemon oil, and why.....

Can you explain that to me??

Thanks a lot!!!

[InterspeciesErotica7]

@gustavohadad - The fretboard CONDITIONER is linseed oil. You can buy it at any arts & craft store... OR buy Ernie Ball conditioning wipes. Linseed oil lasts longer and you can get it tinted if you'd like. Murphy's oil soap CLEANS fretboards as well. Spray it on a towel first, then apply/clean.

[jayrjerome1]

can we use wood cleaner to clean da fret board?

[alfalfasprout69]

@jayrjerome1 = depends on what it is... and what kind of fretboard you have dude... generally you should only use products designed for cleaning you specific type of fretboard.... why take the risk when to save only a few dollars

[jayrjerome1]

@alfalfasprout69 um i have a rosewood fretboard..where can we get d oils n stuff? i'm guessing from any guitar shops?

[tjgrason]

what to do if i have a floyd rose bridge?? no other option xcept for blocking the bridge? can i use planet waves lemon oil?

[rockyanez1284]

hey dude great vid i have a question though i have the same lemon oil that u have but im not sure i have the right conditioner the condtioner i have is the "dunlop 65 string cleaner and condtioner" im not sure if i can use that stuff on my frett board or not ?

[alfalfasprout69]

@rockyanez1284 = the string cleaner & conditioner is only really for strings, dunlop sells fingerboard deep conditioner if you prefer dunop products.

[azfryguy]

Im fairly positive 4 times a year is way to much granted I dont know what its like in austraila but i live in az which 117 yesterday with hardly humidity i do it 2 times a year and im guessing

austraila is the same long story short if you oil it to much your frets will be pushed out and all out of whack

[matthen13]

how do i get the lomon oil out of the bottle? i can't get it open :(

[SeGaSaTuRn1994]

@matthen13 use a bit of common sense cut the lit open

[RosaRose168]

Any tips for maple fretboards?

[alfalfasprout69]

@RosaRose168 = Depends, is your fretboard sealed with lacquer, if so some regular guitar polish will get the stains off, but if its not sealed when use a water based guitar cleaner like dunlop 65 polish & cleaner. maple fretboard dont really need conditioning like rosewood & ebony...

[RosaRose168]

@alfalfasprout69 It has a light Tinted Satin Urethane Finish. So using a damped cloth will be fine? I don't want it to be all oily.

[locohellraiser]

cant i just use sunflower oil? :O

[Dany1148]

:32 thats what she said... I'm sorry... i had to say it.

[darkragnarok21]

What if you put on back your old strings instead of new ones after oiling the fretboard? The strings I have on now are still good and I don't want them to go to waste

[alfalfasprout69]

@darkragnarok21 = if your strings still sound good then there is no need to change them... iv oiled my fretboard without changing strings many times.... nothing wrong with that!

[SeGaSaTuRn1994]

@darkragnarok21 never ever put back on used string they streth and wont tune properly once removed bin them

[guitartrulteman]

What is the diffrence between ebony fretboard and rosewood?

[torquemenistan]

I polished the NECK and FRETBOARD with olive oil once hahahahha, It felt good tho..

[obviouslypepsi]

Handy video!

I'm planning on buying a gorgeous used Japanese Tokai Loverock LP copy soon, and when I played it in the store, I noticed that the fretboard was a little dry. Didn't stop the potential of the guitar being shown though!

With my other guitars, I haven't noticed any particular dryness however. England's pretty moist though. ;)

I'll use this technique to clean up the fretboard when I get it and set it up. After a few hours noodling, of course.

Thanks dude!

[0hypnotoad0]

"Lemon oil" is actually mineral oil with a very small percentage of real lemon oil. You can buy Mineral oil for 75 cents a bottle, and it's a completely neutral substance that won't leave any residue whatsoever.

[geletmote]

hey dude, I did my fretboard today I just got some lemon oil from the guitar shop. and I asked the guy and he said thats all I need jsut the lemon oil.. so I just used the lemoin oil, wont hurt right?

[alfalfasprout69]

depends dude... what kind of lemon oil, you will find out in a few days if your fretboard looks dry and dull then find some conditioner. if not then you should be good to go...

[avhcbeaver1]

I love the dunlop 65 that's one of the best polishes out there, as far as the oil try DR DUCKS AXE WAX it's been the nothing but good to me for 10yrs now...good vid

[alfalfasprout69]

thank bre.. il check it out!

[mjfan123085]

thats what the guy at the store sold me. seems to work well so far. but it was my first attempt.

my fretboard was dull and dry, but this brought the deep color back.

[geletmote]

by the way are you tiger woods brother?

[alfalfasprout69]

yes i am, but i dont see what that has to do with this video?

[geletmote]

lubrications, lol na jk

[geletmote]

gday mate, I have a fender strat, will the demonstration in your video be suitable?

[alfalfasprout69]

if your guitar has a rosewood or ebony fingerboard.. then yes.....

Good Day Sir....

[CrimsonClawT4]

what do you mean by pits in the grain?

[alfalfasprout69]

the natural tiny holes you can seen on the woods surface - if the wood has a tight grain you may not see them if the wood gain is not so tight you can see the open "grain" :-)

[HammersmashedTaco]

wats the worst thing that could happen if i used lemon oil on my guitar? i have a ibanez with a maple neck wat would be best to clean it?

[alfalfasprout69]

@HammersmashedTaco = your better off getting something for maple fretboards, ive had great results with Dunlop 65 guitar polish & cleaner because its water based so its not abrasive. maple fretboards are sealed at the factory and lemon oil may be a little bit abrasive. it shouldn't be to hard to get the grime off with a non abrasive cleaner.

[HammersmashedTaco]

thanks man

[LedGuitar1218]

what do i use on a maple fretboard that is not clear coat sealed? it is bare wood.

[alfalfasprout69]

@HammersmashedTaco = barewood... iv never seen a maple fretboard with barewood. if thats the case you can use any water based cleaner thats non abrasive, the problem with barewood is that the stains from your fingers can go into the gain of the wood, you may have to stain the wood if its bad, then id recommend sealing your maple fretboard but this is a job for a professional.

[Rooboner117]

Do you recommend this for gibson Les paul customs? And Les himself said never to take off all the strings at once, so what do you think I should do?

Please reply, anybody

[alfalfasprout69]

@Rooboner117 = if you dont know how to set up your guitar then dont take all the strings off, take it to a professional to get it cleaned and set up

[TangerineGroovin]

i dont have the conditioner but i have the dunlop lemon oil. you say it dries out your fingerboard so what do you recommend i do? i have to get the gunk out somehow. im not jon long-dong either rollin around with a buncha money to spend on product.

[alfalfasprout69]

lubricating the wood is a must and i cant afford it im sorry to hear that!

[rudoman22]

i just got some lemon oil for furniture from wal mart, along with this orange glo wood polish for furniture. im pretty sure theres no difference...

[alfalfasprout69]

im 'pretty sure' theres no difference?????

good luck with that.... :-)

[rudoman22]

well what can be so different... its for all types of wood. and if its ment for furniture what can be the difference on a guitar fretboard. rosewood furniture and a guitar fret board made of rosewood...? same piece of wood....

[alfalfasprout69]

its your guitar do what ever you feel is right. could you post a vid on the results, im interested in how it all turns out...

[rudoman22]

haha sure ill do that next time i do it

[GuitaristBoi9]

if i have an Jim Dunlop 01 Fingerboard CLEANER& PREP should apply it or not

[GuitaristBoi9]

how to diffrenciate Maple Fretboard and Rosewood

[alfalfasprout69]

maple fretboards are the light wood coloured fretboards like the frender telecaster in my under the bridge videos.

[GuitaristBoi9]

After i apply the Lemon Oil than i apply The conditioner izit

[alfalfasprout69]

yes but you have to wait for the lemon oil to dry a bit...

[mamabonthere]

what if i only use the Lemon oil? because i din bough the conditioner thingy.

[alfalfasprout69]

depends on the lemon oil, if its the same as mine then id suggest you get some type of conditioner.

[Rockgod7321]

can fretboard oil make a dry fretboard normal again (please anyone answer)

[alfalfasprout69]

thats what its for dude :-)

[Rockgod7321]

thank you, I was worried

[dprepdude]

oh ok

thanks

because my acoustic arrived with a pretty dry fretboard, and I wasn't too sure how much oil to put on to restore it

it had numerous small little cracks, especially in the higher frets

[alfalfasprout69]

my guitar was the same, but after a bit of fretboard oil the rosewood looked great, actually i checked out the model number on my guitar and it had been siting in a warehouse for a few years before i gave it a home.

[dprepdude]

Btw, it's for my acoustic.

Thanks again

[dprepdude]

After I oil down the fretboard, how long until I put the strings on again?

I've seen posts where people say to let the fretboard soak in the oil for a day before putting the string back on....do you recommend it?

Thanks

[alfalfasprout69]

dude. i don't know how much oil the other people are putting on, but you should only be letting it soak in for a few minutes, then wipe off the excess with a clean rag, i put my strings on strait after i remove the excess oil.

[biggyzoom]

I just bought a new bottle of Dunlop Lemon Oil with the dab applier but I can't get any of the stuff to come out. I left it upside down for a few hours but it's still dry. I can't see any obvious way of taking it off or anything. What's up with that?

[alfalfasprout69]

you could poke a pin though the center of the dab applier, that might work, are you squeezing the bottle, sometimes that helps

[nusdorfer]

part 1

dude, i had this problem 5 minutes ago. that's why i'm on youtube. easier than calling a luthier...

well, you gotta press once hard against the surface and you will see a small stain on the thing. the deal he didnt show here it's that you have to apply the oil straight on the wood, and THEN use a cloth to spread well. just saw a video a guy puts a guitar pick inside the cloth to reach closer to the frets... wait 10 minutes.

[Zinfanus]

I contacted Jim Dunlop USA, the maker of the "65 Lemon Oil" used in this video. A representative there advised me that their product BOTH cleans and conditions the fretboard, contrary to this video that claims a separate conditioner is necessary after lemon oil treatment. Perhaps a generic lemon oil product is known to dry out the wood after application, but Dunlop's apparently is a one-step solution.

[defmonkey57]

can i do it with out conditioner?

[alfalfasprout69]

depends on what your using, you should really ask for something from your local guitar store & they should be able to hook you up.

[rimulero]

Hey man, i have a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. Should i apply the lemon oil only to the fretboard? Can I do it to the neck as well?

Srry for my english. Thx.

[alfalfasprout69]

just to rosewood dude... but it depends on what kind of cleaner you have, check the bottle it could be safe for cleaning the back of the neck, but personally i wouldnt do it..

[zach8793]

hey, im taking my guitar into guitar center to get some parts replaced and new strings put on. i was wondering...since im having them put on new strings should i just use the lemon oil with the strings on?? i would cut the strings off but then im not for sure if the peopel the GC would like get pissed. lol

and advice??

i would do it myself but lately ive been very busy so that y im taking it in

[alfalfasprout69]

you should just get GC to do the lot, they should have a standard package for servicing guitars. most good guitar stores will do a complete service if you ask

[ufc70wasnotasbombas7]

i remember when i was first purchasing a guitar i was told you could use olive oil on the fretboard on the guitar neck to clean it up. i never did it but would it work?

[alfalfasprout69]

probably wouldn't clean it that well, the oil is not for cleaning its for re-introducing the correct level of moisture to the wood. if the wood drys out, then it will have a tendency to crack, & if you adjust for truss rod with a really dry fretboard you could do some real damage. your better off using something that is specifically designed for your fingerboard, unless your 100% sure an alternative wont do any damage.

[PrinceOfPunk13]

does limon oil rly make ur fret board look darker?

[alfalfasprout69]

NO! lemon oil is only to clean your fretboard. you need proper fretboard conditioner. then it will make your fretboard a bit darker.

[snapascrew]

makes it look darker as in new, if you don't condition it fades slowly and slowly and slowly so you can't really tell, once you condition it (lemon oil) it looks new again!

[FoodaFIISH]

hey i clean my electric guitar's fretboard with the dunlop oil, and wipe it after, but it seems to be sticky afterwards. I'm not really sure why, have any advice?

[alfalfasprout69]

what kind of dunlop oil are you using, and what kind of fretboard is it?

[FoodaFIISH]

I'm using the dunlop 65 oil like yours on a Rosewood Fretboard. When I rub my fingers side to sideon it, it feels like it tugs on my fingers and isnt smooth like my other guitars. Not sure why...

[alfalfasprout69]

dude. thats strange, my dunlop lemon oil dryes out like a solvent after a few hours. what kind of conditioner are you using, does it contain any silicon?

[FoodaFIISH]

i don't use conditioner, just the oil itself and a t shirt to wipe it off.

[alfalfasprout69]

so you're only using the dunlop 65 lemon oil. dude thats just strange, the lemon oil isnt really oil, its a cleaner with a lemon scent, and will end up drying the wood out if you dont use conditioner. man i dunno whats happening with you stuff.. :-(

[FoodaFIISH]

so then i guess i should buy a conditioner then huh =/.....

[alfalfasprout69]

you should really use a conditioner, just using the lemon oil will dry out your fretboard and could eventually crack

[aR3tardedtiger]

I personally clean my fretboard of my Les Paul with fine grit steel wool. YOu have to use 0000 grit and it with clean the fretboard and polish the frets. Then I use gunstock oil to oil it. Probably the same exact oil as used for guitars, but I already had some of it. Maybe I'll post a vid just as an alternative meathod. Very good video, though, 5/5.

[alfalfasprout69]

thanx dude.

[igotmywhiskey]

ok i need your help ive got a les paul and its got idian rose wood i think which has small cracks in it any way its the wood type that got smalll slits/crack things in it so i was worried because most lespauls have fixed necks and i didnt know any thing about this untill now so what do i do? i got dunlope cleaner that i spray on the neck no and again it doesnt contain lemon oil i dnt think.

[alfalfasprout69]

i had the same issue on one of my other guitars. the rosewood has more of an open grain on it and you can see what looks like small cracks in the wood. once i rubbed some fingerboard conditioner/oil into it the problem went away. its just the type of wood used on your guitar, a bit of oil will make it go away.

[HappyLarry0]

aussie aussie aussie .....oi oi oi

[revel987]

This is a great video. What kind of cloth are you using?

[alfalfasprout69]

cheese cloth

[alfalfasprout69]

no.. lemon oil is only for getting rid of dirt & grime, it will actually dry out the fretboard if you don't condition it after using the lemon oil..

[AL3Xmotodude]

Would doing this around every 3 months really pro long the life of the neck? If not, how often would you clean up the fretboard? I live in southern ontario canada, so the temperature is pretty average

[alfalfasprout69]

hey dude.. if your temp is average then you prob's would do it twice a year at the most, you can tell when your fretboard looses its colour & it will look dry compared to when you oiled it...

[AL3Xmotodude]

alrigh thanks for the info, i should probably buy the conditioner right away as well, lol i just went over my fretboard with lemon oil yesterday, forgetting about the conditioner

[Fiarzen]

all i use for my rosewood fretboard is this weird beeswax based stuff thats supposed to be for furniture but it says for woods with natural finishes, i assume that includes rosewood. is it a bad idea to use beeswax? the product is called woodsilk. its non silicone

[alfalfasprout69]

um, i guess if you have used it before and you have had no problems then its working, the big issue with using cleaners is to have a product without silicone so you may be onto something.

[ShadowforceGuardiann]

can you do it with polish?

[alfalfasprout69]

no, polish is only used on sealed finishes, it could make your fretboard sticky too..

[wims09]

what about maple fretboard maintenance?

[alfalfasprout69]

maple fretboards are sealed at the factory so you do not have to be concerned with the neck drying out.

[alfalfasprout69]

not into maple fretboards dude... although id like to try a parker guitar with the composite finger board and stainless steel frets.

[Vincent745]

this helped. thanks man. my fretboard looks glossy now. :D

[nutmegger1957]

Fairly obvious choice........ebony or rosewood......that just about covers everyone, eh?!

[rkfreeze]

could u post one of maple fretboard maintanence?

[alfalfasprout69]

sorry dude i sold my fender so i only own guitars with rosewood fretboards now, if you have a maple fretboard it should be treated with oil from the factory, so to clean it just use somthing like dunlop 65 guitar polish its just a waterbased cleaner, so it should be safe to use. but only a little bit and remove the excess if nessesary... actually i never cleaned my fender once in 5 years.. strange huh...

keep rocking

alf...

[chaazums]

you are tiger woods

[alfalfasprout69]

yes i am...

[jepmue]

Thanks for the good vid. Clear spoken and well thought out, unlike some of the mumblers on you tube.

[nightcrawler511]

wat if u live in new jersey very cold tht means im good rite?

[BlackAngusYoung]

Is it bad for the guitar to take all the strings off? Is it better to leave a couple on at the right tension at all times?

[asklcnvivdf]

its recommended not to take off all the strings at once.

but i do it anyway....i like to keep my frets shiny....

[linkinpark9800]

is a gibson sg and fender stratocaster a maple Fretboard? pls reply

[alfalfasprout69]

Regardless of what manufacturer it is a maple fretboard is the light creamish coloured fretboard. See my video lessons of under the bridge and the guitar I use in that is a fender telecaster with a maple fretboard.

[darkeagle551]

nah both are rosewood pretty sure

[TheMovieEditor]

What oil did you say, thomas?

[alfalfasprout69]

Roche' Thomas Premium Fingerboard oil

[HIM666dark6light]

cool im gonna clean my guitar and restring it before christmas or something.

[kokoro86]

Thanks for the tip!

[BackAlleyPB]

Yea i got a question for fretboards. I got a maple fretboard on my warlock, i want a ebony fret board though, Iam going to paint the whole thing black anyways.

[alfalfasprout69]

I've never seen a warlock with a maple neck, dude i highly advise you to NOT paint your fretboard! if you want a darker finish strip the wood and stain it, painting can even change the sound of you guitar & if you dont know what your doing or use the right paint then the paint will flake off or become sticky. do what you like man, but i wouldnt paint a fretboard

[brandavies]

Good video. :-) A side-note, it's important to remember not to use products containing silicone.

Actually, a fantastic product is Fret Doctor. Google it sometime, it's the best I've ever used. I used clarinet bore oil before, which worked okay, but I'd heard that petroleum-based products could weaken glue/inlays etc over time.

[AlfredHarker]

How about Maple Fretboards Mate? If you want to you can comment on my channel or i can give you my email address.

[EvilPandaDog]

Well if you don't mind a comment,maple fretboard's are coated with a lacquar.So instead of putting anything on it.Instead just wipe it down with a lint free cloth.Hope this helps.

[PieroMM]

Thanks so much for the video i live in a tropical country with a very hot weather maybe i should get myself some humectating product, what about the electrics do i have to clean the body with something special?

Thanks

[alfalfasprout69]

for the body try dunlop Formula No.65 Guitar Polish & cleaner, works well on gloss finishs.

[nuckforris]

im in australia too i never oil it.

[natsuchar]

can it be a regular lemon oil, like the one used to cook or it have to be a special one?

[alfalfasprout69]

its not a real lemon oil, more like a solvent with lemon scent, you should only use products that are made for guitar.

[Antilli]

I heard you shouldnt remove all your strings too often because the pressure on your neck changes drastically, which could ruin the neck's shape. This true? And thnx 4 the vid.

[alfalfasprout69]

yeah.. some people have a fear of that.. but i have never run into the issue.. but you should get your guitar serviced after every season change anyways..

[JesseGuitar07]

awesome video mate!!

best wishes

jesse

[chrisiztheman1618]

what about maple fretboreds?

[Joe0728]

well, thank you for the good advice..

[alfalfasprout69]

thanx dude...