Fretboard Care

[lefty_major]

How often do you all treat your Rosewood Fretboards? Once a year? Depends on humidity?

I treated two of my guitars recently with Bore Oil and I think it works pretty well.

[Case24]

Lemon oil about once a year.

[KenC]

Food grade walnut oil (from the salad dressing aisle) at every string change. Apply a heavy coat, rub in whatever didn't soak in after five minutes, and repeat until no more soaks in anywhere on the board. Walnut oil is one of very few treatments that don't contain any added chemicals. It will make rosewood glow. It's wonderful on the unstained ebony used on early G&Ls, too.

Ken

[NickHorne]

Bore oil once a year or so seems plenty for mine, and I don't slather it on. I don't actually know, but I imagine that high temperature / low humidity (i.e. a hot house in winter) would have the most drying-out effect. I guess I sort of gauge it by eye.
I really like Fret Doctor bore oil, although I find it has a definite bottle-life of just a few years (fair enough). I did once put an old bottle on, and got the sound of trainers on a marble floor with every bend or vibrato for a couple of weeks. But a re-wipe and rub with fresh oil fixed it fine.
I am wary of anything synthetic, it doesn't seem relevant to wood.

[Boogie Bill]

I use the Dunlop 65 Fretboard Cleaner and the Conditioner, or Guitar Honey by Gerlitz. Fret Doctor has a very good rep too. I oil them about once a year, or when they need it. Humidity around here is nearly ideal and pretty constant.

Bill