Fretboard: Aloe Vera, Wynns, Southern Comfort or Beez Wax?

Tru-Oil is a FINISH, not a lubricant. It is a fine finish.

I have some stuff called "Dr. Fretboard's Lemon Oil" - it comes in a spray bottle and smells, like, lemon. It works GREAT - the board stays hydrated for a while after I condition it (and it smells good). I have the bottle half-full after 4 years. I think you can't go wrong with lemon oil/lemon-oil-derived products.

I've always used lemon oil to clean & condition my rosewood & ebony fretboards. I've never heard of using olive oil for anything on a guitar. How do you use it? As a string lubricant?

I've always used lemon oil to clean & condition my rosewood & ebony fretboards. I've never heard of using olive oil for anything on a guitar. How do you use it? As a string lubricant?

Haven't a clue, but it's great drizzled over a nice salad... :wink:

I'm a bit worried about the fire hazard - the Lemon stuff sounds much nicer...

Rock on!
D 8)

I use it on strings and fretboards. Rub it on, wipe it off. Not rocket science.

Lemon oil is widely used and recommended. It's light medicinal white mineral oil with a lemon fragrance. Baby oil's the same thing with a different smell. Not nearly as good on a salad as olive oil.

Roche Thomas Fretboard Oil

I have a container of GHS Fast-Fret, the kind with the brush type applicator. It contains white mineral oil. Would this be considered a cleaner, lubricant or both?

I have a container of GHS Fast-Fret, the kind with the brush type applicator. It contains white mineral oil. Would this be considered a cleaner, lubricant or both?

I have a can of it too, as a reference or for knowledge, but find it messy. I don't use it. I guess that makes me a minority, but I'm okay with being different?

Fast-Fret has little to do with frets or fretboards. It is of course a string cleaner and secondly, a said lubricant with that mineral oil.

It is somewhat true that if your strings don't scrape and scratch your frets, in dry or rough conditions, then frets should last longer.

The manufacturer says that it is wonderful, anybody can find their site. Sales pitches are neutral-ish IMO. Reviews are over-rated.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/GHS-Fast-Fret-String-Cleaner-100095502-i1133494.gc

Here's a guy who hates it, but unless I am missing something, he doesn't say why. A smart dude, but not heavy on the credentials, still okay. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/566383/ghs_fast_fret_string_lubricant_and.html?cat=6

Ok, no fast frets then...

My local shop carries a product called -

Gibson Luthier's Choice Fretboard Conditioner

Anyone have any experience with it? I looked around online & don't see much in the way of a review. I was wondering what the chemicals are that they use in it.

I have some, but never got around to trying it. Same with similar stuff from Fender. I'm happy enough with olive oil that I haven't seen a need to use anything else.

Wonder if I could use olive oil with a few drops of essential oil added, to give it a nice smell? Essential oils are plant based, seems like it would work.

Ricochet,

I checked out the Olive oil method; it has been a topic of discussion on many forums, & most folks are concerned about the rancid effect over time, as well as becoming sticky over time. Guess I will scratch that idea now, but if it works for you, that's cool. 8)

In 10 years or more the olive oil hasn't ever become sticky or rancid. I doubt it will. I've got it on all my guitars, on the leather belts, rifle slings and guitar straps I've made, leather hats, coats, etc. Oh yeah, on the valve of my plastic tenor recorder (that would be attacked by mineral oil) for 20 years. Still works there. I don't leave puddles of oil on the surface. That might cause a problem. If someone's reporting stickiness and rancidity, they've done something very wrong.

Ricochet - yeah, you're probably right about the puddling on that most folks do. "A little dab will do ya" is the correct method. I may consider using the Olive oil after all, very sparingly of course. And I believe I will add some essential oil to the mix; a drop or two would suffice in giving a nice scent, and they dry quickly so no grimy mess left behind. :)

Puddling on is fine, I do that myself, but I rub it off thoroughly shortly afterward. You don't need much more than a molecular film of whatever substance you choose.

As for "vegetable oils," I'd agree that they generally tend to become both sticky and funky smelling. Oils like corn, safflower, canola or rapeseed, peanut, sunflower, soybean, etc. tend to have lots of polyunsaturated fatty acids in them. Oxygen reacts with the multiple double bonds in them and produces peroxides and epoxides that react and crosslink with neighboring fatty acid chains to make polymers. It also produces oxygen free radicals that carry on the reactions. That's what makes finishing oils like linseed and tung dry into a solid resin. Most other vegetable oils are semidrying ones. Olive oil has in it mostly fat molecules containing three oleic acid chains. That's a monounsaturated fatty acid with much less tendency to gum up.