Maintaining unfinished necks

[T89Rex]

Hi all.

I have an unfinished pau ferro on goncalo alves neck here and I'm just wondering if I need to be doing anything special to keep it at its best. My standard procedure with finished rosewood fretboards is a pass with shellite followed by lemon oil whenever I change the strings. Is there any reason I can't do the same on unfinished pau ferro?

 

[AirCap]

That would work fine. To remove any stubborn finger funk, use some gray Scotchbrite.

 

[Steve_Karl]

Never heard of shellite until I googled it.
Is naptha a valid substitute?

 

[Cagey]

All I use on mine is naphtha. If you play it at all, your hands will deposit more oil than any neck ever needs.

 

[musicispeace]

The first time around that I had guitars a couple decades ago (OK, maybe a bit more than that) none of us ever used "products" on our fretboards. This is a new and possibly product driven phenomenon. I'd trust Cagey's advice on this. But pre-internet no one I know had crap happen with their fingerboards by not slathering it in one of several products.

 

[Cagey]

This is a new and possibly product driven phenomenon.

That's what it is. They simply play on a guitar owner's innate fear of damage to or deterioration of their precious instrument. Fact is, fretboard wood splits because it gets too dry while still having some stress either internal to the wood or applied at build time. That's dry, not oil-free. It needs a certain amount of moisture. You can oil wood to death and it'll still split, even as the oil ruins the wood by over-softening it. What you have to watch is that it doesn't get too dry, which is where humidity control comes in.

Wood doesn't need oil, and will actually exude it over time. It's why some woods won't take a finish, or keep one if you manage to get one on. But, without moisture, the cellular structure of the wood can be affected. They're even careful about "roasting" wood, making sure it doesn't end up with 0% moisture.

Your hands will oil the fretboard too much over time. That's why they need cleaning. Why put oil back on right after you clean all the excess off?

 

[JD0x0]

I hit my unfinished necks in the winter with a light oiling from mineral oil, about once a year, after some naptha. Rather have mineral oil in my necks than my gross body oils.

It also darkens the wood and make the grain come out a little more, when I apply the oil.

 

[AirCap]

Why put oil back on right after you clean all the excess off?

Because all oils attract dirt over time, and because all oils degrade (turn rancid) when exposed to oxygen over time. You want your neck to be clean - finished or unfinished. So.... just like changing the oil in your engine, a change of oil on your guitar neck is a good thing.

Just don't use motor oil... Back in the early 80's I had to glue a new fingerboard onto a rosewood Tele because the moron owner wiped the fingerboard down after every weekend gig with TROP-ARTIC 10w40. I kid you not. The thing reeked of rancid motor oil. I could pull the frets out with my fingernails, and the bottom of the fret slots were full of oil. The rosewood was starting to break down, and I sliced off the fretboard with a butter knife. Soaked the maple neck in acetone for a week to neutralize and clean the oil, then let it dry wrapped in paper towels. Finally was able to reglue a new fingerboard, and refinished. The guy was still playing it last time I saw him about 10 years ago.

 

[Cagey]

I agree that all oils attract dirt and turn rancid, and that's the point of cleaning. Doesn't mean it needs to be replaced. Between the wood and your hands, it'll get replaced naturally, rather than as in the case of your overly ambitious friend  :laughing7:

 

[T89Rex]

Never heard of shellite until I googled it.
Is naptha a valid substitute?

I haven't been able to find anything sold as naphtha here. As far as I can tell, shellite is either the same thing or a workable substitute ie a volatile mixture of hydrocarbons.

Thanks for all the advice, guys.

 

[Cagey]

According to the disambiguation page of Wikipedia, Shellite is either a British explosive or the Australian version of naphtha. So, just be careful while shopping :laughing7:

 

[dmraco]

I have multiple unfinished necks.  I can play for months and they look perfect.  My son plays and they look like they have been played with muddy and greasy hands.  I like HOWARDS orange oil.  It cleans and does not leave a residue.  Necks are super clean and slick and no oil gunk left after using it.  I will do it with every string change.


Naptha works well to clean to.  But I find the oil a little more pleasing to the neck.  It also help keep any details highlighted.

 

[T89Rex]

According to the disambiguation page of Wikipedia, Shellite is either a British explosive or the Australian version of naphtha. So, just be careful while shopping :laughing7:

Well now I'm concerned I'm going to wind up on a government watchlist trying to get this guitar cleaned...  :laughing7:

I have multiple unfinished necks.  I can play for months and they look perfect.  My son plays and they look like they have been played with muddy and greasy hands.

I make an effort to wash and dry my hands before I ever touch my guitars but I think some people just have gnarly skin chemistry. I don't know if it's oil or sweat, but I put my guitars down and anybody walking in could tell what key I've just been playing in.

 

[BigSteve22]

Just my 2¢ worth:

I was told from the very beginning of my guitar playing days, more than 50 years ago now, to use a few drops of oil on the fret board, about once a year, to "clean and condition" the rosewood. Although the "conditioning" part was never fully explained to me, I was told it kept the wood from drying out. (Maybe that just meant keeping the moisture content in?) These days I use naptha to clean any built up gunk, (although, like T89Rex, I usually wash my hands BEFORE picking up a guitar), and bore oil to "condition".

Bore oil is what woodwind musicians use on their instruments to protect them from the moisture in their breath as they play. I use "Fret Doctor", which is exactly the same as "Bore Doctor", just packaged in smaller quantities to reflect the difference in the amounts you would expect to use. A 15ml bottle will cost you about $8US and last almost forever, (well, many years anyway....)

DISCLAIMER: I have never used this on an unfinished neck shaft, only on fret boards, so your mileage may vary, viewer discretion is advised....

 

[bbl4ck]

I use "Fret Doctor", which is exactly the same as "Bore Doctor", just packaged in smaller quantities to reflect the difference in the amounts you would expect to use. A 15ml bottle will cost you about $8US and last almost forever, (well, many years anyway....)

I have used Fret Doctor for about 5 years or so and it is great stuff  :icon_thumright:
And you are right, a little goes a long ways.  I think I am getting to the bottom of my second small bottle after those five years.  Highly recommended...

 

[ghotiphry]

Holy crap, you mean I shouldn't soak my stuff in motor oil?  But, that just makes it so, I don't know... industrial?

Just kidding.  That's insane.

I just reburnish every few weeks when it starts to lose that "feel."  I hadn't thought about treating an unfinished neck with fret doctor or something similar.  But, it does make sense.  As long as it doesn't lose that raw burnished feel, ya know?

 

[BigSteve22]

I hadn't thought about treating an unfinished neck with fret doctor or something similar.  But, it does make sense.  As long as it doesn't lose that raw burnished feel, ya know?

Just don't forget the last line in my 2¢ post:

DISCLAIMER: I have never used this on an unfinished neck shaft, only on fret boards, so your mileage may vary, viewer discretion is advised....

Maybe try it on a piece of scrap wood first.... :icon_scratch: