BJFE / BearFoot fx Guitar Effects Community

My preference for rosewood boards is a product called Renaissance Wax. It's a bit pricey - about $25 for 200ml, $15 for 65ml, but the small can will last you a long time. If you do a google search you'll find numerous suppliers. I think I most often get if from Woodcraft Supply, largely because there's one nearby.

I rarely use anything on rosewood fingerboards on my guitars, but my hands don't sweat (noticeably). For guys who leave a sweaty fingerprint with each note they play, I wax the board. And when I do partial refrets after levelling neck-to-body joint humps, I wax it to even out the patina of the newly exposed wood.

My gripe with oil is this: you take your lemon oil, or Dr. Fastfret's Super Duper Fingerboard Oil, or your favorite 1950s hair tonic and apply it to the fingerboard; it soaks in and disappears, you apply a little more and it soaks in but doesn't completely disappear; you wipe off the excess. You wait a bit, buff it up. Ah... the fingerboard looks so nice and shiny. Consider what you've done: you applied a significant amount of liquid to the wood and it soaked in - the wood has swelled as it soaked up the liquid. Over the next hours, days, and weeks the solvents that comprise perhaps 40% of the oil evaporate off, the wood shrinks. You've taken the annual cycle of humidity change, exaggerated it 10-fold, and accelerated the time frame. This does not seem a good thing. Frets loosen, and even if they don't pop up and affect playability, sustain and resonance must be affected. Also, I've been told by folks more knowledgeable than me that over time the solvents in these oils begin to break down the wood at the cellular level, presumably making it more suceptible to surface wear and gouging.

There are many who disagree with me on this topic. I think my conservative stance is based on some solid information.

J.

J,
That does make sense when overly generous amounts are applied. So the waxing process for RS/WD boards is on par with waxing the satin finishes on the back of the neck as well(have a couple guitars with Birdseye maple), in that it forms a protective layer of it's own over time, essentially sealing the fingerboard from outside contaminants?

J -- thanks for the info -- I'm gonna check out some of that Renaissance wax!

In response to Melodichaotic, yes the wax seals the fingerboard to a certain extent. It should slow down the penetration of liquids and make the fingerboard easier to clean for those who feel compelled to continue practicing scales while eating pizza.

Wax applied to a modern satin finish (acrylic?) on the back of the neck or anywhere else probably does little but alter the way it feels to the touch. Wax applied over, say, a shellac finish, does enhance moisture resistance (so it might be a good idea to wax the back of the neck on your 19th c. parlor guitar).

Non-reactive oil, like lemon oil, is not a wood finish and does not offer protection; reactive (polymerizing) oils like linseed oil or tung oil do form a protective finish but are not suitable for guitar fingerboards.

My personal preference, as stated before, is to leave my rosewood fingerboards alone for the most part - I prefer the feel of the "dry" wood. I try to keep my hands clean (yeah, funny), and I wipe the strings and fingerboard down with a dry cotton cloth after playing. Once every year or so, on guitars that get a lot of playing, I'll clean the fingerboard with fine steel wool and use a bit of Renaissance Wax. (Completely cover your pickups with masking tape before getting anywhere near your guitar with steel wool)

J.