lemon oil??

herb · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 2:57 pm Post subject:

Let me tell you something about "Lemon Pledge". Many years ago I used to refinish furniture. Every once in a while I would get a piece that I would strip, but then could not refinish because the wood wouldn't take any new stain or finish. Researched the problem and found out that every piece I couldn't do anything with had Pledge used on it. It soaks through the finish and into the wood and seals it so it won't ever absord any other finish ever again.

95strat · Cobra Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 487 Location: Canada

Wow... that's interesting! I guess you can never tell how some of that stuff affects stuff over a period of time eh?

I usually only use it on the rosewood boards to freshen them up.... I don't generally use it on the rest of the guitar because I don't like the feel of a waxed neck and I don't like waxing the body cause then it starts slipping off your lap Laughing

I generally just try to keep them relatively clean... if the laquer starts clouding up then I will use a little bit of Fender cleaner/polish that my dad has kickin around.

bgfriend · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 5:27 am Post subject:

One thing to remember about using any of this stuff is to not put it on too heavy and don't leave it. It can soak into the fret slots causing the wood to swell and push the frets out. I use Old English lemon oil but only put a few drops on a cloth and scrub the board with the cloth around a finger tip and then immediately wipe it off with a dry cloth. Usually ebony or rosewood is naturally oily enough that you really don't need to do this, but it helps to get the crud from around the frets. As far as using Pledge, remember that Pledge contains silicone oils as well as wax and that you can never wipe it all off. I only use Endust to clean my guitars and mandolins as it has neither silicone nor wax, it has mineral spirits for the oily dirt and water and surfactants for the water based dirt, and it wipes off completely, no smudging. Just my 2 cents worth.

SAguitar · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:55 am Post subject:

Very good advice, Tom! Cool

Scott Williams · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:56 am Post subject:

bgfriend says: "ebony or rosewood is naturally oily enough that you really don't need to do this, but it helps to get the crud from around the frets."

The last time I cleaned a fretboard, I simply removed the "crud" from the board(most built up around the frets) with the corner of a blade from a box cutter knife. Obviously you don't want to dig too hard into the wood or you'll damage the fretboard; just gentle scraping will do wonders, then wipe with a clean cloth and your fretboard feels smooth as new!

bgfriend · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:13 pm Post subject:

Some times, instead of using the lemon oil, I will scrub the board with some 000 or 0000 steel wool. This works wonders on the board and polishes the frets.

SAguitar · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:43 am Post subject:

Right on, guys! I've used both of those techniques in taking care of my rosewood and ebony necks. A well-maintained guitar is a happy guitar! Cool

Lapsteel · Goldfish Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 57

Howdy...

Read the label very carefully on the lemon oil bottles, because many so called lemon oils for furniture actualy have little lemon oil and lots of petroleum compounds! Mostly lomon smell!

pe·tro·le·um (p…-tr½“l¶-…m) n. Abbr. pet. A thick, flammable, yellow-to-black mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons that occurs naturally beneath the earth's surface, can be separated into fractions including natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, fuel and lubricating oils, paraffin wax, and asphalt and is used as raw material for a wide variety of derivative products.

Maybe we should think twice before putting stuff like that on our prized instruments!

Regards, Robert

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:12 am Post subject:

Yoder · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:40 am Post subject:

I use pure orange oil.

Can an oil be acidic...pure oil? I don't think so. Sounds like some know-some-of-what-I-am-talking-about-lets-get-rich-here trying to sale his super-duper-specially-made-for-the-neck-of-the-guitar-oil. They also say urine is great for cleaning the fretboard.

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:02 am Post subject:

I'm probably not gonna start pissin' on my guitars!

Lapsteel · Goldfish Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 57

One time I saw a guy rubbing his burlwood pipe on the side of his nose. I asked why he kept doing that, he replied that he was oiling his pipe!

I wonder if there is enough oil on a nose to do a guitar?

Very Happy

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:31 am Post subject:

Maybe on a really big nose!

Lapsteel · Goldfish Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 57

Pinocchio?

Lapsteel · Goldfish Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 57

What about "Mineral oil"?

I's what baby oil is made of.
Womens makeup ib made using it.
It's what sun tan lotion and oil is made of.

You can drink it and it's harmless, except it will cause you to "Crap" your guts out!

Japanesee sword oil is mineral oil with cloves soaking in it for years!