| Author | Message | ||
| pmoran
Member Username: pmoran Post Number: 77 Registered: 12-2004 |
mica suggested, and who wouldn't follow her advice, that i purchase 100% pure, organic lemon oil to keep my fretboards in top shape, and to bring dried out fretboards back to life. i went to a health food store and found the pure, unadulterated stuff w/o any problem. my other alembics were older and the oval inlays had some wear and discoloring, a patina if you will, to them. my new mark king possesses absolutely clean, bright, pristine oval markers. so, if and when i oil my fretboard, does any care need to be taken to avoid getting the oil on the oval fret marker inlays? will they discolor or can the oil get in behind the inlays and discolor them or cause other problems w/them? are the inlays somehow sealed so there would be no problems? anyone know? mica? val? | ||
| jeffrey
New Username: jeffrey Post Number: 10 Registered: 8-2005 |
Pure lemon juice sounds a little raw, i'd be weary too. I like the Dr.Stringfellow Lem-Oil personally. Not sure in your case though with the older instrument. I hope someone that really has tried it can reply for you. | ||
| rockbassist
New Username: rockbassist Post Number: 3 Registered: 8-2005 |
Jeffrey, You do not use pure lemon juice. Juice comes from the fruit itself and is very acidic. Pure lemon oil is made from the rind/skin of the lemon. Alembic does recommend pure lemon oil for proper fretboard maintenance. You can usually find this in a health food or bath & body store in the aroma therapy section. | ||
| glocke
Member Username: glocke Post Number: 60 Registered: 9-2002 |
I had a teacher recomend bore oil (for horns) on the fetboard, hr claimed that lemon oil discolors inlays on the fretboard...since this guy was a pretty good expert on vintage jazz basses i tend to trust him | ||
| oggydoggy
Intermediate Member Username: oggydoggy Post Number: 130 Registered: 3-2003 |
I have been using "Fast Fret" on all of my basses for years now and I find it works the best. For one thing lemon oil causes strings to go dead (and possible inlay discoloration?) I always use Fast Fret before and after playing, which keeps my fretboards in good order, but when I come across a board that is dry, like my new 78' Series, I take my time and completely refresh each fret while changing strings one by one. OOO and Fast Fret prolongs string life!!! Later, -Ed | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 498 Registered: 11-2002 |
"For one thing lemon oil causes strings to go dead (and possible inlay discoloration?)" If you're using it properly - small quantity, let it soak in for a few minutes, wipe off excess - I am extremely skeptical that pure essential lemon oil will cause your strings to go dead. Though I suppose it's possible that if you regularly use a good bit of Fast Fret, it might help to prolong your string life, as you suggest at the end (maybe, no experience here). As for discoloration, I have no inlays and can't speak to that. However, I do find it curious that given the incredible inlay work that Alembic is known for... they still recommend lemon oil. But again, I've never heard a definitive statement from them in regard to inlays, so if you're skeptical that's fine. There have been a number of other discussions here on pure lemon oil, such as this one, and including some "converts" from other stuff. A search should turn them up pretty easily. -Bob | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2275 Registered: 5-2002 |
There is also this post in the FAQ section, which points to the links that Bob cited, as well as another, and quotes Mica from one of those threads. | ||
| pmoran
Member Username: pmoran Post Number: 78 Registered: 12-2004 |
thanks, dave. that thread from mica, and a subsequent personal email from her further recommending the proper technique, was where i got the idea for lemon oil. i had gone back and read it again, when i got my mark king. i just couldn't find anything that assured me i wouldn't discolor the oval inlays, which are really pretty. btw, has anyone else noticed that there are just some dogs you can look at and tell from your heart that they are a really "good dog". you can just tell looking at her that daisy, the alembic licking dog, is a great dog. | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 499 Registered: 11-2002 |
(sorry, Dave - I remembered we talked about putting this in the FAQ list and went looking there first, but I guess my eyes were too tired or something and missed it.) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 608 Registered: 7-2004 |
As far as the "lemon oil kills strings" syndrome, the good folks at Alembic suggested to me that after I treat the fingerboard with lemon oil, I should put the old strings back on and play it for a bit, THEN change strings. This seems to work o.k. I did recently oil my Daion (probably hadn't been oiled in 24 years) and without thinking put new strings on right away. They did tend to discolor a little in between the frets where I had pushed down with my fingers. I haven't noticed any problems with inlay discoloration. Bill, tgo | ||
| keith_h
Intermediate Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 166 Registered: 2-2005 |
I've been using lemon oil on both of my basses with good results. I oil the neck just as Alembic suggests a couple of weeks before changing the strings. For the first day or two the old strings appear to pick up some oil (as evidenced by the black marks on my fingers). I wipe down the strings and fretboard with an absorbent rag and within a few days the strings stop picking up oil. Like Bill I haven't noticed any change to the inlays, albeit I have not been doing this for 20 years to see long term results. Keith | ||
| yggdrasil
Member Username: yggdrasil Post Number: 59 Registered: 5-2002 |
my SC Sig has a coco bolo fretboard. Does the wood of the fretboard change the oil recommended? I use Stew Mac fretboard oil on my basses - I noticed the SC sig reacted differently - took longer to lose the oil smell, and the smell was stronger - in fact unpleasant - for about a week. Made me wonder if it was reacting differently to the cocbolo. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2277 Registered: 5-2002 |
Frank; did it soak into the fretboard normally, or did it take longer and was there more residue to wipe off? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2278 Registered: 5-2002 |
Frank; I ran a Google search and did not come up with any similar reports. | ||
| albrecht
Junior Username: albrecht Post Number: 14 Registered: 8-2005 |
hi & this is how i do it = nothing at all...i´ve been playing the same basses for 30 yrs+. never dunne no nothing to the fretboards (exept scraping off the blood ´n skin-cell-residue-shit. NEVER had any problems. might be the horrible swedish climate, or?...but i doubt that you should worry to much... | ||
| dfung60
Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 94 Registered: 5-2002 |
There always seems to be a lot of confusion about fingerboard care. The fingerboard is the only place on the instrument where you might have exposure of bare wood for most people, but even then, it's usually not totally bare. There's a bunch of different levels of things that you can do to the wood to protect it. At the extreme end, you can finish the fingerboard with varnish which protects it completely, but that's usually undesirable because string contact can wear through the varnish or make it look bad along the way. I don't think it's as big a deal with basses, but with guitars, your fingertip will come in contact with the fretboard surface and a varnished finish may have more "grab" on your hands. The next level is a penetrating oil finish like tung oil or linseed oil. These oils penetrate the wood surface and polymerize making the surface harder and more humidity resistant without the "grab" of varnish. This sort of a finish is wipe-on but takes a couple of days to get to full strength. I don't know whether Alembic is doing this at the factory, but I would assume so. This actually makes for a pretty tough finish when properly done and good protection for the fingerboard. Ebony and rosewood are usually used for unvarnished fingerboards since they are dense and have high natural oil content to start with so they can withstand the abrasion of the strings better. You could do this sort oil treatment too, but it takes some time for each coat to set, so you're talking about days before it's usable. It won't last all that long, but you can get a lot of protection from moisture with a wax finish. A quality woodworking wax with carnauba will protect the fingerboard from dirt and moisture. When you're using something like pure lemon oil, I think this is mostly a cleaning effect. It won't harden the surface of the wood like tung oil, but it does help dissolve some of the dirt off the fingerboard and frets. I kind of doubt that much of it will soak in, but I guess some will. I think the best thing that you could do is to make sure you keep the fingerboard clean. The dirt and oil from your hands won't clean off easily with water as oils are hydrophobic. But there are woodworking soaps that work well to remove all this gunk, usually petroleum distillates or plant extracts. I think if you followed that up with a good wax finish, you'd probably be doing better than heavy surface oil treatments. I use some German stuff called Livros Gleivo Wax, which is a plant-based wax/cleaner. That doesn't mean it doesn't smell "chemical-ly" because it does (fruit oils, they say, but it as strong as smell as turpentine), but it does a good job cleaning gunk off the fingerboard. This is a beeswax product which is a soft wax rather than a hard one like carnauba, so it's a little grippy. A pure carnauba wax like Harley Wax (an automotive wax) makes for a very hard, fast surface. A good cleaning and a hard wax finish shouldn't have any negative effect on the inlays. Finally, I'd really avoid stuff like Finger Ease. Many of these "string cleaners" have silicone in them, as do many automotive waxes. Silicone waxes are really easy to apply and very tough, but they're almost impossible to remove from the wood should you have to do refinishing later. GHS says Fast Fret is non-silicone, so it must not be, but it does make me wonder about the possible residue - if you think about it, if it's really just cleaning the strings, then they'll probably be *more* grabby afterwards rather than less so. Whatever it's leaving on your strings is also on your fingerboard. | ||
| 57basstra
Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 98 Registered: 4-2005 |
This has been a very interesting thread. Thanks guys. I have no advice to offer, but look forward to reading more. | ||
| pmoran
Member Username: pmoran Post Number: 79 Registered: 12-2004 |
i ask alot of stupid questions on this site. many times i end up digressing and saying something that demonstrates my relative ignorance about alembics because i've only owned them for a year. i've known about them for 30 years but couldn't afford them until the last 10 years or so, but i'd never played one and was afraid of the investment. ebay brought me into the alembic world, which i know sounds like heresy, but when i discovered ebay and that alembics were there and reasonable, a new world opened for me. to be a member of the alembic forum is like my college fraternity days---but not w/the shallowness of youth then present. you guys tend to be older, mature, serious bass owners/players----and you all seem to be willing to guide a 51 year old novice thru the learning process. i appreciate that. further, you all seem to be really nice people. so, it's like a fraternity of kind, gentle, extremely intelligent and knowledgeable folk. i didn't know there was such a thing. this thread has provided me w/a wealth of knowledge. i used the info mica provided to generate a belief the wood needed nourishment. i believe i now understand w/proper and regular cleaning and treatment w/good waxes, i'll never need lemon oil on this fretboard, since it's young and in pristine shape. so, i'm no longer worried about the effects of lemon oil on my dot inlays, which was the original thread. i now have a much broader understanding of proper care and cleaning, versus feeding, of my fingerboard. i bought a bass care kit in 1972, in austin, called "the tres hombres care kit" and it had 3 bottles of solutions. one was pure organic lemon oil for cleaning. another was carnauba wax for polishing and finishing. the third bottle? can't remember. however, thanks to the thread taking it's course, i'm now reminded of the value of carnauba and how wonderful it is on guitars. my '87 gibson rd artist is still in absolutely pristine shape, despite being played an average of 4 hours a week since '87 thanks to that kit. well, until about 5 years ago when the plastic bottles containing the 3 solutions began to degrade and pucker to the point i threw the kit out. carnauba here i come. thank you all for an extremely educational experience and for sharing your considerable knowledge w/me and others. your time is appreciated! | ||
| s_wood
Intermediate Member Username: s_wood Post Number: 150 Registered: 5-2002 |
Somewhere up towards the middle of the thread someone mentioned that lemon oil will kill your strings. That's true, but it's also true of any decent fingerboard oil. I think I've tried everything from dishwater to polio vacine on my fingerboards, and I have found that all fingerboard oils will kill one's strings. So here's what I do: I only oil my fingerboards when it's time to change strings. Then, I loosen the strings completely and oil the board without removing them. I wait 20 minutes and wipe the excess oil off the board. I then bring the strings back to pitch. I wait a day, then play my bass for an hour or 2 with the old and very dead strings on, making sure to play every string at each fret. Only then will I put new strings on the bass. BTW, I am a big fan of Stewart=McDonald Fingerboard oil, in part because it dries to a hard finish pretty quickly. | ||
| 57basstra
Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 100 Registered: 4-2005 |
Steve, Where do you get good polio vaccine these days? | ||
| jetbass79
Member Username: jetbass79 Post Number: 85 Registered: 2-2005 |
Well if it's true that lemon oil kills strings then there's no reason anyone on the planet should be using flatwounds. But since people still use flatwounds for the less bright sound, I'm not buying the strings go dead argument. I've been doing the same lemon oil thing (and brasso to polish frets) for more than 10 years and I have never noticed strings to just go dead. Then again, I don't bathe the fretboard in lemon oil, and I have never had a fretboard crack on me either from not enough moisture. | ||
| yggdrasil
Member Username: yggdrasil Post Number: 60 Registered: 5-2002 |
"Frank; did it soak into the fretboard normally, or did it take longer and was there more residue to wipe off?" Dave- no more residue than normal, and no noticeable difference in soak-in :-) The bass is a 2001; I think it had the original strings on it and I doubt it had been oiled at all. I never had a coco bolo board before - thought maybe it had something to do with that. Now it's fine; it was short term phenomenon. Frank | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 613 Registered: 7-2004 |
David: I am a little intrigued by your statement that lemon oil only cleans and doesn't really soak into the wood and replace the lost polymers. My recollection from previous discussions is that the reason Alembic recommends lemon oil is that it is best at soaking in and replacing the lost polymers. (Where do the "lost polymers" go? Is there an island of lost polymers out there somewhere, maybe next to the island of lost socks?) Now you explain that lemon oil doesn't do this job. So, does lemon oil soak into the fretboard or not? Do I even need to apply a "soaking in" oil? Now I'm more confused. Mica, Val, Susan, someone ....HELP!!!! Bill, tgo | ||
| byoung
Intermediate Member Username: byoung Post Number: 119 Registered: 12-2004 |
When I applied lemon oil last night, it definitely soaked in. I have a wenge fingerboard. Of course (shame on me), I haven't ever oiled it before. I didn't know about it until about a year ago. Brad | ||
| mpisanek
Junior Username: mpisanek Post Number: 24 Registered: 1-2005 |
My fretboard treatment routine involves an bi-annual (or so) treatment with tung oil and occasional cleaning with lemon oil. Both appear to soak in, and both appear to help the fretbaord maintain its proper condition. My upright is a Mosesgraphite KP6 and all I have to use is a damp cloth! No shrinkage either! Regards, Michael. | ||
| dfung60
Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 95 Registered: 5-2002 |
lbpesq - Polymerization is when molecules that are short in size organize to form long chains of molecules. This is how plastics are made - relatively short petroleum molecules which would normally be volatile (like solvents or gas which evaporate rapidly to fuel oils that leave a sticky mess for a long time) are chemically combined to make macromolecules that have very different properties like increased strength or water resistance. Any oil will penetrate into the wood when you put it on, but most of them don't harden very much. Something like tung oil will polymerize by itself when the solvent it's dissolved in evaporates. For whatever depth it penetrates into the wood (I think we're talking just 1/32" or so) the wood surface will be *really* hard - more resistant to scratches and passing less moisture through as well. I believe linseed oil also does this, although it needs to be boiled (and probably some other processing) for it to harden. If you use something like lemon oil (as discussed before, we're not talking about lemon juice or lemon-scented liquid furniture polish), it will soak into the wood and that oiled surface will cut down on moisture coming in or out of the neck wood. But I don't think it will harden into a protective coating at the level like tung oil. And the amount of humidity protection will probably be less than a good coat of wax. If you expose your neck to hot, dry conditions you really will cause the moisture in the wood to migrate out. If you're unlucky, that will cause the wood in the fingerboard to separate along the grain lines and you'll get a split. So an oil finish, or a coat of wax, or even dousing the neck in a non-polymerizing oil will probably help to some extent. But you really need to avoid the dehydrating conditions (as they say, if it would be uncomfortable for you, it will be uncomfortable for your bass too). On a $300 guitar, you may have cracking problems because the neck woods were not fully seasoned, which means that they had too much moisture in them when the neck was built. When the moisture migrates, the fingerboard may split. That's probably not a problem on your Alembic since the shop really knows what it's doing, but Alembic does build with a lot of exotic woods which can be more sensitive (ebony, cocabola, and burled woods, for instance). For most people who's instruments don't have harsh environmental conditions, I think that dirt and dust collecting on the fingerboard is a much bigger threat. Your hands have oil and perspiration on them. The oils you leave on the fingerboard and frets attract dust and the dust is quite abrasive on the fingerboard and frets. So keeping them clean should be a priority (even if it's sort of gross and not much fun). Something like lemon oil is a good cleaner for this goop. The oils from your hands are what a chemist would call "polar". THat's why it's hard to clean oily things with just water, which is "non-polar". You can clean them off more easily with a non-polar solvent, and lemon oil is one example of a gentle one. You could also use a stronger solvent like naptha, but a stronger solvent will also attack that polymerized oil finish on your fingerboard, so you're well served by using the weakest solvent that will do the job. And I think lemon oil (or the smelly solvent in my German wax) does a pretty good job of that. And, just like your car, having a good coat of wax there probably wouldn't hurt either. Finally(!), you asked about where all those lost polymers were going. After this long post, you've probably figured out the answer already (if you didn't fall asleep along the way). Mostly what's coming and going is the humidity/moisture/water in the fingerboard which you'd like to keep stable. There's (probably, but I'll wait to hear what Alembic says about whether they give a finishing oil coating to the fingerboard during construction) a very thin polymerized oil finish protecting the surface of the fingerboard which you are wearing away as you play in areas where your strings and fingers are touching the wood. That last part is kind of important, since you can think of your finished fingerboard sort of like a balloon. You only need to puncture the protective surface in one place for what's inside to start leaking out. Now, the wood finish is an intentionally "leaky" membrane so this isn't like a balloon popping and there's already a lot of "holes" in it like the fret slots. But if you have a lot of fingerboard wear (more likely on guitar than bass) then you're really much more exposed and really could benefit from wax if not refinishing. Of course, I welcome comment and correction from any and all, especially the Alembic folks. David Fung | ||
| 57basstra
Intermediate Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 102 Registered: 4-2005 |
Wow. | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 501 Registered: 11-2002 |
David - Mica's quote in the FAQ referenced by Dave above is quite clear, that "Our standard figerboard is unfinished," and I'm pretty certain that has come up in a few other places. Just plain sanded ebony (as standard), which is why they encourage you to feed it something. | ||
| pmoran
Member Username: pmoran Post Number: 82 Registered: 12-2004 |
why do i actually seem to understand this now? | ||
| dfung60
Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 96 Registered: 5-2002 |
bob - Thanks for the reference. I stand corrected on how the instruments are constructed out of the factory! I do believe I'm accurate with regard to what's going on with finishes and wood though, so it's something to think about. I've done fingerboard refinishing in tung oil of fretless basses in the past. I would agree that the finished surface feels tacky during the process, but in my case, didn't end up that way. I started by sanding the fretboard level and making sure it's really clean, then followed up by wiping on tung oil. It has to sit for days between coats (at least 3 days, I have only enough patience for no more than 3 coast) and you rub with plastic steel wool between coats after they harden, relatively coarse between coats, and fine at the end. Finally wax on top of that. I haven't tried this on a fretted bass. It wouldn't be that much harder, but you'd have to spend a lot of time cleaning up around the fret edges, so perhaps this is better as part of a refret. David Fung | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 2627 Registered: 6-2000 |
Our thought on the finish of a fingerboard is that Ebony is very stong and durable all on its own and we prefer it in its natural state. It also has a wonderful touch. In my experience, both pure linseed oil and pure tung oil rarely fully harden. That bothers me, but perhaps I'm just very sensitive. Polymerized oils do fully harden, but that too changes the touch. I've even heard of folks using Thompson's Water Seal on fingerboards. As the larger organic molecules, like the heavy turpines, evaporate from the Ebony, a pure lemon oil (which is rich in these compounds) penetrates just enough to replenish these and impede cracking. Oils also help dissolve the gunk that accumulates on well-played fingerboards. Eduardo once suggested lighter fluid (naptha) is commonly used in Mexico for cleaning fingerboards so I tried it. It evaporates pretty quickly, and the board isn't super rich black when done, but it does seem clean. After some pure lemon oil, it looked great. It's true that some people never oil their fingerboards and never have any troubles with cracking. We repair far fewer cracks on fingerboards where the owner has cared for it with a good quality oil. We use a fairly thick piece of Ebony, and it can take levelling and refretting several times if done by a carfeul repairperson. The fingerboard is not viewed as a permanent part of the instrument. Hopefully eventually someone will play the instrument enough that it requires replacing after several refrets. I think that means we did a good job, worthy of a player spending time making that much music on it. You have to balance how much you want to preserve the board to the way it feels when you play it. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 2628 Registered: 6-2000 |
Oh yeah - will it discolor the inlays? I've never noticed it doing so. We've been using pure lemon oil for many years now. | ||
| indigo
Junior Username: indigo Post Number: 16 Registered: 6-2005 |
Hi all, For what it is worth, I used lemon oil (the essential oil type) on my fingerboard over the weekend. Since the bass sat in Alembic's showroom for a year I figured it hadn't been oiled since it was built. It was pretty easy and it looks and feels GREAT! Since I live in the godforsaken desert (Las Vegas) I am going to be sure to do it every six months. Or, since it is so hot and dry here, would I be better off oiling it every 3 months? The posts by Mr. Fung lead me to believe a bit more often may be necessary. Any thoughts? Thanks, Troy | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 617 Registered: 7-2004 |
Troy: I don't know about a 3 month oil schedule, but I suspect your bass would really appreciate a humidifier in the case. Especially in a place like Vegas. Bill, tgo | ||
| son_of_magni
Intermediate Member Username: son_of_magni Post Number: 199 Registered: 1-2004 |
The "godforsaken desert"? That's not a Firesign Theater reference isit? | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 643 Registered: 11-2003 |
"Which way did we go?" | ||
| indigo
Junior Username: indigo Post Number: 17 Registered: 6-2005 |
Bill... Thanks for the tip. I will look for a humidifier for the case. I hadn't thought about that....durrr Karl... To show my high degree of lameness, I don't know about the Firesign Theater. I just know 4 months above 100 degrees (often above 110) sucks. :-) And I've been here for over 30 years! Cheers, Troy | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 620 Registered: 7-2004 |
Don't crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers! Yeah, Firesign! Bill, tgo | ||
| hollis
Senior Member Username: hollis Post Number: 644 Registered: 11-2003 |
"We went that-a-way!" | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 451 Registered: 6-2002 |
"Now you folks are SOOOO weird. It's just this little chromium switch here..." They're still releasing new materiel  Mike | ||
| beelee
Member Username: beelee Post Number: 80 Registered: 11-2004 |
Hi Troy, Planet Waves makes a real nice case humidifier, I picked one up a few months ago, found it on Ebay brand new ( typed in "Humidifier" in the musical instrument catagory) its leak proof, oval shaped, comes with a syringe to fill it, and comes with Velcro so it can be attached where you want it. It was inexpensive, I have to look through my emails for the price, I couldn't find one like it anywhere else and it cost less than other stores were selling it for if they even had it. I purchased it cause one of my Conklin 7 string basses started to have a problem, I noticed a small split starting to run up the fretboard underneath the G & C strings, it came out of nowhere, I saw it when changing strings. I was like how the hell did that happen ? The person who works on my basses told me it was cause of dryness, I got one of those plastic cup humidifiers with the clay in it, and checked it 3 x daily for days, there was no change, put in the planet waves one in and in no time it was completely gone, it can't even be seen and hasn't come back. I keep my basses in their cases when not in use, all in the same room, temperature and humidity is constant, I own/ owned many different basses, in my 24 years of playing I've never ever seen that happen to any of my instruments before. Bruce | ||
| pmoran
Member Username: pmoran Post Number: 83 Registered: 12-2004 |
"ah, porgie. he's so good with the help!" | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 452 Registered: 6-2002 |
" Oh Boy, roadcakes! Heavy on the thiry wieght, Mom." uh..still ... Hideo Gump | ||
| son_of_magni
Intermediate Member Username: son_of_magni Post Number: 200 Registered: 1-2004 |
Vezzzzrrght! "Hey, you got to plug in the female!" (Message edited by son_of_magni on August 30, 2005) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 624 Registered: 7-2004 |
Bruce: Which planet waves humidifier did you get? The "small" one - approximately 3 inches long, or the "big" one - approximately 5 1/2 inches long? Are you using a hygrometer? Which one? Bill, tgo | ||
| son_of_magni
Advanced Member Username: son_of_magni Post Number: 201 Registered: 1-2004 |
OMG! On average about every 10th time I mention Firesign Theater someone might have heard of them. This is really gratifying! Next I'm gonna find someone that knows about ZBS Media and "The Fourth Tower of Inverness". (Message edited by son_of_magni on August 30, 2005) | ||
| pmoran
Member Username: pmoran Post Number: 84 Registered: 12-2004 |
we're sicko's! no one understands the "so good w/the help" part except sicko's. | ||
| son_of_magni
Advanced Member Username: son_of_magni Post Number: 202 Registered: 1-2004 |
"ca, ca, coming Mother"! Ok, I apoligise, really didn't mean to hijack this thread. "Leave the horses in the wagon", "Yeah, it's all downhill from here..." (Message edited by son_of_magni on August 30, 2005) | ||
| beelee
Member Username: beelee Post Number: 82 Registered: 11-2004 |
Hey Bill tgo, I'm using the large humidifier, not using a hygrometer..........I didn't get the kit, just the humidifier.......I might get a few more down the road bought back in April , it was $12.15 with shipping | ||
| jseitang
Member Username: jseitang Post Number: 95 Registered: 6-2002 |
so all in all after all that is said and done, what does one need exactly get for an regular unfinished ebony fingetboard? | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1029 Registered: 9-2003 |
I've used lemon oil over the past 25yrs. and haven't had a problem, unless you don't wait for it to "dry" and it greases up the strings. I've never had a FB or real wood bridge crack on my guitars that I've had since new for 20-25yrs. minimum. My guitar guy says that lemon oil just saturates the wood and diminishes it's resonance, like a soggy stick. He uses a polymerizing tung oil-based product that he claims hardens and preserves not only the wood's resonance but it's structure as well. You got me! I like that lemon oil doesn't change the look or feel of the wood (at least after it dries). After my guy levels and dresses the frets, he scrapes and polishes (on the buffing wheel!) the fretboard and seals it with the hardening oil. It looks dark, shiny and feels hard, but it sure plays and sounds nice, though. Your call as to what to use. Just my $0.02. Both Alembic and my Luthier speak from experience: both are in their respective games for over 30yrs. | ||
| kilowatt
Junior Username: kilowatt Post Number: 20 Registered: 12-2004 |
Kevin, I,m looking for a luther to do some work on my mid-70's jazz bass and I know that we live in the same area. If you get a chance, post his info or send me an E-mail (in my bio). I would really appreciate it. I can't believe how much info this thread has generated. Thanks to all for their valued knowledge. Pete | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1035 Registered: 9-2003 |
Pete, Ck your PM...I sent you the info. Cheers, Kevin |
