Finishing a fretboard

[samuelbrick]

So I recently made a start on my JM-1 kit and am pretty excited.

I was wondering what the general consensus was on finishing a fretboard. Is lacquer the best option or do people opt for a tung oil or something in that realm?

Thanks!

[wokkaboy]

Hi Samuel,
don't use a lacquer on the fretboard, there's a range of oils that the forum like using. You can use Dingotone Dingowax I think is available. Dr Ducks Wax finish. Some use linseed/lemon or tung oil. It usually comes down to personal preference. Anything to give it a slick finish

[samuelbrick]

Awesome! Thanks for that. I was looking on-line and I couldn't find a definitive answer.

[lawry]

Hi Samuel.
Yeah, like Wokka said, you don't want to be putting lacquer on the rosewood. I haven't used Dingo Wax but I have got some I'm keen to try.
Traditionally I have been using lemon fret oil and have always been happy with it.
And... I've built a JM-1. Cool guitar. A bit heavier than some of the others and consequently has some pretty good sustain and it's own tone.
Cheers

[ultpanzi]

If its a rosewood fretboard Ive always used lemon oil, but ive found it feels a little different on ebony or maple. Play around a bit and find what suits you. Although...the dingo wax looks extremely promising for my next build.

[dingobass]

I may be biased, but go the Dingotone wax I have put a lot of time and research into it and have been using it on my builds and it works really well.

The oils feed the timber and the waxes leave a durable surface that lasts without clogging up your strings.

Apply it every time you change your strings and you will always have a super fast neck

[Gavin1393]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from dingobass on July 24, 2014, 20:06

Apply it every time you change your strings and you will always have a super fast neck

Just to clarify, if you are a guitarist, apply it every time you change your strings, and;

if you are a bassist, at least once every three months.......for we all know bassists NEVER change their strings!

[wokkaboy]

I've used Dingowax on a fretboard and it feels (and smells) great, so I recommend it. I applied it to a bass so Gavmiester does that mean I only have to rewax every 12 months ?

[lawry]

Ah, Gavmeister. You wound me!
Why, just last year I changed the strings on my 5 string fretless.

[ultpanzi]

+1 that bassists dont change their strings. Im a bassist and Ive had the same bass for 5 years, play it live twice a week every week, sweated on the strings, licked them once to prove I can play with my tongue to a friend and still never changed the strings. I think the closest to string changing I ever come close to is the great quarterly tuning where I bump the tuning pegs by half a nanometer.