guitars

we take for granted the ease with which information flows now days.

I only started guitar this year and the first thing I did with my first guitar was clean the human slime off the fret board, oil it, then set it up to factory specs. I could imagine buying my first guitar even 20 years ago and just getting used to however it was setup and potentially not even thinking about cleaning the fret board.

I could imagine not even knowing what a truss rod is much less that you should be adjusting it occasionally.

This is the best time in history to have literally any hobby.

Yes, I do it when I change strings, or whenever it gets too "dry". Just a few drops and then a wipe it with a cloth rag. I think it feels better than a clean dry fretboard.

I use a regular fine sewing machine oil. Haven't tried any of the brands specifically for guitars.

I always apply a fine layer of oil on the fretboard, let it sit for a few minutes and then clean it. Most people use lemon oil, you can use ballistol oil (I do) but don't use olive oil. If you have a maple neck no need to oil it.

Yeah I’ll normally do it every other string change. I play a lot, so I’ll go through strings every couple of weeks. Every other string change puts me at about once every 2-3 months for a wipe down and oil of the fretboard.

I've got a 1991 Epi Pro US that I played daily until about 2010. In a cold winter the finish began to come off. The tremolo is done, the gears and hexagon holes are worn out, the neck pickup is shred down from the pick so the copper coils come out, but the neck and fretboard are perfectly ok. I've never oiled any fretboard. I don't know anybody who does. I've never seen any fretboard oil at the guitar store where I bought most of my stuff for years and the first time I ever heard about fretboard oil was on reddit. I think it one of these useless things Americans love to get scared into buying.

Yes, a few times a year.

Yeah usually when I restring I'll wipe down the instrument with a cloth and oil the fretboard. I don't think it's necessary if you have decent humidity control and don't get fret sprouting. I don't have good control over the temp & humidity in an apartment so it can get dry especially in the winter and humid in the summer. For storage I'll usually just loosen the strings and put one of those humidifier packs in the case/bag and re-wet it every couple of months.

About every 6 months. But remember not do it to maple boards.

This is my personal experience with 100 dollar guitars, do not take it at face value.

I used to use ~~lemon juice~~ when my guitars were new, worked pretty well, after a while your own grease from your fingers kinda acts like the ~~lemon juice~~ and you oil the fretboard just by playing.

Also, another protip, if your steel strings start sounding dull, instead of spending money on new strings you can wash them with anti grease and let them soak in boiling water and you have a free new set of strings. (Just be careful coz thin strings like to prick fingers.)

Edit: So, some comments called to my attention that I may actually be doing a disservice to my guitars by using lemon juice. Some years ago I saw a video that said that if I didn't have lemon oil that I could use lemon juice instead and it kinda worked somehow. But searching for it online and I can't find anyone recommending this, so DON'T USE LEMON JUICE if preserving the instrument is a priority. Instead use lemon oil.