True oil.

bluecat · October 2023

Will it be ok to refinish a maple fret board with true oil? I have no knowledge of the product, or should I use something else.
Many thanks.

Fingers657 · October 2023

Yeah you shouldn’t have any problems using it on a fretboard that has nothing on it..
Just don’t flood it .
put it on and rub it in and off.
some people say it can get in under frets and lift them.
These days I just use Crimson Guitar Products on my fretboards .
I also use there guitar tools .
Probably because I’ve been brainwashed over the years Watching to many of Ben Crowes guitar building videos and live stream guitar builds.

Norlin4life · October 2023

I’ve only used tru oil once on a maple board and that was about 15 years ago (it’s still going strong). I applied it with a cotton pad and did about 25 extremely thin coats, cutting back with 800 grit after every 5 or so. Looks great and is somewhere between gloss and satin.

I suspect Osmo might give you a similar level of protection with much easier application, but @Roland will be the one to ask in that regard.

BowynMadley · October 2023

I'd be careful using OSMO oils. It needs to penertrate deeper to give the protection. Often a maple fingerboard will be sanded to a much higher grit than osmo will soak into. I'd go with true oil or something equally as thin

bluecat · October 2023

It is really only on certain parts of the board where string bending has worn away the original finish.

ghad · October 2023

What kind of colour did the tru oil leave behind, on a scale of anaemic to tangerine? Assuming you didn't adulterate the oil with a stain or dye. Always been curious about this. Thanks!

RobG3294 · October 2023

Any kind of synthetic Gunstock oil such as this - apply VERY sparingly, or else it'll run (and dry that way as if doing a large area, you'll likely miss a spot run visually) - ask anyone with good knowledge of doing shotgun stocks or the shotgun forearm. Many of the wooden parts on a gun are Walnut so it hides it better, but on a maple board, the runs are pretty obvious.

Literally a minute dab is all you want at a time. Boiled linseed oil is more forgiving to practice with.

Also - @ghad - TruOil in a finished state is basically a zero to very light tint stuff. Granted it has a colour to it in gloopy liquid form, but it's applied so thinly that it makes almost negligible difference.

Norlin4life · October 2023

ghad said:

What kind of colour did the tru oil leave behind, on a scale of anaemic to tangerine? Assuming you didn't adulterate the oil with a stain or dye. Always been curious about this. Thanks!

It was fairly neutral when first applied but now has a nice light vintage tint. No way near as strong as Fenders vintage tint though.

Norlin4life · October 2023

BowynMadley said:

I'd be careful using OSMO oils. It needs to penertrate deeper to give the protection. Often a maple fingerboard will be sanded to a much higher grit than osmo will soak into. I'd go with true oil or something equally as thin

Polyx doesn’t need to penetrate at all. It’s surface protection and will depend on the number of coats and application method (flood, wipe excess, cure, re-apply x10 etc) We’ve been using it for years in my studio on pieces sanded past 800 grit (exotics) worth 10’s of thousands and never once had an issue. Even on heavy wear table surfaces. It’s not as hard as gun stock oil though, and will flex more with the wood.

There’s lots of other alternatives in this day and age though, so go with whatever gives the easiest application.

Roland · October 2023

Norlin4life said:

I suspect Osmo might give you a similar level of protection with much easier application, but @Roland will be the one to ask in that regard.

You credit me with more knowledge than I actually have.

What I do know is that Tru-Oil will colour maple. If you’re after that aged or “vintage Fender” look then that may be what you want. Personally I prefer Osmo PolyX 3032, which is a satin finish, because it doesn’t colour the wood as much as Tru-Oil. Basically they both have an oil/wax base, but Tru-Oil has a higher lacquer content and a yellowish pigment to enhance the look of the gunstocks that’s it’s intended for.

At the moment my favourite for finishing maple boards it CA glue. Several coats wet sanded with 600 grit or finer. However you have to apply this before fretting, and recut/clear out the fret slots before fret insertion. For around two years I’ve been gigging a Sycamore neck finished with CA, and there’s no signs of wear. I can’t speak for the longer term.

bluecat · October 2023

Thanks Guys, that has given me a few things to think about.

Kalimna · October 2023

For what it's worth, here's a picture of a maple neck taken when it was around 10 years old. It doesnt get played too much, and it's the back rather than the fretboard. However, there is no wear at all on either surface (fretboard also maple), and you get the colour from around 10 coats Tru-Oil.

https://i.imgur.com/zdWSWi9.jpeg

RobG3294 · October 2023

Kalimna said:

For what it's worth, here's a picture of a maple neck taken when it was around 10 years old. It doesnt get played too much, and it's the back rather than the fretboard. However, there is no wear at all on either surface (fretboard also maple), and you get the colour from around 10 coats Tru-Oil.

https://i.imgur.com/zdWSWi9.jpeg

Good picture. Exactly as above - looking at the non flamed parts of the maple (as most necks will be rift sawn without the darker streaks of flame), Tru Oil will not tint (or barely tint your maple). What it will do is darken the dry wood just a hair in the same way that rubbing mineral spirits or most liquid substances on it would do, temporarily.

If you're getting anything resembling a vintage tint off your finished product, you've either got the patience of a saint and have applied about 50 coats or you're using it wrong I'm afraid.

If you want an idea, google a Fender Custom Shop Light Tint, and thats about what Tru Oil will do for you.

bluecat · October 2023

Thank you very much. It's good to know people know things.

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