Fretboard Conditioner?

revolver · Post by **revolver** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:08 am

I received a bottle of "Gibson Fretboard Conditoner" for Christmas. It says "Not recommended for finished fingerboards." Pardon my ignorance, but is a Ricky fretboard finished?

It feels and looks that way to me, but I'm not completely sure.

shinynewtoy · Post by **shinynewtoy** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:55 am

Yes, the Ricky fretboard is CV'ed. Unless your like me, and yours isn't. I'm going out on a limb to say that the conditioner wouldn't be necessary on a finished board... but my Rosa loves her Fast-Fret!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:09 am

Personally, I think you need to be VERY familiar to call a Rickenbacker "Ricky". And, if you are not familiar enough to know that a finished fretboard is a RIC point of distinction, then hold off on the "Ricky" business until you are familiar enough. By then, you'll have too much respect for the instrument to call it "Ricky".

Some people say that the varnished fretboard on their Rickenbacker instruments feels "sticky" and slows down their playing. (And I thought Eddie played Jacksons...)

So they go out and buy one of those fretboard conditioner sticks, (don't get 'em confused with a UHU Glue Stick!), and smear it all over the fretboard and strings. Presto! Instant Karma.

Silicone. That's what fretboard conditioner sticks have a lot of. Which means trouble if the guitar or fretboard ever needs refinishing.

But maybe yours never will.

I use Dr. Stringfellow; $6.00 in a 4-ounce spritz bottle. Citrus oils in fast-evaporating naphtha. Spray on, wipe off with a nice CSCC. Most of the volatile ingredients are gone in a couple of minutes, leaving behind a coating of heavier citrus oils (sounds oily and heavy, but is neither) that preserves your strings, keeps your frets from corroding, and slicks up the fretboard real nice, like.

I even use it on the back of my guitars' necks to speed things up.

Highly recommended.

shinynewtoy · Post by **shinynewtoy** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:16 am

I'm not the only one who does the back of the neck!

I know a Curmudgeon trick... I know a Curmudgeon trick...

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:29 am

I recall asking the "sticky neck" question many months ago (or was it years?) and Paul recommended Dr. Stringfellow or lemon oil if that particular brand wasn't available. I use it on the strings and back of the neck religiously after use. A small squirt on a cloth, wipe the back of the neck and the strings. Wait a minute or so and wipe again with a clean cloth (cotton, of course) and back into the case.

Nice and slick (not oily) for the next session........... strings last a lot longer, too!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 1:27 pm

Aitch, it must've been When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth...at least that's how it feels to my bones...

Thereya have it, folks, unpaid testimony to the excellence, etc., etc.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:14 pm

Unpaid? That's not what you said yesterday......

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:18 pm

Errrr.....

revolver · Post by **revolver** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 7:13 pm

>>Personally, I think you need to be VERY familiar to call a Rickenbacker "Ricky".<<

Yeah, well you know, it came with a birth certificate saying his name was "Ricky" so that's what I've been calling him.....

I guess I'll just stick the goop on the SG and leave "Ricky" alone.

jojo99 · Post by **jojo99** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:49 pm

I also had a bottle of Dr. Stringfellow...din't like it, at all...great if you like huffing mineral spirit fumes...stinky stuff. I can understand why Paul likes it...he's fond of benzene, too...LOL. Us non-cancer-loving types use olive oil..extra virgin. (now, who couldn't use an extra virgin around the house?) I was just reading on the bass board that citrus/lemon oil is overrated for wood conditioning, mainly because you have to use quite a few coats to get the desired effect. Someone there mentioned a gun stock conditioner that works amazing, one coat doing the trick.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 6:27 am

I can't smell any strong spirits smell in Dr. S, the dominant scent is one of lemons...

I don't know where you heard the benzene story--that was back in the '70s. I'm over that now, and well into urethane reducers lo these last few years.

Ah, the damned dreams--will they never leave me alone?????

Ummmm, sorry for the Lovecraftian drift off-topic there...

Remember, Jo, when we wipe down a finished Rickenbacker fretboard, there's no wood to be conditioned, as it has been already totally sealed by the coating of factory conversion varnish.

What we're doing in this case, is placing a layer of citrus oils of varying volatility onto the board (over the CV), frets and strings. The strings especially benefit from this treatment--the wound or wrapped absorb the stuff, which does a lot to prevent corrosion at a microscopic level.

So we're not conditioning anything here, unless we are wiping down a fretboard which has no conversion varnish. I use Dr. S on my Gretsches too, and their ebony and rosewood 'boards do benefit. Anything that does the job in one coat I would be suspect of, as to my way of thinking, it would be putting a coating onto the fretboard, rather than penetrating the grain to displace water and keep it supple.

See ya--gotta go and sniff my fingers...