If you want your guitar to look and sound its best, oiling the fretboard is a necessary part of maintaining your instrument. Without periodic oiling, the wood will dehydrate and lose moisture, and can cause the fretboard to warp or crack.
Contact with sweat and exposure to the elements will speed up the dehydration of the wood, so instruments that are heavily used or played at outdoor events will need more frequent oiling than collector’s items.
7 Best Guitar Fretboard Oils – Reviews
1. D’Addario Lemon Oil – Guitar Fretboard Oil
D’Addario Lemon Oil is made out of natural lemon oil, which is a popular oil for conditioning fretboards. D’Addario’s formulation is strong enough to break down dirt, grease, and other harmful buildup on your guitar, but gentle enough to not harm the instrument’s finish.
When applied appropriately, D’Addario Lemon Oil will restore the natural the natural luster of the wood and leave the fretboard feeling silky and smooth. This product works best with dark woods, and isn’t recommended for maple fretboards.
Key Features
- Cleans and conditions in one product
- Natural lemon oil formula
- Conditions the wood to prevent cracks
2. Dunlop Lemon Oil Spray Bottle
In addition to cleaning and hydrating your fretboard, Dunlop Lemon Oil is formulated to include an invisible sealant. This sealant will help hold in the oils your fretboard needs, while also sealing out excessive moisture and potential stains. This makes it a great option for guitars that will be used outdoors in humid climates.
Dunlop Lemon Oil is packaged in a convenient and easy to use spray bottle, so you don’t need to worry about spills. This fretboard oil is good for ebony, rosewood, mahogany, and other dark coloured woods.
Key Features
- Specially formulated to remove grime
- Colourless sealant to protect against stains and moisture
- Convenient spray bottle
3. Rotosound LO2 Guitar Care Lemon Oil
Rotosound LO2 Guitar Care Lemon Oil is a combination cleaner and conditioner designed to extend the life of your instrument. This natural lemon oil blend can power through dirt and buildup, while also resisting dryness from regular wear and tear.
In addition to being able to clean dirt and grease, Rotosound LO2 Guitar Care Lemon Oil is able to safely remove wax build up on guitars. If you have a tough cleaning job, this oil is a great choice to remove grime and restore the natural beauty of your guitar. This oil is recommended for use only on unfinished woods.
Key Features
- Removes wax buildup
- Recommended for unfinished woods
- Includes conditioner to hydrate wood as you clean
4. MusicNomad F-One Fretboard Conditioner
MusicNomad F-One Fretboard Conditioner is designed to not contain any d-limonene, a natural solvent found in lemon oil. In some situations, d-limonene can damage paint and glue. MusicNomad F-One Fretboard Conditioner is a great choice for sensitive guitars.
This oil is a great choice for those with d-limonene allergies, or for special instruments that need a gentler clean. The natural seed oils are safe for use on all unfinished ebony, rosewood, and maple fretboards. If you want to clean and condition your instrument with a less acidic product, this oil is a great choice.
Key Features
- D-limonene free
- Safe for all unfinished woods
- Contains no waxes, petroleum distillates, silicone, or water
5. Lem Oil for Black Fingerboards
Formulated with lemon oil, Lem Oil is formulated to break down dirt and restore vibrancy to fretboards. This product improves the colour of your instrument, and has a fresh, clean smell. Wood conditioned with Lem Oil with have a soft and smooth feel.
In addition to guitars, Lem Oil can be used on many other string instruments. Mandolins, ukuleles, erhu, and many other instruments can be conditioned and cleaned with this product, making it a good choice for large bands and orchestras. Lem Oil should only be used on black fingerboards, and not on lighter colours or maple.
Key Features
- Suitable for all stringed instruments
- Fresh Smell
- Leaves fretboard feeling soft and smooth
6. Jim Dunlop 6502 Fingerboard Care Kit
This kit contains three separate products, the polish/cleaner, the conditioner, and a polishing cloth. The cleaner is designed to gently dissolve dirt and built up grime on the fretboard. Once the fretboard is clean, the conditioner can be rubbed into the wood using the included microfiber cloth to replenish the natural oils of the wood.
Both products in this kit are specially formulated to be the best at their separate applications. This kit is a safe way to restore the rich luster of your instrument without harming the finish.
Key Features
- Great gift for guitar lovers
- Renowned brand
- All-in-one kit to clean and polish guitars
7. Fender Custom Shop Fingerboard Remedy
Fender Custom Shop Fingerboard Remedy is a deeply hydrating fretboard oil that will keep your fretboard hydrated even in dry climates. It will gently lift dirt and grease off the fretboard, and can be rubbed into the wood to give it a polished and protective sheen.
This formula is a blend of high grade carnauba wax, beeswax, and citrus oils. It contains no silicones, resins, polymers, bonding agents, alcohol, or other harsh ingredients. It’s suitable for all finishes, including vintage nitrocellulose fretboards.
Key features
- Compatible with nitrocellulose finishes
- Special blend of citrus oil, beeswax, and carnauba
- Gives wood a protective and beautiful sheen
Best Fretboard Oils – Buying Guide
Type of Fretboard
The first thing you need to consider before you buy fretboard oil is what kind of fretboard you’ll be using it on.
If your fretboard has been varnished, you’ll only need a product to clean it, as the varnish holds in moisture and prevents drying. Unvarnished boards benefit from conditioning to prevent them from drying out over time.
Although rare, some fretboards can be made out of other exotic woods and may need particular care to look their best. If you’re not sure what kind of fretboard you have, it’s best to check with a music store or luthier before you apply any products to it.
Different Woods
Fretboards are typically made from one of the following woods:
- Rosewood
- Ebony
- Maple
Rosewood and ebony are naturally darker in colour, where as maple is considered a white wood. Some oils that work well on ebony and rosewood would stain the light colour of maple. Additionally, some specialty or vintage instruments may include nitrocellulose or other specialty finishes that may need particular oils for cleaning and conditioning.
Ingredients
Different formulations of fretboard oil use different ingredients of varying strengths. Many include lemon oil, but use differing concentrations, some intended for deep cleaning and others to polish and hydrate.
Pure lemon oil should be avoided, since the concentration is too high and can harm the fretboard. If you want to avoid d-limonene altogether, there are still options for you, but you’ll need to read the label.
Many fretboard oils contain similar ingredients to furniture polish, but this lower cost product isn’t a good substitute for a properly formulated fretboard oil. Furniture polish often contains ingredients like silicone, paraffin oil, and too high of concentrations of lemon oil that can have negative effects on your instrument.
Climate
The climate that you’ll be using the instrument in can play a role in what oil you choose for your fretboard. In a humid climate, you may want to choose one that can seal out the moisture in the air.
If you’ll be playing in an arid climate, you may need to choose one that hydrates the wood more deeply to prevent it from drying out. If you’re traveling to many different climates, you might want one that is more of a jack-of-all-trades rather than a specialized formula.
Work Load
What kind of workload are you putting on your guitar? An instrument that is played outdoors at gigs every weekend has different oiling needs than a collector’s piece that is rarely used. Exposure to the elements and frequent contact with salty sweat and grease from fingertips can make the wood of the fretboard dry out sooner, leading to a more frequent need for cleaning and oiling.
Heavily used instruments need to be oiled more often than display pieces, but it still doesn’t need to be done very often. Some experts recommend oiling your guitar with the same frequency that you need to restring it. A professional with a packed schedule may need to do it once a month, while a casual musician may only need it one or twice a year.
Desired Effect
The kind of oil you pick can depend on what main effect you’re trying to get from the oil. Are you oiling your guitar to clean dirt off of a heavily used instrument? Are you restoring the sheen to a dried out collectors item? Are you trying to protect it against harsh outdoor elements? Most oils can do all three to some degree, but often do better at one job or another.