Shoe polish used on fretboard??

[cort]

My guitar repairman uses shoe polish(the stuff in a small tin)on the guitars he sets up.Anyone ever use it?I know after after a set up they feel great.He says use a small amount on a rag and wipe it into the fretboard.Let it dry.Then buff it off.I believe it's a carnuba wax...Cort

[toejam]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

Carnuaba wax is pretty good for guitar bodies. Not sure why you'd use it on a fingerboard, though.

[zeegler]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

LOL I used black shoe polish to try and ebonize my fretboard. It was beautiful and shiny, but it felt a little sticky to the touch until I used Murphy's oil soap on it.

[metafaza]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

To each his own, but I'd never put shoe polish on a guitar. Sounds like a weird idea to me... [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

2nd that.

[zeegler]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

Keep in mind that this was a guitar that I paid $85 for including shipping. It was an experiment. The shoe polish doesn't come off if it's rubbed in properly, and the excess wiped off. Since it didn't darken the fretboard sufficiently though, I'm going to try the vinegar method next time I change the strings.

[mccullpl]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

i would think the black shoe polish would keep coming off on your fingers forever. i would think carnuba on the fretboard would kind of seal it, and make it nice and slippery....

[jgcable]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

I would try some french dressing or maybe some honey mustard sauce on it. Neither are that far off from using shoe polish on a guitar neck.

[StukaJU87]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

JG, I was thinking of using some used 30 weight from a Mack truck to darken my fretboard. Or should I go with the 90 weight from the differential? What do you think? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[mccullpl]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

don't use the 90 weight! you never get rid of that gear oil stink!

[jgcable]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

I heard that cod liver oil works best and has an added benefit of keeping you healthy.

[metafaza]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

Or you can try some extra-strength coffee, just remember - no cream, no sugar.

[zeegler]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

Perhaps creosote would do the job. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

Originally posted by StukaJU87:
JG, I was thinking of using some used 30 weight from a Mack truck to darken my fretboard. Or should I go with the 90 weight from the differential? What do you think? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, 10W30 or 10W40 motor oil is fine to use on a fret board. Believe it or not, Jimmy D'Acquisto, the acoustic guitar maker, uses that to oil his fingerboards. Anything with mineral oil would be fine, like oil, vaseline, etc. He advises against any vegetable-based oils, as he feels that over time they could rot the wood.

[Jester700]

Re: Shoe polish used on fretboard??

Originally posted by toejam:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by StukaJU87:
JG, I was thinking of using some used 30 weight from a Mack truck to darken my fretboard. Or should I go with the 90 weight from the differential? What do you think? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, 10W30 or 10W40 motor oil is fine to use on a fret board. Believe it or not, Jimmy D'Acquisto, the acoustic guitar maker, uses that to oil his fingerboards. Anything with mineral oil would be fine, like oil, vaseline, etc. He advises against any vegetable-based oils, as he feels that over time they could rot the wood. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That makes sense (lemon oil is mostly mineral oil anyway). But that won't darken the wood right out of the bottle. You have to put 10,000 miles on the oil, THEN drain & apply to fretboard. And it works best if the motor was run at high RPMs often... ;-)