Caring for your Andy neck?

[MikeHil]

Hi Guys,

I love my Andys... no duh, right? So, I diligently wipe the neck and body down after playing or practicing. However, can you overdo it?

Before and after playing, I use GHS Fast Fret to clean the neck and strings. Also, when I change the strings, I use Lemon Oil (Kyser - Dr. Stringfellow, Lem-Oil to be exact) to clean and condition the neck.

Is this too much? Could I actually be doing more harm than good?

[andersonguy]

Hi Mike,
Whenever I change my strings I lemon oil the fretboard, that is mainly due to the dry climate I live in. I never have wiped the neck down and only maintain my guitars shine by using the Mguires recommended by Anderson occasionally. This simple regimen has kept my Andy's in perfect condition, Even after over 10 years they are near perfect after much playing. ;)

AG

[Stan Malinowski]

Be CAREFUL with the lemon oil treatment. Oiling every string chage is probably too often. The problem is most lemon oil are actually mixed with a solvent and can disolve the glue holding in the frets. I know that there is one manufacturer (but I can't remember who - maybe Dunlop) whose sells a pure lemon oil with no solvents. A safer solution is to use raw (not boiled) lindseed oil, same benefits of lemon oil without the solvent problem.

[tom]

i have not personally seen any lemon oil horrors. i think the interval will vary greatly with the persons chemistry. i never dry out my fingerboards, but we have seen crazy dry fingerboards come in for mods or repairs. i think you only need to apply whatever you use when it's looking dry or dirty. mineral oil is the other thing i have heard people use with good results. lindseed oil can be very thick and sticky, make sure you wipe it nice and clean or you will get a build up that is hard to get off.

[andersonguy]

Hey Tombo, where do you find guitar honey or info on it?

AG

[tmihm]

Some of the guys in the PRS forum use rosewood oil. I never checked it out though....

[andersonguy]

Originally posted by tombo
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT put lemon oil on EVERY string change....unless you only change your strings once a year. Once a year, maybe twice is all that a rosewood fretboard needs to cure its thirst.

I use "Guitar Honey" and the small bottle I have is gonna last probably past my death. You just don't need to apply fretboard care more than once or twice a year. There was a big post on the "Hamer Fan Club" a few years back regarding this same subject. Kim Keller @ Hamer Guitars said something about a special "linseed oil" that he claims works wonders, but again....he only did it once, max twice a year.

I'm sure theTAG staff will chime in here with some better, more concrete info.
Ouch!:confused:
I had been using lemon oil at least once a month on my andies for years without any adverse affects. I dont want the frets poping out from dryness either.
I will search for the pure lemon oil. I like what it does to the fretboard, keeps is looking and feeling great. I will reduce substancially after reading this post though.

AG

[tmihm]

AG, New Mexico seems like it would be awfully dry - humidity-wise. Maybe you're still OK. I wouldn't panic...but chill a bit on the oiling! ;)

[dannopelli]

Is there a product that TAG recommends?

I actually have never put anything on my necks. Some of my guitars were 20 years old. But I have lived in climates with relative humidity above 50% most of the year. Plus I use a humidifier in the winter.

Since I recently completely renovated my rig and all my guitars are less than three years old, I want to take good care of them.

But I hear and read many arguments for and against lemon oil vs linseed oil vs mineral oil. Hard to figure which is right.

[tom]

we use lemon oil here on new guitars and on repairs that we do.

[Stan Malinowski]

Tom,

What brand of lemon oil do you folks use? Is it solvent (napatha) free?

[tom]

ours is called lemon drop furniture polish. it doesn't say too much about whats in it except it is a mix of lemon and "white" oils. we buy it at smart and final by the gallon. it is very good for cleaning, it will easily scrub off gooey residue. it doesn't smell like naptha, but the lemon smell is pretty overpowering. we've been using it for years and i'm not concerned about any naptha if there is any. our frets are pressed and glued in and we've never had a problem like was mentioned earlier in this thread.

[dannopelli]

HA! I am pretty sure my Grandmother used to use Lemon Drop!

[tom]

granny knows best!

[SteveK]

I use the pure rosewood oil and it works great. Here's a link to where you can get it. A little goes a LONG way.

http://www.selectoils.com/essentialoils/rosewood.htm