How To Clean, Oil & Condition Your Guitar's Fingerboard

Рет қаралды 288,559

Күн бұрын

Learn how to clean, oil and condition the fretboard on your guitar with Jim DeCola and WHY you should do it regularly.
▶ Get all the tools you need to clean and care for your guitar HERE: bit.ly/4a4q2Jz
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In this episode of "Gibson's Guide to Guitar Setup and Maintenance," viewers learn how to clean, oil, and condition their guitar's fretboard like a professional. Gibson Master Luthier, Jim DeCola, demonstrates the correct way to maintain your guitar's fingerboard, including effective ways to eliminate gunk buildup. Whether you're a beginner learning to clean your guitar's fretboard for the first time, or a seasoned professional, Jim will give you pro tips that will make the cleaning and conditioning process simple and more efficient, while giving your guitar's fingerboard improved stability, smoother playability, and a like-new appearance.
Learn how to apply lemon oil to your guitar's fretboard, in this example using a Gibson SG, which also applies to all electric guitars. Jim also shares his tips on removing that gunk buildup that tends to happen over time we play our guitars using simple household items such as a toothbrush to remove dirt and debris from the fretboard. In addition, Jim shows us how to use synthetic steel wool to clean the fretboard safely on our guitar when the gunk tends to be a little harder to remove.
If you have an old guitar that needs a lease on life and feels a little strange under your fingertips this is the video on cleaning and maintaining your guitar's neck that you need!
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Пікірлер: 424

@royhsieh4307 3 жыл бұрын

i always trust a guy with shiny head when he teaches us how to make our guitars shiny.

@vsnakepit 2 жыл бұрын

Hahahahah Omg! You made my day 😂

@henri.stach1208 2 жыл бұрын

I bet he oils his head every day

@sheepkillindog 2 жыл бұрын

Consistency

@davidnee Жыл бұрын

Mr. Clean!

@cashway0420 Жыл бұрын

He's definitely got more of a gloss finish than a satin finish on that dome

@grzegorznt666 3 жыл бұрын

It's nice that Gibson places their own product but just the same give you the tips how to get substitute for it. It's professional approach IMHO...

@fretboarder4752 3 жыл бұрын

Why doesnt gibson treat their fretboards when they come off the line at final setup? i see so many guitars even customshop in stores with really dry as sticks boards..

@seanbarrett1678 3 жыл бұрын

YES! I have four different Gibsons and each one comes brand new with dry as straw fretboards!

@matthewajello1299 3 жыл бұрын

@@seanbarrett1678 that’s more or less the dealers fault, the temperature change and the guitar sitting in the store dries it out

@seanbarrett1678 3 жыл бұрын

@@matthewajello1299 ehhh, perhaps. But my last guitar was made in January and I got it in April so there wasn’t really much time for it to dry out. In any event, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Changed strings, oiled it up and it looked and played fantastic.

@fretboarder4752 3 жыл бұрын

@@matthewajello1299 so how is the guitar in the video the same as i see in stores and its still in the factory..

@nickjackson6375 3 жыл бұрын

My 2019 was dry as a bone.

@matthewtucker1699 3 жыл бұрын

I love that shirt, I have the white/blue vintage style one but this one would be cool as well Gibson please sell this one too

@emilioperez8739 3 жыл бұрын

Always love the look of freshly oiled fretboard on my 2018 Traditional. Really brings out the Honey Burst 🤘

@PaulKirtley 3 жыл бұрын

Useful, clear, well-produced video. Thank you.

@spideymarino 3 жыл бұрын

Great. Looking forward to the next episode. Thanks.

@jonnyz5772 2 жыл бұрын

i appreciate advice from a Gibson factory luthier rather than a random blogger - thanks, Gibson!

@collisw8302 Жыл бұрын

To the point and incredibly helpful. Cheers Jim!

@justinshirley2254 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks again for information Iwasnt aware of.40 years or so of playing and I'm still learning new stuff.Even if I've forgotten more than someone else knows that doesn't mean that they don't know something I don't.

@Panhead49EL 3 жыл бұрын

Mine plays like butter.....because that's what I use on my fretboard. Mmmmm, butter.

@expocat11 3 жыл бұрын

Haha

@relevantinformation6655 3 жыл бұрын

Butter is excellent on a toasted finish neck 👍

@fadeskywards1245 3 жыл бұрын

Mmmmm bu'uh 🇬🇧

@joshuadcosta5602 3 жыл бұрын

@@fadeskywards1245 wi sum ‘oast an’ crumpe’s

@cjgreen4331 2 жыл бұрын

lol

@graedwolf380 Жыл бұрын

This is top notch advice! I also love those "Pro tips". You can tell those simple solutions come from years of experience. Thank you so much for this videos !

@christopheraaron2412 Жыл бұрын

Play the guitar for a long time but never actually took the time to clean it correctly. This is a thorough excellent video at any rate at some point in the future I am going to do it right because my guitar looks like it's been used as a colostomy bag

@batteryacid1 Жыл бұрын

colostomy bag is crazy 😂😂😂😂

@andyr8625 3 жыл бұрын

I love my new Gibson LP,it demands proper care...I wished I'd bought one long ago,truly the best guitars made,period.

@erichemard7066 2 жыл бұрын

You wouldn’t have said this about 8-10 years back…I don’t know what was up with Gibson but their QA was garbage. I sold all my newer LP of that era and went PRS. Great to see Gibson back in the game, since then I added 4 LP back to the collection…theres still ground to cover but so far 98% of the LP I bought are on point. Don’t be afraid to check out epiphones inspired by Gibson line, freaking killer guitars.

@fawkesandhound 3 жыл бұрын

I like the Dunlop lemon oil, which is ironically not a lemon oil but it’s $5 and made for fretboards so whatever.

@danielktdoranie 3 жыл бұрын

No “lemon oil” is actually made from lemons, just scented my man.

@falafeldurum2095 3 жыл бұрын

best "lemon oil" I've ever tried, agree

@BillyE5150 3 жыл бұрын

None of it really is. It’s just lemon scent.

@dathandsometroll1852 3 жыл бұрын

My favorite is Music Nomad F-One mineral oil. Safest choice for rosewood. Edit: I see you are a man of culture as well. Nice pfp

@williamsporing1500 2 жыл бұрын

Same…I’ve used Dunlop for years! Don’t use it on maple!!!

@jessehutchings 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the educational video! I requested a new guitar fret board be treated before shipping out bc I've heard they foreign manufactures can be dirty and wanted to review the process of what was actually done for it. Looking forward to a squeaky clean smooth fretboard

@maksimsmuizininks2365 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot, very informative and concise!

@alternatune Жыл бұрын

THANK YOU for being honest about the lemon oil! I don't recall ever seeing a manufacturer "spill the beans" about their lemon oil product. I know it's a little thing, but witnessing honesty from a major guitar company on KZfaq is refreshing as hell....lemony fresh. 😄

@wrcz 11 ай бұрын

I didn't even know lemons had oils in them Maybe it's made of Don Lemon...

@darrenlock 3 жыл бұрын

That was Mark Agnesi’s toothbrush...

@bkozlo09 3 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@williamcammer9211 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip on the Scotch-Brite pad

@hawg427 3 жыл бұрын

I use one of those dry to lightly rub the back of my neck to get the stickiness off and the neck plays much smoother.

@BlibbertyBlobberty 3 жыл бұрын

Imagine if Gibson actually did this BEFORE their guitars left the factory...

@21sungalute.42 3 жыл бұрын

If they did that you can be sure they'd charge an extra $200 or $300!

@McDagger90 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah man agree with you there. A LOT of the gibson's I see have super dry fretboards

@yakfisher79 2 жыл бұрын

I played a brand new ES-335 on Saturday. I had been looking forward to playing it for some time. When I finally got it in my hands I didn’t even want to go plug it in. The fretboard was so dry that when I would bend the strings my fingers sort of skipped across it making an audible sound. There was no smooth bending at all. I ended up not buying it and being disappointed. I didn’t know at the time what the cause was. After watching this video I bet this would not have happened if the fret board had been conditioned.

@gerdpfeil 2 жыл бұрын

@@McDagger90 That a guitar leaves the factory with a fretboard as dry as possible is actually what you want. If the guitar was manufactured in a moist environment and the fretboard dries out later, that's where fret sprout comes from. That is, if the fret sprout isn't due to the factory cutting corners by selling you guitars with at best half-baked fretjobs.

@tunesmith7437 Жыл бұрын

heh heh.....

@jasonsapp792 3 жыл бұрын

Great video.. thanks Jim DeCola!

@JohnGalt539 3 жыл бұрын

Re-wet as needed was the advice I got from my father on my wedding day.

@FreedomIsntFree-gd2hg 3 жыл бұрын

😂....you doughnut...

@joeyvanostrand3655 3 жыл бұрын

Also, don't let an awkward fart (or queef) ruin the moment. Keep on truckin'.

@vivien1252 4 ай бұрын

That's a great video. Short, useful, straight to the point, full of pro tips. We need more of this.

@liamfolan607 2 жыл бұрын

This guy is one of the best guitar builders thanks for the video

@peteralerich5085 2 жыл бұрын

I polish my frets with Simichrome metal polish. I use one of those metal fret guards you can buy from Stew Mac and a little dab if Simichrome. The rag will turn black but the frets will be super smooth. Been using it on all of my guitars for forty years. Excellent stuff.

@martin.ilek_studio 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great video!

@tobiascree6799 11 ай бұрын

great videos, Jim Decola.Thanks Gibson

@alexanderdeclercq982 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and i just love my LP standard.

@fequalsma8428 3 жыл бұрын

I like listening to him. I personally like Music Nomad F-One Oil compared to any lemon oil. It’s more natural and doesn’t dry up as quickly. I’d like to hear the master luthier talk about pickup height adjustments.

@stanislavmigra 3 жыл бұрын

Im not a master luthier, but with pickups height I go as follows: too low and you loose strength, too high and you loose dynamics. Find your happy medium ;)

@davidyoung3974 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, definitely, I agree with you, I use the same stuff as you do. Anything with lemon oil must have some kind of acidity in it, which isn’t going to be any good for the fretboard over time.

@Gibson45er 2 жыл бұрын

F One oil is magic.

@MrKeerazy 3 жыл бұрын

Nice! Keep them coming :)

@eddddddddddededf 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you...Just got my first Les Paul

@StrGzr101 8 ай бұрын

You answered some of my nuanced questions. Many thanks.

@darphbobo55 3 жыл бұрын

I could listen to Jim Decola all day lol

@ssalvaterra 3 жыл бұрын

Needed this!

@penguinista Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Excellent video.

@mikebrookfield 3 жыл бұрын

Good work Gibson!

@conorbuescher5755 Жыл бұрын

Great tips and advice, thanks.

@irf888 3 жыл бұрын

Strange, someone from Gibson told me several years not to use any type of oil on the fingerboard, he said they always use Gibson pump polish. Wish you had consistent recommendations. And same goes for pickup heights, different recommendations depending on who you ask. Learned to trust my own judgement now. Regards.

@ultantierney8562 3 жыл бұрын

I was talking to a luthier with 50 years experience a while back. He said rosewood should never be oiled, it contains sufficient oil naturally. He reckons he's seen many fretboards ruined by being oiled. Lot's of conflicting advice out there..

@irf888 3 жыл бұрын

@@ultantierney8562 Thanks for the reply. I’ve been using the Gibson pump polish on everything now; metal work, fingerboard and body. It works great. Even cleans the pickup covers really well too. Not fond of oils on a guitar any more.

@DelScully 2 жыл бұрын

@@ultantierney8562 if you want to clean your guitar, use some oil, it will add a bit of shine (making you think its darker and hydrated) but really the only thing that will hydrate your frretboard is the humidity in your room that the guitar is in. If your guitar is in a room with at least 45-60 (50 the best) humidity then you dont got to worry about a thing!

@wrcz 11 ай бұрын

@@ultantierney8562 It probably depends... if you live in a very dry climate, I can see it being more necessary

@jorgearcecofre8024 8 ай бұрын

Best video I found about this topic

@fivemountains2224 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, I now know how to take care of the fret-board !!

@R4N2Jz Жыл бұрын

Great tutorial thanks!

@Harp_and_Guitar_Moving_Forward 3 жыл бұрын

Keep it clean, keep it lean. My acoustic and electric just got back from the lutheir. He was very impressed with the gibson acoustic. Good work fellas

@Guitar_Doctor 3 жыл бұрын

That’s why all the Gibson’s I’ve bought new have dry fretboards

@solan417 3 жыл бұрын

I think Jim needs his own youtube show !!!

@impetiousdoom 2 жыл бұрын

Great video thank you 😎

@bobbichn6629 Жыл бұрын

I followed a similar process but then upon playing started getting white residue I’m assuming from scratching up where I oiled. Assuming I didn’t let it sit long enough and didn’t dry thoroughly so hopefully today I follow this and it goes better!

@craigpetterson3962 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@northernlefty5412 3 жыл бұрын

How about Gibson ships their guitars without crazy dry fretboards for a change?

@theotherside001 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jim !

@kingsleyzissou5881 8 ай бұрын

thanks, and what a beautiful SG

@The_Lord_Of_Confusion 2 жыл бұрын

cool, thanks for the education!

@bimwopbarn47 7 ай бұрын

super good, thanks

@american_psycho1147 2 жыл бұрын

Never would have thought of using baby oil on a fretboard but if Jim says it's good then I'll try it. He certainly knows what he's talking about and I trust him

@ratsneststudio6963 9 ай бұрын

Well if it is safe to use on babies

@jeremywindham1373 Жыл бұрын

Very good information to know

@milesoneal3939 2 жыл бұрын

Bobby at Clark Music in Atlanta turned me on to using clarinet bore oil years ago. It works great on rosewood, etc. Nomad F1 seems to work well, too.

@svgitana2499 18 күн бұрын

I don’t know why but I love this video! 😊 I’ve watched it about a thousand times! lol

@TheMoneyMakingMentor Жыл бұрын

Great job

@tardwrangler Жыл бұрын

Respect for giving alternatives

@bonniedust3452 3 жыл бұрын

Good info. You even hold your little finger up on the headstock like I do.

@11ccom Жыл бұрын

Good stuff.

@gabrielgordillo8610 3 жыл бұрын

Gibson Tv podrían subtitular sus videos al español y otros idiomas para que mas gente del resto del mundo pueda entender sus videos, Fender lo hace. Saludos!!

@jefftracystoutenburg5315 2 ай бұрын

That is a beautiful guitar

@jeffreyhughes9162 3 жыл бұрын

90s Gibson fretboards are so beautiful. The figuring in the rosewood is almost like looking at a flame top. The post 2000 boards seem to be more bland and uniform. I also barely need to ever oil my 90s fretboards.

@OrangutanTradeSalesmen Жыл бұрын

Just got a 97 Sg special. The rosewood fretboard has a crazy striped wood grain texture. It's awesome

@michaelp9061 Жыл бұрын

I just did it on my epiphone. Instant smoothness.

@Tonetwisters Жыл бұрын

My brother was a Gibson dealer in Tallahassee back during the early '70s ... We would use boiled linseed oil or Watco furniture oil back then. I still have the can of linseed oil! But I graduated to Formby oils later on for my personal guitars, which was excellent. Unfortunately, Formby products are no longer made. Fret Doctor made a pretty good oil.

@InfamousPeanut Жыл бұрын

Thumbs up for outright stating 'They are all mineral oil products.' Thank you Gibson for taking a stand and being honest.

@themismatchlounge 2 жыл бұрын

Legend has it that Jim uses Gibson Fretboard Conditioner on his head every night before bed

@JustinWilliam82 3 жыл бұрын

That's it boy, get in there nice & deep like..

@stevetrivago 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man ..

@guitarz 3 жыл бұрын

Gibby's tone oil... yeah baby!!!

@graemero5532 3 жыл бұрын

Cheers Gibson

@jerryjin3427 3 жыл бұрын

Can I change the inlays (superglue the new inlay and pore fill the tiny gaps around the dots) after I oil the fretboard? How long should I wait before the fretboard is dry enough for the pore filler and the glue to sit?

@larryburwell8550 3 жыл бұрын

Jim, ive watched your factory tours and videos for several years and you do a great job i must say. ive played les pauls since my first standard in 1976, a tobacco sunburst. i use lemon oil on my les paul fretboards for ever. i have a question!!! my les paul 1976 has sunburst back, sunburst neck and headstock. why did gibson stop doing this. ok expense but why not keep the beauty like it was. ive got many les pauls my latest 50s reissue has plain back and is just so plain. whats the chance of the sunburst backs and neck and headstock in the future?????

@cuitlahuactorres256 3 жыл бұрын

Thak you so much Gibson fot made this tipe of videos becasue are reallu usefull for us, and I wood like learn "How Clean and Polish the guitar boody" please!

@raulromo7930 3 жыл бұрын

amazing series, would be nice to hear JIM talk on how to set pickup heights and also how to make a full setup for our Gibsons i currently own 4, so i will be pretty useful

@edreed5571 Жыл бұрын

Doubt

@cvfunnsixspeed9213 Жыл бұрын

He has a video on that.

@fatbabyparker2438 3 жыл бұрын

Gank and Pank 🤘👍 Gone , Nice👍👍👍

@ricklesshorse8159 3 жыл бұрын

Très intéressant. Je vais faire de même avec ma Morris les Paul

@victorbalta1402 3 жыл бұрын

You should do another video on polishing the rest of the guitar and hardware maintenance

@johno7617 3 жыл бұрын

Id love to get a sg standard

@sasankh.6298 2 жыл бұрын

pretty good

@user-mu5pq2qn8e 11 ай бұрын

Чувак, спасибо за инструкцию! Русские люди тоже любят Gibson!

@ephesusofficial1347 3 жыл бұрын

This is necessary but you should do it from the factory also. My sgs fretboard was dry as hell.

@redrock1963 3 жыл бұрын

Yes my wife is the same....that's right, she's an sg. Ahh......I know what you were thinking.....dirty !

@lzm82 3 жыл бұрын

Hopefully someone can help me out; what should be the correct sequence to clean? a) fret wire polish b) fretboard cleaner c) fretboard conditioner also, does the same steps apply to richlite or HPL fretboards?

@MetalMatt2510 2 жыл бұрын

How do I get the shine back on the hard tail piece that you thread the strings through on a Gibson LP?

@mictheok 2 жыл бұрын

It was either summer when this was recorded, or this legend also rubbed his head with the lemon oil.

@Johngonefishin 3 жыл бұрын

Gibson lemon oil can also make the dome very shiny.

@jp3rd516 2 жыл бұрын

Good stuff, but my new Les Paul has a richlite fingerboard. Should i use lemon oil for that or clean it the same way?

@rocketgamer1351 3 жыл бұрын

Nice video man, I had a question can we put mustard oil?

@williamwgardner9375 6 ай бұрын

Found another use for my bunny bag. That’s a great idea ! How many of you know what a bunny bag is ?

@DanielpaulZ Жыл бұрын

Good video. I'm Not Sure where I can find a synthetic steel wool in my area. Is a scotch bright sponge instead ok? ( those sponges used for washing dishes)

@jasq99 3 жыл бұрын

My brand new gibson had the driest fretboard I've ever seen. Why???

@amol2086 3 жыл бұрын

This is business :|

@WillVRam 3 жыл бұрын

5:00 maybe its also necessary to save the toothbrush inside the zip package aside with the rag, to prevent it to get dust that could dmg fretboard

@GOD-et4qq 3 жыл бұрын

Nah just put it back to the bathroom and forget about it

@JanisKlinnert 3 жыл бұрын

I have a Gibson les Paul custom with an unlaquered maple fretboard. How do you clean and condition those? Everybody sort of has different advices and I really don’t wanna ruin my beautiful guitar! Thanks!

@michaelrichardson2359 Жыл бұрын

Hi Mr. Decola, I’m using your video as a guide to oil down my fretboard. It hasn’t been done since I bought my Epiphone Dot back in 2010 from a pawn shop in Queens N.Y. I like the idea of your leather cut out to protect the body, but for now I’ll use masking tape over the pickup and around that area. I’m using Dunlop 65 fretboard lemon oil, a toothbrush to get in between the frets and a microfiber cloth to wipe on and wipe off. My one question is; do I oil down the fretboard before polishing the frets, or polish the frets first before oiling down the fretboard, or does it matter? Thanks for your video, I’ll recommend it to my friends who are anxious to see how this project turns out so they can do the same.

@bamber119 3 жыл бұрын

Thats a great and all but how often should you do this?

@bisonfacelove 3 жыл бұрын

usually about every six months, or whenever you see fit

@Peter-pv4fx 23 күн бұрын

What is the black fretboard wood on an 78 Les Paul Custom? Is that ebony? And would I also be able to use the Gibson fingerboard oil for that?

@eh3920 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, i oiled the ebony fretboard of my Jazzguitar with dunlop lemon oil yesterday. Now it feels a little oily! Ist that normal and will it it go away by time or did I overoil it and what can I do to fix it if If I did