Finger Board

[sammyjit]

Should a finger board be left bare with no finish on it? (rosewood)

[Danl8]

Usual practice is to leave the fingerboard unfinished (ebony/rosewoods). Light oiling/waxing is not unusual though. I believe Fender finishes their maple fingerboards which would probably look nasty without something to seal the wood.

[tippie53]

Rickenbacker also finishes the fretboard but I can't say I have seen any really finished acoustic guitar fret boards. I use Ebony and Rosewood. I will use 3 in 1 oil on them after they are buffed up. Martin used this also up to a few years ago now they use duck wax.

[ruby@magpage.com]

On an acoustic, an actual finish would be rare - electrics are lacquered, especially when the board is maple to keep it from looking dirty down the line. However, it does not hurt to use a few drops of your favorite oil - favorite means ask 10 luthiers and you get 11 different answers. I use plain old Mineral Oil (baby oil without the baby smell) when I change strings and my 40 year old, one-owner Martin still looks great. A quick wipe with 0000 steel wool, and couple of drops of oil spread around with a paper towel and a buffing motion and Robert is your mother's uncle.

I am currently building an acoustic fretboard that DOES need a finish. It is Pearloid (Mother-Of-Toilet-Seat) with painting on it, and you need to cover this to keep it from wearing. I am spraying varnish on it.

Ed