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Location: New Orleans | Right now all I'm using is GHS Fast-Fret. It cleans the fretboard and strings really well and makes them sound brand new after each use but what should I use to condition the ebony fretboard? I read the archives and there's so many suggestions. I just want to know what is safe and what is the best. ;) |
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Location: SoCal | If you've read the archives, then you should know what everbody will say. I believe that the tried and true method is lemon oil a couple of times per year. I change the strings all at once, but others here have less faith in Ovation necks and change strings one string at a time. It's all personal preference. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Actually I always thought lemon oil was the right answer, but a recent conversation with the service department I was told the they use mineral oil. The reason being that lemon oil contains acid (citrus). Dave |
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Location: SoCal | Interesting. I hadn't heard that. |
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Location: SoCal | re: "I change the strings all at once...others here...change strings one string at a time"
isn't that tough with only two hands??
really tough for a 12-string |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I don't see how changing one string at a time makes any sense. Maybe I missed something. A far more interesting conversation would be what you do with the old strings and how you wrap them up so they don't go flinging around the place and make a mess. Dave |
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Location: Tennessee | I have always pulled all of the strings off when changing the set ... although I do try to make sure the tension is released slowly by unwinding them one at a time. When they are all off, I pull all the ball ends together and then coil them up until I can wrap the ends around a few times. Makes a nice little package that doesn;t spring apart.
Once I have the strings all off, I have historically used lemon or orange oil to clean the entire fretboard and let dry before buffing out with a soft cloth. I recently got a bottle of Fender's fretboard conditioner and that seems to work the same as the lemon oil. |
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Location: New Orleans | Thank you for the quick replies. Just give me some brand names and I'll see what I can find. I've seen lemon oil in the furniture polish area but I don't think that's what I'm supposed to be looking for. Sometimes those products have alcohol and other petroleum based additives that would probably dry out the beautiful ebony in a flash! I've looked at so many products that I'm going insane now.
As a side comment, I see no other way but to take off all of the strings to change them so as to have total access to the fretboard for cleaning and conditioning at the same time.
:D Heart Rawks! :D |
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Location: New Orleans | To Stonebobbo!
In an earlier thread you mentioned that Nancy Wilson has a very rare Signature Ovation guitar. Please direct me to any information you have on this. I'd love to see a picture. I've written the Heart camp asking about this guitar but I haven't received confirmation yet. I can't find any information on this guitar at all, after searching every way I know how! Please advise! |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | I use Yamaha lemon oil. I have 2 different versions...an older plastic bottle that says "lemon oil" and 2 newer aluminum bottles that say "fretboard oil". Smells the same to me, so Im sticking with Yamaha. I used Finger ease once until I read the ingredients on their website and found naptha and silicone in there. Silicone will seal the bare wood against future coats of lemon oil, and the stuff just made a mess out of the giutar top...had to clean it off with Goo Gone. I have "Roadie in a Bottle" on the shelf, too, but I hate the smell of the stuff so I don't use it except when I work on someone else's guitar that I can get out of my house quickly. How's that for brand names. I'm sure mineral oil would be great...it's what I use on my unfinished maple countertop in the kitchen. I just like the smell of lemon oil on my guitar. John <>{ |
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Location: NJ | ". . . Nancy Wilson has a very rare Signature Ovation guitar. Please direct me to any information you have on this. I'd love to see a picture. . ."
Adamas SlotHead #44:
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Location: NJ | cliff
where did you get those pics? please e me |
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Location: Texas | Originally posted by bauerhillboy:
I have "Roadie in a Bottle" on the shelf,
[...]
How'd they get that Roadie in there?
:D |
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Location: Vermont USA | Originally posted by bauerhillboy
Smells the same to me, so Im sticking with Yamaha
What about the taste.
Paul |
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Location: New Orleans | I've seen those pics and I thought that the guitar that she's using is her rare Adamas Slothead? I'm looking for a Signature Ovation such as the Melissa Etheridge Signature Ovation but made for Nancy. I believe he said it was white and maybe had a heart on the fretboard. I dunno, if it exists it must be VERY elusive. |
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Location: NJ | Dave;
That's interesting about the mineral oil . . .
Seems like a likely candidate, as it would soak in, "oil" the wood, yet it's relatively inert.
I have this huge cutting/chopping board in my kitchen that I regularly use mineral oil on.
I'll periodically scrape/sand the top surface so that it's clean/smooth, and then give it a generous oiling with mineral oil. The oil is tasteless, non-toxic, and keeps the food from permeating into the wood fibres, making the top easier to clean and eliminates the development of bacteria. . . |
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Location: SoCal | I've never read of or heard about a Nancy Wilson signature model. From the mid 70's to the mid 80's she did a lot of promo work for Ovation but nothing about a special model. |
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Location: NJ | Now that I think about it, I do seem to remember seeing pics of some kind of a "Heart" guitar. . .
I don't think it was a Sig Model.
I seem to remember it was just an off-the-shelf O with a little "Heart" graphic added to it (and even that wasn't done too well . . . ).
I searched my pic archive, but couldn't find anything (probably deemed it not worth "keeping"). |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Nancy had a bright blue 12-string with some special emblem on the octave fret. I have seen the picture but don't remember where. Dave |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Step 1:
For the fret wire use wd-40. If they don't need cleaning or the frets don't have gunk on them, skip to step 3.
Step 2:
To clean up the wd-40 and other gunk (ie were you paid in hambergers and did some of the grease get on the fretboard?), use naptha.
Step 3:
Then use mineral oil. The kind from the drugstore, which you use for chopping blocks. It's all the same. |
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Location: New Orleans | Well, Mineral Oil it is then! The frets are clean so I don't have to worry about those at this time. I clean the fretboard often with Fast Fret but it's not a conditioner. I'll bet the mineral oil will give the ebony a nice sheen. Thanx. |
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| I've been waiting all day for someone to say L'Oreal.
I'm so glad noone did. |
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Location: NJ | Peter Noone?? |
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| No milk today thanks.
The uncoolest group in history. And that includes The Archies. |
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Location: NJ | Saw him once in a Broadway production of "Pirates of Penzance" (with Jim Belushi and Maureen McGovern) . . . probably on record somewhere as "the Lamest Cast in Broadway History" . . . |
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| That completely defeats my imagination. I can't even get close.... |
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Location: NJ | . . . neither could the audience. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Frankly, I can't think of a better conditioner than vintage 1980 Nancy Wilson sweat d' palm. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Ahh Jeff, you are the evil one that crept up and stepped away with her, her, her yeah.......... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | :p :cool: |
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What's the BEST conditioner for ebony fretboard?