Tips For Annual Violin Maintenance

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

I was told by a very experienced luthier to never put any kind of oil on a fingerboard or a fretboard, it can make the pores open and cause the wood to actually dry out. I only use a special fretboard butter sold by a luthier. It works amazingly on ebony and rosewoods. I’ve used it for over a decade. What do you think?

[@KennedyViolins]

Hi Nickie. There are many, many different kinds of fingerboard and fretboard treatments available out there. "Traditional" luthiers have been using mineral oil on ebony fingerboards for hundreds of years with success. As long as the molecular structure of the oil is smaller than the pores of the wood, it will not dry it out, but penetrate into the wood and keep it from drying out. Gerlitz guitar honey is another proprietary formula that works very very well, as it is mostly Brazilian Rosewood oil, which has the smallest oil molecule of any of the oils, so it can penetrate fully into the wood and not sit on top. Anything that sits on the wood instead of penetrating into it can cause the wood to dry out. Thanks!