One round of oil enough for new fretboard?

[Damien]

Something just popped into my head... I gave the fretboard on Drippy the FloorBoard Wonder a good douse with the ol' Lemon Oil, but is that enough for a brand new fretboard?

It occurred to me that the usual oiling routine is upkeep, and I don't know if new guitars get a more intense oil finish to build up more of an actual finish on the rosewood, rather than just the one protective coat of oil you generally do when you're doing upkeep.

Any more experienced folks able to weigh in on the matter?

[Greco]

I thought that the logic generally goes that - When rosewood is 'new', as in a slab fashioned into a fretboard, the board will contain the natural oils of the rosewood. From being played regularly the fretboard can dry out somewhat and then some people believe it's a good idea to replenish this oil with bore oil or whatever.

Some say fretboards need no oil and most just seem to use it to clean the fretboard and get a nice dark rosewood look. So it's up to you. I have also heard that too much oil is BAD, as in you shouldn't have to saturate a new board in oil as it might cause it to warp. A bit of oil on a new build once you're finished can help, especially if you use naptha (lighter fluid) to clean up sawdust and whatever other mess gets on it during a build.

[PoorMan]

I like oil because it helps prevent gunky dirt residue buildup. So I'd say a single wipedown on a new fingerboard is perfect.

Unless for some reason the board was excessively dry to begin with...but it shouldn't be.

[LiveOak]

I oil my rosewood fingerboards once a year. No problems as of yet.

[Neodustin]

I am no luthier by any stretch of the imagination, but whenever I buy a new guitar I always oil the board on the first string change. Beyond that I go by my eyes. If it looks dry, I will put a coat on. One thing I do know, is that abusing oil is absolute murder on your frets. Whenever you bend, the string acts as sandpaper against the fret. Oil accelerates this.

[xsouldriverx]

oil is used to keep the wood moist so it doesnt dry and crack.

too much oil and you can make the wood too soft or loosen the frets.

only use it when it needs it. and dont use a lot. put a little on, let it sit. wipe off the excess. lemon, linseed, and bore are all common. just make sure what youre using is the real stuff and not some oil with lemon scent added.

[xsouldriverx]

Originally Posted by Neodustin

One thing I do know, is that abusing oil is absolute murder on your frets. Whenever you bend, the string acts as sandpaper against the fret. Oil accelerates this.

i dont know how oil would accelerate this. you shouldnt get the oil on your frets or have that much where its soaking into your strings.
also dont use it to clean the fretboard every time. a small cloth cleans it better. use a slightly damp one if its bad. to get into the fret area use something like a credit card lightly to get the gunk out. if its bad you may need to scrape it with a razor edge but thats if you played everyday for years and never cleaned things up.
clean the gunk
THEN
oil

[Damien]

I appreciate the comments guys.

To keep this thread from turning into another "This is the way I oil my fretboard" thread, let's stay off how often you oil, or what you use to oil, or how much oil you put on - unless you've just cut a fretboard out of a slab of rosewood and attached it to a neck. Just interested in the first treatment after you've put everything together!