pledge polish for guitars?

[ownage101]

hi,

anyone uses this for their fretboard? i was thinking of using it on my fretboard can use or not.

i tried to research but some pages say use others say dont so what do you say.

thanks.

 

[almondx]

It contains silicone, which I don't thing is a good idea to get on your fretboard if it's an unfinished wood eg. rosewood, ebony

You can't go wrong with a proper fretboard conditioner/cleaner and it costs less than $10. It's worth it!

 

[stranger12]

Oils

I like to use linseed oil or lemon oil on the fretboard.. I don't know why I use it.. but I like how it makes the wood feels.. heh heh.. I use linseed oil on my unfinished snooker cues.. hahaha..

 

[Belbel]

Never ever ever use any silicon based product on a guitar. It seeps into the wood and can make it impossible/very difficult to refinish or repair the finish later on.

 

[jnev]

damn... i think i used it once or twice befor on a previous guitar. +1 for the threadstarter, i was wondering about this too... looks like we gotta get dunlop 65 lemon oil

 

[almondx]

Linseed oil is a varnish. It cures and hardens over time so you're effectively sealing your fretboad, stranger12

 

[weckl-x]

From what I know, silicone oil only causes a problem if you ever plan to refinish or touch-up the surface of the object in question.

Let's say you just bought a used guitar, and you strip the paint, sand it, and want to refinish it. After applying the first coat of lacquer, you notice little spots where the lacquer just won't cover. This problem is known amongst woodworkers as 'fish-eye'. It is probably the remaining silicone in the pores of the wood, from previous use of polishes like pledge.

I personally don't ever plan to refinish my ibanez RG, so I gladly Pledge it once in a long while. I even use it for my maple snare drum. But if you have a real expensive ax that you want to baby, skip the Pledge and use a polish recommended by the manufacturer.

Just a little more info:

Pledge and other dusting agents are made in the following manner:
Silicone oil (1-5%)
Wax emulsion (wax, water and surfactant) (1-5%)
mineral spirits (20%)
water (remainder%)

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar97/854949447.Ch.r.html
fragrance. (0.1% or less, usually lemon)
The silicone oil and the wax in the wax emulsion provide the anti-dusting properties. Hydrocarbons are not as prone to static electricity and therefore do not attract dust like other cleaners. The wax is also there to provide a hard base so that the film is more permanent. The silicone oil makes the surface slick and smooth. The mineral spirits act as a solvent that is safe on wood and allows the coating to level (become smooth). The water is to make it cheaper and the fragrance makes it stink.

Ingredients in Pledge: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=19001013