Finishing finger boards ?

[Dan]

When I made my quitar I was told not to finish the finger board, just lightly oil it with lemon oil. I have a friend that say his finger board is finished. I have tried to read, and only found something that some maple finger boards are finished. When do you finish a finger board or not. Is it the woods, taste, or what ?

[thefishinmusician]

if it is bare wood, oil it...If it has a finish on it, the oils would do no good..

[Rick Hoey]

Traditionally, maple boards are finished with nitrocellusose lacquer, but now often with some more modern finish. Rosewood and ebony are not usually finished. I know musicians who prefer and unfinished maple boards, however unfinished maple boards get really dirty and stained really quickly. I lightly oil and sometimes lightly wax rosewood and ebony boards. It depends on the wood and ultimately the customer's wishes.

[Jim Bancroft]

This is all I know about it. I'm not into electric guitars, but I know Fender Telecasters, with a maple fingerboard, had finish on them. As for an acoustic guitar, with a ebony or rosewood fingerboard, they are not finished. Although, I guess, some people apply a penetrating(oil) type finish.
I've built a number of banjo necks, out of ebony and rosewood, and basically apply nothing other than a stain to darken rosewood, and top that off with a light application of Formsby lemon oil, and wipe off immediately.

Jim

[FRANK]

Mineral OIL

[Tim Mace]

Behlen Tung(China wood) oil for me...a dab on the finger rubbed in,wiped off a few times .It weeps for a while is
why i wipe it several times.