D'Addario PW-FBC Hydrate Fingerboard Conditioner Reviews

New LTD M-400 guitar with Pau Ferro fingerboard. As received, the Pau Ferro was medium brown and looked flat. It is hard to explain, but the neck did not have a rich look like my Rosewood guitars do, and there wasn't much visual "contrast" between my fingers and the strings.

After using this product, the fingerboard is darker and has some 3d "depth" that it didn't have before. What previously looked flat brown, now has a slight reddish character. I had previously used some lemon oil product and it did not have the same visual impact. IDK if I will have to use this every week, or if it will retain the coloration over time. But the Pau Ferro now looks more like Rosewood and I'm enjoying the guitar more.

Not my favorite conditioner per se (though it does that job well), but it removes build up better than anything I"ve ever used. I"ll keep it around just for that. It"s my go to for nasty boards!

I been repairing, setting up guitars for many years. I've used the traditional fretboard cleaner/conditioners - lemon oil, linseed oil, and a combo of lemon/ mineral oil for deep cleaning. Never used a product like this one. Makes an ebony board look more than new. I doubt if I'll use a different product.

i really like this stuff. a very little will go along way.. for the customers who don't like the spray top, well people , just apply a little on a soft cloth, & wipe on !!! c'mon how difficult is that to figure out!!!! forget the spray top.!!!!

Previous reviews had to do with color and a spray bottle.I just ordered this and its clear and a drip bottle easy to apply. It worked wonders restoring the fret board on 5 of my old guitars, even my 1986 fender xii

This is an excellent way to clean and hydrate dark, natural-wood fretboards. The spray bottle is a bit messy, with lots of overspray to undesirable areas, so it is best to mask off the headstock, pickups, and body of the guitar before applying. Use a soft toothbrush to spread the product evenly and scrub the wood, particularly next to the frets, then remove the loosened dirt and excess product with a clean cloth. This contains petroleum distillates, so it offers the best possible cleaning and hydration without the (purported) undesirable side effects of lemon oil. Use sparingly....unlike money and horsepower, too much is worse than none at all.

I feel a little dorky reviewing some fretboard treatment, but this is a really top notch product. It really does both clean and condition rosewood fretboards. It is not overly oily, but definitely provides some long-term oil hydration for the fingerboard. It seems like it also has some alcohol or some type of cleaner which evaporates, because it removes crud and dries somewhat, but the fingerboard remains slick and conditioned. This feeling lasts, and I would expect that using this every time you change strings should be enough.

I did not give it five stars because personally, I think the spray bottle stinks. It is very difficult to apply the product without getting overspray on places you might not want red tinted oil. A squeeze-typle bottle, like Gibson uses for some of its products, would be much better, and would allow you to apply it exactly where you want it without having to clean it off places that it should not be in the first place. Hopefully this is something that will change in the future.