I know the characteristics of Tru-Oil, I finished the stock on a Savage Model 99 with it a few years ago. It creates a hard, durable finish, which is why I personally wouldn't put it on a rosewood board. I see your point about a single application not doing much, but I would think repeated applications over time would build up - but as you mentioned, that would probably eventually give you a "finished" fretboard, like on a Rick, but I (again, personally) would not want that on a Strat with a rosewood fretboard.
. Same mineral oil used on kitchen cutting boards. At gig breaks you can use the fretboard to cut your lemons and limes for your drinks, too. Some of the oils listed in the thread will go rancid over time and your guitar will mildew and smell funky -- and not in the musical way .
I used to use this, then a luthier I went to scolded me and said you should never put anything on a rosewood fretboard. He said the wood wants to breathe and it has its own oils and gets more from your fingers, anything else is harmful. Who knows...
Less time oiling...more time playing. This oil thing is internet goober stuff. Go play your instrument. You'll oil it up just fine.
I have only applied one thin coat. If it wears off (which it hasn't) I would only apply another thin coat. I am not worried about building up a bunch of layers. That is actually one of the points for using it. It would act as a guide coat.
F1. At one point, I knew exactly why this is my choice. At the moment, though, I have no idea. Likely has to do with the fact the bottle isn't empty. Nevertheless, in the spirit of the exercise, I'll say that using anything else is criminal dereliction
The natural oils from my hands seems to do a fine job. I do have a bottle of lemon oil cleaner/conditioner here that I've had for decades with about 1/8" gone, hasn't been used in many years. Actually I have 2 unused bottles of the stuff. 2019 Gibson Les Paul Jr DC the day I brought it home back in March, very dry board. after being in regular rotation, nothing but my natural oils from my fingers... same strings even, nothing has been done or changed. starting to come together nicely, another year should be about perfect for me. Your experience may be different.
The knock on mineral oil (traditional e.g. on wooden bowls, with or without added beeswax - I used to have a little sideline turning bowls. These days, there are also proprietary finishes, arguably better, but maybe not. Then there are the aficionados of raw linseed, but everybody gets nervous about that, because "boiled" linseed oil has heavy metal salts in there as drying agents. These are deep matters, very deep, rich in the illusionary) in the woodworking world has been that it does not polymerize with wood as linseed, tung, et al do. It just sits there amongst the wood fibers rejecting moisture (which swells wood, raising the grain and screwing with it dimensionally). For rosewood, this just-sits-there-until-it's-gone quality is probably an advantage. It comes, it goes, you replace it. Sort of like incense or bird suet or girlfriends back in the day. I use F1, but in my heart I know it's probably just gussied-up mineral oil, which is fine, perfectly fine.
