Montys "ageing wax" snake oil? or good ?

GoFish · March 29

@Philly_Q ; - The video seems like the typical influencer reach around. He got sent tins of free product and so did a video showcasing it. I find the banter pretty excrutiating too. He looks like he's burying the fretboard in clay. Then comparing the result to a new, previously unseen guitar. Not for me, sorry.

paulmapp8306 · March 29

GoFish said:

@Philly_Q ; - The video seems like the typical influencer reach around. He got sent tins of free product and so did a video showcasing it. I find the banter pretty excrutiating too. He looks like he's burying the fretboard in clay. Then comparing the result to a new, previously unseen guitar. Not for me, sorry.

Does the fact an influencer (whatever the F that means) who makes a vid on a product you find excruciating (no problem with that as such obviously) make the product itself bad?

Montys themselves make great pickups, are good luthiers, and have other products they use themselves they have marketed. The particular video on the OP shouldn't detract from the product itself.

elstoof · March 29

Pretty much everyone in this thread has had a positive result from using it, certainly doesn’t do any harm. Personally it worked great on darkening a Laurel fretboard but had zero effect on my rosewood boards beyond general conditioning. I suspect many fretboards are darkened at the factory now which lowers the ceiling for potential darkening at home (my new PRS SE with an ebony board left the cloth black when I oiled it) so your mileage will vary with these products

fretfinder · March 29

hotpickups said:

fretfinder said:

hotpickups said:

ChrisCox1994 said:

i had a top tip from a luthier that Briwax 400g Original Dark Oak does the same exact thing and one tin has lasted him 20 years!

Ha my trusted luthier uses and said the same thing to me lol

Your luthier uses and yet you still trust him?!

Yep. He’s the most talented luthier I’ve ever met. A great player too so he knows what’s real and what is snake oil etc

Another of my attempts at humour is wasted!

TimmyO · March 29

fretfinder said:

hotpickups said:

fretfinder said:

hotpickups said:

ChrisCox1994 said:

i had a top tip from a luthier that Briwax 400g Original Dark Oak does the same exact thing and one tin has lasted him 20 years!

Ha my trusted luthier uses and said the same thing to me lol

Your luthier uses and yet you still trust him?!

Yep. He’s the most talented luthier I’ve ever met. A great player too so he knows what’s real and what is snake oil etc

Another of my attempts at humour is wasted!

The accepted lament is "You sunk my funnyship!"

(C) Sporky

munckee · April 5

Very difficult to see the difference in these pictures but it's quite impressive I think. This is a pau ferro fretboard but already quite dark just looked quite dry with pale spots when I got it, this is the before:

https://i.imgur.com/p29Lv3f.jpg ;

after
https://i.imgur.com/fpaOzPi.jpg ;

In the flesh looks shinier and healthier and the pale spots have gone, haven't lost any of the cool streaks

BigPaulie · April 5

munckee said:

Very difficult to see the difference in these pictures but it's quite impressive I think. This is a pau ferro fretboard but already quite dark just looked quite dry with pale spots when I got it, this is the before:

https://i.imgur.com/p29Lv3f.jpg ;

after
https://i.imgur.com/fpaOzPi.jpg ;

In the flesh looks shinier and healthier and the pale spots have gone, haven't lost any of the cool streaks

That's a nice 'board indeed.

The streaks are great. The Monty's wax has clearly done it no harm whatsoever.

munckee · April 5

There's roughly an 8th of a tin left plenty to do some more if anyone wants it.

merlin · April 5

I took my Larrivee parlour to a luthier (yes, a luthier, not a technician) a few years ago for a fret levelling.
When it came back, the fingerboard was really dark and shiny and beautiful. I asked him what he used and he told me he'd used Briwax dark oak.

He also told me that you need to apply it really carefully, covering the fingerboard evenly, use a tiny amount leave it on for 20 minutes and make sure you buff it thoroughly. Then apply a second time and do the same. It really works for me... is cheap as chips as a guitar needs the treatment VERY infrequently.

GoFish · April 5

paulmapp8306 said:

GoFish said:

@Philly_Q ; - The video seems like the typical influencer reach around. He got sent tins of free product and so did a video showcasing it. I find the banter pretty excrutiating too. He looks like he's burying the fretboard in clay. Then comparing the result to a new, previously unseen guitar. Not for me, sorry.

Does the fact an influencer (whatever the F that means) who makes a vid on a product you find excruciating (no problem with that as such obviously) make the product itself bad?

Montys themselves make great pickups, are good luthiers, and have other products they use themselves they have marketed. The particular video on the OP shouldn't detract from the product itself.

Of course it doesn't effect the quality of the product, as many pages here seems to attest. Monty's stuff seems to be good. Overpriced perhaps, but good.

My comment was referring to the advert-tainment model on Youtube, which seems to be the way of the world currently. If you don't know what an influencer is I'd say you are lucky. I'd also gently suggest getting yourself to a dictionary - they can be fonud online too you know.

Woodandwires · April 5

I don’t have either of the guitars I did previously ( Les Paul’s) but have a Martin and a Taylor acoustics if there is any left can I be added to the list again. Or failing that I will buy a tin and start the process of sharing all over again. Cheers Paul

Philly_Q · April 5

GoFish said:

paulmapp8306 said:

GoFish said:

@Philly_Q ; - The video seems like the typical influencer reach around. He got sent tins of free product and so did a video showcasing it. I find the banter pretty excrutiating too. He looks like he's burying the fretboard in clay. Then comparing the result to a new, previously unseen guitar. Not for me, sorry.

Does the fact an influencer (whatever the F that means) who makes a vid on a product you find excruciating (no problem with that as such obviously) make the product itself bad?

Montys themselves make great pickups, are good luthiers, and have other products they use themselves they have marketed. The particular video on the OP shouldn't detract from the product itself.

Of course it doesn't effect the quality of the product, as many pages here seems to attest. Monty's stuff seems to be good. Overpriced perhaps, but good.

My comment was referring to the advert-tainment model on Youtube, which seems to be the way of the world currently. If you don't know what an influencer is I'd say you are lucky. I'd also gently suggest getting yourself to a dictionary - they can be fonud online too you know.

I got a notification since my name was in the quote... just to add, I only posted that YouTube video because I was dismayed by the ridiculous manner in which the guy used the product. Like @GoFish I was not casting any aspersions on the quality of the product itself. I haven't tried Monty's "ageing wax" and I'm not particularly interested in doing so, but everyone here seems pleased with the results.

hotpickups · April 5

merlin said:

I took my Larrivee parlour to a luthier (yes, a luthier, not a technician) a few years ago for a fret levelling.
When it came back, the fingerboard was really dark and shiny and beautiful. I asked him what he used and he told me he'd used Briwax dark oak.

He also told me that you need to apply it really carefully, covering the fingerboard evenly, use a tiny amount leave it on for 20 minutes and make sure you buff it thoroughly. Then apply a second time and do the same. It really works for me... is cheap as chips as a guitar needs the treatment VERY infrequently.

Exactly. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it saying springs to mind. Marketing bullshit lol

Brio · April 6

@OilCityPickups I've just bought a pot of that dubbin. How long did you leave it on for before buffing it off? Thanks for the tip.

OilCityPickups · April 6

Brio said:

@OilCityPickups I've just bought a pot of that dubbin. How long did you leave it on for before buffing it off? Thanks for the tip.

only a couple of minutes ... if you want to go darker ... apply again :-)

Brio · April 6

Thanks. I'll post pics.

Brio · April 9

A big thumbs up to @OilCityPickups recommendation. The dubbin went on easily and after three applications the fingerboard is darker and feels amazing.

I started with a board that was nice enough but now it is as nice as the one on my JTV59. I'll try to get a decent pic this evening. I also added PRS SE locking tuners to the DGT to replace the ebay clones. Nicer feeling gears but I kept the washers and insert nuts from the clones as they're lighter. Sadly the smaller buttons didn't fit on the shaft. I may get some wooden ones ;-) .

OilCityPickups · April 9

Brio said:

A big thumbs up to @OilCityPickups recommendation. The dubbin went on easily and after three applications the fingerboard is darker and feels amazing.

I started with a board that was nice enough but now it is as nice as the one on my JTV59. I'll try to get a decent pic this evening. I also added PRS SE locking tuners to the DGT to replace the ebay clones. Nicer feeling gears but I kept the washers and insert nuts from the clones as they're lighter. Sadly the smaller buttons didn't fit on the shaft. I may get some wooden ones ;-) .

Don't mention it :-)
Having used the black on my Ibanez ... I've yet to get some brown for my Gretsch ...

mark123 · April 9

OilCityPickups said:

Brio said:

A big thumbs up to @OilCityPickups recommendation. The dubbin went on easily and after three applications the fingerboard is darker and feels amazing.

I started with a board that was nice enough but now it is as nice as the one on my JTV59. I'll try to get a decent pic this evening. I also added PRS SE locking tuners to the DGT to replace the ebay clones. Nicer feeling gears but I kept the washers and insert nuts from the clones as they're lighter. Sadly the smaller buttons didn't fit on the shaft. I may get some wooden ones ;-) .

Don't mention it :-)
Having used the black on my Ibanez ... I've yet to get some brown for my Gretsch ...

Is there a make of dubbin or will any shoe dubbin do ? And do you seal it with anything to stop you getting black fingertips when playing ? .sorry if you answered all these questions earier but i couldn't see it posted anywhere.

Brio · April 9

I used the Gold Label Dubbin recommended by OilCityPickups. It comes in three different colours but i went for the black. I got mine from Amazon.
I put a healthy coat on, rubbed it into the wood, left it for five minutes and then buffed it off. I repeated until the colour looked good to me. A total of three applications.
It got some under my fingernails during application but once I'd buffed the board nothing further came off. Next time I change strings I'll do it again but that should be it for quite a while.
I forgot to mention I cleaned the board with IPA to remove any grease before starting.

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Montys "ageing wax" snake oil? or good ?

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