Odie's Oil

[Fernando Esteves]

Hello!
Talked with some people and everyone thik is safe to use Odie's Oil on solidbody guitars... But on acoustic nobody is really sure if it is a good idea.

Any body here has worked with this product and have an idea about? I'm really liking their finishes post on IG.

Thanks

[Barry Daniels]

Everyone has an opinion, but that does not mean that its correct. I have never seen Odie's Oil, but I don't like the idea of putting oil on any type of finished wood. It just isn't necessary, and can often be harmful if it is overdone. When oil soaks into the wood, it can permanently soften it. That is not what you want on an acoustic guitar. If you need to freshen up a surface, wipe it down with a damp cloth and maybe a bit of polish, which may have a tiny bit of oil in it. I use to like Stew-Mac's instrument polish but they quit making it so now I use Oz Polish.

[Alan Carruth]

I'm not familiar with that particular product, but tend to avoid oils as a rule on acoustics, particularly on the top, and most especially on Classicals.

Schleske found in his study of finishing materials that drying oils, either used alone or as part of oil-resin varnish, tend to add damping. They also add mass, especially when they soak in. The lighter molecular weight fractions of common 'boiled' linseed oil can go right through a 1 mm thick violin rib in a year. Some of the polymerized oil products, such as Tru-Oil, may not have any fractions light enough to go so far, but I suspect the damping aspect is the same to the extent that they do penetrate. The oils in varnish contribute in proportion; a 'spar' varnish that is 2/3 oil and 1/3 resin would have higher damping than a 'rubbing' varnish with the opposite proportions, and, of course, the co-polymerization with the resin limits penetration.

[Fernando Esteves]

That is good to know!
Thanks a lot, guys!!!

[Frank Dryer III]

Nobody knows?

[Fernando Esteves]

In my understand, they said oil finishes changes the mechanical characterstics of the wood on such a thin board and therefore if not a good idea.
I've cut it down of my ideas

[Alan Carruth]

Frank Dreyer III asked:
"Nobody knows?"

Not about this specific product. The chemistry of varnishes and oil based finishes is pretty complex, and small differences in the way things are formulated or processed can have outsized effects. Aside from Schleske's study, published in '89, I don't know of much information that deals with the acoustic effects of finishes. I don't think anybody has the time or resources to investigate every finish that has been wiped, brushed, or sprayed onto a guitar, and there are new ones coming out all the time. All we can reasonably do is offer generalizations based on what we know about similar products that have been tested. If you'd like to take on a 'science fair project'...