Can striped macassar ebony go unfinished?

[jeffjozwiak]

Hi,

After seeing some samples of striped macassar ebony, I'm hell bent on building a custom bass with this as it's top/back. I would like to keep the bass totally unfinished. Would this wood be a candidate?

I'm also a little concerned that I would be doing an injustice by not bringing out the grain more with a coat. I've seen samples of unfinished ones and they don't compare visually to the ones with a coat. Maybe it's just the lighting of the photo.

Joz

 

[m4rk0]

you could really keep any body wood unfinished.. some of them will get dirty or grey though.
I would finish an ebony top with a couple of coats of Tung oil. it will protect and enhance the grain, but it will still feel natural.

 

[jackthehack]

Yes

 

[AutoBat]

If you leave it completely unfinished you may want to get some fretboard conditioner to keep it from getting too dry over time. (i know you're asking about bodies, the same product will work)

 

[jeffjozwiak]

I'm a little surprised. I was expecting outrage if I suggested finishing it. Here's a link from previous board members. It applies more to necks but I would think the neck would suffer from sweat/dirt/drying out even more so than a body.

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=9041.0

Joz

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I have a Macassar neck, Both neck and fingerboard, and not much effects it.  It is rock solid, emphasis on rock.  You can get it to look more wetted with oil, for instance on the fretboard where I tend to play more, like the 12th fret and down vs the 22nd fret, but it handles things very nicely.
Patrick

 

[back2thefutre]

dont even think about finishing and exotic neck. A body go ahead

 

[Cagey]

I'm a little surprised. I was expecting outrage if I suggested finishing it. Here's a link from previous board members. It applies more to necks but I would think the neck would suffer from sweat/dirt/drying out even more so than a body.

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=9041.0

Joz

Ebony is really dense and hard, almost like plastic. It doesn't pick up grunge like you'd expect it to, as it's not very textured or absorbent. But, that's usually just used on fretboards, where there's a great deal of abrasion going on all the time from your fingers scrubbing it while playing. On a body, even a gloss surface will build up kukka over time, so I'd want a finish on that.