Do Warmoth mahogany necks need filler...

[recurve]

for the open/porous grain?  Do you guys fill or do you finish mahogony necks without it?

Thanks folks.

 

[fdesalvo]

Depends on the feel you'd like.  If you want glass smooth, then you will have to fill.  An opened-pore, satin mahogany neck does have a really cool feel to it, though.

 

[line6man]

Nothing is uglier than seeing the open grain on wood that has a shine to it from a finish. If you have a finish that looks like raw wood, you can get away with it, but if there is going to be a gloss or satin sheen, grain fill it.

 

[gjacob]

Definitely fill it if using any sort of topcoat.  If you are only plan on oiling it, then you can get away with not filling...but I'd still fill mahogany.

 

[Tonar8352]

Here is a mahogany neck next to a maple neck that was not grain filled. It was polished with 2000 grit wet/dry and then had several coats of boiled linseed oil hand rubbed in using the 2000 grit as an applicator and then finally polished up on a polishing arbor. They felt pretty nice!

Boiled oil being applied. (not a urine sample)

Here it is after the oil is burnished in with the 2000 paper.

 

[recurve]

Thanks all for the replies.  My grain filler seems to leave a slight gray/white dull cast to the wood on my test piece.  There is a report of using tru oil on the neck, then wet sanding with more tru oil as the "lubricant" and apparently the dust from the wet sanding acts as filler in the pores, probably very similar/same as Tonar shows.  I very much like the look of the completed mahogany neck in thosse photos.

Does a tru oil finish meet the warranty criteria for Warmoth regarding hard finishes on necks?

Thanks again folks

 

[recurve]

Called Warmoth - tru oil does not meet their warranty requirements.

 

[Tonar8352]

I have done so many necks with oil finish I have lost count and I have never had one go bad. That said I always do them knowing that I have no warranty on the neck. 

 

[Cagey]

Who sources the majority of your necks? I'd wager that properly seasoned wood plays a large part in its stability, and not everybody is as religious about it as they could be. I have a lotta faith in Warmoth, but I'm not so sure about others. Of course, that could just be me wanting to believe that the premium price I pay for Warmoth parts means they've been treated properly before I see them, but I do know that I've never had a neck twist/warp on me.

 

[mayfly]

I have done so many necks with oil finish I have lost count and I have never had one go bad. That said I always do them knowing that I have no warranty on the neck.

I have one of Tonar's boiled in oil necks.  4 (?) years later it's as straight as an arrow.  Mine is maple mind you...

 

[Ace Flibble]

Check out Wudtone. They use a hard oil finish with dyes and pigments mixed in—though clear is also an option—and though Warmoth may not count them specifically (I'm not sure if Warmoth's even heard of them), their finishes are completely protective as far as wood stability goes. Harder than other oil finishes, softer than nitro and better penetration than either.

the premium price I pay for Warmoth parts means they've been treated properly before I see them

They're not. This is one of the major reasons why I still buy Warmoth bodies but don't touch their necks and steer other people away from their necks, too. The extra heavy Warmoth truss rod seems to do a lot to keep the necks stable, but if you want the more normal, lighter truss rod, you better finish that neck really well and basically treat it as though Warmoth did nothing to condition the wood. Go hit up a proper luthier or larger brand custom shop to see how neck would should actually be treated and you'll immediately see a night-and-day difference compared to how Warmoth necks arrive at your door, assuming we're talking about unfinished necks.

... But that's sort of to be expected. Premium price be damned, Warmoth crank out parts faster than anybody else. That comes at a price, but literal and figurative. The wood's not really conditioned well, just as the nuts aren't cut fully, the frets aren't crowned and the fret ends and fretboard sides aren't at all rolled. If you want your stuff to be completely cared for, a more user-friendly product, you either have to ask Warmoth to slow down their entire production and business model or you need to go to another company.

 

[mayfly]

(pssst.... my boiled oil finished warmoth maple neck has the standard truss rod....  Still stable 4 years in....)

 

[dmraco]

If you want a natural feel and want to stay "in warranty" I still claim with best finish is a satin poly.  A few light coats and you are covered and it will stay a satin finish and not shine up like a true oil or nitro.   

I have one that is 5 plus years only and no issues. Plays super smooth like neck was powdered. 

Btw...I think oil is a fine method too

 

[recurve]

Thanks for all the info folks,
I really liked the Tonar neck photos but this guitar is for someone else and he ultimately chose grain fill with satin poly.  Grain fill is finished, neck sanded down to 600 and a first coat of wipe on poly is on.  If i can figure out how to post photos I'll do that when it is complete.