Doubt about satin finish maple neck

[molul]

Hi all! This is my first post here

I'm starting a Jazzmaster project and I have a small doubt about the neck finish. I currently have a Warmoth custom strat with transparent red gloss finish and a clear gloss maple neck, and they look awesome together.

Now I want to build a replacement guitar for this strat. It would have a jazzmaster body, transparent turquoise satin finish:

And the doubt with the maple neck is: should I order a satin finish one? I think it would fit the body satin finish better than a clear gloss neck, but on the other hand, I've never had a satin neck in my hands and I don't know how it feels. I love how fast and smooth my clear gloss one feels. Does the satin feel similar or is it less smooth (or more)?

Any hint is appreciated

 

[ragamuffin]

Maybe make a trip to your local guitar shop and try out something with a satin finish neck? I like them generally better than gloss, especially gloss poly.

...But better yet how about an unfinished, roasted maple neck? Raw necks feel great, especially when burnished with high grit sandpaper/polishing paper. The color would probably go well with your build too.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

You should definitely find a way to check out a satin neck for yourself so you can make an educated decision. Like you, I enjoy the feel of a gloss neck, and for my part I don’t like satin necks at all. I prefer gloss even to raw, which is not a common opinion ‘round here.

 

[molul]

Actually, my custom strat's neck was raw, and I liked it, but I had a Fender Billy Corgan Signature strat with a gloss nitro finish and it was another world, so I got the raw neck changed to a clear gloss finish ^_^U

Yeah I guess what makes the most sense is just trying a guitar with satin finish neck, but I always feel a bit guilty when I try things in a guitar shop not to buy anything xD So I thought I could just ask here if people know if satin necks are more or less smooth than gloss ones

I also wonder if a gloss neck would look bad on a satin finish body

 

[musicispeace]

I find satin finished necks to be very smooth. If there is a brick and mortar shop near you that has something like one of the Squire Contemporary strats they have satin finished necks.

 

[mayfly]

I've had several warmoth satin necks.  They are very nice, but note that they will 'polish up' over time where you play it and eventually become glossy.

so... sounds like it could be the best of both worlds!

 

[rgand]

It shouldn't be a problem to go into a store to try a couple guitars to get the feel. Before I ever built my Jazzmaster I went into a Guitar Center and held one to see what the balance was like. They know that sales come from letting customers try things and also that not everyone buys when they do.

Are you going to put a gloss pickguard on it? Shiny chrome bridge, etc.? The neck is just another part and I personally feel glossy parts just makes the satin look even better.

 

[molul]

I was thinking on a matte black pickguard, and most likely chrome hardware because of the bridge and tremolo (I wish there were black Fender jazzmaster tremolos).

 

[rgand]

I haven't seen any black ones, either. It's an interesting thought, though.

 

[aarontunes]

I've had several warmoth satin necks.  They are very nice, but note that they will 'polish up' over time where you play it and eventually become glossy.

so... sounds like it could be the best of both worlds!

This is the correct answer.


The back of the neck will become glossy relatively quickly with normal play. Meanwhile, the front of the headstock will remain satin.

 

[Walther]

I've had several warmoth satin necks.  They are very nice, but note that they will 'polish up' over time where you play it and eventually become glossy.

so... sounds like it could be the best of both worlds!

This is the correct answer.


The back of the neck will become glossy relatively quickly with normal play. Meanwhile, the front of the headstock will remain satin.

Huh? That sounds surprising to me. Does this have something to do with the specific type of finish or technique that Warmoth uses? My Ibanez with a satin neck has not turned glossy or sticky in some 10 years of playing .

I did recently order a Warmoth neck with a satin finish so i guess i could also just wait and see

 

[aarontunes]

Huh? That sounds surprising to me. Does this have something to do with the specific type of finish or technique that Warmoth uses? My Ibanez with a satin neck has not turned glossy or sticky in some 10 years of playing .

I did recently order a Warmoth neck with a satin finish so i guess i could also just wait and see

On necks, Warmoth uses Clear Satin Nitro. It is soft enough that playing over time will buff it up to a dull gloss. This is a very common thing I've observed on many brands, PRS, Fender, etc.


The finish on your Ibanez is likely Satin Poly...much harder, and will hold the satin for a longer time. This is what Warmoth uses on our Satin bodies.


I hear the question forming in your mind: "Why don't you use the same Satin finish on both bodies and necks?". Answer: the poly is much more expensive, and people have been quite happy with the nitro satin finish on our necks for decades now, so no need to change.

 

[Walther]

Thanks for the explanation! ”Buffs to a dull gloss” sounds much nicer than my sudden fear of ”goes full glossy like those sticky painted necks of some brands”. Let’s see how it turns out!

 

[molul]

Huh? That sounds surprising to me. Does this have something to do with the specific type of finish or technique that Warmoth uses? My Ibanez with a satin neck has not turned glossy or sticky in some 10 years of playing .

I did recently order a Warmoth neck with a satin finish so i guess i could also just wait and see

On necks, Warmoth uses Clear Satin Nitro. It is soft enough that playing over time will buff it up to a dull gloss. This is a very common thing I've observed on many brands, PRS, Fender, etc.


The finish on your Ibanez is likely Satin Poly...much harder, and will hold the satin for a longer time. This is what Warmoth uses on our Satin bodies.


I hear the question forming in your mind: "Why don't you use the same Satin finish on both bodies and necks?". Answer: the poly is much more expensive, and people have been quite happy with the nitro satin finish on our necks for decades now, so no need to change.

Thanks a lot for the explanation Do gloss necks use nitro instead of poly as well?


EDIT: oh my... I just saw the specs of the Warmoth Strat I was built by a local "luthier" (more like an "assembler") and apparently the neck was satin, and after what I've read everything makes sense: it felt like raw wood during the first months, then it turned to a not-very-smooth glossy finish, and I didn't understand why it wasn't as smooth as my Fender Billy Corgan Signature strat's maple neck (that's why I've ordered a poly glossy neck from another local luthier). I didn't intentionally order a satin neck, as I didn't even know what it was (I thought all maple necks would be the same).

Well, then it looks I'm ordering a glossy finish maple neck from Warmoth, if it's poly that is.

 

[Rick]

Every guitar I've had with a satin finish neck over the years gets that dull gloss, except my ovation.  I don't know what they put on that.  Anyway, when they gloss up, I call it character and it's nothing to fear.