durability of Warmoth clear gloss finish on maple fretboard

[scattercaster]

So I've done some searches on this and not found any results.  Here's the scoop:

I just received a Strat neck from Warmoth.  It's birdseye maple for the neck and fretboard, and it has their clear gloss finish.  It's absolutely beautiful, but I wasn't expecting such a thick coat of clear poly on the fretboard.

Here's my question:  Do any of y'all have input regarding the durability of Warmoth's clear gloss finish on maple fingerboards?  Would the satin nitro finish be more durable on maple fretboards?

To be clear, I'm not concerned about it feeling "sticky" -- I figure I could could sand it lightly if I want to give it a more satin feel.  Either way, I don't want it to be a fragile finish that cracks, chips, or gets worn prematurely by string bending. 

Thanks!

 

[bagman67]

Well, there's a lot in play.


For starters, nitro is much more fragile than poly.  The advantage that nitro affords vs. poly is that it's a lot easier to repair.  So if you injure it, you can recover.  Poly is hard to repair - you basically have two choices:  Drop fill, sand level, wet sand, and buff out - or work your @ss off doing a complete refinish.  Nitro can be repaired with a little local sanding and respray.  Much less work, much more likely for your repair to "take."



Now, I may be wrong, but I'm fairly certain the gloss finish on Warmoth necks is a poly finish, not nitrocellulose lacquer, so it's already likely to be more durable than the nitro-coated fretboards that show this kind of wear (this happens to be a photo of someone's attempt at a relic job, but it's a decent enough specimen):

Now, you also don't mention what kind of frets you have, nor what your actual playing style is like.  if you have a light touch, obviously you're going to wear the fretboard much more slowly than someone with a real stranglehold fretting style.  Further, if you have really tall frets, you may also find yourself just barely touching the fretboard, if at all, and so there's another factor.


Now, to editorialize a bit:  If I wanted a maple fingerboard, and was not up to finishing it myself, I'd go with Warmoth's gloss finish.  If I were finishing my own, I'd probably use a wipe-on poly product.  (I have used tru-oil successfully on maple necks with non-maple fretboards, but that's somewhat orthogonal to what I'm discussing here).  FWIW, I am not one who subscribes to the "lacquer lets the wood breathe" claptrap, nor do I want to have to repair banged up lacquer from time to time.  I'm pretty gentle with my guitars, so I'm not that worried about an irreparable ding to the poly.  Even with my generally cautious approach, I have found lacquer to be quite susceptible to ding-age. 


You will find members of the lacquer religion who will have different views.  You should listen to them, but listen in light of what can be objectively verified.


Hope this helps.

 

[line6man]

Would the satin nitro finish be more durable on maple fretboards?

Quite the opposite.

 

[Cederick]

I have coated my maple neck with satin finish and I have jumbo frets... I only barealy touch the fretboard with my fingertips!

 

[Great Ape]

Warmoth's gloss poly fingerboard finish is extremely durable. I'd think twice before 'sanding' the fretboard--it WILL cloud the finish, and if you find the birdseye attractive, sanding may well obscure it.
At any rate, I don't believe you need to be concerned about durability.   

 

[scattercaster]

Thanks, guys!  Y'all have convinced me to keep the beautiful neck -- and NOT to sand the fretboard (thanks, Great Ape).