finishing maple neck and alder body

[hachikid]

Hey everyone. I'm trying to do an experiment bass on the cheap, and I found a body and neck for a good price in the showcase. I'm curious about finishing, though. The neck will be a maple neck, and I'm curious on my options on how to finish it. Does it need to be clear coated to be durable? Or could I just paint the whole thing? A friend's MIJ P-Bass has a maple neck that's been completely sprayed black, and I'm wondering if I can just spray it. This leads me to my next question, how will I suspend the neck to spray it with whatever?

This also sort of ties in with the previous questions, as well. For the body, I'm doing a red/black Frankenstrat design on it. Can I just slightly scuff the body and shoot red paint directly on it, then black, then clear coat? Or are there other steps?

 

[Patrick]

i hope by "paint" you mean finish in some sort of oil or lacquer, not rattle can paint.  :tard:

 

[hachikid]

Are you referring to the body or neck?

 

[line6man]

i hope by "paint" you mean finish in some sort of oil or lacquer, not rattle can paint.  :tard:

And not on Rosewood or AAAAAAA Koa. :tard:
(Whoops, made myself vomit a bit at that thought.)

 

[hachikid]

screw it, I'm just gonna get a Canary neck/fingerboard. I'll have start a WIP thread in the next couple weeks outlining the plan.

 

[dmraco]

screw it, I'm just gonna get a Canary neck/fingerboard. I'll have start a WIP thread in the next couple weeks outlining the plan.

you will still need to finish the back of a maple neck...the fretboard can be left unfinished.  Lots of easy choices for that...any spray on poly or nitro, tru-oil, etc.  Depend on the finish you desire.

I have always hung the neck with a coat hanger thru the top tuner hole not no ill effects.  When an unfinished fretboard is called for, mask the fret board and lay the neck flat of the fretboard.  Keep the peg head overhanging from what ever you are laying it on (a big box always worked for me) so it can be sprayed too.

 

[hachikid]

I'm not going to bother with a maple neck anymore. I'm just gonna pay a little extra for a full Canary neck + fretboard. 6150 frets, too.