Neck finishes summary

[CrackedPepper]

I don't know if there is any one thread to find a listing of finishes and whether they will meet Warmoth's warranty requirements.  If there is, I couldn't find it. If there is, I'll pull this thread. My idea here is to summarize different finishes as I personally cannot remember if it is Tru Oil or Tung Oil meets warranty requirements.  Anyway here goes:

Finish	Application	Warranty	Notes
Linseed Oil	Wipe On	No
Laquer (Acrylic-modified)	Spray On	Yes
Laquer (Catalyzed )	Spray On	Yes
Laquer (Nitrocellulose)	Spray On	Yes
Oil and varnish blends	Wipe On	??	e.g. Watco-brand Danish oil, teak oil
Polyurethane	Wipe On	Yes
Shellac	Wipe On	Yes
Tru Oil	Wipe On	Yes
Tung Oil	Wipe On	No
Tung Oil w/ Urethane	Wipe On	??
Varnish	Brush On	Yes
Varnish (thinned/gelled)	Wipe On	Yes

Warranty coverage assumes proper application within 30 days of purchase.  Please provide additions/corrections with references if appropriate.

 

[m4rk0]

Tru Oil is acceptable for Warrenty
I don't think Tung is,..

 

[lafromla1]

From Warmoth's website:

Other Neck Finish Info
To Finish or Not to Finish?
All our necks are dipped in an oil based penetrating sealer which is compatible with virtually all secondary finishes. This provides enhanced stability; however, it is not adequate protection for playing. We strongly recommend you apply a hard finish to all Maple, Mahogany, and Koa necks. Oils do not validate our warranty requirements. We understand the attraction of raw or lightly oiled necks. They feel fast and are not sticky. Unfortunately, they are much more susceptible to moisture related warping and twisting. Our experience is that hard finished necks seldom warp. Less than 1 out of 200 (0.5%) are returned for warpage. Raw or oiled necks don't fare as well. About 10% are rendered useless from the torture. The more acidic your perspiration, the higher the odds are against you.
If you must play a raw neck, that's cool; it's ok. A neck is just a tool. Just be aware of the risk. If yours does the pretzel act, we don't want to hear about it.
For a valid warranty, a hard finish must be sufficiently thick to completely cover the wood. That means no wood is exposed and you are actually playing on the finish, not the wood. Now, it does not matter to us who applies the finish. Of course we would like to do the finish for you, but if you choose to do it yourself or have it done elsewhere the warranty is still valid.

 

[CrackedPepper]

Is this for necks that require finishes according to Warmoth? 

yes, that was my intent.

If I buy a full-on Rosewood neck which doesnt require a finish, does that mean that its not warrantied unless Warmoth put a finish on it?  If I add Tung Oil to that same unfinished Rosewood neck, is any previous warranty voided?  Is it still covered?

My understanding is that "play raw" necks that do not require finishes are stated as such and don't need to be finished for the warranty to apply.  I don't know if applying something to a "play raw" neck will void the warranty.

 

[Wyliee]

Tru Oil is acceptable for Warrenty
I don't think Tung is,..

Tru-oil yes.
Tung oil no.

 

[CrackedPepper]

thanks - updated the table using the above

 

[Cagey]

I know traditionally "raw" necks not only don't require a finish, they often won't take one, but what if you have a raw neck like that you'd like to protect? For instance, I recently bought a pau ferro neck that I like the feel of, but would rather it had a protective finish. Can I put true-oil on that, or will the wood balk?

 

[Patrick]

i saw a build on here a month or two ago where the builder applie tru oil to a rosewood neck and it looked great

 

[Cagey]

I'm not as concerned about the way it looks as I am about feel and longevity, as I'm sure no clear finish is going to detract from its appearance. I just don't want to put any kind of oil on the neck and have it get sticky/nasty/stinky because the neck rejects it. I paid too much for a finely machined exotic wood for it to be anything less than what it is.

 

[CrackedPepper]

Does anyone know definitively if oil/varnish blends (like Watco-brand Danish oil & teak oil) or urethane enhanced Tung Oil counts as a warranty worthy "hard finish"?

 

[lafromla1]

i saw a build on here a month or two ago where the builder applie tru oil to a rosewood neck and it looked great

tru oil or tung oil?

here is one with tung oil applied: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12413.0

 

[CrackedPepper]

I see you took some criticism for oiling a rosewood neck even though you were trying to darken it (as opposed to protecting it.)  How has that worked out so far?  Have you been playing it often?

 

[lafromla1]

Play it every day.  At first it felt a little tacky, like my gloss finished necks, but the more I played it, the smoother it got where now it absolutely glides.  I think it was a just a matter of wearing some of the wax off of/into it.

Yes, my intention was to darken it first, and as a secondary effect, add some sort of protection to it.  I am very happy with the outcome.