Remove neck finish - pros/cons

[JonatanOTG]

A while ago, I decided to try to remove the glossy finish on the back of the neck on a old (squier)strat laying around. I was very happy with the results, but I wanted to wait some time to see if the raw wood would somehow get bad not being protected by the finish.

This was about six months ago and I still think the neck looks good and feels great. I've been thinking about doing the same thing to one of my more valued guitars, which happens to be a warmoth strat.

My question is, are there any risks with sanding the finish off from a neck? It's not much of a reversible mod so...

 

[Cagey]

The only risk I'm aware of is with certain wood species that are sensitive to environmental conditions. Maple, Mahogany and Koa, for instance, have a disturbing tendency to warp or twist if they don't have a hard finish on them. It's not certain to happen, but it happens often enough that Warmoth won't warrant necks made of those woods if they aren't finished. They claim about a 10% incidence, which sounds like a fairly safe bet if you're the gambling type, but if you've got a neck you really like you may not want to risk it. Repairing warps/twists is generally somewhere between difficult and impossible, and always expensive.

 

[Hendrix]

unfinished wood can get moist and damp under highter humidity, sound can get hoarsely .

see the part they talk about Neck from 3:12

[youtube]5mA6UVS-PWc[/youtube]

 

[gjacob]

If you are going to remove the finish, I would apply Tung Oil.  It will protect the neck from moisture, but will remain slick as snot.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Interesting. Thanks for the video, Hendrix.

The neck is a flamed maple with flamed maple board. I like the guitar a bit too much to risk it I think. However, Tung Oil seems interesting. Is that the same as Warmoth offers as their 'clear satin' finish by the way?

 

[stratamania]

The clear satin is just a satin version of the other finishes that Warmoth offers.

 

[Hendrix]

Interesting. Thanks for the video, Hendrix.

The neck is a flamed maple with flamed maple board. I like the guitar a bit too much to risk it I think. However, Tung Oil seems interesting. Is that the same as Warmoth offers as their 'clear satin' finish by the way?

if you want it  'clear satin' finish feel , like  on back of many fender neck .

you can just wet sanding it a bit  on surface only with wet 800 grit sandpaper .

 

[pabloman]

The clear satin is just a satin version of the other finishes that Warmoth offers.

The satin finish is nitro, gloss is poly.

 

[stratamania]

The clear satin is just a satin version of the other finishes that Warmoth offers.

The satin finish is nitro, gloss is poly.

Yes, I was getting at that both satin and gloss finishes that neither are oil finishes.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Maple needs protection from moisture. Sand the finish off and apply 3 or 4 coats of Tru-Oil. Lightly go over it with 0000 steel wool and then apply some gun stock wax. it will feel like raw wood.