Roasted Maple Fretboard

[stefanhotrod]

Hi to y‘all,

I‘ve ordered my first roasted flamed maple neck an hour ago...can‘t wait to get it  :icon_tongue:
Still unsure what to do with the fretboard since no finish is needed. Leave it unfinished? Handle it like rosewood with good fretboard oil (not lemon oil!)? Or am I good to go with some ultrathin coats of Tru Oil?

I‘d like to achieve an aged but not reliced look, by the way.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[dmraco]

I would leave it naked.  Some light coats of tru oil cannot hurt but it kind of takes away that natural feel.

I clean mine with Howards Orange Oil when changing the strings.  It really helps clean any filth your fingers left behind and the neck does not feel greasy after.

I have been using Howard's for 20+ years on my rosewood and it seems to agree with the roasted maple too.

 

[Logrinn]

Like DMRACO syas, leave it naked. I've enjoyed my roasted necks now for some years and not a drop of oil in sight on them ever. Except the oil my fingers provide ...

Ever since I got my roasted maple necks I've always thought they looked like aged maple. Aged, but not reliced - just what you're loking for.

So - put it on your body - play it end enjoy ccasion14:

 

[dmraco]

My son who plays my guitars as much as I do always makes the fret boards nasty.  His fingers must really leave some skin behind.  They never get dirty with me.  I really only use the oil because of the grime! :laughing7:

 

[rgand]

Like DMRACO syas, leave it naked. I've enjoyed my roasted necks now for some years and not a drop of oil in sight on them ever. Except the oil my fingers provide ...

Ever since I got my roasted maple necks I've always thought they looked like aged maple. Aged, but not reliced - just what you're loking for.

So - put it on your body - play it end enjoy ccasion14:

Oil? On your body? Hmmm...

 

[Logrinn]

:toothy12:
Oh yes. Olive oil!

 

[stefanhotrod]

Thanks guys. I‘ll have to see personally. But wait, another question:

How‘s the flame on the (regular) roasted flamed maple necks? Just subtle? I‘m so curious since I‘ve ordered a custom neck, dunno what I really get finally  :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

I've dealt with a lotta roasted Maple necks. I highly recommend burnishing them as opposed to any sort of finish. If you have some unsatisfied urge to to put a finish on a neck and Maple is the target of your lust, just use regular raw Maple.

As for figuring, roasting exacerbates it. If it was pretty to start with, it's much prettier after roasting. Do a directed search through the Showcase. Some of those pieces will frighten your credit card  :laughing7:

 

[stefanhotrod]

^ thanks, yes I‘ve drooled enough  :binkybaby: some of the necks are nearly a bit too much for my liking. Nevertheless beautiful. I wanted to know what kind of flame grade can I expect?

 

[Cagey]

It's tough to say. In my experience, there's no being disappointed in Warmoth's raw materials. Their crummiest pieces are usually exemplary. But, you're still just gonna have to wait like everybody else to see what shows up. If you get too anxious, there's always Xanax  :laughing7:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I concur with my comrades.
"Leave the blond buck naked".

 

[musicispeace]

Raw roasted maple is a fast and smooth playing experience. As Cagey says, burnishing it is even better. Remember that a lot of the internet folklore about finishes is coming from those who want to sell you their product. Just make sure you have clean hands before playing, has worked well for me.

 

[stefanhotrod]

My neck arrived yesterday and it looks fantastic, high(er) grade flamed maple, perfectly worked, no fretwork necessary. Real good fretboard oil (not lemon oil!!!) works great on the board. So far so good.

But am I right, Warmoth uses some kind of sealer, right? Even light sanding causes scratches on the surface. Will I ruin this beautiful neck with a light sanding? I‘m totally unexperienced with roasted maple, sorry. I‘d like to apply some thin coats Truoil, but I guess I‘ll have to remove the sealer before...

And by the way- how do you „burnish“ your neck?

 

[bagman67]

My son who plays my guitars as much as I do always makes the fret boards nasty.  His fingers must really leave some skin behind.  They never get dirty with me.  I really only use the oil because of the grime! :laughing7:

Your son's a young man, and some of those young men exude a lot more goo than their aged forebears.  Same thing goes on at my house - the 18-year-old, who as a rule is pretty good on hygiene nowadays, nevertheless gunks up a fingerboard pretty rapidly.  For my part, it takes forever for the fingerboard to show much grime -- but I'm 51 now and beginning to dry out.

 

[Cagey]

And by the way- how do you „burnish“ your neck?

See here.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I've had many a guitar come across my workbench over the years from customers who live on Taco Bell & sweat acid all over their frets & hardware.  They further neglect their instrument by not wiping them down after use.

While this saddens me as a player, it does provide some income as a tech.

Fine line to balance.