Satin Painted Neck Question (plus another)

[cjs0216]

Finally nearing the ordering phase of my guitar build. I've got the body...just a satin black with an old Christopher Lee Dracula pick guard. That's sort of the theme I'm building around. For the neck, I'm down to two options. The first is a maple neck, painted satin black just like the body with a blood wood fingerboard. I like the likely aesthetic of that combo, but I've never played a guitar with a satin painted neck. I'm not one that has an overly strong opinion on gloss painted necks vs the standard maple strat necks as far as playability, but the satin is an unknown. For those of you who have their necks painted with Warmoth's color satin finish, how do you like it?

For the other neck combo, I was thinking blood wood neck with an ebony fret board. I like that combo, too, but I'm really unsure about how that combo will tie the body and neck together aesthetically. Thoughts on that combo?

 

[musicispeace]

I have a black strat with a Bubinga neck and fretboard. Aesthetically it really impacts the look for the guitar, there is no getting around how prominent the neck/neck color is with that guitar. So I would bear that in mind regarding the bloodwood/ebony fretboard options. The first option sounds really interesting. The major aesthetic impact compares a redish fretboard to a black fretboard. At the end whatever you choose will be very cool and distinctive but I would like, spend a weekend with each idea just visualizing the heck out of it and weighing the impact on you. With an ebony fretboard on the bloodwood that could really keep the visual impact tied together with the black and add the red in a cool, peripheral way. I can't wait to see pics of the finished project.

I personally like Warmoth's satin finish for feel. I have not had it on a painted neck but it has to be more playable feeling than gloss, I think.

 

[Rick]

I've only played satin clear finishes and they are wonderful, less sticky than gloss, and over the years will get a nice sheen.  As to a raw neck, that takes it to the next level ... absolutely love the raw necks, so I say go for that option.

And as to color, it's personal taste.  When in doubt ask the significant other in your life, gets them to buy into the guitar, and they're less likely to complain.

 

[cjs0216]

I would like, spend a weekend with each idea just visualizing the heck out of it and weighing the impact on you.

Man, I have obsessed over this question for weeks lol Thanks for the reply...I'm 99% sure I'm going to go with the painted neck and red fret board. I think that's going to really look good with the look I'm going for.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Warmoth's 'satin' neck finish, at least the last time I had one which must be two or three years ago now, are/were not really satin. If anything they are/were stickier than the gloss finish, which is a simply gloss poly. The satin is/was a nitro finish that hasn't been buffed fully, so it does look less glossy but it's slow-feeling and as I recall it only took about a month of playing for simple hand wear to buff it to a glossy shine.

They may well have changed that now, since they updated their body satin finishes to be a much better, tougher and flatter finish than some of their earlier satin body finishes. (Which were never as sticky as the neck finish, but did still always buff glossy with use.) I would hope they passed that same improvement on to the neck finishes as well; the website does not indicate that they have changed the neck finishes, however, and seem to imply it's the same sticky nitro they've always used. A coloured satin finish may be a different matter.

Satin or matte finishes done properly are a no-brainer improvement. You may not feel like gloss finishes hinder your playing now, but once you've used a proper, totally matte finish for a while and then try to go back to a gloss finish, the difference becomes obvious.

FWIW with Warmoth necks, before I switched to only playing raw necks, I found the best finish was achieved by getting them to shoot plain ol' thick poly gloss and then I turned it matte myself with a bit of wet 'n dry sandpaper and a few grades of steel wool. If you're not heavy-handed you can cut the gloss layer in half, getting a totally flat finish without going through to the colour.