"Should I finish my (exotic, raw wood) neck?"

dbw

Master Member
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If it doesn't require a finish, then for the LOVE OF GOD, don't finish it!

^^^^ now will somebody please sticky this  :help:
 
Which woods don't require a finish? Also, does this imply no treatment? Such as lemon oil. I'm concerned over sweat/soil from the hands. This won't damage the wood?

What about bodies? Am I better off leaving these bare?

Thanks, joz.
 
Joz said:
Which woods don't require a finish?

Rosewood, Wenge, Canary, Bubinga, Ziricote, Gonçalo Alvez, Bocote, Cocobolo, Ebony, Kingwood, Pau Ferro, Padouk, Bloodwood, Purpleheart
 
NonsenseTele said:
Joz said:
Which woods don't require a finish?

Rosewood, Wenge, Canary, Bubinga, Ziricote, Gonçalo Alvez, Bocote, Cocobolo, Ebony, Kingwood, Pau Ferro, Padouk, Bloodwood, Purpleheart

A.K.A. Nando's favorite things on earth.
 
Joz said:
Also, does this imply no treatment? Such as lemon oil.

Lemon oil is good.  I like the silky feeling after applying lemon (actually I use orange) oil.  But I don't think it's needed to maintain the neck.  It just looks, feels, and smells better :)

Joz said:
I'm concerned over sweat/soil from the hands. This won't damage the wood?

Nope, not really... all these woods are really durable.  (Or all the ones I've tried are!)  I have 2 raw necks I've been playing for a couple years and they look brand-new (except for dings in the headstock :p) .

What about bodies? Am I better off leaving these bare?

Bodies are rarely made from the no-finish woods NT listed above.  No reason you couldn't leave it raw, I guess, except that it doesn't look as good.  I believe jkellington has a raw Wenge VIP...


Edit: and you should see the sweat stains on my desk at work... my hands sweat onto the wood in front of the keyboard and discolored it.  I have pretty sweaty hands but my raw necks don't seem to care.
 
dbw said:
Max said:
What about that mysterywood from Bolivia or whatever Warmoth had a while ago? :p

Ipe?

Ipe is brazilian, perhaps it exist in south america as Mahogany, etc... I'm not sure if Ipe needs finish or not, but I guess it doesn't as I remember the Braveheart Les Paul with Ipe fingerboard and no finish on it
 
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=4380.0
WN740A.jpg

WN737A.jpg


That's the unknown neck wood.
 
dbw said:
If it doesn't require a finish, then for the LOVE OF GOD, don't finish it!

^^^^ now will somebody please sticky this  :help:
So true, I can see maybe a tru oil or Danish oil on the face of the headstock. But other than that, 100% leave it raw.... :laughing7:
 
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