Should I finish my neck?

[ZackPomerleau]

Hi everyone, I am looking to purchase a Guitar from Warmoth and want to get a neck too, Total Vintage, was wondering, what will finishing the neck do for me, I don't want sticky and shiny. Also, are there any Fenders on the market with an unfinished neck? I am making a Strat by the way, mad the premade body with Sonic Blue was sold!

 

[ZackPomerleau]

Also, if I get a maple neck, whats the point of Finishing the Fretboard?

 

[chuck7]

the traditional neck woods used, ie mahogany/maple, require finishing to protect them from the environment and things such as warping and twisting.  Some of the exotic woods, such as padouk, canary, and wenge do not require finishing to avoid environmental damage. 

I don't know why maple finger boards are finished.

 

[GoDrex]

maple needs to be finished or it warps

maple fretboards are finished... um... because they're maple - other types like rosewood or ebony are not finished because they don't have to be

if you don't like gloss go for the satin finish - it's not sticky at all.

if you don't want a finish then you need to pick a wood that can be unfinished

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=guitar_neckwoods

 

[ZackPomerleau]

Okay so I should invest in the neck AND fretboard then, or no fretboard?

 

[GoDrex]

Get the kind of neck you want. Warmoth should have enough options for just about anyone. Normally you'd get a completed neck from them - - either finished by them or unfinished to do yourself or to leave that way. What you do is up to you. Warmoth has a disclaimer about unfinished necks that require finishing:

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.

 

[Soloshchenko]

Hi everyone, I am looking to purchase a Guitar from Warmoth and want to get a neck too, Total Vintage, was wondering, what will finishing the neck do for me, I don't want sticky and shiny. Also, are there any Fenders on the market with an unfinished neck? I am making a Strat by the way, mad the premade body with Sonic Blue was sold!

Sounds like you need to finish in pure tung oil to me. It makes the neck all smooth and lovely, almost like bare wood but completely water tight and protected. Takes a lot of patience tho, mine was done over a few months and using lots of extremely thin coats water down with spirit.

Definately don't think about leaving maple unfinished, it will probably warp. 

 

[Soloshchenko]

Okay so I should invest in the neck AND fretboard then, or no fretboard?

I don't really have a clue what you are asking here. If it is should you buy a neck with a fretboard, I don't think you have a choice they come together. If your asking should you finish the fretboard too then the answer is yes, you should.

 

[chuck7]

All necks have a fret board.  On maple necks, sometimes the fretboard is actually the front face of the neck, not a separate piece of wood.  If so, you will have a stripe down the back of the neck where the channel was made for the truss rod.  On other maple necks, the truss rod is placed from the front, and a separate piece of maple is used for the fret board.  This is the same construction used when other woods are used as the fret board. 

Any neck you order from Warmoth will be complete with neck, fretboard, and everything.  I suppose you could do something highly custom and order the parts, but the things you see on the website are referencing a complete neck.  The only think you may have to do is finish it.  Warmoth will finish it as well if you want.  If you order the neck unfinished, it will still be complete.  You can even have them install the nut for you. 

 

[dbw]

I think he's asking if he can order the neck finished but the fretboard unfinished. 

 

[chuck7]

if so: http://www.warmoth.com/paint/paint.cfm?fuseaction=necks


oh, and to the guy who suggested a pure tung oil finish; that may be a great finish, but it does not meet warmoth's warranty requirements. 

 

[Soloshchenko]

if so: http://www.warmoth.com/paint/paint.cfm?fuseaction=necks


oh, and to the guy who suggested a pure tung oil finish; that may be a great finish, but it does not meet warmoth's warranty requirements. 

Yeah its a risk I take  because like I say, its water tight so hardly any chance or warpage and its the nicest feeling finish, the closest thing to bare wood I think.

 

[Justinginn]

Soloshchenko, you're saying Maple with Tung oil, right? Just wondering, as I'd be more interested in Maple if I could Tung it (right now I'm keeping to a wood that needs no finish at all....)

 

[tfarny]

Alternative take:
I'm sure Warmoths requirement to finish a maple neck is a good insurance policy for the company, and prevents them from paying for a lot of things that are the user's fault, but it seems to me that whether a maple neck will warp or not (how affected by moisture, basically) will depend on: neck thickness, neck construction type, density of that particular piece of maple, local humidity and seasonal variation, and amount of use / hand sweat the neck gets. Warmoth isn't saying your maple neck WILL warp, they're just saying that it might and it's not their fault if it does.

I've been playing an unfinished maple neck for a year with no need to adjust the truss rod at all.  I know that's not very long so take it for what it's worth. It's also: A clapton back (thicker than normal), warmoth pro (double truss rod for stability), a very dense piece of wood noticeably heavier than my other maple neck, and I live in a dry climate with not much seasonal change (lala land). The tech I talked to, who runs the shop at TrueTone music, possibly the best guitar store in LA, said that it wasn't that big a deal to have an unfinished maple neck, it 'might need a bit more frequent truss rod adjustments'. It's really wonderful to play on.

I also just finished my new maple neck (a strat neck) with Deft semi-gloss spray lacquer, and while it's not as smooth as naked neck, it's a lot smoother than some of the high-gloss necks you'll find. It was WAY easier than tung-oiling and took only a couple hours for four light coats (just one $5 can), and then 10 days to dry, and a nice thorough buffing with super fine steel wool. It looks very professional and I'd recommend it as a finishing method for a beginner. I was scared of spraying, as I've never sprayed anything that didn't run, but I just followed directions, went slow, and it turned out great.

Alternatively, everyone here says Canary necks are awesome substitutes for maple and feel great, so if you've got the $$, why not?

 

[Soloshchenko]

Soloshchenko, you're saying Maple with Tung oil, right? Just wondering, as I'd be more interested in Maple if I could Tung it (right now I'm keeping to a wood that needs no finish at all....)

Definately yes mate, tung oil is the only thing to finish maple in in my opinion, it feels amazing. Really! Very similar to the feel you get on exotics that need no finish.

The only rules are
1) put it on thin, and I mean thin.
2) Give each coat a week to dry
3) First few coats cut with spirit
4) Once its on, before you leave it makesure you have no build up or residue. THIN!!!

I would fully recommend it. Exotics are the lazy rich mans choice!
Only kidding but to my eyes nothing looks better than flame or birdseye maple necks.