swamp ash finishing question

[teh_grimness]

ive been pricing out a custom swamp ash tele body, and im curious as to whether or not i HAVE to put a finish on it. i like the natural color of swamp ash and would prefer it unfinished so long as it doesnt cause any severe detriment to the integrity of the wood.

 

[stratamania]

I like the look of natural swamp ash also. However it is a very open grained wood and without a finish I would say it's not very durable and will be a magnet for dirt and sweat getting into it.

Finishing it can also be a lot of work ( see the Tele build in my signature). What you would pay Warmoth to finish it for you is worth it I think.

There are also finishes such as Wudtone which may be an alternative.

 

[dmraco]

if you want it to look like natural swamp ash, use a few coats of MINWAX satin poly.  You will be surprised on how natural it looks while protecting the wood from dirt and damage. 

I have used this on necks too and they are powdery smooth.


this is a white korina and zebra wood I stained and used satin poly

 

[teh_grimness]

Definitely not going to DIY this one, I don't have the tools or finances to get a me a body if I screw it up (which isn't out of the realm of possibilities) so the $180 or w/e for a satin clear finish would be worth it. What kind of damage would happen to the wood aside from discoloration from sweat/dirt/etc. if left unfinished? I googled a bunch and all i really found was "it could negatively affect the wood" and that doesn't tell me much. With the neck I've been pricing I'm going with roasted maple w/ a rosewood fingerboard, and the site says that, as a result of the roasting process, it can be left unfinished, so am I good to assume that's accurate?

Also, as a related question, are there any body woods that are fine being left unfinished?

 

[bagman67]

Realistically, the only trouble you're going to run into with an unfinished body is the accumulation of sweat, grime, beer spillage, hooker dust, etc.  This is true of just about any wood species you might make a body out of.  I suppose a really soft species might be more prone to breakage, but for any lumber that's sufficiently seasoned to be stable, you're not likely to run into the same kind of warpage risks you see with maple or mahogany necks, for example.  When push comes to shove, it's just a lot easier to wipe off a hard-finished body than to attack it with sandpaper or steel wool or a scotchbrite pad if it gets any scuzz on it.


In short:  You won't run into any issues that compromise functionality, but your guitar may get a little gross.  Look at Stevie Ray Vaughan's No. 1, Rory Gallagher's axe, etc., for what happens when exposed lumber gets played for a long time.  it turns grayish brown from built up gunk.