Unfinished Roasted Maple - does it get dirty with use?

[Rusty The Scoob]

For those who have unfinished roasted maple necks and have used them a lot - do they get dirty like normal unfinished maple?  Just curious.

My preference is yes... I like the relic'ed look especially when it's achieved naturally.

 

[ghotiphry]

Depends.  I like to keep mine nice and smooth by reburnishing periodically because it seems to lose some of that glassy quality that I want.  Of course that kinda removes surface gunk.

 

[ghotiphry]

Rusty, you've got 3 threads asking the same question? :doh:

 

[Great Ape]

I guess that depends how filthy yer hands are when ya play it... :toothy11:

 

[Cagey]

I guess that depends how filthy yer hands are when ya play it... :toothy11:

Amen. Some necks are just disgusting. You're almost reluctant to work on them out of fear of catching acute creeping crud and having your skin rot off.

 

[arealken]

Yes, of course it could IMO. That leads me to the question- Can I put a light  finish on a Roasted Maple neck, and if so, how?

 

[Cagey]

It's still just Maple. Anything you could do to a regular Maple neck could be done to a roasted one.

I usually don't recommend wipe-on finishes, but I've done a couple/few necks with Behlen's Master Gel and had good results. It's a water-clear polyurethane finish, so it's very robust and stands up to neck abuse well.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Isn't part of the point of the roasting process to make finishing it unnecessary?

 

[musicispeace]

Have not yet put the roasted maple I have lying around to work but I have an all Bubinga neck that has no finish that is going on two years now and its fine. But then I do tend to give my hands a quick wash before I start playing and wipe the strings and back of the neck with a soft cloth when done. I suppose in theory anywhere that oils from your hands can influence wood could darken it a bit. Cagey can attest I have one guitar I had finished with a worn look to the body but given some of the extreme relicing jobs I have seen on some regular maple necks I'd take a dark wood with a little evidence of humanity interacting with it over time any day over something that looks like it suffered a felony assault by a sander.

 

[dmraco]

I have found ANY unfinished neck will be a grime build up over time.  I have several EVH 'OILED" Wolfgang neck guitars and they do get dirty.

I use this.  A Little goes a long way with a microfiber cloth.  The Orange oil will clean AND add oils back to the neck.  I have used this for over 20 years on rosewood fingerboards and now unfinished necks of all kinds and it works great.  Smells good too!!!