Warmoth Neck Finishes Question

[davegardner0]

I'm thinking of buying a Warmoth tele neck, and I'm not sure if I want to buy it pre-finished or finish it myself. I'm looking to get a maple neck w/maple fretboard, and I'd like the finished neck to have a satin clear finish on it. More specifically, I'd like the finish to feel relatively thin and close to a bare wood feel, not thick and plasticky at all. The best example I can give is that I want it to feel like a G&L satin neck finish, not like a satin Fender neck which I feel like have thick and plastic feeling finishes compared to G&L's and I'm sure other brands too. (these are just the brands I'm familiar with)

So, what's the Warmoth satin finish like? How thick is it, and does the neck still feel like real wood? I've ordered an unfinished maple neck from Warmoth before and so it came with just the sealer, and that felt great! (but obviously wouldn't be durable enough). So I'd like to keep things as close to this feel as possible.


If I finish the neck myself, what are my options for a thin satin finish?
I'm planning on doing a custom headstock decal and so of course one advantage to finishing the neck myself is that I can put the decal right onto the wood and finish over it. But since this will be a maple fretboard I'm a little concerned - if I do a satin spray-type finish do I need to sand/buff the finish at all after applying? I feel like this could be hard to do between the frets, especially up high on the neck.

I've only ever finished necks with french polishing before so I'm a little in the dark here, but for this project I'd like a little more durability than shellac plus I don't want a glossy maple fretboard that my fingers will stick to.

 

[AirCap]

For easy and non-sticky feeling satin finish I recommend TruOil. Make it as satiny or as shiny as you like. Applies with a rag or even a finger, can be scuffed with Scotchbrite or sanded between coats. I love it, and so do most of my clients.

 

[TBurst Std]

Maybe consider roasted maple which does not require a finish

 

[Logrinn]

Maybe consider roasted maple which does not require a finish

I can vouch for that and highly recommend it. My first Warmoth have a roasted maple neck and my third that I'm waiting on have a roasted flame maple neck.

 

[davegardner0]

Maybe consider roasted maple which does not require a finish

I can vouch for that and highly recommend it. My first Warmoth have a roasted maple neck and my third that I'm waiting on have a roasted flame maple neck.

So with roasted maple, you just buy the bare wood neck and put it right onto the guitar? How does the wood feel? And, what does it sound like? I've heard of roasted woods but don't know much about them.

 

[Cagey]

Roasted Maple doesn't require a finish and the neck will remain stable. I'd recommend stainless frets, burnishing it, and having the frets leveled/dressed/polished before installation, although it can be installed/played right out of the box. Do those things, and it's likely to be the sexiest neck you've ever played. Behind Ebony over Pau Ferro, it's my favorite neck of all the woods Warmoth uses to make necks, and I own or have worked on just about everything they make. Sounds like a regular Maple neck, plays super fast, and looks/feels great. Highly recommended. Editor's pick. Award winning. Five stars. Gold.

 

[bagman67]

Alternatively (and not to disagree with anything anyone has said about the excellence of roasted maple), you could go with Warmoth's satin finish.  If you decide not to take the plunge on a roasted neck, you won't be disappointed in the excellent job they do.  Many a customer has received the satin-finished neck and remarked that it didn't even feel like it had been finished. 

But the roasted maple is, indeed, very nice to play.

 

[rgand]

I have two Warmoth roasted maple necks. One I put on right out of the box and only had the frets leveled (2 needed a little minor attention). The other one I burnished slightly and put it on. Either way, roasted maple is my first choice for a neck.

That said, I haven't tried the Warmoth satin finish but if I found a satin finished neck in the showcase I really liked, I'd probably go for it based on what others have said about the finish.

 

[davegardner0]

Alternatively (and not to disagree with anything anyone has said about the excellence of roasted maple), you could go with Warmoth's satin finish.  If you decide not to take the plunge on a roasted neck, you won't be disappointed in the excellent job they do.  Many a customer has received the satin-finished neck and remarked that it didn't even feel like it had been finished. 

But the roasted maple is, indeed, very nice to play.

The roasted maple is definitely a very intriguing option, but this is actually what I was originally curious about. So the Warmoth-applied satin finish is on the thin bare wood-feeling side? That's excellent! Definitely an option...

 

[ghotiphry]

Alternatively (and not to disagree with anything anyone has said about the excellence of roasted maple), you could go with Warmoth's satin finish.  If you decide not to take the plunge on a roasted neck, you won't be disappointed in the excellent job they do.  Many a customer has received the satin-finished neck and remarked that it didn't even feel like it had been finished. 

But the roasted maple is, indeed, very nice to play.

The roasted maple is definitely a very intriguing option, but this is actually what I was originally curious about. So the Warmoth-applied satin finish is on the thin bare wood-feeling side? That's excellent! Definitely an option...

Yes, thin and almost not there.  I had a quartersawn maple finished in satin nitro by Warmoth.  For a while I wasn't sure it had a finish on it.  I love this neck.

 

[davegardner0]

I have two Warmoth roasted maple necks. One I put on right out of the box and only had the frets leveled (2 needed a little minor attention). The other one I burnished slightly and put it on. Either way, roasted maple is my first choice for a neck.

That said, I haven't tried the Warmoth satin finish but if I found a satin finished neck in the showcase I really liked, I'd probably go for it based on what others have said about the finish.

What do you guys mean by burnishing? Is that rubbing the wood really hard to get rid of any raised grain?

 

[Cagey]

There's a link where I mentioned it, or just go here.

 

[ghotiphry]

Here's an example of burnished pau ferro done by Cagey.  This also works for any of the exotics that don't require finishing, including roasted maple.  This is actually my favorite most bestest neck.  It's incredibly smooth and slick.

 

[Cagey]

That's with no finish of any kind. No oil, no wax, no polish - nothing.

I really need to create a database for my picture collection that has a few dozen categories you can check off to search for examples of things, like the porn sites do. Or so I've heard.

 

[davegardner0]

Here's an example of burnished pau ferro done by Cagey.  This also works for any of the exotics that don't require finishing, including roasted maple.  This is actually my favorite most bestest neck.  It's incredibly smooth and slick.

That's with no finish of any kind. No oil, no wax, no polish - nothing.

I really need to create a database for my picture collection that has a few dozen categories you can check off to search for examples of things, like the porn sites do. Or so I've heard.

Wow that's really, really, really cool! What a great, simple idea. Do you do the fretboard and/or headstock or just the back of the neck?

 

[Cagey]

I always do the neck and headstock. If the neck shows up unfretted (or I'm re-fretting) I do the fretboard as well, then fret it. Makes for a very nice feel. You don't have the friction of raw wood, or the plastic feel of finish. It's just... nice.

 

[davegardner0]

Related question for you guys... I'm trying to figure out the rest of the specs for my neck order and I'm not sure what size tuners holes to order. I'm thinking of using some generic cast/sealed tuners from a squire that I already have on hand at first and then maybe upgrade to some hipshot grip lock tuners.

Apparently the generic tuners need 10mm holes, and the hipshot tuners say they need 10mm or 27/64" holes. (27/64 is 10.72 mm btw).
https://hipshotproducts.com/collections/guitar-tuning-machines/products/grip-lock-open-guitar-tuning-machines

Warmoth has two tuner options that are similar, 9.92mm and 10.32mm, should i just get the bigger size since its closest to what the hipshots need? Or do I need 9.92mm holes for my generic tuners? If so, no problem, i can always upgrade to schlaller locking tuners instead.

 

[bagman67]

Get the smaller holes.  The difference is trivial at that scale.  If you need more room, wrap a piece of sandpaper around a pencil and widen the ream that way.

 

[stratamania]

The best hole size to order for Hipshot Grip Lok tuners is the Schaller hole that Warmoth offers. Perfect fit.

 

[BigSteve22]

The best hole size to order for Hipshot Grip Lok tuners is the Schaller hole that Warmoth offers. Perfect fit.

Exactly. Just watch when you order, as Warmoth's "Schaller" hole has changed. The "new" hole is a straight bored 25/64". The "old" spec was 25/64" / 11/32" stepped bore. According to their web site, Warmoth will do the old style at no charge,  but you may have to ask for it. A phone call will allay any doubts. BTW, I love those tuners! Very stable...