Any of you play raw maple necks?

[chrisgr]

Can't you just put a few coats of Tru-oil on it and call it a day?

 

[Geo]

Great discussion.

My #1 is a 76 straocaster that I put a Floyd on in the late 80's. I sanded all the finish off the fretboard and back of the neck. It's dirty, ugly and sounds amazing but now has a little back-bow happening and now the truss rod is loose and the neck only flatens when strung.

Is this because I never sealed it, or it just happens?

 

[rstites]

Whatever the factory put on the old Charvel necks feels raw, though I'm sure they did some basic oil. That's basically all I play though I've always used a bit of linseed oil on them ever now and then just to be certain. I've never had a problem and live in the midwest with extreme temp/humidity swings.

I really dislike heavy finishes and painted necks for feel.

 

[Lickmaker]

Great discussion.

My #1 is a 76 straocaster that I put a Floyd on in the late 80's. I sanded all the finish off the fretboard and back of the neck. It's dirty, ugly and sounds amazing but now has a little back-bow happening and now the truss rod is loose and the neck only flatens when strung.

Is this because I never sealed it, or it just happens?

Backbow is usually the result of excessive humidity. What's your typical environment like? It depends on what part of the world you are in....for me I'm in Ontario Canada, so our winters are brutally dry and are summers can get very humid. But I keep my house at 45% RH year round, so I never need to adjust any of my necks. Never.

 

[Geo]

Backbow is usually the result of excessive humidity. What's your typical environment like? It depends on what part of the world you are in....for me I'm in Ontario Canada, so our winters are brutally dry and are summers can get very humid. But I keep my house at 45% RH year round, so I never need to adjust any of my necks. Never.

I live in Pennsylvania, we too have long winters and humid summers. I love a raw neck too but the Tried & True is a nice feel as well, not sticky like poly.

 

[Scot]

Can't you just put a few coats of Tru-oil on it and call it a day?

Yes. But it builds fast and looks like plastic as it builds. Thin coats work but the full bottle will never stand the test of time b/c it quickly changes after it’s been exposed to air. It’s awful and a waste of money. Turpentine cuts it and make your bottle last longer, but ugh - turpentine? That shit sucks.

I’d wager a legitimately well roasted neck would thrive in Arizona.

 

[Geo]

I personally don't care for Tru-oil or Tung-oil.

 

[Alpha Stryke]

Don't care how its finished as long as its smooth.
Unfinished lumber is susceptable to bugs & rott.

 

[DanTravis62]

I personally don't care for Tru-oil or Tung-oil.

I've done tru oil plenty of times, but for maple i prefer just doing a half dozen thin coats of nitro lacquer

As long as you wait for the coats to dry in between, and as long as it's polished up it seals really well

 

[Geo]

I've done tru oil plenty of times, but for maple i prefer just doing a half dozen thin coats of nitro lacquer

As long as you wait for the coats to dry in between, and as long as it's polished up it seals really well

I feel like you have to know what you are doing with nitro, Tried & True on maple and mineral oil on rosewood and ebony, you just can't fuck it up.

 

[DanTravis62]

I feel like you have to know what you are doing with nitro, Tried & True on maple and mineral oil on rosewood and ebony, you just can't fuck it up.

It's actually stupidly easy to deal with, as far as spraying and polishing, and far more forgiving than anything else because you can literally just sand it off and start over with no ill effects - you just need the right safety equipment and a well ventilated area to do it. Which ends up being the difficult part for most people

 

[Geo]

It's actually stupidly easy to deal with, as far as spraying and polishing, and far more forgiving than anything else because you can literally just sand it off and start over with no ill effects - you just need the right safety equipment and a well ventilated area to do it. Which ends up being the difficult part for most people

Yeah, getting setup and prepped is not easy for everyone. And I like to use stuff that you can eat off of.

 

[Scot]

I have a decent spray gun and a nice air brush. The air brush is a god-send. I don’t have a controlled spot to spray, so never use the gun, like ever. I’m a patient man and setting up for hrs or days sometimes just to perform one simple operation is in my wheelhouse, but the time it takes to clean-up the spray gun and everything else just to have sprayed for like, a minute. Hell no.