Question for Maple Fretboard Users

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PeteLaramee

PeteLaramee

Well-known member
I've been playing for 30+ years and I never had a maple board for more than 2 weeks. What clear finish is used over the fingerboard? Poly? Nitro? I'm thinking of having a maple neck w/maple board made for my RG7.

Secondary question - does anyone know what Ibanez uses for the backs of their necks? How do oiled or oiled & waxed necks feel?

Thank you very much for your time!!! :yes:
 
I personally love oiled and waxed maple necks. I play my Charvels so much I really notice a difference when I switch out to a painted neck like my LPC or soloist. On my Ibanez's and strats I steel wool the back of the necks to remove any stickiness. Try it, you'll love it.
 
+1 on oil

gunstock oil or linseed oil, but do not get oil made for decks as they have a sealer additive which can permeate guitar necks and ruin them or be extremely hard to remove without chemicals.

i personally love oiled maple necks. As far as the fretboard sealer, i do not seal them either, but unlike rosewood you do have to keep them clean and also oil them. You also have to be careful when using 0000 steel wool on maple fretboards, as it is easy to impregnate fine steel wool into the grain that can be almost impossible to remove. A properly oiled neck that is well taken care of has the best combination of care, looks, and feel for me :rock:
 
:thumbsup: On the unfished maple,it feels far better than any poly/laq shit!!!! :D
 
You can do any of the above. Nitro or urethane are usually more of a smooth and/or glossy "factory" type of finish. Or either can be done in a more satin fashion. Suhr uses an acrylic urethane on some of their necks and you can hardly tell that it's not bare wood. Awesome finish.

One upside of oil is that you can buy an unfinished neck and oil it yourself.

Tru-Oil is very popular but it's not so much of an oil as it is a wiping varnish. In other words, it's doesn't penetrate much and instead builds up a finish film on the surface. You can put just a coat or two on for a more raw finish, or keep adding coats all the way through to a full-on glossy finish.

Other oils (like Danish oil, linseed oil, etc.) tend to penetrate (soak in) rather than build on the surface. For that reason they are a little more forgiving application-wise than Tru-Oil (especially on an already-fretted neck) and also leave you with a rawer feel.

My personal favorite is Watch Danish Oil "Natural" color.
 
ratter":11h6ea73 said:
You can do any of the above. Nitro or urethane are usually more of a smooth and/or glossy "factory" type of finish. Or either can be done in a more satin fashion. Suhr uses an acrylic urethane on some of their necks and you can hardly tell that it's not bare wood. Awesome finish.

One upside of oil is that you can buy an unfinished neck and oil it yourself.

Tru-Oil is very popular but it's not so much of an oil as it is a wiping varnish. In other words, it's doesn't penetrate much and instead builds up a finish film on the surface. You can put just a coat or two on for a more raw finish, or keep adding coats all the way through to a full-on glossy finish.

Other oils (like Danish oil, linseed oil, etc.) tend to penetrate (soak in) rather than build on the surface. For that reason they are a little more forgiving application-wise than Tru-Oil (especially on an already-fretted neck) and also leave you with a rawer feel.

My personal favorite is Watch Danish Oil "Natural" color.
Click to expand...
OK - is this info for the fretboard? Or the back of the neck?
 
I should've stated this before - I do use steel wool on the back of some of my necks...I was just curious what it is I'm rubbing off...specifically my RG7620s and RG1527s.

Again for the fretboard - I'm going to have the builder finish the fretboard. I just don't know what I want him to do. What does Charvel and/or Fender use over the fingerboard?
 
PeteLaramee":2jsna5h3 said:
ratter":2jsna5h3 said:
You can do any of the above. Nitro or urethane are usually more of a smooth and/or glossy "factory" type of finish. Or either can be done in a more satin fashion. Suhr uses an acrylic urethane on some of their necks and you can hardly tell that it's not bare wood. Awesome finish.

One upside of oil is that you can buy an unfinished neck and oil it yourself.

Tru-Oil is very popular but it's not so much of an oil as it is a wiping varnish. In other words, it's doesn't penetrate much and instead builds up a finish film on the surface. You can put just a coat or two on for a more raw finish, or keep adding coats all the way through to a full-on glossy finish.

Other oils (like Danish oil, linseed oil, etc.) tend to penetrate (soak in) rather than build on the surface. For that reason they are a little more forgiving application-wise than Tru-Oil (especially on an already-fretted neck) and also leave you with a rawer feel.

My personal favorite is Watch Danish Oil "Natural" color.
Click to expand...
OK - is this info for the fretboard? Or the back of the neck?
Click to expand...


Both...
 
I believe Charvel uses Birchwood Casey oil then wax. The stuff for shotgun stocks.
 
glpg80":15uc31n9 said:
+1 on oil

gunstock oil or linseed oil, but do not get oil made for decks as they have a sealer additive which can permeate guitar necks and ruin them or be extremely hard to remove without chemicals.

i personally love oiled maple necks. As far as the fretboard sealer, i do not seal them either, but unlike rosewood you do have to keep them clean and also oil them. You also have to be careful when using 0000 steel wool on maple fretboards, as it is easy to impregnate fine steel wool into the grain that can be almost impossible to remove. A properly oiled neck that is well taken care of has the best combination of care, looks, and feel for me :rock:
Click to expand...

Do you have a place or brand you prefer for Gunstock oil or Linseed oil?

I have 2 strats with Maple necks, always just cleaned them. My Musicman Sterling 5 HS bass actually has an unfinished Maple neck.
 
i use the finest steel wool on the back of the neck. then i hit it with casies gun stock oil+ wax. For cleaning the fretboard you can use namptha between string changes, "lighter fluid". earnie ball has a couble videos up on how to do this on their necks.
 
ratter":3v8epurs said:
My personal favorite is Watch Danish Oil "Natural" color.
Click to expand...

Best stuff for maple I've found yet, It's Watco though.
 
blackba":178velyc said:
glpg80":178velyc said:
+1 on oil

gunstock oil or linseed oil, but do not get oil made for decks as they have a sealer additive which can permeate guitar necks and ruin them or be extremely hard to remove without chemicals.

i personally love oiled maple necks. As far as the fretboard sealer, i do not seal them either, but unlike rosewood you do have to keep them clean and also oil them. You also have to be careful when using 0000 steel wool on maple fretboards, as it is easy to impregnate fine steel wool into the grain that can be almost impossible to remove. A properly oiled neck that is well taken care of has the best combination of care, looks, and feel for me :rock:
Click to expand...

Do you have a place or brand you prefer for Gunstock oil or Linseed oil?

I have 2 strats with Maple necks, always just cleaned them. My Musicman Sterling 5 HS bass actually has an unfinished Maple neck.
Click to expand...

i dont have a preference as long as its not a gunstock finishing oil which is sealer based, insert deck finish analogy here. i use a variant of gunstock oil - most anything will work in that area but it seems casey's is pretty popular because it is what charvel uses. In my family my grandfather is a gunsmith - recommendations here would be a bit irrelevant.

I do want to add one thing, 100% linseed oil does not completely dry and does build up a layer, however if purchased and used in its purest form it will leave a tacky/sticky feeling that will need care. Whole different ballgame than the deck finishing additives which will ruin a guitar neck, but still unwanted non-the-less. That is really all you need to look out for. linseed oils will last a very long time and the buildup allows you to sand with 600 grit or finer to get the feeling that you love without damaging the wood. It also acts to penetrate as well. linseed oil is different than danish oil in that it does not require a wax sealer, it is a natural oil and a sealer that builds layers all in one but you have to be careful what you're buying with ratios and contents.

for linseed sealer/oil, tru-oil gunstock finish has been recommended before. but i do not use it anymore, and warn against pure linseed oil use as well. Much prefer non-sealed necks IMHO.
 
I used Tru-Oil (just a couple coats) on the neck of my partsocaster and absolutely love it - can't even feel its there.
 
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