A little tung on your neck

[Spudman]

I know it sounds seductive, but it's not intended to be. However, if you have not tried tung oil on the back of your unpainted guitar neck you may want to give it a try.

I have a couple of old Peavey Falcons that have seen some wear. I recently had one refretted and the other I just did some sprucing up to. The one thing they both have in common other than the name is that I sanded the backs of both necks down to fairly dry smooth wood and refinished them with tung oil.

The process I used was:
1. sand with a fine grit sand paper (200 grit of finer) to remove any finish and to shape the neck some. This step removes most inconsistencies in the wood such as nicks and pits or ridges.
2. Spend much time finish sanding with plain steel wool. It is abrasive but will leave a very smooth surface when done a lot.
3. Wipe on a light coat of tung oil with a clean soft lint free cloth. Let dry. Repeat steel wool sanding (lightly). Then apply more tung oil.

Tung oil can be found for a few dollars at hardware stores. One container will last the rest of your life unless you go into business doing this. It is also great for other unfinished furniture. I have some end tables from a yard sale that I did with tung oil and they turned out great.

2 or 3 coats is usually enough for me and seems pretty durable and moisture resistant.
I even did it to one maple fretboard with great results.
This process gives the neck some protection and durability, but it still retains that bare wood warmth. And to me it plays just as fast as any finish I have tried. I just really like the feel. Now to do it to some of my Squiers.

 

[Katastrophe]

I'd ask for a detailed commentary on each Squier, but the year is half over, and we just don't have that kinda time...

Isn't just a tung oil finish bad on maple? I think I read on the Warmoth website that they don't recommend it. I could be wrong, though. Just curious, because I'd like to keep the necks on my guitars with the bare minimum of finish if possible as well.

 

[blogan]

Oiling a neck's not bad. It's just not what Warmoth considers adequate protection for its neck warranty (see here):

We understand the attraction of raw or lightly oiled necks. They feel fast and are not sticky. Unfortunately, they are much more susceptible to moisture related warping and twisting. Our experience is that hard finished necks seldom warp. Less than 1 out of 200 (0.5%) are returned for warpage. Raw or oiled necks don't fare as well. About 10% are rendered useless from the torture. The more acidic your perspiration, the higher the odds are against you.

If you must play a raw neck, that's cool; it's ok. A neck is just a tool. Just be aware of the risk. If yours does the pretzel act, we don't want to hear about it.

In other words, if you don't get emotionally attached to your necks, go for it.

 

[Bloozcat]

You might want to try a product called Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil gunstock finish on your guitar neck. It's an oil finish with a hardening agent in it that'll protect the wood better than a straight tung oil finish. When it dries, it leaves a really slick finish on the neck. You can purchase it in a liquid form that you rub on with a rag, or as an aerosol spray. There are a number of custom guitar makers who use it because it combines slick, fast handling qualities with durability. I have it on two of my guitar necks and it's all I'll use when refinishing a neck in the future. It comes up as a topic on many forums about refinishing, and I've yet to see anyone who's tried it, say they didn't like it.

It's worth a try...:R

 

[Katastrophe]

Good info, blogan, thanks!

 

[Spudman]

blooz
That's good stuff to know. I've seen mention of it around the web but have yet to try it myself. Where can you buy it?

 

[Bloozcat]

blooz
That's good stuff to know. I've seen mention of it around the web but have yet to try it myself. Where can you buy it?

A well stocked gun shop will have it. If not, I'm sure there's someplace on the net where you can find it. It's funny that Warmoth won't accept even Tru-oil as a finish under their warranty. A Tru-Oil finish is without a doubt at least as hard and protective as the thin, almost non-existent poly finishes that are found on many factory finished guitars (Fender Squires, for example...). I guess they just don't want to deal with differentiating between the oil finishes with hardeners in them, and the ones that don't. So, they just have a blanket denial of warranty for all.

Think about it. A gun stock is exposed to all kinds of elements and climates. Any finish for a gun stock has got to be robust enough to withstand a lot of abuse. The finish will ding and dent, as will poly's and nitro's, but it doesn't lose it's moisture proofing qualities...and that's what will prevent a guitar neck from warping.

 

[Robert]

At lunchtime today, I drove by a store with gun accessories & stuff, and they were having a close out sale. Never saw this store before. Anyhow, I suddenly remembered this thread as I was driving by, so I stopped to see if they had Tru-oil. Sure enough, I was lucky and got that last bottle left in the store! Now I'll be "buttering up" my necks over the weekend! I'll let you know the result later.

I noticed it said "product known to cause cancer and birth defects in the state of California" on the back - kinda scary!? Good thing I'm not in California then !

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Just don't start drinking or smoking it Robert.. we need you around here a bit longer...

 

[SuperSwede]

erhmm.. I wonder whats in it...
Keep it away from your kids Robert!

 

[Spudman]

YA, and don't ever go to California. All kinds of nasties there. "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Fear not. As long as you have the antidote (any Alberta beer) you won't get cancer from it in Canada.

 

[marnold]

I plan on tung oiling the replacement neck that I will one day get for my Charvel. The standard glossy finish is too sticky for my tastes.

 

[Bloozcat]

I noticed it said "product known to cause cancer and birth defects in the state of California" on the back - kinda scary!? Good thing I'm not in California then !

I think George Carlin had California in mind when he said (paraphrased):

"The Food and Drug Administration announced today that saliva causes cancer....but only when swallowed in small amounts over long periods of time."

 

[Spudman]

California and Florida both. I drool like crazy when I'm there. All the tanned young ladies. And they aren't too smart either. How do I know? They'd be living in Idaho if they were smart .

 

[SuperSwede]

Aint got enough women in Idaho Spuds?

 

[Bloozcat]

California and Florida both. I drool like crazy when I'm there. All the tanned young ladies. And they aren't too smart either. How do I know? They'd be living in Idaho if they were smart .

Tanned young ladies could only get me into trouble at this point, smart or dumb...

 

[Robert]

Well, I did the 4 layers of Tru-Oil coating, and the guitar is now set up and ready to rock. Maybe I should name my guitar "Shotgun" or something, cause it smells like a gun! You could say she's my "secret weapon"!

The result from all this oiling is good, but it doesn't feel much different than before when I play it. I imagine it will last for a good long time though, this coating of Tru-Oil. Been wondering if I should a get some gun stock wax as a last coating - then it gets real shiny and purdy,.

 

[Katastrophe]

Well, I did the 4 layers of Tru-Oil coating, and the guitar is now set up and ready to rock. Maybe I should name my guitar "Shotgun" or something, cause it smells like a gun! You could say she's my "secret weapon"!

Gunny, the wonderTele, perhaps???

My Dad and I, at one point, were going to embark on a Tru-Oil refin project... He's used it on gun stocks, as well as furniture, and said that the finish gets glossier and more slick the more its rubbed... So, keep playin' that bad boy, maybe it'll improve!

And I think it causes cancer in California because of the granola intake of that particular state. Some sort of weird chemical reaction, er something...

 

[SuperSwede]

MMm... Granola & Gun Oil sounds like a real treat