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I'm looking for an alternative to nitro for necks. I don't like some aspects of nitro for the neck so I'm looking for something else. Any suggestions?

I have been using wipe on poly for my necks. Lots if guys like TruOil as well.

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PMoMC

I like how fast a neck feels when finished with TruOil.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

I've used cat urethane recently. Durable stuff. Sand it with 3000 and it's super satiny smooth!

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Another vote for Tru-Oil. Just don't pore fill with epoxy. It gets fuzzy.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I think I prefer to not pore fill a neck as the reduced surface area that the hand has contact with seems to create a 'faster' neck.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

I've never liked a Tru-Oil finish that has been pore filled with some product. I like just the straight out of the bottle Tru-oil. Lots of very thin coats


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Another + for Tru-oil. I pore fill with Timbermate filler and seal with a light coat of shellac. After that it is many thin coats of Tru-oil. Finish with some very fine sanding and steel wool.

I switched after not being happy with the durability of my Nitro neck finishes.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
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Liberon Finishing Oil... Uneconomical on your side of the pond though, I think.

I use just a couple of coats of Tung oil and have refinished a few necks for clients after they have played my guitars. I don't care for the mat finish on the back of the headstock or on the heel so I usually start coating those first. Depending on the wood I will pore fill the back of the headstock and heel but not the neck itself. I put a few coats on those parts to get then shiny and then lightly sand them. When I have them the gloss level I want I then do the whole neck with a couple of light coats. This leaves the back of the neck still feeling like wood but has a nice satin finish. So far almost everyone that has played my guitars have commented how nice it feels.

Here is a shot of my parlor that I did the same way.

Bob

I can't attest to this, but seems I have seen some who like Waterlox for necks.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Bob very nice guitar. I restored a little Kay parlor guitar for a little girl and gave it to her to learn on. Not much of a guitar but I had to replace the neck. Has a nice action plays easily. Much better then the old Stella I began with.


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Dem-Bart gunstock and checkering oil… lota of thin coats wet sanded with the oil to pore fill.

Thanks Lonnie, That is my first build I just finished in May. Its a copy of an 1800's German Parlor that I found some pictures of and fell in love with it.

Here is the original post with more pic's

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=43368




That is how I pore fill also. It works really well with an oiled finish. I like the fact that you are not introducing a dis-similar material to do the filling.

Bob

I've used Waterlox for all of my necks except one that I tried Tru-oil on. I went back to Waterlox
because I liked the feel better. Waterlox is tung oil based. The advantage is that it has a higher
solids content than most of the tung oil mixtures. So you get a faster build per coat. It has a
medium sheen that I also like.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

+1 for tru-oil. LMI filler underneath. Going to try waterlox

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

Very nice Bob. I loved the pics thanks for posting.


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I find nitro to be very durable. Maybe I put it on a little heavy on the neck but it wears very well.

Last one I did is with Waterlox. I've tried most wipe on finishes in my time. I would say Waterlox does the fastest build up. It has a nice feel. I hope it has reasonable durability because I put it on a Maple neck.


The past couple of oil finishes I've done on necks were my time tested mix of boiled linseed,polyurathane, thinner and a shot of Japan dryer. It doesn't build up as quick but it takes a re coat very well. Also has a great feel.

Nice guitar Danny, Love the Ebony backstrap with that Maple neck.

Yes I much prefer an oiled finish on a neck over nitro. Nitro seems sticky after playing a nicely oiled neck.

Bob

I use Danish oil for the first coat (to bring out the grain) and wipe-on poly (diluted 1:1 with mineral spirits) for five to eight coats) wet-sand 600 grit between coats.
I prefer a satin finish.

Bob

I've been contemplating a matte oil finish on the neck, but prefer a glossy headstock and body. So how do those of you who get a gloss headstock and oil finished neck handle the transition?

Thanks,
Kent

Just mask off and spray the face of the headstock.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'm just gonna spray nitro because I know what to expect and it's probably easier anyway. I guess I'm just a whiner when it comes to finishing

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I wouldn't say that Nitro is easier. And if there are aspects of Nitro finish on necks that you don't like those things will continue to bug you until you eventually switch to something else. I would at least get some of the other finishes mentioned in this thread and work up some test pieces. Then you can get a feel for the process of these other finishes and the results. I know that learning any new finish is a pain (I've tried lots of them) but when you do find one that is an improvement over what you have been doing it is work it. When I switched to Tru-oil I saved a lot of time on my neck finishing while also increasing the durability of the neck finish.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com