Luthiers... Does Bubinga need to be finished?

[Fatty]

Is Bubinga usually finished, or can it be played raw?

[Al.C]

Re: Luthiers... Does Bubinga need to be finished?

Here is a pic of cabinets my brother made out of figured bubinga. The wood really needs a finish to bring out its beauty. I finished these with tung oil and then hand waxed them. It is a beautiful wood, very hard, requires sharp tools to work properly. My brother's planer kind of pulled up some grain and we had to take it in and get it run through a face sander to get a good smooth surface.

http://home.comcast.net/~al_az/cabinet.JPG

[crazytooguy]

Re: Luthiers... Does Bubinga need to be finished?

I've used bubinga in a number of guitars over the years. Great wood, but heavy. I always finish it, usually with a zillion coats of lacquer. If you're using it for a neck, you can just put a few coats of tung oil, well rubbed out, on the back of the neck. That'll give a nice smooth but not sticky feel. It needs something, though. All wood will shrink and swell with changes in humidity, and if the wood is in a neck and under tension, bad things can happen. If the wood is in the body, definitely give it a high gloss finish. It looks great that way!