coating a neck

N

nick0429

New member
hey guys i am going to buy a neck for my custom telecaster build and i need some help with coating options. i am ordering it from musikraft with the frets and pretty much everything on it and there is an option for a thin lacquer coating. is that enough for a good coating? should i use tru oil instead? i need options.
thanks!
 
Re: coating a neck

They can Tru Oil it for you for a charge. If you Tru Oil it yourself, you save money, but get no warranty. Or you can get it with just the lacquer sealer, which can be left alone if you want a thin matte finish that will wear through easily, or sprayed over with more lacquer. One thing you will have a hard time doing is getting it with the lacquer sealer and then Tru Oiling it. That doesn't make any sense.
 
Re: coating a neck

I like both. I would never strip lacquer to apply Tru-Oil, but I would apply Tru-Oil to a "new" neck. Over all, I guess I prefer gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. But it's really a matter of preference, and I'm not that picky. What I really don't like is a matte headstock face. Just looks bad IMO. Even if the back of the neck is matte, I like the headstock face to be gloss.

FWIW, Tru Oil gets a lot of love for being easy to apply, however, I think that lacquer is far easier and quicker to apply to a neck. Tru Oil takes plenty of work and a lot of time.
 
Re: coating a neck

does tru oil give that same coating as lacquer? i have never used it with anything. also is it possible the have the frets on when i coat it?
 
Re: coating a neck

No, it is not like lacquer. It cures to a hard finish, unlike pure oils, but it still wears more easily than lacquer, and feels thinner.

Yes, you can have the frets on when you apply it.
 
Re: coating a neck

I think laquer will be smooth enough and more enduring than the tru oil. The less maintenance the better I say. As long as you don't get a super thick sticky gloss. Eh who am I kidding. I like gloss on some stuff.
 
Re: coating a neck

Maple fretboard or something else?

Maple fretboards without a hard finish will turn "relic" very fast, so I would recommend at least a thin coat or 2 of lacquer in addition to the selaer, unless you`re going for exactly that effect to begin with.

I personally prefer the way an oiled neck feels, and there is no finish on earth that`s easier to apply than Tru-oil which is an added plus. but as has been said, it doesn`T have quite the protection level of an actuial lacquer (Poly or nitro).
 
Re: coating a neck

I'm with you on that one, Bruce!

 
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