finishing an all maple neck

[badco33]

Question. Is there a trick to finshing an all maple neck (IE-maple fretboard) Do you spray the nitro right over the frets? I finished my own USACG strat neck with tinted lacquer but that had a a rosewwod board so I taped off the board and just sprayed the back. For an all maple neck what do you do about the frets? Do you just spray over them and then try to scrape the nitro off when it dries or do you just leave the nitro on the frets?

I'm building a Tele and I am going to order an all maple neck to complete it so I thought I would try and figure this out now.

 

[FretFire]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

Yep, just spray and scrape it off. A notched penny works very well.

 

[MikeS]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

Warmoth also sprays over the frets with the assumption that you’ll remove all the finish in the fret level process.

You could always tape the frets off. j/k

 

[Zerberus]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

Maple necks are generally finished and then the fret leveling is done. But even if you don´t relevel the frets the lacquer will chip off as soon as you start fretting notes (though I recommend the fret dressing).

or you can cheat like Fretfire and use a notched Penny (Read: why didn´t I ever think of that) :laugh2: :beerchug:

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

You could always tape the frets off. j/k

For the king of meticulosity.

 

[ErikH]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

I wiped the finish on mine with soft cloth (old white t-shirt). Works great, goes on smooth, dries smooth. I didn't go over the frets when doing the board but between them. Sure, it took a little longer than spraying but I got little to none on the frets themselves.

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

do you just leave the nitro on the frets?

Unfortunately that's what fender does to almost all of the american series maple fingerboard strats(well....poly in this case). Every maple necked fender strat i have tried untill now(the ones after they stopped calling them american standards) has finish over the frets........it makes bending harder cause the string is "blocked " by the finish, after a while the finish is chips off and it can take with it some part from the fingerboard's finish..........and :yell: :yell: after all I am not supposed to take out the finish from the frets from a guitar that costs 1000€. I do not care about minor issues regarding scratches on the body, contouring e.t.c.....but finish over the frets is a major problem associated with the playability of the guitar and is unacceptable for guitars like US fenders........So i stopped buying maple neck fenders in 2003......only rosewood from now on untill they fix the problem.....

If i were you i'd try not to apply finish over the frets........of course you can remove all the finish in the fret level process but there is the risk you damage the fingerboard by removing also some minor parts of the fingerboards finish too.

 

[FretFire]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

If i were you i'd try not to apply finish over the frets........of course you can remove all the finish in the fret level process but there is the risk you damage the fingerboard by removing also some minor parts of the fingerboards finish too.

I don't really see that being a problem if it's removed in the leveling process, as that's done with a file.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

Unfortunately that's what fender does to almost all of the american series maple fingerboard strats(well....poly in this case). Every maple necked fender strat i have tried untill now(the ones after they stopped calling them american standards) has finish over the frets........it makes bending harder cause the string is "blocked " by the finish, after a while the finish is chips off and it can take with it some part from the fingerboard's finish..........and :yell: :yell: after all I am not supposed to take out the finish from the frets from a guitar that costs 1000€. I do not care about minor issues regarding scratches on the body, contouring e.t.c.....but finish over the frets is a major problem associated with the playability of the guitar and is unacceptable for guitars like US fenders........So i stopped buying maple neck fenders in 2003......only rosewood from now on untill they fix the problem.....

Interesting.. Fender has always lacquered and then dressed, and I´ve never seen a fretting file that can´t cut through lacquer.... Nor have I seen this on any new fenders, not even MIMs....

Very interesting to say the least....:eek13:

If i were you i'd try not to apply finish over the frets........of course you can remove all the finish in the fret level process but there is the risk you damage the fingerboard by removing also some minor parts of the fingerboards finish too.

The Leveling file will never get anywhere near the board finish... and if you´re taking off paint chips from the top pf the fret, down the side AND onto the playing surface, you seriously need to work on your finishing skills, becasue that´s a pretty big chunk... I have never ever had this happen after my first neck that I ever built and finished... Not impossible, but higly unlikely to say the least.

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

Interesting.. Fender has always lacquered and then dressed, and I´ve never seen a fretting file that can´t cut through lacquer.... Nor have I seen this on any new fenders, not even MIMs....

Very interesting to say the least....:eek13:

Unfortunately the only maple fingerboard strat i still have (i sold all the others) is now in the studio...........as soon as i get it back home i will post close up photos of the fingerboard so you can judge by yourself........Of course, since the guitar is now 3 years old you will not see the finish over the frets, but you will clearly see the remains after it chipped away (mainly on the side of the frets)......

The problem is also known in the fender forum..........i've seen some posts complaining about it....................

 

[Zerberus]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

...........Of course, since the guitar is now 3 years old you will not see the finish over the frets, but you will clearly see the remains after it chipped away (mainly on the side of the frets)......
...

I would like to see those.. but lacquer on the SIDE of the frets is absolutely normal for a maple neck. But we were talking about lacquer on the top of the fret crown, weren´t we??

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

I would like to see those.. but lacquer on the SIDE of the frets is absolutely normal for a maple neck. But we were talking about lacquer on the top of the fret crown, weren´t we??

:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: Unfortunately at the moment i cannot turn back time (even if i could that would need a big amount of energy cause i should go back 3 years so that you could see exactly the mess fender has done when the guitar was new and i had just opened the hardcase....yes finish on the top of EVERY fret crown)...........i can assure you though i will post picures as soon as possible..............you may be able to make an autopsy and become a believer

 

[ErikH]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

Hmm, that problem must have cropped up within the last few years because my 1994 Strat brand new had nothing on the frets. I bought it before it even came out of the box and case. It never made it to the showroom. Even ones later than that (at least 2000 models) I haven't seen anything on the frets. The only Fenders I've played recently were MIM and Highway 1 Tele's (both good) and some high end Strats, all with no finish on the frets.

 

[MDS]

Re: finishing an all maple neck

My 2000 strat has finish on the sides of the frets, but most of that has chipped off over the years. In some cases the corner between the fret and fingerboard he become exposed. I've worried about that a bit. Is my neck at risk in some way?