Gun stock finish vs. Gun stock wax?

[alf cockle]

Greetings from the great white north!I am basically lazy,and in this case,I believe it paid off.I couldn*t get the Birchwood Casey oil,so ,having been a woodworker forever,I used Tung oil on my Ebmm necks...applied for a couple of minutes,then wiped off and buffed with a cloth.The necks are superb,and I eventually got the Birch/Casy oil,and found it much too *sticky* for me.I also applied some Johnson floor wax after,but haven*t bothered with that for years now..not any benefit for me.Hope this helps.

 

[browndog]

Way too many methods. My head hurts now.

 

[ozzyrules]

Way too many methods. My head hurts now.

Don't worry Jeff. I'm not gonna damage our Purple Baby.....

 

[ScoobySteve]

If you're a super duty sweaty hand kinda guy, like me, the wax is kind of essential in preventing discoloration from the acids in your sweat. Some purists claim that the acids can actually cause warping, but I've got to say that the chance of that is ZERO if you maintain the neck properly. (Like all things in life)

I need to get me some oil/wax/sandpaper too, but I'm not sure how to source it here in Korea.

 

[ozzyrules]

If you're a super duty sweaty hand kinda guy, like me, the wax is kind of essential in preventing discoloration from the acids in your sweat. Some purists claim that the acids can actually cause warping, but I've got to say that the chance of that is ZERO if you maintain the neck properly. (Like all things in life)

I need to get me some oil/wax/sandpaper too, but I'm not sure how to source it here in Korea.

Got mine from Amazon. Not sure if that works for you in Korea?

 

[ozzyrules]

Ok,
Did what I said earlier. Tru-Oil was applied and on for 1 minute, tops. I used an old cotton t-shirt and vigorously rubbed the residue off. After about 10 minutes,the neck was slightly 'sticky' so I used a wonder wipe to finish the job. I let the oil from the wonder wipe set in for less than a minute and wiped with a dry cloth. The neck looks and feels incredible(all 3 guitars).

 

[yellowv03]

It really can be done in many different ways. To get the finish like EBMM does you really just need a very light coat or two of tru-oil. Apply it very thin (I use my fingers) and then wipe it right off. Let it dry for a couple of hours. Then use some 0000 steel wool on it. Then wipe with a damp rag. Now you can either add another coat of oil or use the wax. When applying the wax just rub it on, leave it for a few minutes and buff it off. It's very easy to do. When I did my Warmoth I actually wanted more of a finish on the neck so I used about 6 coats of tru oil and then waxed it. That way it adds luster and tints the wood a bit. Here is a before and after of the neck.

 

[luv]

^The towel changed colors too! Nice birdseye there!

Ozzy.....I use the wax because I feel it helps get rid of or masks the "slightly sticky" feeling you mentioned.

 

[yellowv03]

^The towel changed colors too! Nice birdseye there!

Ozzy.....I use the wax because I feel it helps get rid of or masks the "slightly sticky" feeling you mentioned.

Yeah I knocked the bottle over. LOL. That spot on the towel got hard as a rock and would not wash out. The wax is definitely a must. Like luv said it gets rid of the stickiness.

 

[luv]

I have tru oil spots on my couch (from a mishap) that have been there for 4 years. That stuff doesn't clean up easily.....which is probably why they use paper towels at EBMM.

 

[LawDaddy]

<snip>. I also no longer use the wax. Again, imo just using the oil gives you a finish just like that on a brand new EBMM - strange I know

FWIW-I do the same thing.

 

[stuartv]

I've read through this whole thread and have some questions:

- My Sterling neck has a maple board. Can/should I use Tru-oil on the board, or only on the back of the neck?

- If the answer is yes, I add that my Sterling is 2008 LE, so it has the 2008LE inlay at the 12th fret. Will it hurt that to get Tru-oil on it?

- And what about Tru-oil on the headstock? Will it damage the EBMM logo if I put it on the front of the headstock?

- Do I need to take the neck off the body to oil/wax, or is it okay to leave it together?

- If I leave it together, will it hurt the body paint at all if I get some Tru-oil or wax on it when I am working on the neck?

- What kind of lemon oil is recommended and where do I get it? The EBMM recommendation of "a high grade of lemon oil" doesn't really help me. If I find a store with lemon oil, how am I supposed to know if it's "high grade" or not?

Thanks!!

 

[ozzyrules]

Try this: Dont use tru oil on the headstock, it's probably got a finish on it.

Caring for your Music Man neck & Fretboard - YouTube

 

[stuartv]

I already watched that video.

- He never uses any Tru-Oil, or even talks about Tru-Oil, despite that being the official EBMM recommendation.

- It doesn't address what to do with maple fretboards.

- It doesn't say anything about whether to do anything with the front or back of the headstock.

In other words, if you read the EBMM post on how to do maintenance and then watch this video, and you have a maple board, you'd still be as lost as I am.

 

[stuartv]

And regarding headstocks, if it has a finish on the front and I get oil on it, will it hurt it? Or just do nothing?

And what about the back and side? If the front is finished, does that mean the back and sides are also?

One issue I'm having is that I know that if you put enough coats of Tru-Oil on, you can start to get a nice amber tint. I think I'd like to do that. Except that it would look funny if the back of the neck and the fretboard were both amber, but the front of the headstock (and maybe the back, too) was still light/natural colored.

 

[beej]

The oil/wax treatment is intended to provide a seal for the bare wood (and a slick neck surface). It is not intended for the fretboard or any finished areas (e.g. front/back of the headstock where there's a finish).

In terms of applying it, you don't need to take the whole neck off- I usually don't. I'll apply tape to areas where I don't want to get the oil/wax, to keep things clean. If you get any on the finish, it's not a big deal- just wipe it off.

In terms of fretboard cleaning (which is really a different thing than protecting the bare wood on the back of the neck), EB wonder wipes are usually recommended. There are a bunch of guitar-specific products as well.

 

[stuartv]

Thanks, beej.

So, is there nothing to be done to a maple fretboard to protect it, rather than just cleaning it?

Or, another way of asking, the fretboard appears to be unfinished, so why NOT give it the oil/wax treatment?

 

[DrKev]

I have used a small amount of tru-oil on rosewood fretboards (mandolin and a strat) and loved the result. I applied a little oil to cotton bud, using only 2 or 3 for the whole neck. I worked against the light so that I could see the oil being applied and could ensure a light and uniform coverage over the fretboard. Then I used paper towels to wipe off and buff up the fretboard, multiple passes. Worked a treat.

Of course rosewood is not maple, so your mileage may vary. But as you say, if the maple fretboard is unfinished, like the neck, why not? It may not be the recommended technique but it sounds to me like you want to do it anyway. Just remember that being a pioneer is full of unforseen problems!

 

[stuartv]

Just remember that being a pioneer is full of unforseen problems!

Right! That's why I'm trying to find out what the Official procedure is.

The published maintenance guide doesn't address maple fret boards at all. And it says use Murphy's Oil Soap in a 3:1 dilution to clean and Tru-Oil to, well, oil.

But then the official video How-To appears to use Murphy's Oil Soap undiluted and never uses any Tru-Oil at all. And it also does not address care and maintenance of a maple fret board.

And on top of all that, I've found a number of other threads on here asking about care and maintenance of maple fret boards and none of the threads I found had a definitive answer. They all seem to evade the question and provide info on how to maintain the neck, but not an actual maple board.

So, what do I NEED to do to maintain a maple board? Just use Wonder Wipes or Lemon Oil to clean it? What about the Dunlop Lemon Oil that specifically says "Not for Maple".

What is SAFE to do to a maple board (including dot markers and 12th fret inlays)? Can I use Tru-Oil? BW Gun Stock Wax?

What should I definitely NOT put on a maple board? Anything?

It's actually a bit disappointing that the official EBMM offerings (web page and video) directly address rosewood boards and completely ignore maple boards.

 

[beej]

There's nothing you specifically need to do for maintenance on a maple fretboard. Rosewood dries out, so it's recommended to condition it from time to time ... Wonder Wipes are great for this (and they're also fine for maple).

Cleaning a dirty neck is a different thing- that's where they suggest the lemon oil, etc., to get out built-up grime. For light cleaning, the Wonder Wipes are recommended for both rosewood and maple.