Question about neck finish

[hankSRay]

Not sure if anyone can help me but I got this unfinished maple replacement neck (no not for my stringray) and i wanna give it the MM treatment. I know ernie ball uses that gunstock oil and wax but do you use it over the entire neck? I wanna know cause i notice the headstock on my Ray is finished a little different than the rest of the neck, so i was just wondering how the neck finishing process goes.

 

[bovinehost]

I suppose you COULD finish the entire neck, including headstock, with oil and wax, but EB does the headstocks with something harder (poly).

Lemme see if I can find the thread on finishing the necks, it's a good one.

 

[hankSRay]

Thanks Bov ur the man

 

[bovinehost]

Couldn't find it but here's the info:


1. Sand it smooth with 600 wet or dry sandpaper backed by a rectangular eraser. If there are any dents in the back of the neck you can raise them with steam by putting the edge of a damp terrycloth towel over the dent and then iron it with the tip of a hot iron. The steam will raise the dent. Simply sand the neck smooth after you raise the dents.

2. Dip one finger tip in Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and rub the oil into the neck with your clean hands. You can get the Tru-Oil at a gun store. Use just enough oil to cover the neck and wipe all excess off the neck.

3. Put the bass in a stand with the fingerboard toward the stand and allow it to dry complelely. This usually takes 1 to 2 days.

4. If the neck has more shine than you want, gently polish it with 0000 Steel Wool.

 

[hankSRay]

Thanks alot, sounds simple enough but do I also use the oil on the maple fingerboard? and do i need to use the birchwood casey wax to finish it up, or is the oil enough

 

[bovinehost]

Personally, I have all rosewood boards, but I don't think I'd put it on the fingerboard.

The wax, I hear, is a good follow-up although again, I've never used it.

Supposed to make the finish last longer, I think.

But I just re-oil the suckers.

 

[Doogels]

I didn't realize you could raise dents. I have a dent from an old guitarist's amp's volume knob that I would *LOVE* to not have to look at every day. Has anyone tried that dent removal procedure before?

 

[SteveB]

Thanks alot, sounds simple enough but do I also use the oil on the maple fingerboard? and do i need to use the birchwood casey wax to finish it up, or is the oil enough

Hank,

Don't put the Tru-oil on the fingerboard. Use lemon oil to clean and treat the fingerboard. As I recall they use Old English brand lemon oil at Music Man.

 

[hankSRay]

Cant thank you enough Bov, im gonna go order the Tru-oil now, cant wait to get that neck feelin as good as my Rays

 

[bovinehost]

Has anyone tried that dent removal procedure before?

Yup, and it really, really works.

NOW how much would you pay?

 

[apollo11]

I recently used the iron trick on a little dent in the back of my P bass neck. It was small to begin with, about 3mm square and very shallow. The iron made it at about 50 percent better, but I chickened out to try to go the rest of the way, as I didn't want to harm the finish. It is in a spot where my thumb never contacts it, so it's doesn't bother me at all, except from a concious standpoint, believe it or not. If it were on my MM, I wouldn't have had a problem, as the unfinished neck would respond much better, I think. I'll get brave and go the rest of the way one of these days. Sounds like a personal problem, I know!

Andrew

 

[hankSRay]

Thanks Steve, will do