So why are Bongo necks satin finished, anyway?

[adouglas]

Sitting here woodshedding funk tunes for the band I'm hoping to get into (fun fun fun!), and something has struck me about my Bongo.

The Bongo comes with a satin-finished neck, but the satin wears down to gloss with a little use. I don't play heavily (not every day...say, a few times a week) and my bass is 15 months old. The neck is quite glossy at this point.

I know I can re-satin it with some abrasive. But since this is a painted neck, you can't endlessly re-satin it with sandpaper or steel wool, because you'll eventually wear the finish off.

So, if it's going to wind up glossy anyway, why make it satin in the first place?

Just curious.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

If the neck doesn't have to go to the buffer, then it's that much faster that the Bongo can get into your hands.

 

[Big Poppa]

its an asthetic thing...all finishes will bet shinier the more you play I really love it when the oil treated necks get worn in

 

[Figjam]

its an asthetic thing...all finishes will bet shinier the more you play I really love it when the oil treated necks get worn in

Me too. It is one of my favorite things about my '97 sterling.

 

[adouglas]

So, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that you like the way it wears to gloss where your thumb rides, but stays satin elsewhere (i.e., on the headstock)?

In other words, it's the contrast between satin and gloss (showing the wear) that's the appeal?

If it's the worn-in (i.e., gloss) feel that's the appeal by itself, then the same question still applies...why not finish it in gloss in the first place?

The worn-in gloss feel being different from the way it used to doesn't bother me a bit. I liked the feel of the satin neck when the bass was new, and I like the feel of the worn-in gloss just as much.

 

[Big Poppa]

adouglas I think I prefer the bent knob thread......

 

[bovinehost]

I liked the feel of the satin neck when the bass was new, and I like the feel of the worn-in gloss just as much.

Genius! They know what you want when you buy it and they know what you want down the road!

 

[MingusBASS]

I wanted my knobs bent in the future...

I don't think my Bongo is working.

 

[Randracula]

Genius! They know what you want when you buy it and they know what you want down the road!

Now that's an advertising slogan if i've ever heard one.......

 

[ibanez2005]

I love satin finished necks. Glossy necks get really sticky when you sweat on them.
My SUB5 gets really sticky after half an hour of a gig if its hot but the SR doesnt, i give mine a good wipe down with WD-40 anyway.

 

[Big Poppa]

wd40 is no bueno

 

[ibanez2005]

Why?

 

[Oldtoe]

WD-40 is primarily a solvent.

 

[ibanez2005]

Too abrasive?

 

[Oldtoe]

The "WD" in WD-40 stands for "water dispersant" and is not healthy for wood. It does have lubricant properties but is made mostly of petroleum distillates. Use a dedicated product specifically for guitar neck applications to make sure you don't do damage.

 

[adouglas]

adouglas I think I prefer the bent knob thread......

Check the sig, Boss.

Horse is dead, bones picked clean and bleached by the desert sun. Nothing to see here.

 

[kakobass]

I condition my necks with the drippings of fried bacon. . . very smooth and it's biodegradable. If I happen to apply too much, I just lick the excess, or if I'm in the middle of a long, boring gig, I just lick the back of the neck and see how long it takes me to taste the raw wood. Then I repeat the whole process. Lard works as well, but don't taste very good.

Oink!

Painted necks are a no-no in my book. I like the feeling of my Sterling's neck so much, that when I'm depressed I just rub it a bit, and boom. . ! Back to happy again!

 

[Oldtoe]

Crisco will do in a pinch if no bacon is handy.

 

[strummer]

I have a teflon skingraft on my left thumb

 

[brooklynfall]

Steel wool! Not for the collectors/faint of heart, though, I suppose.