Finish on a maple fretboard neck

[David Schwab]

In case you just skimmed, I mentioned that my own frankenstrat is finished entirely with tung oil. And yes, the fingerboard is looking shabby after over twenty years. I'll admit that I was disappointed when I first noticed it happening. I accepted it, but I won't say I like it. I'm not into the "distressed" thing. Because the oil penetrates, an oiled board won't ever look as bad as when a surface finish fails and exposes raw wood, but it's not much better. I think, lacking OCD maintenance, that a maple fingerboard is just an ugly eventuality waiting to happen. Or is it!?!..

The bass player in my high school band played a fretless Jazz Bass. Yep, a fretless Jazz Bass. It was purchased used. Some shop pulled the frets from the maple board, inlaid wood strips and then treated the board with some sort of wood surface hardener. I have no idea what sort of toxic business that must have been, but my mans finger board was already old when he got the guitar and looked good the whole time I knew him. I wish I could report on what was on there.

Yes I skimmed!

Twenty years? Here's a tele neck that I refretted. I used a few thin coats of nitro lacquer figuring that would be enough. It was a quick and dirty job because I had to use the guitar that week.

After a few days it looked like this! Then I switched to another guitar and haven't played this one in a while until I fix it.

[Chuck H]

Those frets don't look too short. SOMEONE has a hard left hand

Like I said... An ugly eventuality waiting to happen. I suppose that Japanese polyester finish used on Yamaha and Ibanez guitars might hold up for a good long while. Ever try to strip that stuff!?! Then there's my friends Jazz bass. I should get back in touch and see how that's going. A mutual acquaintance found him on Facebook, but I refuse to subscribe (for my own very valid reasons).

[tedmich]

I had luck with the nasty spray on ammonia, methanol and dichloromethane stripper
( it turns nitrile gloves and plastic hardware to mush!) when I stripped the dead polyester finish off a Rogue 6 string bass

[Chuck H]

Good to know. I tried the same product in the pour can on an Ibanez Destroyer. After two hours the finish was still solid in places and just popped off in postage stamp sized pieces in other places. After multiple applications and a lot of clean up sanding of stubborn bits and residue I did, eventually, get it all off. I'll try the spray can next time. I wonder what they make the nozzle out of Perhaps it melts away if you don't pull it and neutralize it.?.

Much prettier finish on that guitar

[tedmich]

thnx! Its Liberon finishing oil and Renaissance wax!

There was much work, also, to remove all of the horrid plastic...scrape, sand, solvent, repeat
And you can see where veneer bubbled up from injudicious application of heat gun! I'm gonna slit it with razor and re-glue with some epoxy when I get a chance.