Guitar neck clear finish question

[Mick Bailey]

One of the best necks I've encountered is the neck now fitted to a '70s plywood telecaster that's my favourite and most played guitar. The neck originally came off a Chinese 'Manhattan' Strat copy. Actually, the original body was a decent 3-piece as well. the flame on the neck is really nice - as good as some of the expensive guitars that have come my way for repair. It's also dead stable, though now needs a refret. That guitar cost £70 - about $100 at that time in the '90s. Someone in the music shop where the guitar was sold remembers that particular guitar - he said it stood out due to the timber - every other was pretty low-quality. Maybe it was a fluke that this got a decent neck. I can't imagine there would be any selection process. Random timber in one end, necks and bodies out the other.

[Chuck H]

I'm sure this will seem familiar to most here. My own guitar ownership history is peppered with inexpensive guitars that just spoke to me. A certain ring in the tone and/or a feel to the action that seemed "right". I came up perusing guitar stores in a place that's known for it's guitar stores and selection and what I've found is that the best makes (brand, model or line, etc.) are consistently very good and expensive. Ok, that's fair. But great guitars seem to happen randomly across all price ranges (except perhaps the cheapest possible crap). For my experience there have always been real gems found in the used/mid line guitars that can be had cheap if you try enough of them.

This as it applies to the wood and the acoustic tonal properties. Sometimes, maybe usually such guitars do need an electronics upgrade or better, less clunky hardware. But sometimes even these things aren't an issue. Favorites (that I no longer own) were a Yamaha SBG200 that I rented while my SBG1300TS was in the shop. This was Yamaha's bottom of the SBG line and it was fantastic. I went back to the rental shop and asked if I could buy it and they sold it to me cheap. Being a Yamaha of that era there were no problems with the pickups or hardware. And then there was a Takamine that I can't even remember the model name of. I bought it used because I liked it and it was cheap. I didn't NEED another guitar but you know how it is. It sort of drifted to the top of my choices whenever I picked up an instrument. I did have other, "nicer" guitars and when a friend found him self without a guitar to play I gave it to him. There was one new but cheap guitar purchase that worked out. Guitar Center had a proprietary line of Stratocasters made just to be distributed in their stores for a bargain price. A new idea at the time. These were among the first MIJ standard Stratocasters (mid 80's). I bought a tobacco sunburst with a maple fingerboard for $249. I really wish I had kept that one.

Anyway,.. Just a stream of consciousness on the matter and fond memories.