My Favorite Finish For A Guitar's Fretboard

[@scottsozmtns7534]

What an amazing, intelligent, coherent & common sense explanation to putting on a 1st Class fretboard finish on your guitar. Thank you good Sir!

[@zAvAvAz]

Yes! Thank him. And thank you for thanking him.

[@mattdoliver1984]

This is good to know as I use boiled linseed oil on my rosewood and maple fretboards, the reason is that when I was younger and doing my joinery apprenticeship one of the older guys told me to always treat maple with a bit of linseed oil, and it stuck with me for nearly 25years now. Plus I love the smell of linseed oil

[@ej1_drew]

thank you for compiling years of experience and information into a video for us newbies !!!

[@mattrodela2030]

Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Tanks, Matt! I really appreciate the tip. Take care and I hope my videos will help and inspire you.

[@thekeiranfaley]

Currently scalloping a guitar neck, thanks for the clear and concise info!

[@kimberlylankford2624]

So glad I found your video, I have a dulcimer kit and its all unfinished wood and the fret board is walnut I did'nt want to put anything on it that would mess up the fret board, thank you now off to get BLO

[@DavidGrahamJr]

I have some pretty grimy fretboards, but that's just me. Thank you for making these videos. They're pleasant to watch and extremely informative. I'm just getting started on the DIY guitar builds and boiled linseed oil it shall be.

[@Arfonfree]

To extend the shelf life of drying oil, when you are finished, spray a touch of Dust-Off in the can before capping. It displaces the oxygen, and prevents polymerization in the can. Dust-Off is a mix of flourocarbons and will not harm the oil.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Great idea. I'll have to try this.

[@FuriousTortoise]

I’ve worked in research labs that had a trick for this. In our lab we would flood a container with Nitrogen gas until it displaced the lighter, more volatile, components of air in hopes of stalling oxidation so reactions would happen more consistently. While we were waiting for our main objectives to yield, the real science began. Ha! It was a kind of game to see who could find a more perishable item and preserve it. Cut apples were my favorite but a friend kept yogurt on a countertop for a strangely long time too. We had access to lab grade gasses but I’ve been told you can find them at local Air Gas supply (ask for help on what regulators you’ll need to bleed it out-not a pressurized nozzle). All this works because Nitrogen gas is heavier than other air components and will displace Oxygen-pushing them up and out-leaving only trace amounts of the pesky oxidizers. I bet it would be cheaper than dust-off if you use it a year or two.

[@steviiiii]

@@FuriousTortoise I love this - I will categorize this as - deep dives in cross-usage of workmen's/workperson's bag-of-tricks..!! keep em coming..!! thank you.

[@scotturnquist1240]

Thanks for the in depth explanation. Was always wondering how to maintain a maple neck with no finish.

[@janefoxguitars6061]

You did a video years ago about applying BLO with Japan Dryer...I followed those directions on the very first guitar I built and to this day it's the silkiest, smoothest neck I've done. Over the years I've tried all the rest, Lacquer, poly, tru-oil but I always go back to the simple BLO. My question to you is, do you still apply it the same way now? You mentioned waiting a week between coats in this video, back then you basically said it was good to go the next day or so which is how I've been doing it. I know you update your techniques occassionally, any thoughts on this?

[@losangulos]

Hi, what is blo? And japan dryer?

[@jritechnology]

@@losangulos Boiled Linseen Oil lol = BLO and Japan drier is just an accelerant drying agent. Hint:L Use google

[@meisenman]

@@losangulos BLO = Boiled linseed oil.

[@thebluesrockers]

Question.. Can I use boiled Linseed oil, or Tru oil on my finished neck? And if I did would it darken it? Or is this just a bad idea all together. I'd love a fast fix for my squire neck. But there's probably not one is there?

[@HighlineGuitars]

You can use both and yes, it will darken the wood.

[@thebluesrockers]

@@HighlineGuitars I just bought one of those Squire Sonic guitars with the pale maple fretboards. how should I go about using the tru oil, or the boiled linseed oil on my finished neck? Will I need to wait a few days before I can play it? Or just wipe it off and string it after a few hours? Thank you for helping me out with this information. Peace. Joe

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@thebluesrockers kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ3Ol4iljLF7ldE

[@bobs_ya_runkle]

Thanks Chris. Extremely informative and timely for me.

[@Tonetwisters]

My brother and I used boiled linseed oil in his Tallahassee music store back in the early '70s, and it worked fine for us. We coated a LOT of fingerboards with it!!

[@mikepitch]

Hi Chris, excellent, thanks for your video and information. I will now be using boiled linseed oil on my new build. Thank you.

[@thecentralscrutinizerr]

I'm currently building a Yingway Woundstring strat. Got the scalloped neck if from Chinee. Off to Loew's today to buy some boiled lindseed oil. Gonna give it a shot.

[@brianlang5970]

man. this was great. I learned a ton. Thank you for uploading! I will 100% be trying this out on my neck. big thumbs up and sharing.

[@michaelfern945]

Thanks Chris.

[@andersrennermalm]

And don’t you just love the smell of linseed oil? I do anyway. Thank you so much. I just love your videos. If you haven’t seen it yet, Stumpy Nubs (my favorite woodworker on here) has a video about the contents of ‘Tung oil finish’.

[@timwills6584]

Chris, so glad I found this today! It does indeed answer the question I was going to ask after watching the other video you mentioned about guitar neck finishes. Off to get some boiled linseed oil now! 🙂 Excellent channel, very well presented and helping me a lot!

[@cliffhanger8170]

Hey! Can you tint linseed oil?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Of course you can. That's what oil based stains are.

[@bennhenry4119]

I love your chanel so much! Thx for taking time to do those videos and to share your knoledge. I use boiled linseed oil on my necks thx to you, it's awesome 👍

[@edwardberthelette2700]

Great info. Thanks for making quality informed videos.

[@robertshorthill6836]

I bought a '64 made J-50 Gibson in spring of '65 . The store that sold it to me said that to take care of the fret board in the. dry climate of Northern California where I was in the service and stationed there , I should apply a bit of boiled linseed oil once every few months or when I would change strings. He told me how to do it. So I went to a hardware store and bought a small can. It was enough to last me well into my 70s, which I was not. To make a story shorter, I put a coat on my guitar fret board and wiped off the excess. I did not ever leave it to dry for several days putting on additional coats. One luthier I follow tells how to apply it, and I did it that way for many decades. I always kept my finger nails clipped short as well. The rosewood FB was grateful .

[@eNosArmory]

Can you use dye to color and then oil

[@HighlineGuitars]

I wouldn't. It won't last.

[@Nicky-T]

Exactly. I just watched your video on finishing a neck, the one you are obviously referring to, and I came to this to find out about fretboards. I'll be doing one soon (flame maple) and would love to not have to spray, but I do want a gloss on the fingerboard and front of the headstock. I hope you made the video you referred to at the end, I'll look for it now. I want to find out what issues you are concerned about.

[@luisownerbr]

Oil feels great, once you try it you can't go back. Thanks for sharing!

[@quintijn3444]

Thanks! Incredible information like usual!

[@chrisbabb1162]

Chris - I'm so thankful to have found your videos. Beyond educational. They are inspirational. Be creative, be curious, be patient, be organized, don't fear the reaper (ok, maybe a bit much there). So thanks. My question - Does this process for the fretboard also include the 1500 grit wet sand step? Sorry if this has already been asked and answered....

[@HighlineGuitars]

It can if you want it to. No rule for this.

[@philed5371]

Thanks for this great video. Is Boiled Linseed oil also good for an ebony fretboard? Or any better advice? Thanks a lot.

[@davidwood8787]

What is BLO please? And thanks for sharing your knowledge so generously.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@davidwood8787 Boiled linseed oil.

[@davidwood8787]

@@HighlineGuitars ah! Thanks again.

[@chrissstarr1608]

Thank you sir..i just stumbled on to you ...i love your way of explaining things ...your the Steve Vai of this ..thank you..Chriss Starr..

[@HighlineGuitars]

Welcome aboard!

[@mastabad2]

Hey-so I know you’d apply lacquer right over the frets as you described, but what about the boiled linseed oil? Would you apply it over the frets as well and, if so, how would you remove it if necessary? Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@mastabad2 Wipe on, wipe off. BLO will soak into the wood, but it won’t stick to the frets, so it’s easy to wipe it off the frets.

[@mastabad2]

@@HighlineGuitars Thanks!

[@ernieb3626]

thanks for the video. you always seem to have a way of explaining and making it seem easy. Thanks for that.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Thanks for watching!

[@AndyPhillips01]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@HighlineGuitars]

My pleasure!

[@johnnyrasmussen9441]

Very helpful video thank you.

[@stringtheoryx]

I'm sure your oil coat works perfectly, but I've never had good luck with oil. I used name brand tung oil (Formby, if I recall) on a few necks years ago, including a nice solid rosewood neck, and it never seemed to harden. Took the rosewood neck out of the 'extra necks' box recently, and it's still sticky. I've been trying to find good ways to remove the sticky tung oil without having to sand it all off. I've been wondering if stock 'paint remover' would be too brutal.

[@BryonMondok]

Thank you! This was very helpful.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I'm so glad!

[@konradhof7318]

Do you sand between applications, and if so, how do you avoid scratching the frets?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes. I apply a strip of sandpaper to a narrow popsicle stick with some double sided tape and sand the fretboard. The sandpaper contacts the fretboard while the edges of the popsicle stick contact the frets. No scratches.

[@konradhof7318]

@ awesome tip! Will do that. And your videos are all very informative! 😎🎸 Thanks for making them.

[@lokarrsboots9337]

Very interesting and helpful video. I didn't know about linseed oil. I like that it doesn't color the fretboard. About dirty, grimy guitars at around 13:56 : That's something a lot of guitarists going for maple fretboards actually desire. They want to get the grimy, blotched looking fretboard that shows the play wear. I personally like that, too. Though, I won't get rid of the satin finish on my necks just to achieve that. But when a refret is eventually needed, I will opt for a linseed oil finish instead of a satin laquer finish. :)

[@DjentlemanJosh]

Tried & True Danish Oil is a 100% polymerized linseed oil that contains no VOCs and can be applied straight out of the can without a solvent. They recommend waiting at least 8 hours between coats which isn't bad for linseed oil.

[@ralphdamatojr]

Great topic as always... I have a Fender Strat neck that is roasted maple with a gloss frettboard.. I recently used steel wool to remove the gloss on the board, and it looks and feels beautiful.. satin look and feel.. did I just dull the laquer finish to a satin, or did I remove the laquer to the wood? It was a VERY shiney finish that had the feel you spoke of.. I am hoping the coat is gone for good...

[@HighlineGuitars]

Dulling a clear coat with steel wool is usually only temporary since the gloss will come back as your fingers rub the surface. Satin and/or flat clear coats are formulated with flattening agents to keep their sheen even after they have been rubbed repeatedly.

[@dantahoua]

I use Waterlox polymerized tung oil. Love it. Thanks again for your informations.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Waterlox isn’t polymerized. It’s resin modified, which means the oil has been blended with polymers. Nothing wrong with that, but not the same nevertheless.

[@dantahoua]

@@HighlineGuitars Thanks for the clarification! :)

[@DiersakZelesnik]

Do you bother adding in anything that would create a more film coat? I use equal parts BLO, mineral spirits, and polyurethane as a finish for tools and I am curious how well that would translate to finishing guitar bodies, necks, and maybe fretboard (i don't know if I'd want this on the fret board since it has more of a film effect than BLO)

[@HighlineGuitars]

It depends on the look I'm after. If I want a glossy sheen, I'll add polyurethane to build a film.

[@DiersakZelesnik]

@@HighlineGuitars Thanks for the reply. Do you find any difference in "weather" resistance between finish with poly and regular finish? Like resistance to water or spills or scuffing even.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@ Polyurethane offers much more protection than plain BLO.

[@steviiiii]

great tutorial..!! THANK YOU.. I am a budding Luthier and I am NOW contemplating refinishing me '75 TELE BASS (Ibanez) fingerboard in lindseed oil... do you have any thoughts on how the "meeting point" between the linseed and the original poly will - either look or weather (over time) or adhere..??? thank you!!

[@kristopherdavis5824]

With a baked flamed maple fret board is it necessary to finish the board

[@HighlineGuitars]

No, but it may look nicer.

[@cghbuilder86]

So to clarify, neck is raw and sanded to 220-320. 3 coats of B.l.o. Fully wiped down after a couple minutes during application, but no sanding/buffing anywhere in the process? Thanks for all you do helping folks trying to learn this stuff.

[@HighlineGuitars]

No sanding or buffing anywhere in the process.

[@SlinkyVibes]

Excellent video! Thank you so much.

[@mctweddle]

I built a guitar kit and finished it in tru oil. Was great for the body but I just didn't like the feel of the neck even after sanding it smooth. I eventually, in a fit of madness, sanded most of the tru oil off the back of the neck and gave it a very light coat of boiled linseed oil instead, I think I got the idea from an earlier video of yours. It felt perfect and for my next build (a from scratch 24" single p90 rustic project made from a bunch of scrap wood) I'm definitely doing the neck on boiled linseed oil. Still debating what to use for the body but I'll burn that bridge when I get there 🤣

[@kickhammett7214]

what about using this for a guitar body ?

[@HighlineGuitars]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIm0hIOOfbljpKM kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp3cpIZ-oJJngaM kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipepdoqjebuMkJY kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4XWipWqhNF_nrM kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIi3XqqwbM1jjZY

[@dennydavis7976]

Hi Chris, love your videos! A Walnut neck I purchased, came with a coat of Danish oil on it. Can I use BLO on it to finish? Also, Walnut seems porous, does it need a sealer, or just sand silky smooth and apply BLO? After cleaning the fretboard with Naptha, can Carnauba wax be applied to fretboard? Thanks for all your work in creating a great channel!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Stick with the Danish oil and wet sand it in. Let it dry for a couple of weeks. If you use Carnauba wax, make sure it's pure and not full of other additives.

[@stratman9449]

i'm looking for a good and natural fretboard conditioner (just got 2 new guitars with rosewood boards) but my wife is allergic to etheric oils and chemical odours...so what can i use...??...i got some of "taylors" fretboard conditioner as it says it's all natural and without chemicals...but i'm still a bit sceptical....

[@vicwahbyphotography4866]

Greetings - Very interesting video. I'd like your opinion please ... I have a headless Ibanez Quest with a Birds Eye maple fingerboard which appears lacquered with matte product and I'm considering removing the lacquer and using linseed oil on it instead. Would 0000 steel wool do the trick or am I asking for trouble? I'm also hoping there won't be visible vertical lines running crossgrain after sanding. Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Don't use actual steel wool. It leaves fine particles which can be difficult to get off and they can stick to the pickup magnets. Use synthetic pads like Norton synthetic steel wool pads instead.

[@Wodawic]

Great stuff Chris, couldn't agree more. What about a neck who's fretboard has already been lacquered? How best to strip it down and start over?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I don’t know. I don’t restore, refinish, or repair guitars. I only make brand new ones.

[@Wodawic]

@@HighlineGuitarsThank you sir. I think I figured it out as this video spun up. The naptha gave me a start at neutering the glossy crap

[@VictorHugo-pg9tv]

Is this the same as varnishing the instrument's neck?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@EmtonGuitars]

Chris - do you do any one piece necks? I saw on this that it is maple and maple but wasn’t 100% if it was a one piece neck. If you do, I would love to see how you do skunk stripes etc with the CNC.

[@HighlineGuitars]

No, I don't make one-piece necks. I only make two-piece necks with modern two way truss rods.

[@gimmeagig]

can you go over cured boiled linsseed with True oil to give it more shine ?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@TommySG1]

Thanks so much for this in depth explanation on this topic. I work on guitars but strictly as a hobby and for friends guitars, I am no professional by any means… I have a bass neck I’ve been up in the air about deciding on a finish and I’m going to go with your idea here and simply apply a few thin coats of the boiled linseed oil 👍 PS ~ great channel and very informative to say the very least.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it was helpful!

[@iainthomas5249]

Super video. What about teak oil?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Don’t know. I tried it once about 15 years ago and I don’t remember how well or poorly it work. It must not have impressed me much because I threw out whatever was left in the can. I think it cured weird.

[@iainthomas5249]

@@HighlineGuitars good to know.. Thanks.

[@pelicanxf]

I recently played a henrik D signature charvel, the neck was the best maple I ever played. It had the grip of a rosewood fretboard though it has a satin finish. Would linseed oil give a similar “close to the wood” feel?

[@HighlineGuitars]

🤷‍♂️

[@jacobbrown1690]

Oil based ( alkyd )varnish on maple , boiled linseed oil on rosewood or pau ferro or cocobolo

[@HighlineGuitars]

I don't use oil-based alkyd varnish, but I may try Target Coatings water-based alkyd varnish with a cross-linker. Kind of pricey, but it would last a while.

[@shs1415]

If you're looking for a polymerised tung oil check out Lee Valley. It is more expensive than linseed oil, but it is excellent (and isn't so far out there price wise to make it too expensive for a guitar). I use it regularly for furniture making and love it.

[@HighlineGuitars]

It's made by Sutherland Welles.

[@shs1415]

@@HighlineGuitars ha, I had no idea. LV’s HQ is only a few mins from my studio so it’s an easy source for me.

[@mitchrice757]

This doesn't require using the Japan dryer or mineral spirits as on the back of the neck?

[@surfrby8876]

Well this should be good, and I think I want to build one of your guitars , you have a great channel , I learn a lot 👍

[@HighlineGuitars]

You should!

[@lurklingX]

yup, we appreciate! (btw, the link for shirts/store is only pulling up youtube and vids)

[@HighlineGuitars]

It works fine on my end.

[@thebluesrockers]

One, Tone & Sustain have absolutely nothing to do with the body's wood, nor does it have anything to with the wood on the Fretboard. Tone on all electric, guitars comes 100% from the guitar pickups. Sustain has to do with the bridge saddles and the nut. However, The string trees are said to have an effect on the Sustain. I'm pretty sure the quality or type of metal that's used for the frets would have a lot to do with sustain as well. Great video with a lot of education offered here. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Peace.

[@HighlineGuitars]

So how come the tone changes when I change the pot and/or cap values?

[@thebluesrockers]

@@HighlineGuitars Pots can and do make a difference, as do capacitors. Thanks for pointing that out. But the pickups will sound exactly the same if they're attached to a 2x4 piece of wood. So many people think a strat sounds different that a Les Paul. Some say it's because of the wood. But it only has to do with the pickups. Place that same humbucker into a strat and get the tone of that les paul. But again, you're correct when you mentioned the different pots. But a 500 cts pot with an orange drop capacitor will sound the same no matter what guitar you throw them in. Peace..

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@thebluesrockers When you wrote "100%," I said to myself, "Now hold on there. The cap and the pots have a say as well." So I would say pickups account for 80-85% of the ton. Beyond that, I totally agree with you.

[@thebluesrockers]

@@HighlineGuitars hahaha, I have no doubt that you would agree with me. you sure as hell no your stuff. great video by the way. I just bought a cheap, squire sonic and I'm going to have to fix the tone of that neck. you sure taught me how to do it. thanks for all your time, and effort teaching us these tricks of the trade. Peace..

[@mikey2176]

Great video. Very informative. Thank you.

[@AngryShellback]

Love your craftsmanship... Thanks for the tips... I finished the back of my neck with Tru oil, is that anything close? Maple on Maple neck.

[@dejadejayoutube]

13:55 ,I'd like to think that the moment any player finds out how damaging it is to have grime, grit, dirt and even dust on a fret board and strings is the moment they start wiping down/cleaning;... the frets/fingerboard at the very least.👍 (I'm not sure if the increased fret wear & worse still fret slot damage is common knowledge:(, i very rarely hear it detailed,... people do love a "relic" look tho:)

[@ghaussydreams]

Thanks for an interesting video. I have lacquered maple neck and want to remove the lacquer, does anybody know how is that done? ❤

[@Marwatt]

Hello is it possible to have an amber colored neck with the use of linseed oil? or do you have to dye the wood first and then apply linseed oil? and if so what kind of dye to use with linseed oil? thank you

[@jamesmarkham7489]

I believe any finish will amber over time when exposed to uv light. Ive done it on a few of my basses. Leave them in front of a window on a stand for a few months and they will darken.

[@tonesguitars]

Thanks Chris, great content!

[@michaelfern945]

Chris, do you pore fill your rosewood fret boards before you apply the boiled linseed oil? If so, how?

[@HighlineGuitars]

No.

[@brianb115]

Doesn’t the fretboard get sticky? Even after it dries.

[@HighlineGuitars]

As long as you let if fully cure, no.

[@jessxcr]

So I followed these instructions and 11 days after the third coat my neck and fretboard feel sticky. What do I do at this point to remedy this?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Wait a few more weeks.

[@zeffneeson7599]

I love using Osmo oil poly x on necks and fretboards designed for hardwood floor finishing real easy to wipe on and it goes off rock hard looks very cool too. Comes in loads of cool colours as well 😁

[@HighlineGuitars]

I may be giving this a try for an upcoming build. Of course a video will cover the process.

[@iainthomas5249]

Great idea. Thank you.

[@stolguy]

Chris! great info …question; how about BLO over the back of a mahogany neck? Good? And would you still need to grain fill before the BLO. please and thanks

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes for BLO on a Mahogany neck. Yes you need to fill the grain and pores. I would wet sand in the first application of BLO with 220 grit. Let that dry a week or so and follow that by wet sanding BLO into the wood with 320, 400, 600, 800, 1,000, and finally 1,200.

[@stolguy]

@@HighlineGuitars thanks, so I take it you mean to grain fill the pores with the BLO by wet sanding? BUT could I also fill the grain with grain filler and apply the BLO on top of the grain filler? JUST talking about the back oh the neck as the fret board is rosewood Thanks again

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@stolguy I would advise against using grain filler as it often doesn’t work well with BLO. Test on scrap mahogany first!

[@stolguy]

@@HighlineGuitars understood, thanks kindly

[@irvan36mm]

Could you apply a stain, then the boiled linseed oil on top of it?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@rb032682]

good info, thanks!

[@nickmizell1141]

Hey, can you please tell us more information on why you don’t like tru-oil? Personally, I’ve never tried it, but I have heard of lots of people using it over the years, and I would like to know more information solid before I try it. Thanks

[@HighlineGuitars]

Tru Oil works fine for folks who lack access to spray equipment. Especially if they want a glossy finish. I don't use it mainly because I don't know what's in it. I like to know what's in the products I use. These days, I prefer Sutherland Welles' polymerized tung oil because I know exactly what's in it. Pure tung oil.

[@nickmizell1141]

@@HighlineGuitars Thank you for sharing your knowledge, when using these polymerized oil finishes on a body or neck can you hear any type of negative affect on the tone or sustain?

[@HighlineGuitars]

​@@nickmizell1141 The finish has no effect on the tone or sustain of an electric guitar.

[@paulievee8830]

I can only find the polymerized tung oil on that website for exterior, and I wish you would show us a finished product! You seem to know what you're talking about but I think I would go crazy waiting for something to dry that long so if you don't mind a bit of Sheen on your neck what do you suggest for somebody who's a little more impatient? The other thing I was going to ask is what if you want to put a little bit of stain on it first to give it kind of a vintage look? Last time I tried this I messed up because I used oil-based water-based oil-based water-based or half the time I didn't really know what I was using since a lot of products don't really even specify, well at least the ones you find in the local hardware store, not to mention I did not realize as dry as the fretboard looked it already had a satin polyurethane which and I wound up having to sand everything off down to the bare wood so now I'm at square One. And I'm noticing I have much harder wood but I'm really at a loss for how to stain and then put a nice finish on and you seem to know the ropes pretty well haha well maybe I'll get an answer thanks harder work

[@michaelw6277]

Thanks for this. I want to build my own Tele because I just don’t like any of my options from Fender, Squier, G&L, etc in the sub $1000 range and I absolutely refuse to spend more than $1000 on a guitar as simple as a Tele. Right now I’m leaning towards a Warmoth neck for a 3+3 headstock and they seem to be well regarded in terms of quality. Price for a simple maple/maple neck is reasonable until you get to the finishing options, none of which I like so I thought I’d do it myself. I’m very pleasantly surprised to see that the process is as simple as it is. Oddly enough I’m trying to get a neck feel to match a Squier I have. In appearance the neck looks like a raw, very finely sanded piece of maple, but it doesn’t have the dry and chalky feel that raw wood can have. It’s wonderfully smooth… not “silky” or sticky, but just right. Now I’m guessing they use a product like what you’re describing to finish their necks because I have to assume that it’s dramatically less expensive than poly/nitro/whatever finishes.

[@jeremiahmcgowan]

I’d love to hear your opinion on Tru Oil. I haven’t used it yet and I know some people speak very highly, but I’m curious.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I think it's a good option if you want a high gloss finish, but lack spray equipment.

[@cormacbass]

You were great in Wayne's World

[@markthompson5310]

Anybody say anything about the fire danger? I happened to be starring at my rag box when it spontaneously combusted. I soak the rags in water after use and dispose of.

[@hijmestoffels5171]

Very informative! Thanks.

[@pauloleary7792]

Great video! May I ask how you approach sanding when it cures? I've always found penetrating oils to finish unevenly / blotchily

[@Samuli501]

I just missed u live but thanks this is a good subject

[@Keith-rollingstoned420]

Nice work cool shirt designs

[@beandog100]

Hi Chris, this is really interesting, thanks. I have a roasted maple fretboard with a super light coat of poly on it. It's supposed to be 'satin' finish but it stills feels rough to me. Could I apply BLO directly to this board or would you recommend lightly sanding the board in advance, with like a 2000 grit or something? Many thanks.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I wouldn't put BLO over polyurethane. The oil needs to soak into the wood in order to bond with it. A thin coat of polyurethane will prevent that. I would apply several coats of satin polyurethane and then sand it with 2000 grit after it has fully cured.

[@beandog100]

@@HighlineGuitars Ok great, thanks so much for the swift reply!

[@SILVERCHARGEDS]

Can I spray Max 2K polyurethane clear directly on a fret board? Also, if I wanted to paint a color base coat then a polyurethane clear on the neck, what primer do I use on the wood?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes and whatever primer is compatible with the paint you intend to use.

[@spidermikevarietyshow]

I love this channel.

[@deathmetalchili6902]

Quick question....if I may. Can you "ebonize" a Neck, and Fretboard? If you do, will it affect the frets. Also.....I love your channel. Very informative and easy to understand. Thank you, for making them. 😊

[@HighlineGuitars]

I don’t know. Sorry.

[@deathmetalchili6902]

@@HighlineGuitars ok, thank you for the honest answer. And I appreciate your response. Cheers. 🙂

[@jeff1407]

Could you use the Japan dryer if you wanted the oil to dry quicker? I’d like to use this on a rosewood fretboard but it needs to be playable within a week. Thanks so much for the info.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes you can as long as the oil is linseed.

[@jeff1407]

@@HighlineGuitars It would be BLO. Thanks Chris!

[@famosamos6887]

Does linseed oil make the maple darker?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@famosamos6887]

@@HighlineGuitars What doesn't?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@famosamos6887 in my experience, nothing. Any liquid, no matter how clear, will darken wood.

[@famosamos6887]

@@HighlineGuitars How does Fender keep them "white"

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@famosamos6887 trust me, they darken very slightly from their raw state. The lightest clear coat you can apply would be a water-based polyurethane. And even that will slightly darken the wood, but not nearly as much as an oil or solvent based product.

[@raffaguitars]

I just love Tung oil on my necks, especially with Maple necks. If you have a good sanded maple neck there,s nothing smoother feeling than Tung oil. I don't have much experience with boiled linseed but I could imagine it being more or less the same. I used Laquerd fret boards as wel but didn't like them as much. And a fat laquered Neck feels like plastic to me and also feels a little less smooth. But, to each his own. The only thing is it takes a little bit more maintenance in cleaning.

[@kingplaid5504]

Thanks Chris. Curious, if you want to add some color to your neck or maple fretboard (ie vintage amber) what type of product would you use and would you lay it down first or mix directly with the boiled linseed oil? Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

I would mix it into the BLO and I would use an aniline dye.

[@tsiggy]

Hey Chris, did I get that right, that in the case of a boiled linseed oil finish you don't bother masking off the heel of the neck?

[@HighlineGuitars]

That’s only the case with bolt-in necks.

[@michaelschertell2821]

Would this work if you had previously colored the neck with Colortone stain and denatured alcohol?

[@MADRE-GUY]

Coleman outdoor portable gas stove fuel is naphtha ?

[@HighlineGuitars]

It’s naphtha with a rust inhibitor

[@kosaponglusang4595]

Very informative sir ..try osmo polyx hardware oil too

[@HighlineGuitars]

I would if it wasn't so expensive.

[@ronc1231]

the only things I have discovered that affect tone and sustain are tone woods, wood density, precise layout, and bridge work. Assuming your guitar is good wood and density the layout of bridge mounting is critical for intonation and playablity. Centerline of the string path (you can't always trust the center of a glue joint unless you made the body), and the octave measurement are important. Bridge work? Leo Fender thought on solid body guitars getting the vibration into the end grain of the wood will add sustain. Before his death he patented a bridge called the saddle lock bridge. It does 2 things; 1. it locks the individual pieces of a tunable bridge into one structure. and 2. the bridge has a cleat cast into the underside the requires a router cut to install. This cleat introduce the vibrations of all the strings (they're locked into one after intonation) into the end grain of the wood. My experience as a player is I have to manage the sustain or it will over run the chord changes. This is something I've never had to do. Since many player customize their guitars or build partsocasters I thought more info about sustain would be a valid idea. For finishes, paint it, oil it, make it as you like. If the guitar is make good tone and good sustain paint won't matter. If it's not making good sounds, paint won't matter then either