neck finishes - tung oil

[kreider204]

By about this time next month, I should receive a decision from my department about tenure. Assuming things go well, I plan to buy myself a new fretless bass as a present. As I look through my options, I'm seeing various neck finishes, including gloss, satin matte, and tung oil. I don't think I've ever played a bass with a tung oil finish, so I have absolutely no idea what it looks like, how it might affect playability, what kind of care it requires, etc.

Any info would be appreciated, even if it's just a link. (I did a few searches already, but may have missed something.) Thanks much.

[elgecko]

I have a tung oiled koa bass . I don't know if it's the koa or the tung oil but in cold, moist weather, the neck actually "sweats". Definitely not the ideal bass for cold outdoor gigs. Also, the bass dents and scratches very easily...I don't know whether it's the koa or the tung oil. I've reapplied tung oil a couple of times in the almost 20 years I've owned the bass and it never looked as good as when it new...to the point where I'm considering coating the body in poly. YMMV.

[kreider204]

Good to know - thanks!

[Turnaround]

Depends to a degree upon the wood of the neck (not the fingerboard - the neck). On most basses it's maple, and tung oil is not a good finish for maple. May look nice, but maple is very susceptible to changes in moisture and will move around accordingly. Tung oil doesn't form enough of a barrier to inhibit moisture exchange - you need a hard finish like lacquer, poly, etc.

[kreider204]

I'm looking at a maple neck, so that's especially good to know. Thanks!