TRU-OIL on a EB Musicman maple neck- Leaving multiple coats on

**RaginRog** · #1 04-12-2011, 12:19 PM

Tru Oil question...
I did search the EB forums a little, and actually found an old post where Jack (Bovinehost) mentioned having left a coat of Tru Oil on a neck for 24 hours, before buffing it out. I recently did something similar, only I left 3 coats on, and after 24 hours I buffed it with very fine scotch brite pads, and have had it curing/drying for about 3 days now. Next step is to polish it with some wax. Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with having the original finish, it's my personal preference to have a little more sheen/shine.

I'm curious....does anyone else leave Tru-oil on longer than the standard EBMM recommendation for neck maintenance.

stflbn · #2 04-12-2011, 12:22 PM

I tried that with shiny neck that I was converting to Oil/Wax. I ended up sanding it all off again and going the route of quick coats. I vastly preferred the softer velvety matte type finish.

**RaginRog** · #3 04-12-2011, 01:46 PM

Thanks.

I like the smoothness you're referring to, but want to keep the long term care of the bass up...and I hate dirty EBMM necks. I also don't mind having a slight finish on the neck because I'm used to it. Both of my Fender Jazz basses have satin finishes on their necks.

Caca de Kick · #4 04-12-2011, 01:52 PM

Does it darken the maple at all?

**RaginRog** · #5 04-12-2011, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

Does it darken the maple at all?

It doesn't exactly darken it that much; it's more like it makes the natural maple color "pop" more. I only plan on doing 3 coats. This way if it dings, I don't have to worry about it flaking/chipping off like it would with some poly finishes. I really wish EBMM would offer a factory satin finish like Fender...but oh well.

stflbn · #6 04-12-2011, 02:18 PM

And I like the character that comes with age on the MM oiled necks. Drives me nuts having a freshy done oil/waxed neck on a different bass. Come on dirty hands... do your work.

**RaginRog** · #7 04-12-2011, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stflbn

And I like the character that comes with age on the MM oiled necks. Drives me nuts having a freshy done oil/waxed neck on a different bass. Come on dirty hands... do your work.

Must be my slight OCD....I need my neck to be fully protected!

rojo412 · #8 04-12-2011, 02:45 PM

I have an 89 SR5 with the gloss neck, which protects well... but gets all gunked up.
I "matted" it up with some steel wool. It helped, but still gunks as I play it.
I'm hesitant to go nude and then Tru Oil, but as I've done that before with Fender necks, I know the result is amazingly wonderful. I just wonder if there's something I can try before doing that.

But yeah, no matter how dirty looking an MM neck is, the feel is always amazing. I'd imagine a few coats of the Tru Oil right off the bat would keep stains to a minimum and the feel really smooth still.

**RaginRog** · #9 04-12-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rojo412

I have an 89 SR5 with the gloss neck, which protects well... but gets all gunked up.
I "matted" it up with some steel wool. It helped, but still gunks as I play it.
I'm hesitant to go nude and then Tru Oil, but as I've done that before with Fender necks, I know the result is amazingly wonderful. I just wonder if there's something I can try before doing that.

But yeah, no matter how dirty looking an MM neck is, the feel is always amazing. I'd imagine a few coats of the Tru Oil right off the bat would keep stains to a minimum and the feel really smooth still.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I'm hoping it does the trick. I'm sure it'll also keep the elements away as well.

I was considering doing 1 or 2 coats of nitro (lacquer) as well, but was afraid I'd end up with overspray or a run. Rubbing on one coat of Tru-Oil every couple of hours has been easy, and mess-free.

Turnaround · #10 04-12-2011, 06:57 PM

I don't see a problem with 3 coats of Tru-oil. Better than one in my books. Don't apply lacquer or poly over it, they won't adhere properly. Once a year or so you can wipe on another thin coat of Tru-oil and you should be fine until the proverbial cows come home.

**RaginRog** · #11 04-12-2011, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turnaround

I don't see a problem with 3 coats of Tru-oil. Better than one in my books. Don't apply lacquer or poly over it, they won't adhere properly. Once a year or so you can wipe on another thin coat of Tru-oil and you should be fine until the proverbial cows come home.

I too think that 3 is better than one. Once I buff with a scotch brite pad, and wax it...it'll probably have knocked off a coat. I did my Sterling like this a month ago, and while the back of the neck came out great, I buffed out the fretboard a little too hard in some spots, and it completely knocked off the shine/sheen it had. I'm doing my Stingray neck now, and have finished adding all the coats...now I must wait a couple of days before buffing and waxing. Then I'll likely let it sit a couple of more days before playing it.

rojo412 · #12 04-12-2011, 10:38 PM

I've done other necks with 10 coats before. If you use the steel wool, it always goes back to satin.
But I've actually taken those down a little with a bit of 1200-2000 grit paper and buffed it with Mother's Billet polish and it was essentially gloss. That stuff is amazing!

**RaginRog** · #13 04-13-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rojo412

I've done other necks with 10 coats before. If you use the steel wool, it always goes back to satin.
But I've actually taken those down a little with a bit of 1200-2000 grit paper and buffed it with Mother's Billet polish and it was essentially gloss. That stuff is amazing!

I think I'll stick to 3 coats...just in case I decide it's not for me. It would be easier to sand it back down and start fresh.

I ended up doing 2 coats on the fretboard, and 3 coats on the back. I'm going to wait another day or two before waxing it, and putting it back on the body.

Unfortunately, the picture of the back looks a little darker because "natural light" disappeared when it got dark out.

joeyl · #14 04-15-2011, 04:15 PM

That looks pretty good. Did you have any trouble with the tru-oil pooling around the frets?

rojo412 · #15 04-15-2011, 04:24 PM

I have SLATHERED tru oil on and the drips and pools just gum up and come off with the steel wool application.

And the more I read this, the more I want to take my 'Ray apart and do the deed.
TruOil rocks!

**RaginRog** · #16 04-15-2011, 10:26 PM

Thanks for all the responses guys.

I put it back together this evening, and in my opinion it came out great! The finish, while having some shine, is still extremely smooth/slick feeling. The reason why I assembled it early is because the smell was gone, it dried for 3 days...and there really weren't very many coats.

**RaginRog** · #17 04-15-2011, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyl

That looks pretty good. Did you have any trouble with the tru-oil pooling around the frets?

No, I only applied light coats and rubbed it in. I only did 2 coats on the fretboard, 3 on the back of the neck. It's enough to keep it protected, add a little shine, and I could go back to the way it was originally with some light sanding.

stoneroses · #18 11-06-2011, 05:12 PM

I made scratches on my 'lacquer' coated maple fretboard, while using my nails to scape out dirt from the frets .I read on the EB forums that its a polyester coating that I made scratches on. I tried to use just wax to cover the sratches up, but they don't work. Do you think using scotch brite to sand down the scratches then using tru-oil+ wax will help?

When you use scotch brite, do you rub in each individual scale section or do you rub across the frets as well,because it is cumbersome to go through each individual section,thus risking scratching the metal on the frets?
Do any of the following links point to the scotch product you are using?

Heavy Duty Scour Pad

Heavy Duty Steel Wool Soap Pads

Non-Scratch Scour Pad

Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge

Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge

Alternatively I read about car products that can help with scratches as well
This is what the literature said:
"Remove tiny scratches from fiberglass boats or plastic windows in convertible cars. Two such products are Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #17 Plastic Cleaner, and Meguiar's s Mirror Glaze #9 Swirl Remover--available from marine supply, auto-parts, or automotive paint supply stores."