| I don't know for sure how much a pro would charge. It's a pretty easy job but does involve a bit of time which is what you'd mostly be paying for. Around here the smallest bottle of wipe on poly costs about $10. I'd charge for a full bottle because, even though you don't use much of it, the stuff hardens fairly quickly once opened. So, I'd probably charge $75 for the job. Each application takes only about 10 minutes and the initial prep work, like removing the neck, steel wooling the old finish and cleaning up, takes about 30 minutes. Then putting the neck back on and setting up the action if needed. So $75 is a bargain I think. Some guys might charge $100.
I don't know exactly what tung oil is used on your bass. Very few of these products are actually tung oil. But, assuming it is, it does allow moisture to get in faster than a poly finish would. Then there's the moisture that gets in to the fingerboard which usually isn't coated unless it's maple. But, I've never had a neck react quite that quicly on any of my basses, even ones where the finish was worn to bare wood. It's worth a shot though.
So, I couldn't guarantee that this would solve the problem for you but it's easy enough to try and inexpensive, if you do it yourself. Unless you're really clueless when it comes to these types of things, do it yourself. The wipe on poly finishes were designed as the easiest finish that could be applied at home to give a decent appearance. I make my own mixture, because the Minwax stuff is just their regular polyurethane varnish thinned with about an equal amount of solvent, probably mostly paint thinner. Mine works just as well and in the long run is cheaper if I'm doing a big job on a piece of furniture. But if you're just doing one small job like yours, a made up bottle of Minwax is cheaper. I mention Minwax because it's usually the easiest brand to find and usually the best price.
Last edited by 62bass : 10-01-2006 at 04:25 AM.
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Tung oil to Poly? 
