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Does a fretless maple board NEED a finish?

ElectraPhoenix

ElectraPhoenix

Jan 10, 2010
407
4
Houston, TX
#1
Yeah... does a fretless maple fingerboard need to have a finish? I'm going to be using flatwound strings anyways. I'm undertaking a simple de-fretting project, and I'm re-radiusing the board so that will take off any of the current finish. My question, is does the board need to be finished if I'm using flats? Or can I just leave it raw? I have the radius block, so re-radiusing it to get rid of chewed-up spots every once and a while is no problem. So, my question... can I leave it raw, or should I apply a light finish like tru-oil or something? I'm really trying to avoid finishing with any kind of poly or acrylic or epoxy if at all possible.
 
#6
Stingrays have unfinished maple boards, and yeah, they do get grungy. I'd put a poly finish on it. Not only will it wear better, it'll look and sound better. And you can use rounds if you want. I use Nickel rounds on my poly finished fretless and after 10 years, there's hardly any wear.
 
#7
An easy finish is to use "Hot Stuff" or a similar cyanoacrylate glue. You can get this at a hobby store. You need to tape off the edges of the neck really well, and make sure the board is sanded really flat with the correct radius. If you want to stain the wood, do it after sanding.

Put the stain on and sand again with 600 grit just to take down the grain that the stain will have raised. Apply the glue (you want the water-thin "fast" type) and spread it evenly with an old card. When the glue has dried, sand flat again, and apply more layers until you are only sanding lightly and getting a nice flat shiny finish. Clean up the edges where the glue has run up against the tape with a cabinet scraper (careful!).

As always, make sure you wear a good ventilator and work outside if you can. When you buy the glue, pick up some CA glue solvent while you're at it -you'll thank me later! :)

Probably there is a pictorial on the site somewhere if you do a search, but meanwhile I hope that helped a bit.
 
#9
+1 on linseed oil - it's one of the few oil finishes that actually dries. Tung oil would be a good candidate too (try Ace Hardware).
You'll get better penetration if you warm the oil first but be VERY careful how you do that; double boiler is best.
The nice thing with an oil finish is you still get the feel of the wood...
 
#11
ElectraPhoenix said:
For linseed oil... do I want boiled or raw? I looked it up, and the boiled stuff is pretty expensive...
Click to expand...

I believe I used boiled and it was only a few bucks at walmart. Maybe mine was raw though, I can't really recall.

But if you use linseed oil, be warned, a little bit goes a long way. I never used it on a bass, but on my practice swords for iakido and I used a bit too much once and it would not absorb it all.
 
#12
Boiled linseed oil. No longer boiled, it contains chemical dryers that aid polymerization. A quick search of the internet shows that Lowe's has a quart for $7.28USD. Hardly a budget breaker, it is a lifetime supply for the average player. Maybe two lifetimes.

Raw linseed oil will not harden. If you can find it, don't use it.
 
#13
Tru-Oil is used on gunstocks and firearms; it's a refined version of linseed oil, and I believe it has hardeners added. It can be touched up if damaged. It leaves a hard finish rather than the open wood pores typical of linseed oil finishes. I think it would be a much more appropriate finish.

Any gun store and most sporting goods stores will carry it.
 
#14
Pilgrim said:
Tru-Oil is used on gunstocks and firearms; it's a refined version of linseed oil, and I believe it has hardeners added. It can be touched up if damaged. It leaves a hard finish rather than the open wood pores typical of linseed oil finishes. I think it would be a much more appropriate finish.

Any gun store and most sporting goods stores will carry it.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks for the tip. I'm looking to protect/cover the wood... I'll be using flats as to eat the board up slower, but hardening and protecting it from collecting gunk is the purpose. Thanks again.

One last question: is there a special way to apply it to fretboards, or should I just use the directions on the bottle?
 
#15
Mayers said:
I never saw a maple fretboard on any kind of bass without a finish on it. I think it is because maple attract dirt easily and is too soft.

I may be wrong on that.
Click to expand...

That sums it up. Maple is hard, but the grain isn't as dense as the woods you normally see in this application. I've always wanted a nice fretless with wildly figured maple fingerboard - but I always expected it would have quite a hard finish...
 
#16
Have you ever seen unfinished maple fretboards after heavy use? The oils in the wood and the oils in your sweat actually give off a green-ish appearance.

Neck.jpg


Gross. At least rosewood and ebony help to hide the dirt.
 

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