Glossy Rosewood?

[bachandroll]

Hello, friends! I've been lurking for quite awhile, reading all your terrific posts while getting ready for a few projects of mine (more on them soon). My initial question is, what are the pluses and minuses of finishing a rosewood or ebony fretboard with a high gloss poly? I have seen some BEAUTIFUL speaker cabs done this way.

For this particular neck, I will probably go with Tru-oil on the back of the neck while going with a glossy poly for the headstock front. I would like the fretboard to be a little shinier than usual, hence the poly thought. Unlike most, I actually LIKE the glossy maple fretboards, but with the smooth feel of Tru-oil or tung oil for the back.

Thanks in advance, and I'm hoping to be a very active member! I appreciate your patience as I learn. I do have several books I'm reading, including the Erlewine, and will try not to submit questions that have been asked and answered 100+ times.

Cory

[Prostheta]

I think as far as necks go, it's a balance between how you want it to feel in use vs. the protection it provides vs. the cosmetics. I've only finished with oil or wax, and it's easy to gum a neck up with oil so it's worth some practice to find what feels and works for you I guess. See what people with more experience than me have to say on this one!

[fryovanni]

Hello, friends! I've been lurking for quite awhile, reading all your terrific posts while getting ready for a few projects of mine (more on them soon). My initial question is, what are the pluses and minuses of finishing a rosewood or ebony fretboard with a high gloss poly? I have seen some BEAUTIFUL speaker cabs done this way.

For this particular neck, I will probably go with Tru-oil on the back of the neck while going with a glossy poly for the headstock front. I would like the fretboard to be a little shinier than usual, hence the poly thought. Unlike most, I actually LIKE the glossy maple fretboards, but with the smooth feel of Tru-oil or tung oil for the back.

Thanks in advance, and I'm hoping to be a very active member! I appreciate your patience as I learn. I do have several books I'm reading, including the Erlewine, and will try not to submit questions that have been asked and answered 100+ times.

Cory

Hey Cory,

Some woods are capable of holding a "high shine" or can be polished very well. This is the case with ebonies and most rosewoods. Try polishing a piece of rosewood. Go through all your grits, and you will start seeing a shine around 600. At 1200 and up you will be able to see your reflection clearly. Higher you go the better it will look. Try it, you will see what I mean.

Peace,Rich

[verhoevenc]

Check out a Ric bass, they have poly'ed rosewood boards. See if you like it.

Chris

[Mattia]

Look at a maple board that's been played a while.

Nasty, right? Right.

Don't do it. Also, IMO it ruins the feel, smell, and glow of a good rosewood board.

[low end fuzz]

fingerboards imo should not be filmed at all, exept for maple, to keep it clean, but theres not even enough to buff out;

contridictrly(sp) if half a piece of wood has laquer the other half should too, this will keep the moisture from leaving one area faster than the other; thaats why i always oil the whole neck so i can keep my fb with a soft finish

[jnewman]

Look at a maple board that's been played a while.

Nasty, right? Right.

Don't do it. Also, IMO it ruins the feel, smell, and glow of a good rosewood board.

First, I'm not disagreeing with you about the fact that rosewood boards should be left bare. That said, I don't think maple boards get nasty because of the varnish/lacquer on the board. It's my understanding that it's after you've worn the finish off of the board, and your hand oils and dirt gather in the pores of the maple. So I don't think that's the best argument for not finishing rosewood. Just the fact that rosewood feels so good is plenty of reason not to finish it .