What Would I Use To Seal New Maple Neck...

[djhollowman]

Hi all,

Not far off finishing a new maple neck which also has a maple fingerboard, and I'm thinking about how to finish it. I'm assuming it will require to be sealed?? I like the idea of an oil finish, however my past experiences with Tru-Oil have shown me that it considerably darkens the wood. This is not at all desirable - I want to keep the colour as light as possible. Surely there must be alternatives to Tru-Oil which give as nice a finish, but do not have the darkening effect?

As for the fingerboard, normally I use Dunlop 65 lemon oil on my 'boards but I read on the bottle that it's not suitable for maple, any suggestions?

Appreciate your thoughts fellas!

Thanks,

DJ

[B. Aaron]

I don't think you'll find any oil finishes that don't darken the wood. Even Tung Oil, which most claim "doesn't darken and yellow as it ages," imparts an initial golden-yellow tint to maple. You might have to go with some sort of lacquer or urethane if you want to keep it really pale.

Fingerboard oil is intended for unfinished fingerboards to help clean them and afford some moisture protection. Maple fingerboards are usually finished the same as the back of the neck in order to keep them clean because they soil easily - hence why fingerboard oil is unnecessary.