Durable Finish(s) For Maple Fretboard And Neck

[ElRay]

I'm planning a travel guitar and I'm looking for a relatively easy (as in technique) durable finish for the neck (and what little body there is) and fretboard. I'm not adverse to something labor intensive (as in do something today, come back tomorrow, do it again, etc.), I'm looking for a DIY finish that won't be rough, get gummy/sticky with heat (the guitar likely will be going to the Middle East), pick-up dirt, etc. Unfortunately, I'm at that information saturation, insufficient hands-on experience stage.

When it comes to finishing wood, my experience is with paint and "heirloom furniture" (good appearance, reasonable protection, semi-easily repaired) finishes, neither of which I think would be suitable for a guitar. The times I've encountered poly-urathanes, they've all been essentially plastic encased wood that will pick-up imprints from fabric of you're not careful, feel sticky, etc. Can poly-urethanes be put on thinly so they don't make the wood feel like it's been shrink-wrapped?

For the body/neck, as long as it's reasonably smooth without being slippery and provides decent protection from dings, scratches, etc., I'll be happy. I don't really care about color, film vs. penetrating, wood vs. automotive, etc., just protection and durability without negatively affecting playability. Tru-Oil sounds like it would fit the bill, but how would that compare to lacquer over epoxy? Or an automotive (not necessarily) clear coat? I've used the Duplicolor Mirage on a mountain bike, and it's held-up well enough, but I don't know how suitable it would be over wood. Duplicolor's Metalcast has an odd kind of coolness to it, but I can't see it being particularly scratch resistant or good over expanding/contracting wood.

For the fretboard, I'd prefer the "bare wood" feel, but if I'm going with a film, then something like the Thor Epoxy finish would be good. I've already experimented with multiple coats of epoxy and sanding down to 600 grit, and I like the feel, but how's the protection? If I did want to do something like the Thor Guitar Labs epoxy finish, what kinds would give sufficiently high build without being too soft?

If I were to go with a lacquer, how do Deft Nitro (aerosol), Behlen Instrument Lacquer (aerosol) or KTM-9 (brushed/wiped) compare? What about UncleJ's LTV (linseed oil, turpentine and varnish) finish?

Ray

[Ripthorn]

Try Behlen's Rockhard. Supposed to be indesctructible and is used for table tops a lot.

[Geo]

I would not recommend Tru-oil for this. My Tru-oiled guitars feel a little gummy when the heat and humidity peak in the summer.

[ElRay]

Try Behlen's Rockhard. Supposed to be indesctructible and is used for table tops a lot.

Wow, this has some good reveiws:

• Sawmill Creek Reveiw #1
  
• Sawmill Creek Review - Over Epoxy
  
• rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
  

There were also some reports of it being "chippy", but as best as I can tell, that was due to the varnish not adhering well to the sealer and/or previous layers. I've also seen as many coments that BRHV is less "chippy" than Nitro. I'd chalk "chippy" problems up to user error, and not really problems with the product.

Ray

Edited April 13, 2010 by ElRay

[John Abbett]

I was going to recommend Behlen's Rockhard also. I've used it on a coffee table, and it brushes on levels nicely, and once it's dry it's tough and looks good.

-john

[ElRay]

Try Behlen's Rockhard.

I was going to recommend Behlen's Rockhard also.

Any ideas how BRHV would work on the fretboard? Maybe a thinned coat or two, but not as many as the rest of the guitar?

Ray

Edited April 13, 2010 by ElRay

[Ripthorn]

All depends on what kind of wood the fretboard is. If you have a rosewood or ebony or similar fretboard, then you probably either don't need a finish or could just use a fretboard oil. I personally don't like maple fretboards because they are typically lacquered and have a strange feel to them. If you like it though, you can go for it.

[ElRay]

All depends on what kind of wood the fretboard is.

It's a travel guitar and it will be along the lines of an AMS MiniStar, Castar, Rockstar, etc. I'm 99.9999% sure it will be maple.

I personally don't like maple fretboards because they are typically lacquered and have a strange feel to them.

Ditto. I'm not super enamored with them either, that's why I'm looking for alternatives.

Ray

[ihocky2]

Unless you are dead set on a maple fretboard, I would go with something that does not need a finish, like rosewood or ebony or bloodwood. Then you can concentrate on a durable finish for the body and back of the neck.

[ElRay]

Unless you are dead set on a maple fretboard ...

Right now, I'm looking at no fretboard. Something like this:

I may change the design and add a fret board (like they've done with the Lestar), but right now, I'm trying to avoid that.

I've also read that the only reason a maple fretboard is finished is to prevent dirt and grime from being a problem. I've experimented with "sealing" a maple board with epoxy and sanding it down to 600 grit. I'm OK with the feel of that, but will that provide enough "protection"?

Sorry if this is getting annoying, but I'm trying to understand why things are done the way they are and not making choices just because "that's the way it's always been done". I am getting to the point that dealing with a maple-non-board may be more work than changing the design and adding a board. Part of the issue is that this is "just" a travel guitar, I'm planning on splurging a bit on the pick-ups, I'll need something POD/RP-ish and adding a "typical" fretboard would be an additional purchase I wouldn't otherwise have to make (right now, I have all the wood I'd need).

Ray

Edited April 15, 2010 by ElRay

[ElRay]

Was pointed to this post from OLF:

...I did just finish a month long experiement testing various finishes on maple fretboards. The best results occurred with wipe on finishes.....Tru-oil and Minwax gloss urethane both achieved a very nice, smooth sealed surface. Both are harder than shellac. The Minwax gloss is very easy to apply and can be flattened with 0000 steel wool or highly polished with compound.

Minwax wipe-on has my vote so far with maple. It's easy and durable. I haven't tried it on darker woods but this is my clear choice for lighter woods.

Ray