What are the pros and cons on having the fretboard finished with some type of sealer?
Most rosewood boards are left unfinished while maple necks are generally always sealed. Ric seems to be one of the few that seal the rosewood fretboards.
From looking at old Fender maple necks that have worn though the finish I see that they get awfully dirty which would be be a good reason to seal it so I guess I my questions pertains more to rosewood necks.
Fret Board Finishing
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jingle_jangle
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Wow. Cool topic.
Rickenbacker's unique glossy fretboards are much more than merely "sealed"--they are coated at the factory with Rick's proprietary "conversion varnish, and these wonderfully furniture-quality fretboards have become a Rickenbacker trademark over the years.
I love 'em: they are a notable luxury in a world that usually charges you through the nose for much more pedestrian extras!
(In the interest of accuracy, the C58's fretboard is left unvarnished, I hasten to point out.)
I'd love to know myself if this is necessary from some sort of esoteric practical standpoint. If it's tradition, I hope it never goes away.
Maple necks on Fenders are given a very thin coat of nitro or acrylic lacquer clear (again, depending upon model and year), to seal and provide a certain (read: minimal) level of protection from warpage, dirty digits, and the ubiquitous Sticky Fingers. Any woodworker worth his salt will tell you that anything you do to one side of a piece of wood, you must do to the other to equalize long-term stress adjustments. There's actually a very good reason that guitar necks are finished in the first place: to keep them from responding too quickly to environmental changes.
Since Fender's neck finishes are so very microscopically thin (and soft), fingernails must be clipped, or one solo will eat through the lacquer film and begin the wear that I call "A-Minor Mojo".
Rickenbacker's newest finish (since July, when it was phased in, according to John Hall) is a good deal thinner that the old (again, according to John). It's tougher than the old at the same time, and because it's a catalyzing material, as opposed to Fender's air-dry lacquer, the film strength is impressive, meaning it will resist better the kind of abrasive forces that long fingernails cause. Still, to keep your Rick nice, clip those nails!
Most manufacturers do nothing to the fretboards made of Pao Ferro, Padauk, rosewood, and ebony. This is because these woods have quite a bit of natural oils present in the wood (this also makes them a bear to glue). If you were to spray a Rick fretboard with lacquer (as opposed to CV), the lacquer would peel very easily due to this oil. CV, however, adheres to it quite well.
When I would visit lumberyards in Brasil's Northeast, tropical hardwoods (the only kind used there, due to termites) were stored and "sticked" (the method of storing that separates individual boards with slats of the same wood laid crosswise to allow air circulation) ceiling-high in outdoor open bins with roofs.
Each piece of lumber had a nice growth of mold on its end and sometimes in spots on its flat faces, too. Since this was all rough-cut material and an identical grayish brown color, the mold on the flat face was a sure indicator of oil leakage, hence the presence of an otherwise-invisible knot.
You can get quite sick cutting these tropical hardwoods without a respirator; as they do harbor and encourage growth of bacteria, mold, and parasites.
Pros: Easy to keep clean. Nice to look at. Cons: if too, thin, can wear easily.
Rickenbacker's unique glossy fretboards are much more than merely "sealed"--they are coated at the factory with Rick's proprietary "conversion varnish, and these wonderfully furniture-quality fretboards have become a Rickenbacker trademark over the years.
I love 'em: they are a notable luxury in a world that usually charges you through the nose for much more pedestrian extras!
(In the interest of accuracy, the C58's fretboard is left unvarnished, I hasten to point out.)
I'd love to know myself if this is necessary from some sort of esoteric practical standpoint. If it's tradition, I hope it never goes away.
Maple necks on Fenders are given a very thin coat of nitro or acrylic lacquer clear (again, depending upon model and year), to seal and provide a certain (read: minimal) level of protection from warpage, dirty digits, and the ubiquitous Sticky Fingers. Any woodworker worth his salt will tell you that anything you do to one side of a piece of wood, you must do to the other to equalize long-term stress adjustments. There's actually a very good reason that guitar necks are finished in the first place: to keep them from responding too quickly to environmental changes.
Since Fender's neck finishes are so very microscopically thin (and soft), fingernails must be clipped, or one solo will eat through the lacquer film and begin the wear that I call "A-Minor Mojo".
Rickenbacker's newest finish (since July, when it was phased in, according to John Hall) is a good deal thinner that the old (again, according to John). It's tougher than the old at the same time, and because it's a catalyzing material, as opposed to Fender's air-dry lacquer, the film strength is impressive, meaning it will resist better the kind of abrasive forces that long fingernails cause. Still, to keep your Rick nice, clip those nails!
Most manufacturers do nothing to the fretboards made of Pao Ferro, Padauk, rosewood, and ebony. This is because these woods have quite a bit of natural oils present in the wood (this also makes them a bear to glue). If you were to spray a Rick fretboard with lacquer (as opposed to CV), the lacquer would peel very easily due to this oil. CV, however, adheres to it quite well.
When I would visit lumberyards in Brasil's Northeast, tropical hardwoods (the only kind used there, due to termites) were stored and "sticked" (the method of storing that separates individual boards with slats of the same wood laid crosswise to allow air circulation) ceiling-high in outdoor open bins with roofs.
Each piece of lumber had a nice growth of mold on its end and sometimes in spots on its flat faces, too. Since this was all rough-cut material and an identical grayish brown color, the mold on the flat face was a sure indicator of oil leakage, hence the presence of an otherwise-invisible knot.
You can get quite sick cutting these tropical hardwoods without a respirator; as they do harbor and encourage growth of bacteria, mold, and parasites.
Pros: Easy to keep clean. Nice to look at. Cons: if too, thin, can wear easily.
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
― Kurt Vonnegut
An unfinished fretboard does have a different feel and some my even say it affects sound.
Would seem safe to say that string bending would be easier on a board that had conversion varnish?
I have a '65 Danelectro that I foolishly spayed with some type of varnish over the fretboard when I was about 14 yrs old because I wanted it to be more like a Fender lol! Still have reminants of that varnish on the fretboard. Any recommendations on what can safely get it all off?
Would seem safe to say that string bending would be easier on a board that had conversion varnish?
I have a '65 Danelectro that I foolishly spayed with some type of varnish over the fretboard when I was about 14 yrs old because I wanted it to be more like a Fender lol! Still have reminants of that varnish on the fretboard. Any recommendations on what can safely get it all off?
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jingle_jangle
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To remove the varnish from Danny, get some 000 steel wool at the hardware store. Remove the strings, and squirt some naphtha (lighter fluid) on the fretboard. Scrub it with the steel wool, and wipe occasionally with a CSCC.
You could also use some Dr. Stringfellow in place of the lighter fliud--it has a much nicer smell.
If you're bending like Yngwie, you're not playing a Rick. Easier string bending should have only your fingertip (not the string!) touching the 'board. I've noticed only a small improvement, and that could be due to the citrus oil residue in Dr. Stringfellow, as much as anything
You could also use some Dr. Stringfellow in place of the lighter fliud--it has a much nicer smell.
If you're bending like Yngwie, you're not playing a Rick. Easier string bending should have only your fingertip (not the string!) touching the 'board. I've noticed only a small improvement, and that could be due to the citrus oil residue in Dr. Stringfellow, as much as anything
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
― Kurt Vonnegut
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soundmasterg
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jingle_jangle
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Bubinga is not as oily and the other woods mentioned. Nitro over wood does not have the water resistance of CV. I only use it on older Fender maple necks, for accuracy and the correct "look".
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
― Kurt Vonnegut