mighty mite neck finish

do the mighty mite necks come with a finish on them?

They claim that they have a "Satin Finish", which as I understand is a very thin coat of polyurethane. At least it used to be based on everything I have read. Some have said this finish wears away after a bit of heavy playing, but others have said they like the finish because it feels thin and smooth.

I am doing a build right now using a Mighty Mite neck, and have not quite decided what I am going to do. I may remove the factory finish, but at this point am inclined not to, but rather apply either a wipe on Tru-oil or spray lacquer finish on top. May or may not apply a couple coats of shellac in between, I am still researching the best combination. My preference would be to remove the poly completely first, but it sounds like a real pain in the rear and I do not want to end up with a splotchy finish because of a few missed spots of poly underneath.

Anyone else care to shares tales of success or woe with finishing (or not finishing) a Mighty Mite neck?

Thanks.I just got the neck and it's a perfect fit in the neck pocket,just enough tension that it can be pressed in place.Havn't screwed it on yet but i set the old neck back in to check the pocket play and i couldn't believe the wiggle room it had.Squire Vintage modified.The MM neck is from CEGHardtails for 115.00 and they say that they do a fret level and fret end going over and dressing.Really nice job.Here is there staement.

"CEG Hardtails Provides Custom Finished Lisc. Fender Guitar Necks Stratocaster and Telecaster Guitars. The focus is speed conditioning the frets on every neck we sell. Our service includes but is not limited to: Leveling, Crowning, Dressing & Micro Polishing the frets. Our fret finishing - polishing system is all done by hand, the abrasives and polishing media we use in our process(s) are of the highest quality.

* Our fretwork is: Ultra Smooth, Clear, & Even. The result / we eliminate Hitching & Fret Out so you can play with lightning fast speed and bend the strings with increased range."

Yea,it's worth having that done.
The MM necks are nice but need a setup !
Good luck.

JJ

Anyone else care to shares tales of success or woe with finishing (or not finishing) a Mighty Mite neck?

This is an Example of one I did with Tru-Oil over the existing Satin Finish on a Mighty-Mite....Wipe down w/ Naptha first...Thin coats of Tru-Oil w/ fingers...0000 Steel Wool about every 3 coats...Polish out w/ Meguairs #9.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/mellecaster/TDPRI%20Posting/DSCF5615JPG.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/mellecaster/TDPRI%20Posting/DSCF5618JPG.jpg

Mellecaster - is that decal under the Tru-oil or on top? (Looks fantastic, BTW)

Mellecaster - is that decal under the Tru-oil or on top? (Looks fantastic, BTW)

Thank you for the kind comments...it's under about 2 coats, just for protection...but not buried like on the MIJ and MIM necks.

I've had very good success with Mitey Mite necks and believe that they are a good value for the dollar spent. The nut that comes with the neck is fairly low grade plastic and should be replaced. I've had no issues with frets either.Other than that MM necks hold up well and generally have no other issues(in my experience).As far as the finish, the light coat of urethane from the factory can be scuffed with a maroon 3M scotchbrite pad then a coat of Varathane 218 traditional pecan stain will give it a nice amber glow...follow up with a coat or two of Tru-Oil or Tung oil for a protective seal, polish the frets and you're all set.
:cool:

I'm Mighty satisfied with my Mighty Mite necks :mrgreen: I get them from a guy who does the frets on them as well. Very good necks! I've never finished one with Tru-Oil, but I have done the Kiwi brown show polish deal and that gives them a nicer tint than the stock pale color. So far they've held up well in ~2 years I've had them.

Well, after doing some more reading and thinking, I decided to remove the finish from my Mighty Mite neck by sanding. I have started, but am having trouble telling if the finish is all off yet. I do not see much of a color change, and it does not seem obvious by applying some naptha from a rag (it doesn't really sit on the surface but seems to absorb a bit and then evaporate). Any tips for knowing when the finish is all removed? Will it really be a problem if I miss a bit, as long as I am putting a top coat of lacquer over everything anyway?

I have no idea why you decided on the Extra work to remove the finish ?...but since you asked, if you're not seeing wood dust...you are not thru the finish yet.

hey mellecaster, that neck looks fantastic. I have a MM neck that I buffed the back of the finish with some rubbing compound. It did a pretty good job at bringing out some shine, But I would like to try a tru-oil finish like yours. would you suggest I use some 0000 steel wool on the finish to matte it back down before I apply the tru-oil to it? or should it not matter?

Part of the reason I wanted to remove the finish is that I wanted to round over the edges of the headstock, which are pretty square. Once I did that, I wanted to even out the finish, so that there were not obvious areas near the edges that absorbed the finish differently. I am getting dust when I sand, but I can't really tell if it is finish dust, or wood dust, as both would be about the same color.

hey mellecaster, that neck looks fantastic. I have a MM neck that I buffed the back of the finish with some rubbing compound. It did a pretty good job at bringing out some shine, But I would like to try a tru-oil finish like yours. would you suggest I use some 0000 steel wool on the finish to matte it back down before I apply the tru-oil to it? or should it not matter?

You could do that, or if it's nice & smooth already...a good wipe down w/ Naptha or Paint thinner should be fine...The main thing w/ Tru-oil is to use Thin coats applied w/ your fingers (every 4 or 5 Hrs.) knock down w/ your 0000 Wool after every 3 coats (let dry for a day)....after all coats are done to your satisfaction, try to let cure for about a week, and then rub out with a Quality Automotive Cleaner/Polish...ie Meguiars #9 or something similar.

Mellecaster, that Tru-Oil finish looks great! It appears to have a slight ambering effect, also, correct? That's what I'm shooting for on my MM necks...something slightly amber but not overly orange, and easy to apply. Will Tru-Oil fill the bill on both parameters?