If Body is Nitro, Does Neck Have to be Nitro, Too?

[TheNewSteveH]

I am trying to order a neck, but I'm confused about finishes.

My guitar will be walnut with a clear gloss finish. I wanted to use nitro because it's traditional and can be repaired, unlike poly. I figured this was the best choice. I am willing to finish the body myself. I don't really want to finish the neck.

The neck will be maple. I think I would prefer a gloss finish, but I'm kind of ambivalent. When I looked into pre-finished nitro necks, I found that the nitro costs a ton, so before I spring for it, I want to know: is this a good choice? I see stuff about shellac and so on, and I have no idea what's best.

[TheNewSteveH]

I should add that I want the finish to stay as clear and colorless as possible.

[Vizcaster]

What's your question?

And if you don't want to tackle the neck then what makes you think the body wouldn't give you the same challenge? If you're prepared to learn about wood finishing there's nothing stopping you from doing both; but I have to say the way you phrased your post it sounds like you need a place to start. Do a little more reading here, and try the info pages at Reranch.com.

[TheNewSteveH]

I have to do the body myself because I made the body. I can order the neck with a finish on it.

Thanks for the link.

[flyingbanana]

You can have whatever finish you want...

[Colt W. Knight]

If Body is Nitro, Does Neck Have to be Nitro, Too? nope

: is this a good choice? Nitrocellulose is my favorite choice for finishing guitars

If you want a clear and colorless finish, waterbased is the way to go, but I think its harder to mess with than solvent based lacquer. But I bet Vizcaster will disagree with me.

[TheNewSteveH]

I've been reading up on it. I thought I would have to have a bunch of high-tech junk to do nitro, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I have a compressor, but that's about it.

Anyway, I've continued to read, and it seems like people claim they get truly professional results using aerosol lacquer from Lowe's. If that's the case, I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

I decided to order an unfinished neck instead of wimping out, so I think I deserve some extra manliness points.

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by TheNewSteveH

I've been reading up on it. I thought I would have to have a bunch of high-tech junk to do nitro, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I have a compressor, but that's about it.

Anyway, I've continued to read, and it seems like people claim they get truly professional results using aerosol lacquer from Lowe's. If that's the case, I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

I decided to order an unfinished neck instead of wimping out, so I think I deserve some extra manliness points.

I use to be a big proponent for DEFT Lacquer, but the more I used it, and other lacquers. I really don't like DEFT any longer. It is softer, takes longer to dry, and is easily subjected to shape impregnation. I use Sherwin Williams products now.

[TheNewSteveH]

It does not surprise me at all that someone managed to correct the results of my painstaking Internet research in under 5 minutes.

[lttoler]

Check out some of Low End Theory's posts. He posts on here and on reranch and has done some really great work with cans...

[prawnik]

Short answer: no, and (as I understand it) in some cases, a nitro neck with a poly body can even be "vintage correct."

When CBS Fender started to offer poly finishes around 1968, sometimes Fender would run out of poly paint in the required color and use "left-over" nitro. In other cases, Fender would shoot the color coat in poly and the clear coat in nitro. A poly-finished neck with a nitro-finished body was also possible. I don't think I have ever seen a poly clear cost over a nitro color coat. The only constant was that the finish over the headstock decal was always nitro, as apparently the decal material reacted badly to the poly paints of the day.

Also, CBS never translated some of the less-popular custom colors (although the paints themselves were available in poly.)

As I understand it, this situation continued until as late as 1971 or later, especially in sunbursts. (Also, I have never seen a sunburst with combination nitro-poly color costs.)

Some Fender gurus, including people who worked at Fender CBS in those days will disagree with me. I wasn't born then and I wasn't allowed to work in any factories, but this is what I have read and observed myself.

[Barfly]

Get the neck with shellac or raw and finish it yourself .Since you are going with all clear get yourself about 3-4 cans of Watco clear gloss lacquer(available at woodcraft) and some sanding sealer(spray or brush on) for the body.If you would rather pay $15 per can +shipping vrs about $7 by all means get the booteek spray bombs.I have had good results with Watco and have read Minwax lacquer(available at homecenters) is good stuff as well. Behlin's lacquer is supposed to not check or yellow like the others.The clarity and depth you can get from your everyday homecenter nitro lacquers is awesome if you apply it properly

[Vizcaster]

Originally Posted by Colt W. Knight

If you want a clear and colorless finish, waterbased is the way to go, but I think its harder to mess with than solvent based lacquer. But I bet Vizcaster will disagree with me.

Actually I agree, there are a few things to get used to with water based finishes, but they're worth the learning curve. Some of them have a warm straw color to them like solvent based finishes, but others are water-clear which is perfect for topcoating a solid color finish if you don't want a color-shift.