Nitro on a rosewood neck?

[Jrichard]

I recall reading a few posts here about finishing a rosewood neck with nitro, but I can't find them now, so I'll ask outright: I'm toying with finishing a rosewood neck, should I use grainfiller (dumb question), and what about the oils in the wood itself? I bought it because it wouldn't need finishing, but lookng at those old Fender all-rosewood Tele's has me wanting that same shimmer on my headstock.

Wha chall tink?

[Jrichard]

What should I keep in mind as I refinish my rosewood neck?

[boris bubbanov]

J, you will not need grain filler on a rosewood neck. If there was ever a wood that didn't need it, its rosewood. It's a closed grain and won't 'accept' much of anything. I have a nest of tables of rosewood that survived weeks of water in Katrina and I'm amazed how good it looks, when everything else blew up.
I wouldn't nitro it either. If you insist on a little shimmer, take a look at tru-oil.
You also have the choice of polymerized or non-polymerized tung oil. You might try and leave the finish off the fingerboard itself. The stuff will not harden without the polymers, but it'll be shimmery either way.
Good luck and know we're all jealous. Love to try a solid rosewood neck.

Bubbanov

[Jack Wells]

Not to be arguementative but according to StewMac's finishing diagram, rosewood does need a grain filler. In addition to the Rosewood Telecasters, all Rickenbacker guitars have a hard finish on their rosewood fingerboards. I just read their web page on their finishing process. It doesn't actually state what they use although it implies that they don't use nitrocellulose or polyester. What does that leave ........ maybe polyurethane.

[Jrichard]

Thanks for the responses, Boris and Jwells. This helps narrow the options. I do know that rosewood isn't very accepting of anything that needs to be absorbed, raising some questions about the tung oil; however, I've got some polymerized tung oil to harden on a practice piece with a shellac finish--not rosewood tho.

Jwells, I noticed that schedule in my StewMac finishing book, too, which, along with some old post here, prompted the question. The grain seems open in places, but pretty snug in others. I don't have the experience with finishing to know what to expect.

Thanks, again. I'll keep poking around in past threads and se what I can find; I know some folks have tried this and offered some cautions.

[boris bubbanov]

It occurs to me that my nest of tables and the material these necks are made of are a similar but not identical wood. I've heard second term used to describe this wood I have. I've wracked my brain and it won't come. Yes it will. It's Palisander.

So, anyway, I stand corrected. Sorry.


Bubbanov

Boy, would it make a bullet proof neck. Sure wouldn't need a truss rod.
Or a finish of any kind.

[striderpunk]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

\Boy, would it make a bullet proof neck. Sure wouldn't need a truss rod.
Or a finish of any kind.

a molded hunk of steel with integrated frets