Lacquer or tung/tru oil

[blackspaven]

I'm about to get a second hand RG2120x which the owner has told me the neck has been sanded down (which I believe is relatively popular judging by what i've read on this site).

I've phoned the local guitar tech bloke I use and he'd personally just re-lacquer the rear of the neck again cos that's what he knows, but doesn't really know anything about tung or tru oil.

Can anyone here tell me what the smart option is? I've got 3 other high end ibanez, a prestige ct7, a jpm-p1 and a usrg10, and a rg6csd2, so I don't actually know how any of them have been treated neck wise, but i've never had any probs with any of them.

At the end of the day, i'd have been happier if it hadn't been messed with and sanded, but I need to know what to do to get it normal again; will a re-laqcuer make it feel like factory again or now it's been sanded am I better off getting someone to oil it somehow with something or other, and if so, what should I be getting them to use so I can just permanently forget about it once I get it back? I just wanna play it and not have to worry in the future about reoiling it or any other maintenance headaches.

Hope all that made sense?

Cheers,
Matt

[ryanb]

Use Tru-oil.

Personally, I wouldn't put lacquer (nitrocellulose) on a guitar that has otherwise been coated in polyurethane. Tung oil provides basically no protection for the wood from dirt and moisture, and it has to be reapplied now and then.

[dipstick]

Tru oil works great and will put a protective coating on and help seal the wood.Just use a little on a paper towel rub it in let it dry and reapply let dry then hand rub it in and it will feel slick as glass.I have several USA Jacksons from the mid 80's that have this finish and they have held up great feel outstanding. Very fast feeling.

[Ayrton]

Tru Oil is what I use. Much better (IMO) and far easier to apply that lacquer.

[Gusfmm]

My personal experience is that if the neck is correctly and well sanded, in a professional (note I did not say BY a professional) manner, then that is the closest to the Ibanez's "silk" feel of the newer last few years (don't know since when) guitars.

I've sanded down the neck, then applied ONE (more would create a thicker awful sticky film) single coat of Tung-Oil, a little goes a long way, just enough to condition the wood, waited a few hours, buff it out, then do subsequent sanding with very fine abrasive-coated fabric to remove the waxy feel to it. The result, absolutely silk to play. I'd not suggest lackering or even leaving the Tung-oil as it is after you apply it on. At least I hate the feel to it.

Gus.

[Ki swordsman]

i agree with Gus, little to nothing in the way of clear feels best to me.

[steve]

I just finished doing the top 4 scallops, following by re-shaping, and finally, applying Tung oil to the neck of my RG1527RB. Been doing that for years, and when buffed as above (I use 00000 steel wool) it's like glass...
... and contributes something a bit 'magical' to the overall sound of the instrument, not sure how/why...
=]