Maple Neck Care - Satin Gun Oil Finish

Sickbean · #1 08-08-2009, 08:16 AM

Hi All,

Can anyone help me out the best way of caring for my G&L ASAT neck?

As the thread states its a Satin Gun Oil finish. The guitar is over 5 years old now and is starting to show some signs of wear and gunking up on the neck.

I know for rosewood 0000 wire wool and bore oil is the way forward, and fender style clearcoat maple just needs normal polish, but what is best for this type of fingerboard?

I don't mind that it's starting to look old, I just want to keep it playing as silky smooth as always - to my hands its the best neck I've ever played.

Thanks for the help!

**Ayrton** · #2 08-08-2009, 10:36 AM

Gun oil is Tru Oil, and you can pick it up at any Wal-Mart (assuming you are in the US).

Use whatever means needed to clean the neck, and then apply a couple coats of oil. Use the 0000 steel wool to knock off the shine, and you are back to new.

Personally I like to finish up with a touch of gun stock wax after, but it is not necessary.

teokiatuan · #3 08-08-2009, 11:31 AM

this is a good guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24yWr...962A1&index=12

only for the back of the neck**

Sickbean · #4 08-09-2009, 05:21 AM

Thanks. I'm not in US unfortunately, so no doubt any oils I need will probably be illegal in the UK.

nsabino · #5 08-09-2009, 06:24 PM

Hi, does anyone know where us Euro lads can their hands on gun oil or tru oil in europe?

Regards,
Nelson

eviltwin · #6 08-09-2009, 07:10 PM

Tru Oil is a brand that you can also get in the EU. Typically through weapons/maintenance stores.

Tru Oil Gun Stock Oil is based on polymerised linseed oil. So you may want to look for other brands of similar stuff.

Sickbean · #7 08-10-2009, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eviltwin

Tru Oil is a brand that you can also get in the EU. Typically through weapons/maintenance stores.

Tru Oil Gun Stock Oil is based on polymerised linseed oil. So you may want to look for other brands of similar stuff.

Would Tru Oil be what I need for the fingerboard too?

I can get hold of it off teh bay.

eviltwin · #8 08-10-2009, 10:25 AM

I wouldn't use either.

Unless the back of the neck was actually damaged, I wouldn't use anything on it.

Nothing on the board either:
-Maple boards are laquered and don't need anything.
-Ebony is naturally hard and has a closed grain. I've never used anything on my ebony board.
-Rosewood contains natural oils, which are both antimicrobial and do not evaporate.

All commercially available oils (Lemon, Tung, Gun Stock IE Linseed) are diluted with solvents and mineral oils, so once you start applying these you can't stop, as they pull out the natural oils which protect the wood.

Tung oil and Linseed based oils will give you a closed polymerised varnish, which should not need any refinishing, unless they get damaged. They cannot dry out either.

As a rule I would ONLY use Tung Oil if the wood had originally been finished in that, unlikely since some people are allergic. I wouldn't use linseed based oils (such as Gun Stock) as they can go rancid, smelly and grow fungus.

Lastly, please note that most of this stuff is advertised under misnomers. Lemon oil is not actually oil from lemons, it's scented mineral oil. Rosewood oil is protected from harvesting and the real deal should technically not be available.

**Ayrton** · #9 08-10-2009, 12:29 PM

Dude, you have some things mixed up.

Tung Oil is different than both Tru Oil (gunstock) and mineral oil.

Most maple necks are finished in some sort of "hard" finish. That can be polyurethane, lacquer, or Tru Oil.

Tung Oil is a natural oil derived from trees, and is rarely used in a production guitar. Tung Oil will not seal the wood, and will require additional applications over time.

Tung Oil will not turn rancid or "foul".

Tru Oil is a brand name for gunstock oil, and is a polymerized finish that will harden and seal the wood. This type of finish is used by several manufactures to give the neck a "oil" feel without the maintenance required by Tung Oil.

I personally prefer a Tru Oil finish due to the ease of application, and little to no maintenance later.

If the OP's original finish was gunstock oil and wax, then that is what you should stick with.

nsabino · #10 08-10-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayrton

Dude, you have some things mixed up.

Tung Oil is different than both Tru Oil (gunstock) and mineral oil.

Most maple necks are finished in some sort of "hard" finish. That can be polyurethane, lacquer, or Tru Oil.

Tung Oil is a natural oil derived from trees, and is rarely used in a production guitar. Tung Oil will not seal the wood, and will require additional applications over time.

Tung Oil will not turn rancid or "foul".

Tru Oil is a brand name for gunstock oil, and is a polymerized finish that will harden and seal the wood. This type of finish is used by several manufactures to give the neck a "oil" feel without the maintenance required by Tung Oil.

I personally prefer a Tru Oil finish due to the ease of application, and little to no maintenance later.

If the OP's original finish was gunstock oil and wax, then that is what you should stick with.

Damn, I've been looking all over the web and can't seem to find this tru oil in Europe.... F**k....

Regards,
Nelson

eviltwin · #11 08-10-2009, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Dude, you have some things mixed up.

I'm not your dude, and you need to read what I wrote. I certainly have not mixed up anything.

I never directly equated Tung oil with Linseed oil, but if you think they are different, you are also delusional, they are very similar. Both are vegetable oils.
The main constituent (71%) of Linseed is Linoleic acid; Tung Oil contains about 80% of oil based upon Linoleic acid.

Pure tung oil (from the nut of the tung tree) contains several complex hydrocarbons, like linseed oil (from flax) and a large number of other natural sources (nuts etc.).
Chemically Tung oil is very close to Linseed oil, but just a fraction lower in molecular weight.

The biggest difference:
-people who are allergic to nuts may also be allergic to Tung oil (rarely to linseed)
-linseed oil is much more susceptible to rancifiation and fungus growth (rarely on tung).

I also clearly wrote that Tru Oil Gun stock oil is is a brand name for polymerised Linseed oil. Commercially available Tung oils are also polymerised. And both are applied with solvents and mineral oil, never pure, see the pattern?

If you apply them, both will harden and polymerise further, through oxidation, cross-linking and by chemically bonding to the metal additives in the oil mixture. The additives are also necessary to keep fungus growth in check. Note that many natural oils contain natural anti-microbial oils.

You also need to realise that for Tung Oil the same applies as it does for Lemon or Rosewood oil: when you buy something claiming to be lemon, rosewood oil or tung oil it is very likely not from lemons, lemonwood, rosewood or tung nuts. But rather a combination of hardened, hydrolysed and refined natural oils, which are much easier to harvest, such as linseed.

Quote:

I've been looking all over the web and can't seem to find this tru oil in Europe

It is available, but I wouldn't use it unless you know for sure that is was originally on there. Like a said, look for online weapons maintenance. Just type in polymerised linseed oil.

**Ayrton** · #12 08-10-2009, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eviltwin

As a rule I would ONLY use Tung Oil if the wood had originally been finished in that, unlikely since some people are allergic. I wouldn't use linseed based oils (such as Gun Stock) as they can go rancid, smelly and grow fungus.

First, you need to chill with the attitude.

Second, that is your post, and you implied that gunstock oil goes rancid. Tru Oil does not go rancid, nor does pure Tung Oil.

Now, "Tung Oil" can be god only knows what when it is mixed with other things, and that is precisely why I don't recommend for novices.

This place is in the UK, and sells Tru Oil.

http://www.swillingtonshootingsuppli...-Stock-Finish/

Sickbean · #13 08-11-2009, 04:33 AM

Maybe I should have gone with a rosewood board......

So much easier to look after - 0000 wire wool + bore oil = win.

I think I'll just let the neck grow old disgracefully, or take it to a tech so I can blame them if they balls it up.

nsabino · #14 08-11-2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayrton

First, you need to chill with the attitude.

Second, that is your post, and you implied that gunstock oil goes rancid. Tru Oil does not go rancid, nor does pure Tung Oil.

Now, "Tung Oil" can be god only knows what when it is mixed with other things, and that is precisely why I don't recommend for novices.

This place is in the UK, and sells Tru Oil.

http://www.swillingtonshootingsuppli...-Stock-Finish/

Thanks for the link, I just placed an order for this oil. I have a question for you Ayrton that I hope you can help me with. My guitar has a maple fretboard with shark inlays, its an original RG770DXLB and my questions are: How do I polish the inlays? Can I sand 'em along with the fretboard? Is it OK to put this oil over them? Is it easy to remove the oil if some ends up on the neck binding?

Thanks and sorry for bumping th thread,
Regards,
Nelson

**Ayrton** · #15 08-11-2009, 04:00 PM

Unless the original finish is gone, I would not mess with the fingerboard except to clean in. The inlays are synthetic, and you can polish them out like any other plastic.

Read the sticky about maple board cleaning, and hit me with questions.