Should I be treating my unfinished mahogany neck?

[Dog Boy]

Do you use anything on an unfinished mahogany neck?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Mahogany needs a finish, if you leave it raw it will likely warp/rot.

[Charlz]

Is it really unfinished? I ordered mine 'unfinished', but they did put something on it to protect it... Looks and feels unfinished, but it's there... I suspect this may be the case with yours... (I'm guessing...)

[Axewielder]

Is it really unfinished?

I don't think there really is such as thing as a truly unfinished guitar neck (despite the abuse of the term). The "unfinished" ones have some type of oil...um...finish on them.

[6string40]

yeah...the new Dominions have a "raw" mahogany neck (w/ graphite rods for stability)...but there's some sort of oil on there...it doesn't feel like unfinished wood

[zuppermuhle]

I'm pretty sure the neck must be finished somehow. Mahogany is much softer than maple and full of pores which makes it very good at soaking dirt and taking damage. If i'd build a guitar with a mahogany neck I'd use grain filler and lacquer it just to make sure.

[djpharoah]

Mahogany necks can be left raw. If the neck is a 3 piece quarter sawn then most likely it's stiff enough that it won't flex as much however that's all relative to humidity/seasonal changes. A lot of necks (mahogany, korina etc) can feel raw but are oiled with tru-oil or gun stock oil. This oil penetrates the wood pores and hardens in the wood unlike tung oil which hardens on the surface giving you a finish. My Jackson 7 has this on it's korina neck.

[Dog Boy]

So does anyone here do any maintenance to the unfinished mahogany as it comes from the Jackson factory?

[Charlz]

I haven't. I've had an Abyss like this for... must be 11 years now..., and a Jackson for... i dunno, 4 years (?). Never had to do anything neck-wise. (Other than truss rod...)

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Mahogany necks can be left raw. If the neck is a 3 piece quarter sawn then most likely it's stiff enough that it won't flex as much however that's all relative to humidity/seasonal changes.

They CAN be left raw, if you want to risk warping and twisting. ANY neck can be left raw if you want to assume that risk. No one who makes necks will guarantee a Mahogany neck without a hard finish, though. Tru Oil counts as a hard finish.

A lot of necks (mahogany, korina etc) can feel raw but are oiled with tru-oil or gun stock oil. This oil penetrates the wood pores and hardens in the wood unlike tung oil which hardens on the surface giving you a finish. My Jackson 7 has this on it's korina neck.

They did that because Jackson knows you can't leave Mahogany or Korina (or Maple) exposed to a sweaty hand for hours a day and expect the neck to work properly over time.

[RyTard]

Typically an unfinished neck means that it has been left unpainted. Most guitar manufacturers will use an oil, a wax, some heat and 1000 grit sand paper to seal the neck. Quite a messy and drawn out ordeal compared to a typical spray finish. The challenge is to get the wood grain to flatten out as much as possible.
Treat your unfinished neck as you would your fret board. Just a touch of light mineral oil will help the wear and tear.
*and as with all guitars, keep a soft cotton or microfiber cloth handy and wipe your neck and strings down after playing extensively. Sweat can be somewhat corrosive sometimes, depends on your ph levels.

[Axewielder]

It is true that Tru Oil cures to a type of poly finish, but I would stop short of calling it a "hard finish".

[sully]

I wouldn't. I think that it depends on how its applied. A few coats wiped off right away isn't the same as something clearcoated, sure, but you can get there. Ever see tru-oil shine like lacquer?









Now you have. Those are custom pedal steel guitars finished solely in Tru-oil. Crazy.

Sully

[sully]

Regarding the original post, yes, you should maintain it. You don't have to do it every string change or so; most likely a once every year or so (depending on how much you play).

sully

[Gibsonmac]

Paste wax is great for mahogany, tru oil/gun stock oil works too