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For you guys that oil your necks and lacquer your bodies, how do you treat the headstock? Do you lacquer it back and front? If so, how do you deal with the transition?

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

I lacquer the face of my pegheads and use Tru-Oil on the back of the neck & headstock. I seal the whole neck with shellac and then spray the face of the peghead. I then apply the tru-oil by wiping it on and being carful not to get it on the face of the headstock. Once everything is dry I rub out the back of the neck with steel wool and then sand and polish the face of the headstock. I've never had any issue with the transition at the edges. I think you need to stick with one type of finish for the back of the neck, neck shaft and peghead. Trying to transition from oil to lac on the same piece of wood is not going to look great.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Mostly the same as Josh. I use Waterlox on the neck. I usually do back straps on the head stock so I do a little more build up on the back and treat it like finishing lacquer. I think most oils will buff out to a pretty good shine.

Thanks. Sounds like a good way to do it. I've really gone off the feel of lacquered necks and want to try something different.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

That's a good reason to try something different Peter. Not sure what is available in the UK finish wise. One of my buddies guitars just came back for a tune up. It had my tried and true oil finish that I have used on loads of wood work. Equal parts Poly varnish, Boiled linseed oil and thinner with a shot of Japan drier. On Mahogany it turned out to be one of the nicest necks I've felt. More so after a year of hard playing. Waterlox is nice but I found it a little hard to find in my part of the world. The recipe I gave is a good one.

I was thinking of using danish oil. I don't know if thats a thing in America - it's like a drying finishing oil. I've used it a lot on other things and it feels really nice. Not sure how it copes with wear though.

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_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Try Liberon Finishing Oil, it's my finish of choice, and used by a number of very high end builders, including Kevin Aram. it's a bit tougher than Tru Oil easy to apply and to polish. I've finished a lot of guitars in it now and it's the finish I get asked for on my classicals that go to Spain.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I use Waterlox on the neck and back of the peghead and French Polish the face similar to Josh's procedure.