No neck finish?

[Tom F]

Is it worth removing the finish on the back of the neck for a non-sticky feel? Is it done often? Will it diminish the resale value of a better mandolin ?

Questions, always questions...

Thanks ahead of time.

[MikeEdgerton]

Sometimes, yes, sometimes.

[rohan]

My TC has the same issue. Anyone ever use talc?

[Celtic-Grass]

I'm thinking about it myself...

[Chris Biorkman]

It would almost certainly reduce the resale value of the instrument.

[Tom F]

What about if the instrument was ordered without neck finish from the builder? I.e would potential buyers shy away from a used instrument that was 'built' without neck finish (instead of scraped off later)?

On talc, would that end up gumming up the strings?

[Big Joe]

You can use Jubilee Polish with 0000 steel wool and it will help remove excess stickiness. Just be careful not to get it on other parts of the mandolin. I have removed the varnish from the neck of my mandolins and then restained the area so it looks like the rest of the mandolin. The natural oils from your hand will provide somewhat of a finish for the wood. It certainly plays easier!!!

[theBlood]

I just happened to have taken sandpaper to the back of the neck on my Kentucky 280 yesterday. I have a couple of other mandolins I use for gigs, but got this one back from being on loan and I decided to work on it a bit for use as a practice instrument.

After getting the setup to my liking, I hit on the idea of removing the finish on the neck, since the mando had little resale value anyway. I've liked the feel on others I tried. I probably should've taken more time and used finer grits or just 000 steel wool, as I didn't get it particularly smooth. But I really liked the resultant feel though. There's something different about actually touching wood and feeling the grain. And it also seems to provide more of a texture to grip onto so chording seems easier.

I liked the result so much that I'm thinking about doing that on a number of other instruments... where resale is not a consideration.

John

[swampy]

I have a cheapo MK A-oval. Great instrument for practicing set ups, repairs and the like since any damages could only contribute to its tone. I sanded the neck on mine, and while I didn't do the best job asthetically speaking, I sure do love the feel. Sanding was nice, but finishing it off with steel wool at the end really did the trick.

[JeffD]

I just happened to have taken sandpaper to the back of the neck on my Kentucky 280 yesterday.

Yikes!

Is this the recommended way to do it?

[tree]

Not necessarily - I used my pocket knife to scrape off most of mine. #Then sanpaper in ascending grits up to 2000, then pure tung oil. #I was surprised at how thick the lacquer was, to be honest. But I love the results. #Did it a year ago, absolutely no regrets. #It's not for sale, but I have no qualms about the resale value - pretty much unaffected.

[Peter Hackman]

What about if the instrument was ordered without neck finish from the builder? #I.e would potential buyers shy away from a used instrument that was 'built' without neck finish (instead of scraped off later)? #

On talc, would that end up gumming up the strings?

My Goodall guitar came with a satin finished neck, presumably to make it less
sticky under humid conditions. After
a few months of playing it acquired a high gloss, except
at the heel.


This is really no issue to me, as the area of contact,
and pressure, between my left hand and the neck are small,
on both guitar and mandolin.

[Mark Walker]

I've seen it done but most pickers around me don't remove the finish. I've left the finish intact on both of my mandolins.

Cafe' member Angelfire - the mandolin player with the Gospel Bluegrass group I'm playing guitar with (For Heaven's Sake) wears a silk 'billiards' glove with all the fingers cut off in hot weather when we perform in hot, humid environments.

[pager]

I passed on a great deal to buy a used Collings that had the finish on the back of the neck removed. I HATE that. I won't ever buy a used mandolin with that 'alteration'.

Can't say I'd never buy a mando that has had the finish scraped off but I probably won't because I won't pay nearly as much for a severely damaged instrument as I will for one in good condition. How could I ever be certain that bare wood wasn't covered with silicon?

[siren_20]

I did this to my mandolin about a year ago and I really prefer the feel. I was starting to wear through in a couple spots and it was a little annoying so I just went for it. I started with long, even scrapes with a single-sided razor blade (very carefully!) and finished up with four-ought steel wool. After getting everything real clean, I used boiled linseed oil. I much prefer the feel, and over the last year the color has darkened up and sort of matches the sunburst on the rest of the instrument.

[fatt-dad]

then pure tung oil.

I think BOILED lindseed oil is the better choice.

So I've been told. . . .

f-d

[Grandude]

I can see from some of the posts here that it could limit your pool of buyers if/when you resell. However, my Daley is coming without finish on the back of the neck, and costs more for this option (the "Speedneck"). On the Daley site you can see that Adam Steffey's was made that way too.

While resale may be affected, I think that if done right, someone's impression that the instrument is devalued is more of an in-the-eye-of-the-beholder thing.

[ronlane3]

You can use Jubilee Polish with 0000 steel wool and it will help remove excess stickiness......#The natural oils from your hand will provide somewhat of a finish for the wood. #It certainly plays easier!!!

Yeah, what Joe said. Except that I didn't use Jubilee Polish, just 0000 steel wool.

My opinion is it won't hurt the value, if it is a players mandolin, if it is a collector, then it will hurt their view and price. Last time I checked, the mandolin was for playin, not for investing.

[Domhnall]

For what it is worth, violin builders leave necks unfinished all the time. It does feel nicer, I think. I might do this on the mandolin I'm repairing for myself.

[NoNickel]

If the mando is for playing, then you should do what you want. If I like the feel of the unfinished neck (which I do) then I don't worry about a later buyer's concerns. I worry about how the instrument plays for me. Someone who is worried about an alteration that will improve the playbility of the instrument but reduce the value, has their priorities wrong. It's all about making music and feeling good, not about how much money you are going to get back on it. Both of my instruments have their necks stripped and both play just like I want them to.

[Mark Walker]

One thing you can't deny is it's 'in the back' and typically won't be seen while playing, so if it floats your boat (or lets you slide your fingers more easily) go for it!

[MikeEdgerton]

How could I ever be certain that bare wood wasn't covered with silicon?

Well, how could you be sure that if there was a finish there it wasn't covered with silicon? How could you be sure the unfinished fretboard wasn't covered in silicone? I guess the answer would be that you can't. Beyond that, people shouldn't buy a mandolin with a stripped neck if they don't want one. That seems like the easy answer unless I'm missing something. The fact that a few people wouldn't buy a mandolin that had been altered that way isn't the end of the world for any seller. I'm going to hazard a guess that someone that was going to the trouble of removing the finish from the back of a mandolin neck isn't thinking about selling it anyway.

[MNDOLNR]

This is an interesting topic, since it really comes down to what your intentions are with your instrument. #If you really just want to play it lots, and get the most out of playing it lots, and you feel that a naked neck will help you out, then you shouldn't even worry about it...BUT if you're concerned with the cosmetic condition (because you're obviously thinking about selling), then it's a different situation entirely. #

This reminds me of the topic we had a couple of months ago about finding "the one". #Great conversation and seems to relate to this one in that when you find "the one" you instantly stop worrying about value (because it's priceless yeah?). #It's your baby and you'll have it forever, and concerns like this aren't even relevant.

[Ron Landis]

Well put Mike. We either play them or put them in a museum case. As much as we like to keep our instruments in good condition, we also want to use them. My neck finish is almost all the way worn off anyway just from playing it, so this thread has convinced me to just sand off the rest. Playing outside in humid weather can make for a really sticky neck. That arta giterdone.