What to do with a speed neck?

[Dan Co1e]

I recently traded for a mandolin that the previous owner had recontoured the neck to a more comfortable V shape. Thus the neck was missing some finish on both the treble and bass sides.



I have since removed all the finish to give it a more standard speed neck configuration. What I am wondering is if I should seal the wood with something or should I leave it bare? Is staining a decent idea to make it less "in the white".

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..

[George R. Lane]

I use Tung Oil on both of my Webers. Put a light coat on. wait for 8 hours use. 0000 steelwool to lightly smooth it out and repeat 4 or 5 more times. The tung oil will dark the wood.

[Mandobart]

I don't think tung oil will hurt a bit, but I can tell you my fiddles all have naked necks. One of them is ~125 years old and lack of finish hasn't hurt it. I think the oils from the hands of players over the years are probably all it needs. The tung oil probably doesn't darken it as much as the coal dust from my Grandpa's hands did.

[RobP]

My weber came sealed with tung oil. The neck finish is great!

[Paul Busman]

I thought that (apart from looks) the whole purpose of a speed neck was to have the wood bare like on a violin. Not sure why that's any speedier, unless some people find that varnish or other finishing materials cause drag on the thumb as you fly up and down the neck. In my case, it's a moot point...

[Markus]

Paul, don't discount 'like how it feels'. I don't have one, but after playing a borrowed mandolin for a few weeks while mine was in the shop - neck feel matters.

A different finish (moreso shape) on the neck for me made playing the mandolin a very conscious thing.

If I was used to speed necks, had grown to prefer the feel, another finish would make the instrument more a focus for me than what is coming out of the instrument. A good tool is an extension of the hands, and is transparent enough to allow focus on what is being produced not the tool.

For some, a speed neck allows that. For me, it is a discount when they resell it.

[Bernie Daniel]

I use Tung Oil on both of my Webers. Put a light coat on. wait for 8 hours use. 0000 steelwool to lightly smooth it out and repeat 4 or 5 more times. The tung oil will dark the wood.

I also like tung oil for that application. I've done several "speed necks". Usually I remove the finish then restain the wood the original color and finally apply a few coats of tung oil just as George describes.

The oil "dries" overnight and but leaves a very thin layer of apparently very high molecular weight oils or perhaps a thin layer of polymer -- it feels greasy to touch. I wipe that off and its ready to go.

As to the issue of feel. A thin layer of tung oil not only protects the wood but it does not detract from the feel of bare wood so you get the best of both.

I repeat the treatment a couple of times a year.

Here is a "speed neck" that I did on a nice little '02 A-9 I used to own.