Annoying Twit Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I'm curious about the J&Ds. But, if I was buying a cheap Jazz, I think I'd go for the Harley Benton bass that looks very similar to the J&Ds because it has Wilkinson pickups. But, it's not available in surf green or blue, so that makes it unsuitable for those who like the solid colour J&Ds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 [quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1389727466' post='2337308'] Most Stingrays have a non lacquered necks these day's. I thought about having mine done but I quite like the feel of it after it's been waxed. [/quote] Are you sure that they are non lacquered? I'd be very surprised if they weren't lacquered. It may be a matte lacquer is applied as opposed to a gloss lacquer but they will have some sort of protective coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 [quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389738769' post='2337493'] Are you sure that they are non lacquered? I'd be very surprised if they weren't lacquered. It may be a matte lacquer is applied as opposed to a gloss lacquer but they will have some sort of protective coating. [/quote] Absolutely positive, it gets oiled & waxed once a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 My L-2000 and T-40 both have lacquered necks. The latter is 35 years old and the neck is clean as a whistle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 [quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1389691170' post='2336872'] Sorry for not contributing to the thread but I just have to say what a magnificent looking precision! [/quote] Why thank you sir... came out a bit mustardy in those piccys... colour is actually Capri Orange... Crappy ipod pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 That's quite wonderfully abstract! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I love lacquered necks, so much so that when I got a new neck made for my P by Mr Shuker I requested a gloss finish. It plays, looks and sounds beautiful [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148734] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148733] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148732] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148731] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148730] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148729] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:148728] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Now thats a sweet looking bass sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matski Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 [quote name='iconic' timestamp='1389641333' post='2336492'] Now i've owned a fair number of maple necked bass but never with laquer finish....[/quote] Ha! In my experience it's the other way around: my maple necks have a gloss varnish to them. However..... I do have a 1991 Stingray 5 which has a birds eye maple neck - the front and fretboard have a satin varnish (not glossy but not exactly raw wood either) and the back of the neck is glossy until it reaches the back of the headstock which is also satin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsgbass Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Am. Std. Precision, Maple lacquered, but it doesn't show well in the photo. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Q6zU1LP.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Unlacquered maple board anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 F€$k me - that looks dirty And not in a good way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr zed Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 [quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1389812754' post='2338224'] Absolutely positive, it gets oiled & waxed once a year. [/quote] Can I ask what.oil and wax you use? I intend to add a good oiling and waxing to the maple neck on my EBMM 25th Anniversary on an annual basis - prompted by your post - but not sure what to use. Also do you just do the board or the whole neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenitram Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 What's the attraction of those big black squares rather than normal dots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixdegrees Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 My OLP Stingray 5 has an unlacquered maple board. It's dull and dirty. My 50s Precision has a lovely gloss lacquer. It's gorgeous! Is it me, or does the hardness of a coat of lacquer add a bit of 'zing' to the tone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1389812754' post='2338224'] Absolutely positive, it gets oiled & waxed once a year. [/quote] Just curious; what benefit can oiling a gloss lacquered board bring..? Waxing, I can understand (although of no use to me, the way I play... ), but oiling..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr zed Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1390267106' post='2343488'] Just curious; what benefit can oiling a gloss lacquered board bring..? Waxing, I can understand (although of no use to me, the way I play... ), but oiling..? [/quote] This is referring to a waxed maple board that is not lacquered as found on certain Musicman basses. I agree oiling & waxing a lacquered board would be pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='sixdegrees' timestamp='1390266847' post='2343487'] Is it me, or does the hardness of a coat of lacquer add a bit of 'zing' to the tone? [/quote] It's you. Possibly others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1390261861' post='2343448'] Can I ask what.oil and wax you use? I intend to add a good oiling and waxing to the maple neck on my EBMM 25th Anniversary on an annual basis - prompted by your post - but not sure what to use. Also do you just do the board or the whole neck? [/quote] It's Birchwood Casey tru oil & Birchwood Casey gunstock wax. Clean it all as best you can then oil the neck & board. Leave it to soak in then wax the neck not the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1390267106' post='2343488'] Just curious; what benefit can oiling a gloss lacquered board bring..? Waxing, I can understand (although of no use to me, the way I play... ), but oiling..? [/quote] Absolutely none, it wouldn't soak in. I'm referring to un-finished music man necks. I think most stingrays now have them, except the classic of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 The only two benefits of having a lacquered fingerboard is to make it easier to clean and bring out the figuring of the wood. If anything, it can work against you. As soon as you apply lacquer to wood it chokes the natural resonance. Quite a bit of your tone comes from the neck timber and frets. Getting the tone of the body and neck working together does make a difference. Most bolt on basses with lacquered or painted necks form a barrier between the neck and the heel pocket. Lacquer is plastic at the end of the day and does not have the same resonate value as wood. Place a layer of plastic between two pieces of wood and you will lose a quite a bit of that transfer. Thru neck basses that are lacquered work differently because the bass will resonate from the bridge end all of the way up to the headstock anyway, but even so, there is an effect. When I spoke to Mike Tobias when I ordered my 535 many moons ago he gave me an education about why he prefers not to use any lacquer on his instruments, for the reasons that I have already mentioned. He used to offer lacquered finishes on the Tobias basses, but made the change when he started producing MTD basses as he identified the benefits of just sealing the wood with satin [font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#262626"]epoxy base coat and a catalysed urethane topcoat…his own secret recipe. I wanted a lacquered maple neck because I have always struggled to keep them clean, but Mike talked me out of it. Glad he did. As long as you keep on top of the cleaning by wiping down the neck after you play and ensure that you service the bass regularly the neck will look great for years.[/color][/font] [color=#262626][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This is a really nerdy reply, I know, but I thought I would share some knowledge that I took from one of the best bass builders in the business. At the end of the day, if it sounds right then it is right. Lacquered necks do look nice at the end of the day.[/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr zed Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1390320913' post='2344018'] It's Birchwood Casey tru oil & Birchwood Casey gunstock wax. Clean it all as best you can then oil the neck & board. Leave it to soak in then wax the neck not the board. [/quote] Superb - thanks for this. I'll get some on order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1390323498' post='2344070'] The only two benefits of having a lacquered fingerboard is to make it easier to clean and bring out the figuring of the wood. If anything, it can work against you...[/quote] Not one to argue with a top-class luthier, but my cloth ears have never been able to detect the slightest difference between set-neck, through-body or bolt-on necks, with or without shims; still less lacquered or not (maybe because I'm a drummer..?). If difference there is, why should such a lacquer layer in the pocket be unwanted..? I'd have thought that it could just as well be beneficial as otherwise..? Why would it necessarily sound worse..? A set neck is glued. Is that not good for tone either..? Is the only 'true' tone from a one-piece neck..? There may well be a tone cost to lacquering; I'd go for a finish over raw wood, any time. Different folks, different strokes, I suppose... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 It's all opinion to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) An alternative to laquer on a fingerboard (I notice that some folk are talking about necks and confusing the issue) is acrylic impregnation of the wood. With acrylic impregnated wood you can use a whole host of woods and they remain very tough. It's pretty much invisible too. Alan at ACG uses it on just about all of his instruments. A step on from lacquering methinks. It definitely gives an acrylic like tone. I checked, the OP is talking about necks and not fingerboards Edited January 21, 2014 by GreeneKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.