Neck finish

Placidcasual79

I am a novice - so whats the difference between the different neck finishes? 

Urethane?
Nitrocellulose?
Polyester?

I mainly play Tele's and like I say, I am not vastly experienced - I think I prefer what I think is a more natural, less substantive feel - for example I played a Baja and it felt like it had thick coats of glossy paint one the neck, where as the the cheap squire affinity just felt like wood and I preferred it......

Whats it all about?

57Deluxe

Nitrocellulose will get sticky under sweaty/hot conditions/length of playing and will induce significant physical drag to your fretting hand/playing.

You will feel no difference between polyester, acrylic or Polyurethane, although the polyurethane might be a thicker finish. Is no impediments with these.

Hold a PRS and use that as the guideline for any other subsequent guitar.

guitars4you

Placidcasual79 said:

I am a novice - so whats the difference between the different neck finishes? 

Urethane?
Nitrocellulose?
Polyester?

I mainly play Tele's and like I say, I am not vastly experienced - I think I prefer what I think is a more natural, less substantive feel - for example I played a Baja and it felt like it had thick coats of glossy paint one the neck, where as the the cheap squire affinity just felt like wood and I preferred it......

Whats it all about?

as a novice I'd be more concerned about how it feels and plays as against what the spec is - Not trying to sound patronizing saying that, but how it feels and plays o me takes priority over anything else

There is a difference between the finishes and the more of a novice then the more subtle the difference is - I'm not to fussed about a nitro or poly, but I do prefer satin over gloss regardless of the make up of the finish as I prefer that played in character

Corvus

The cheap Squier is probably catalysed polyurethane which is an industrial/furniture type of finish, used on budget guitar necks quite often for some reason. Probably cost or speed. Does feel quite nice, smooth.

The Baja is urethane aka catalysed urethane over the pond, usually called two-pack or 2k over here. Same clearcoat as used on cars. Doesn't need to be thickly laid on but often is.

Celly is usually thin but doesn't have to be. Can feel great or be sticky (hello Gibson), like any paint there's plenty more variables in it than just the basic type of paint. Same for 2k/urethane, it can feel plastic or more hard & glassy, depends who made it in the main.

Myself I don't care about thick or thin finish, just whether it's grabby/sticky or not. A couple of coats of a good carnauba wax sorted my Firebird out, which was stickier than an actual bleedin' stick when I got it. Also use talc/baby powder sometimes which helps a lot (generally like, not just the Firebird).

HAL9000

I had an Affinity Tele years ago and the neck was superb. I believe it was referred to as a satin finish. Almost certainly polyurethane, and a very thin finish. Every Baja I've played seems to have a thick coating of gloopyness on the neck.

I currently own an American Std Telecaster and a MIM Std Strat. The MIM feels more like wood than the American instrument despite being half the price.

Placidcasual79

@guitars4you - thats not patronising at all. I appreciate the input. Your totally right - feel is the only thing that counts. I am just confused because as @HAL9000 suggests the cheaper guitars I've played often 'feel' right to me. 

I have a MIM tele which has a very comfortable neck. I couldn't get on with the Baja, and not just because of the 'V' neck. It felt like the neck had been laminated! 

I liked the neck on my affinity, but was less of a fan of classic vibe squire. My favourite neck to play have been my LP special (feels like it has NO finish - just the grain). 

I am looking for new tele - so just wondering what its all about. 

Thank you @57Deluxe - I have to confess to never having even held a PRS. I wouldn't buy one for a variety of reasons - but I'll check it out for the purposes of comparison 

HAL9000

If you like the neck on your MIM Std and want something 'the same but better' then why not just upgrade the pickups?

This is exactly what I did with my MIM Std Strat. The stock (ceramic) pickups are good but not great. I contacted Ash at Oil City Pickups (he contributes to this forum as @TheGuitarWeasel ) and let him know which artists I liked and the kind of sound I was hoping for. He came up with a couple of suggestions and explained the differences between them. I now have a Strat that sounds way better than it used to, and without having to pay stupid money.

(There are a few other pickup makers here too.)

Placidcasual79

HAL9000 said:

If you like the neck on your MIM Std and want something 'the same but better' then why not just upgrade the pickups?

This is exactly what I did with my MIM Std Strat. The stock (ceramic) pickups are good but not great. I contacted Ash at Oil City Pickups (he contributes to this forum as @TheGuitarWeasel ) and let him know which artists I liked and the kind of sound I was hoping for. He came up with a couple of suggestions and explained the differences between them. I now have a Strat that sounds way better than it did, and without having to pay stupid money.

(There are a few other pickup makers here too.)

Thanks @HAL9000 - I use my MIM tele for all my gigs - I want a second tele as a back up - or as a first guitar to make the MIM a back up. I've done a bit to my MIM tele and am considering buying a cheaper squier/tele and doing some mods/upgrades. 

I've changed the pick ups in a guitar. Its something Id consider trying. I have a bad back so weight is also an issue for me. The new 2017 'pro' tele's are very light. 

HAL9000

Placidcasual79 said:
I have a bad back so weight is also an issue for me. The new 2017 'pro' tele's are very light. 

Have you considered a semi-hollow Tele? They are very light indeed, and quite a full sound. I've tried the Squier CV Thinline...

http://shop.fender.com/en-GB/squier-electric-guitars/telecaster/classic-vibe-telecaster-thinline/0303035521.html#prefn1=refinement-body-shape&prefn2=subtype&prefv1=Telecaster&prefv2=Electric+Guitars&cgidx=squier-products&start=1

...which was excellent, but ended up going for this G&L which was better...

http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/TributeSeries/guitars/ASAT_Classic_BBSH_new/index.asp

(I suspect the neck finish might be too thick for you though.)

Whitecat

57Deluxe said:

Nitrocellulose will get sticky under sweaty/hot conditions/length of playing and will induce significant physical drag to your fretting hand/playing.

It won't if it's been cured properly. That's the dead giveaway that it's been rushed out the factory doors... I've got a Telecaster with a lacquer neck that is sticky as hell, but my Knaggs guitars are no such animals - they feel exactly like my PRS guitars, which are all poly or V12.

WezV

Whitecat said:

57Deluxe said:

Nitrocellulose will get sticky under sweaty/hot conditions/length of playing and will induce significant physical drag to your fretting hand/playing.

It won't if it's been cured properly. That's the dead giveaway that it's been rushed out the factory doors... I've got a Telecaster with a lacquer neck that is sticky as hell, but my Knaggs guitars are no such animals - they feel exactly like my PRS guitars, which are all poly or V12.

Less to do with time, more to do with the exact formulation.  Although its true changes to the recipe are often done to save time.  In more recent years they are also done to help comply with environmental regulations.  May also change to prevent warranty returns (prevent crazing/fading)

I was reading something the other day that suggested Gibson's current Nitro finish was only about 5% nitro in comparison to the original formula - let me see if I can find it.  

Placidcasual79

HAL9000 said:

Placidcasual79 said:
I have a bad back so weight is also an issue for me. The new 2017 'pro' tele's are very light. 

Have you considered a semi-hollow Tele? They are very light indeed, and quite a full sound. I've tried the Squier CV Thinline...

http://shop.fender.com/en-GB/squier-electric-guitars/telecaster/classic-vibe-telecaster-thinline/0303035521.html#prefn1=refinement-body-shape&prefn2=subtype&prefv1=Telecaster&prefv2=Electric+Guitars&cgidx=squier-products&start=1

...which was excellent, but ended up going for this G&L which was better...

http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/TributeSeries/guitars/ASAT_Classic_BBSH_new/index.asp

(I suspect the neck finish might be too thick for you though.)

Thanks Hal - I've never played one of those thinline teles - interesting idea. I've owned several hollow bodies - a Gretsch and a Casino - but for my purposes these days I need a thinner, trebbly guitar - how do the thinlines compare to standard tele's and other hollow bodies? 

Appreciate your input Hal - a thin line is an interesting and tempting idea. I've also recently seen a Mexican esquire with the single pick up in the bridge. 

HAL9000

I'd describe the sound of a my G&L Thinline as 'like a Tele but different' if that makes any sense. Definitely a bit fuller (especially on the neck HB, and not quite so spikey on the bridge. 

The Squier Thinline I tried was more traditionally 'Tele' but still a bit of a rounder sound than my American Std Tele.

Thinlines do weigh next to nothing.

Jez6345789

I have yet to own a sticky finish guitar and if you asked me what I prefer I would probably say oil or oil and wax especially on stuff I build for myself or if it's mainstream satin is usually fine.

that said I look round the room as to what's on heavy rotation at the moment i.e. Out the case and being used .

PRS SE one
poly gloss all the way and frankly it's totally great to play.
the intention was to strip and oil and wax the neck and use it as a modding platform but at the moment it's getting a lot of use as is.

Parts Caster all maple V sanded off gloss and oiled.

PRS private stock natural Honduras rosewood seems to have some sort of very light finish and is very woody and different to there normal Indian or Brazilian necks. Sublime

gibson 345 vos 
slightly flattened Gibson nitro could be 5% but not sticky 

writing all that probably says I care far less these days about this stuff if I look at what I am actuallly playing.

as I have got older and in the age of the Internet I have sort of grown a bit tired of the can't play a maple neck, oh would never play a tele or I only play xxx and all the modern world whines. These days my mantra is shut up and play it's a guitar. As I have been guilty as the next man in the past of moaning about  neck size shape finish or obsessing about xxxx.