A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

This just arrived this evening. It's a Freestone gibson scale length conversion strat neck with a zebrawood fretboard over cherry. Nut is 1 11/16", .87" at the first fret and .93 at the 12th. Medium tall frets. Feels great in the hand. Planning to install on a dark blue older squier affinity strat that I'm looking to heavily mod. Keeping my fingers crossed that it fits well on the body.

It came with a light coat of walnut oil. Wondering if I should put some additional or other type of oil on it. Thoughts?

Tiga wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2024 11:25 pm It came with a light coat of walnut oil. Wondering if I should put some additional or other type of oil on it. Thoughts?

The back of the neck or the fingerboard was oiied ?

I think it may be both. This is how it's described:

"This piece has a light coat of walnut oil applied to seal the wood and accentuate the grain."

Neither feel like have much of anything on them as it's got a satin feel - but it's kind of nice. Maybe I'll leave it be for now.

Never heard of walnut oil.

Tiga wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 6:14 am I think it may be both. This is how it's described:

"This piece has a light coat of walnut oil applied to seal the wood and accentuate the grain."

Neither feel like have much of anything on them as it's got a satin feel - but it's kind of nice. Maybe I'll leave it be for now.

Yeah I would leave it be until your next cleaning, string change then can decide what else to use.

mozz wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 6:26 am Never heard of walnut oil.

They actually sell it in the gourmet section of the supermarket, next to avocado oil etc. quite expensive

No comments on tung oil please. I'm wondering if its something like tru oil and used to finish wood. Linseed oil I had read takes a very long time to dry.

The most common use for walnut oil is as an ingredient in salad dressings with vinegar and seasonings. It also tastes delicious drizzled over steamed vegetables. You can find walnut oil at health food and specialty grocery stores, as well as online. It's typically more expensive than other oils.

Since I'm now curious I searched through some woodworking sites/forums and apparently walnut oil is a thing. Overall seems to get very favorable comments as a wood finish. The things you learn.

Tiga wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 9:28 am Since I'm now curious I searched through some woodworking sites/forums and apparently walnut oil is a thing. Overall seems to get very favorable comments as a wood finish. The things you learn.

The plus side is if you ever need to shave down the neck you can have salad fixins

I have not heard of walnut oil as a wood treatment.

Keep in mind that not all oils are the same and are meant for different purposes. Tung oil, Linseed oil and Tru oil are initially gummy meant to be sealers which dry hard, are meant to endure some of the enviornment and last years between treatments.

Other oils, like lemon oil, are viscous and temporary. Good for hydrating tight grain wood like some species of ebony or rosewood.

That looks like a nice neck. I'd use a mineral/ guitar oil on fretboard, and tru oil on back.
If it doesnt fit the affinity, I'd get another body that it does fit. Dont augment that beautiful neck's heel.
I love my 25" conversion neck.

Tru Oil is a great back of neck oil, and body finish oil. It doesnt stink applying it.
Some people apply it with their fingers. Rag, or foam brush, too. Its typically used for gun stocks.
Apply it in thin coats..just 2-4 thin coats , with a t-shirt rag to wipe away excess during each coat.
You can add other coats within 1- 2 hrs.

* Caution*..immediately put all rags having any tru-oil on them in a wood stove after each coat. It is linseed oil based, and like with linseed oil, rags left wadded up may spontaneously combust. I've seen it happen.

so, put in wood stove, oil rag metal safety box( they make em) , tack it spread-out outdoors where wind wont blow it back into structure, etc. until it dries stiff.
...submersed in a pot of water is okay....but dont put it down and get distracted.

Anyhow,...I love tru-oil as a neck or body finish. Lightly sand back of neck with something like 400, then 600, etc. I use just 3 coats usually. It keeps the wood protected from humidity with thin, smooth, hard surface. And its easy to re-apply later if desired.

Tru-oil container "tip": just poke a tac hole thru foil under cap to pour oil out through. Leave foil in place. Store it with cap on tight, store with bottle upside-down. This helps the tru-oil not get exposed to air and dry out and form little dry specs that may contaminate the remainder for the next time you use it. If any of it dries, it dries at bottles bottom. I read it somewhere, it works.

That is some great info PC - thank you!

I've been using walnut oil on fingerboards for years! I am no chemist, but as I understand, it works because it's a "drying oil", which is to say that it hardens to a film when it reacts with oxygen in the air. Things like olive oil don't work, because they don't "dry" like that, they just get gummy and smell bad.

Yes, it is somewhat pricy, but you only need a tiny amount.

Wow!! That is a gorgeous neck. It makes me want to put in on my Tonebender Tele and play the snot out of it.