Coupla Questions...

[MrBump]

Guys, I have a couple of questions that I'm sure you will have better answers to that I have come up with so far, as relates to a builds project.

1. An unfinished maple neck and fingerboard.  Should I oil this, or lacquer it?  I'm thinking of danish oil and wax on the body, and would prefer a finish like that on the neck, but lacquer seems to be the preference for maple fingerboards...

2. For a hardtail strat-type bridge, do any of you have a preference for strung through (ie using ferrules) or for strings attached to the back of the bridge?  Is there a big difference in sustain/tone?

Thanks all.

Mark.

[WezV]

1.  oil is fine and feels great - just be prepared for the fact it will go grey and worn over time - it you look after it it will still feel great even if it looks a bit ropey after years of playing

2. Strung through is much better in my opinion... but top loaders are loads easier to install if your body doesnt aleady have string holes.  i basically feel you get the body wood working for you a lot more with through body stringing - also, there isnt as much downward pressure of the saddle with a top loading bridge

[gwEm]

2. Strung through is much better in my opinion... but top loaders are loads easier to install if your body doesnt aleady have string holes.  i basically feel you get the body wood working for you a lot more with through body stringing - also, there isnt as much downward pressure of the saddle with a top loading bridge

Would you go so far as to drill six holes in the right place and add ferrules for through body stringing?

Do you think thats something an enthusiast such as myself could do with an electric drill?

[WezV]

its a job that looks really bad if they dont line up nicely - and its hard to get a hand drill to go nice and straight through that much hardwood.. really it depends how confident you are with a drill.  Its the one job i take somewhere else to do - i use the bigger pillar drills at the school i work at!

you can do it with a hand drill if you use a decent guide, drill the two outside holes all the way through and the other 4 halfway through - then use the bridge as a template and drill the rest from the back

i quite often use a one peice ferrule plate made from an offcut of metal or hardwood instead of individual ferrules

i wouldnt recommend trying through body string holes if you are not used to the tools involved

[MrBump]

Thanks for that - I kinda thought that strings through the body would probably be the best way to go.

I'm thinking that I could get pretty straight holes with a plunge router and a drill bit.

As for the oil Wez, just danish oil?

[WezV]

i'm currently fining tru-oil a but quicker and longer lasting but have used danish oil and briwax for a few years and its certainly a great finish from stuff you can find in your local wilkos or B&Q

i think the method has been discussed a few times so i wont repeat it here

drill bits are not designed to go at router speeds -  could be potentially very dangerous!!!

[MrBump]

Cheers, Wez - the "router" is actually my Dremel with a plunge router attachment - I suspect that I may be OK...  I doubt it has enough power to maim a small rodent...

[WezV]

well i would say try on scr@p first to get a feel for what you are doing before trying the real thing

[MrBump]

Aye.  That and shove some rolled up newspaper down the front of my trousers to protect my goolies from any splintering drill bits...