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Hello all
I've read quite a bit about using the tru-oil for neck finishes. a few questions please. Is it OK for the rest of the guitar, does it penetrate and affect the tone at all. Then I see on the Birchwood Casey site that they have a whole range of products like filler and sealer, sheen and conditioner, stock rejuvinator, etc.. Are these OK as well? I'm particularly interested to know if anyone has used the sealer and filler.
Thanks and cheers - Ed

Birchwood Casey soung like hair care products.

David L

I use Nitro lacquer . I don't know of many pros that use Tru oil . I can see the user side for those without proper spray booths as Lacquer isn't a good thing to spray without masks and booths. The water borne finishes have come a long way and are more user friendly.
On the neck I feel tru oil will be ok but I don't think it is good for the body.

Johnathan Kinkead uses Tru-oil on his finest guitars and that finish is considered very premium. Their's a bunch of guys on this forum that have used it with great success -- I am sure they'll speak up.

Great guitars have been finished with a wide variety of coatings -- Shellac, lacquer, varnish, water borne, polyester, polyurethane --- brushed and sprayed, all good.

Decide what you want to use, learn and practice preparation learn and practice application techniques This is a new skill, the mistake I see often is the new comer using finishing products for the first time on a newly constructed guitar and expecting that guitar to look like one coming out of the Martin factory -- that is simply unrealistic and has nothing to do with chemical choice. $.02

agree that prep is the foundation of a good finish . I do go to a number of guitar shows and if there is one thing I hear about the guitars on display , it is often a remark about the final finish . Lacquer seems to the the finish all others are compared to , some of the Urethane can be a bit plastic looking . If you want to do this professionally the market will dictate what you need to do . The economical law of supply and demand.
Finish is as much about technique as it is the chemistry , When it comes down to it , finish work will take as long if not longer than the building .

+1 for nitro lacquer finishing systems

Currently using
1. Behlens vinyl sealer 1/2 coat

2. Hood Quick dry clear pore filler 2/3 coats

3. Rattle cans Watco gloss lacquer or Behlens Gloss insrument lacquer or Mohawk Spray lacquer all solvent based 12/16 WET coats



Chemical compatibility is key -- don't check on the internet check with the manufacturers!!!

Cost saving and quality of application is negligible versus using my spray equipment --- cleaning and maintain spray guns is one of my least favorite activities --- so its rattle cans for me!

They should rename it "Birchwood Casey Instrument Varnish" and maybe it would get more respect.:-)

TO does have it's advantages - no special equipment is necessary, no separate pore filler is necessary, big concerns over dust are not necessary as it dries quickly, environmental concerns are not necessary, personal health concerns are not necessary, the big concerns over leveling are not necessary, it is inexpensive, looks as good a finish as any other method (subjective of course), is easy to apply, easy to touch up, can be glossy or satiny and as far as I can tell, has no negative effect on sound.
For me, I just like the hand rubbing process, I like watching the wood respond to the loving ministrations of the product, I like the smell, I really like the results. And so do other folks that see and touch the guitars.
And I've used it on 147 guitars!! Yep, that's a big fat lie, more like 7 guitars, so I expect scorn, humiliation, a wedgie, and maybe even a 'pshaw' if I knew what that was.

Bruce Sexauer uses a varnish finish (TO is basically a varnish); Lowden uses a hand rubbed SATIN finish of some sort, Tom Pettingill uses the TO. There are choices out there.

I'm not saying anyone else should use the stuff; but neither will I back down from my opinion that it is just as viable a finish for the small luthier/hobbyist as any other.

That's all I have to say about that :-)

Good post Dave --- I may try Tru-Oil on my "daily player" nylon string hybrid.

To the point that there is no reason not to -- Thanks

I have used it on necks, and it did well. I have not perfected the application, yet, I seem to get "speckles" in the finish...air bubbles, I guess. I need to keep working at it.

deadedith wrote:They should rename it "Birchwood Casey Instrument Varnish" and maybe it would get more respect.:-)

TO does have it's advantages - no special equipment is necessary, no separate pore filler is necessary, big concerns over dust are not necessary as it dries quickly, environmental concerns are not necessary, personal health concerns are not necessary, the big concerns over leveling are not necessary, it is inexpensive, looks as good a finish as any other method (subjective of course), is easy to apply, easy to touch up, can be glossy or satiny and as far as I can tell, has no negative effect on sound.
For me, I just like the hand rubbing process, I like watching the wood respond to the loving ministrations of the product, I like the smell, I really like the results. And so do other folks that see and touch the guitars.
And I've used it on 147 guitars!! Yep, that's a big fat lie, more like 7 guitars, so I expect scorn, humiliation, a wedgie, and maybe even a 'pshaw' if I knew what that was.

Bruce Sexauer uses a varnish finish (TO is basically a varnish); Lowden uses a hand rubbed SATIN finish of some sort, Tom Pettingill uses the TO. There are choices out there.

I'm not saying anyone else should use the stuff; but neither will I back down from my opinion that it is just as viable a finish for the small luthier/hobbyist as any other.

That's all I have to say about that :-)

+1 I tried your procerss of pore filling on my latest guitar neck and it came out fantastic I never tried the pore filling thing before with TO). I've been using TO on necks for a while and like the smooth non-sticky feeling. I'm going to try it on a whole guitar next time (I currently have 5 guitars in progress). Just finished last one in nitro and it is one week into the cure,