[Zero]

I've never played a guitar with a painted neck that I thought was really comfortable. Every guitar I've ever owned with a painted neck was sold quickly (Jackson Pros, a few LTD Deluxes, some 400 series LTDs, etc.) or had the finish sanded off (Agile, Carvins, ESP)... I just find that the clearcoat/paint is stickier than a good un-painted neck sealed with Linseed or Tung oil.

I assume there are people out there who prefer the feel of a painted neck, but I don't recall ever meeting one of them. And if there aren't any folks out there who prefer painted necks, why do companies do them? Is it because it's easier to completely paint neck-thrus than masking off the neck? Is the paint supposed to cover some imperfections in the neck wood? I'm at a loss.


What about you guys? Is a painted neck on a neck-thru/set-neck guitar a turn-off or no? Do you like the feel of a painted neck?


2 guitars being equal in every way, but one with a painted neck, the other unpainted, which do you choose?

 

[darren]

I'm completely indifferent to whether necks are painted (either gloss or satin) or oiled. :shrug: A cleaned and polished painted neck will be smooth and slick... i'm sure that the people who complain of necks being "sticky" never clean their guitars. Also, in my experience, modern poly finishes are definitely smoother and slicker than older nitro finishes, which do seem to have a tiny bit more "drag" to them, but still nothing that bothers me at all.

Hard finishes offer better protection for the wood, particularly if it isn't a closed-pore wood like maple. Mahogany necks or multi-wood necks with open grain likely aren't going to do as well with an oil finish over the long term. Manufacturers may want to minimize the possibility of warranty claims due to oiled necks. It is also easier and more cost-effective from a production perspective to finish everything the same and eliminate as much hand work (masking, multiple types of finish) from the process as possible.

 

[343]

all things being equal - i would take an unpainted neck over a painted one. I just think unpainted necks feel better.

 

[Josh]

Satin finished painted necks: best of both worlds.

I really don't care much though.

 

[Randy]

I bought into a lot of the voodoo about painted necks when I was younger and stripped+tung oiled all of mine that were painted. I prefer them the way they are now, but I don't think it makes a tremendous difference if any.

 

[Shawn]

all things being equal - i would take an unpainted neck over a painted one. I just think unpainted necks feel better.

:agreed: Although I probably wouldn't mind having at least one guitar that had a painted neck, as I used to own one way back in the day...:shrug:

 

[Stateless]

I prefer unpainted necks, but then again I prefer unpainted guitars in general.

 

[thesimo]

I'm pretty indifferent too. I don't notice any difference between coated and bare wood

 

[Soopahmahn]

I think painted necks can be a pain, but you really do just owe them a quick swipe with a rag once in a while. The slight stickiness can be nice sometimes.

 

[noodles]

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Maybe my body chemistry is different, but a completely clean painted neck still drags under my hand, even if I just washed my hands. I despise the feel of paint, finding it as tacky as a piece of glass.

 

[DslDwg]

I've got both and like them either way - although I seem to lean towards non-painted neck.

I do agree if you are judging painted necks based on experience with someone else's guitar or a guitar at a store - it's probably just dirty.

I will say this - I have two very similar Warmoth Tele.s the first I put a maple/maple neck on which Warmoth recommends to finish - so I used their satin finish. For the second one I wanted something different and that I could leave unfinished so I used Goncalo Alves with a Goncalo Alves fretboard. The finished maple neck might be the fastest neck I've ever played with that satin finish on it.

 

[Demeyes]

I don't really mind that much, I've got both. A dirty painted neck can feel pretty bad but once it's be given a nice clean I tend not to notice much difference. Often I've picked up friends guitars that felt just terrible, but most of them are just casual players and they don't even realise it.

 

[Cancer]

I'm pretty indifferent, although I'm a stickler for having clean guitars so.....

 

[budda]

I think every guitar I've used steadily had a painted neck, no issues. My hands get sweaty and I just fly up and down them, then I clean my strings (if I remember) when I'm done.

 

[Leon]

Either.

I prefer painted necks for the fact that they don't move much through the change of humidity / temps.

 

[Jason]

I steel wooled one of my painted necks and it feels nice. :yesway:

 

[22]

I prefer painted necks, if for nothing else than the aesthetics of it. My hand doesn't drag at all.

 

[darren]

My hand doesn't drag at all.

I bet it doesn't.

:jj:

 

[22]

I have copious amounts of lube here :jj:

 

[Bigeeboo]

ya I hate paint on necks too they always get sticky with heat