I never had an oiled finished bass before, is it protected well?
December 11th, 2018
In the past oil finishes earned a bad reputation because they did not protect the wood well, felt sticky, attracted dirt and turned grey within a couple of months. But how long the oil finish lasts and how well it protects the wood depends very much on the type of oil finish. In the past (and some companies still do!) the instruments were finished with linseed based oils. These oils are not suitable for finishing an instrument.
We have developed our own oil blend. It is a special catalyzed oil blend witch preserves the wood and gives very good protection against moisture and stains. Our in house developed oil blend has the characteristic that it slightly penetrates in the wood and hardens to a natural tough solid polymer and makes the surface of the wood a bit harder and more wear resistant. It gives the wood a very natural feel and look. Because of these properties the wood does not turn grey, repels dirt and does not feel sticky. It has a smooth, natural, sleek feel. Which makes it the perfect finish for necks!
We believe this can be the nicest looking finish for most hard woods. The nice feature of oiled basses is that after some time the scratches kind of blend out by constant contact with your clothes and hands.
Please note the durability of the instrument depends on the durability of the wood itself. The hardest woods can handle abuse better than most hard finishes. For the softest woods we sometimes recommend a different treatment than oil finish. Please ask for the possibilities.