TimFoster - Posted - 11/24/2025:  10:50:16

…or don’t, and talk me into one!



I’m having a neck built for a TB3 conversion and am torn between going with a speed neck, or not… I’ve never played a banjo with one — though I did always love the smooth, waxy feel of Ernie Ball Music Man electric guitar necks — which I imagine may be similar territory as far as feel goes…?



Even though lacquered necks can be a bit “grabby” (especially when new), it’s never really been an issue for me on my banjos. I suspect I’d probably be fine with either, but am curious to hear other folks experiences and thoughts for or against the prospect. I’m leaning towards having it done, if it will have a smooth waxy feel and doesn’t require much upkeep (those EBMM guitars required none in my experience, but I know little about the process used there).

Anyone ever regret having this done?

Edited by - TimFoster on 11/24/2025 10:52:09

djenks - Posted - 11/24/2025:  11:11:44

I do not regret mine at all.

jdskyler - Posted - 11/24/2025:  11:42:54

I would be more hesitant to do a speed neck on an existing instrument.

You're having this thing made from scratch so do whatever you want. You might consider a finish similar to the one on the GoldTone's Bela Fleck Bluegrass Heart or the RK-36 (I think) they use a satin finish that appears to maybe have similar properties to a speed neck while still protecting the wood from skin oils and sweat.

Barnacle Joe - Posted - 11/24/2025:  11:45:18

If you simply mean sanding the back of the neck as smooth as humanly possible (and not, say, changing the neck profile, radius, fret size, etc) then I've gone that way on 2 modern kit-build banjos. And I'd choose that option again anytime, unless (for example) it's an antique or from a boutique-maker where DIY alterations might affect resale value. I wish I'd done it a lot sooner!

Old Hickory - Posted - 11/24/2025:  12:24:00

A finish is there to protect the wood. If you think a typical glossy lacquer finish will be grabby and affect your play (even though you say no finish ever has before), then perhaps consider a thin, satin, finish. It will feel pleny smooth and fast and the wood will be protected against things that can get into wood. 

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 11/24/2025:  13:42:10

I never understood speed necks. The only parts of my hand in contact with the neck are the ball of my thumb and a small area below the knuckle of my index finger. There's really not enough contact to cause much friction. When I transition from one position to the next, I use the "guide finger" technique and I'm not sure if any part of my hand is touching the neck at all.

TScottHilton - Posted - 11/24/2025:  13:47:01

I am like you in that a glossy neck neck doesn't bother me at all. That being said, I had an old Deering that had a custom speed neck and it was really sweet. I currently have an Ome with a tung oil finish on the neck and resonator that feels very similar to the speed neck. It's very satin feeling. I have really grown accustomed to that satin feel. I wouldn't ever shy away from a gloss neck, but if I was given a choice between gloss and speed, the speed neck would now be my preference.

TimFoster - Posted - 11/24/2025:  14:11:18

Yeah — to your point, Laurence Diehl… I don’t think the friction or grab of a lacquered finish has impacted my playing in a noticeable way… heck, if I ever get proficient enough to where that’s the thing holding me back — I’ll gladly live with it! ;-)

When I think back to the guitar necks I’ve encountered with this sort of finish, there was always something warm, inviting and comfortable about it. They felt great and nicely broken in out of the box. All other things being equal — I guess I’d prefer that feel over gloss.

But those finishes were also applied by big factory manufacturers — Ernie Ball, Suhr, etc — and wasn’t sure if the results there are typical of the smaller luthier approaches. I wouldn’t for example want totally dry, raw wood — probably something more akin to the “satin” finish Chuck suggested.

Maybe more than anything else… it’s the first time I’m spec’ing a neck build — and I’m probably making mountains of molehills, obsessing over minutia to make it “perfect”. Even though pretty much every other banjo/neck I’ve owned up to this point has been perfectly serviceable lol.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 11/24/2025:  14:14:15

My suggestion: go play one or several and see if you like the way they feel and play. Then decide what you want to do.

GStump - Posted - 11/24/2025:  14:18:04

Personally, I LIKE both! Both have the pros and cons. Hence I have several banjos that DO have a speed neck. Most of my banjos have a standard finished neck. The benefit of have too many banjos!

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 11/24/2025:  14:34:26

TimFoster obsessing over minutiae is what we do here Tim!

Mad Hornet - Posted - 11/24/2025:  14:52:49

I had two of mine built that way. No other way to go IMO. They are stained so there is that level of protection but not lacquered.

KCJones - Posted - 11/24/2025:  16:12:21

Whatever the application, I've always preferred the feel of wood rather than a laquer finish. Necks, gunstocks, flooring, even tables and countertops. Something about spending all that money on nice hardwood just to encase it in plastic never sat right with me.



You asked me to talk you out of it. I'm not sure if I did. It's your banjo, go whichever way the muse takes you.

Edited by - KCJones on 11/24/2025 16:12:45

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 11/24/2025:  18:54:56

Not mentioned here: a flamed curly maple neck with the right finish is one of the great artworks of all time.
ken

Bronx banjo - Posted - 11/24/2025:  19:02:06

I recently bought a banjo with a speed neck for the first time. I really like it. It does eliminate that tacky feel that lacquer has and I recommend it. I’m not sure, but I think it’s treated with something to protect it so that you’re not contacting raw wood.

lazlototh - Posted - 11/24/2025:  19:37:02

I just dislike lacquer finishes. They can crack, wear and are a hassle to do properly. For my taste, I like a non-glossy finish. Preferably oil.
If I get something with lacquer, I will maintain it. But it is just a non-starter for me or anything I will make.

I have a really nice high end Flesher banjo with crazed lacquer. The whole thing. Nuff said.

TnFrosty - Posted - 11/24/2025:  19:52:30

I say go for the speed neck. I have no regrets at all and prefer it, especially when playing outside on those humid summer days. Now looks on the other hand...a lacquered neck wins, but looking good is third behind tone and "playability" for me.

TimFoster - Posted - 11/24/2025:  21:02:49

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! A speed neck it shall be. :-)

HSmith - Posted - 11/24/2025:  23:55:43

For more than 50 years, my banjos have had conventional 'finished' necks. I live in the UK where temperatures and humidity are rarely extreme, and yet I can remember playing on hot days and feeling a slight 'stickiness' in the neck, although it never caused me a problem. Some years ago, I spotted an Osborne Chief for sale (hens' teeth in the UK), and went to try it out. It was beautiful in every way, but like all Chiefs it had a 'speed' neck. I wasn't sure about the appearance, but it's a mahogany banjo, so the lack of finish is less dramatic than with maple necks. What a revelation it proved to be! The playing area of the neck has no lacquer finish, but there is something there to seal the grain. It feels wonderfully silky to the touch and there's virtually no friction when sliding and moving quickly between positions. I greatly prefer the feel to a finished neck. I bought the Chief and love it. I'd certainly recommend a 'speed neck' finish.

wizofos - Posted - 11/25/2025:  05:07:39

I have built several 'travel' guitars for my grandkids and finished each one with hot bees wax and good polish with a micro fiber cloth, All it takes is a heat gun and a block of bees wax that you can get from a local bee keeper. Rudy on here has specific instructions in his postings. Search for them or just play around with some scrap wood. The finish is water proof and easily repaired. I like the satin finish so much that I am using bees wax on everything.

1935tb-11 - Posted - 11/26/2025:  05:08:29

in those hot humid north carolina summers the speed neck feels good...but i have always got by with finished neck.

nmflyr - Posted - 11/27/2025:  09:11:14

To Lawrence, I’m not familiar with “guide finger technique “. Can you explain more to me? Thanks

chilijim - Posted - 11/27/2025:  09:47:47

I wouldn’t know a speed neck from a speed bump but I know what finishes I prefer on wood generally. For wood surfaces other than those that will get heavy use and frequent contact with liquids—like table tops—I have always preferred penetrating oils or various very thin wipe on finishes in multiple thin coats. What one gets in the end is a durable enough coating that highlights the natural beauty of any wood, starts out very smooth feeling (on an instrument neck) and only gets smoother—more polished—over time, and is very easily repaired. It’s really a myth that any finish—other than maybe a quarter inch of industrial epoxy “keeps out moisture” so that argument for heavier surface applications is moot. Yes, thicker finishes including all sprayed concoctions and even the relatively thin coatings of French polishing provide a bit of extra protection for the wood surface but —sooner or later—every exposed wood surface wiil experience “honest wear” and develop “vintage patinas”. I have several banjos and other instruments with only two or three coats of highly thinned wiped on polyurethane on the necks. They have only gotten better looking and smoother with playing. If one really prizes a glossy finish look ask the maker to sand and polish the wood to the finest grades of abrasives before putting on the final finish coats.. It’s not thick, shiny finishes that make wood look best and play easiest. It’s elbow grease from the final sanding.

Bart Veerman - Posted - 11/27/2025:  10:30:11

Your question comes down to do I want an oil or lacquer finished neck. To some people the lacquer (AKA plastic) gets sticky while playing where oil finish doesn't get sticky.

The looks are pretty much the same and either way can be redone/undone the other way.

In my twisted way of thinking: if you cover the neck, regardless of what kind of wood it's made of,  with several layers of plastic then you got yourself a plastic neck.

O.D. - Posted - 11/28/2025:  11:13:30

I had a mahogany speed neck
I left it raw.
It wasn't long before it had a somewhat oil finish from the natural oils from my hand .
The neck remained stable with no issues for yrs and was a joy to play

E

banjo1930 - Posted - 11/29/2025:  07:01:06

I really like the speed necks I’ve had. The one issue is that they are noticeably more difficult to sell.

banjoman56 - Posted - 11/29/2025:  10:34:12

When Eric was building my V-35 Sullivan I had to make the choice between a speed neck and a finished one and after much back and forth over it, I chose the finished one and have had no regrets! The speed neck does feel great, but the finished one has never felt sticky and IMO doesn't seem to impede movement up and down the neck at all and to my eye looks much better!