How To Make Guitar Neck Slippery

SeanChristopher

Hi everyone,

I've been having some issues with the back of the necks of a few of my guitars beingness way besides sticky at times. I've read a lot online about sanding or unlike methods of basically taking some off the gloss off to go a more Satin-like feel to the dorsum of the guitar neck.

The guitar I'1000 wanting to try information technology on first, is a DBZ Barchetta FMFR Plus. It'due south a set neck, and the cervix is black (so sanding the finish totally off and re-coating probably isn't a proficient idea lol). Information technology has a Poly finish so if it gets pretty sticky fifty-fifty when my hand is make clean and completey dry out.

Then far, I've seen people say that 3m scouring pads or scotch brite pads volition practise the pull a fast one on. But the light-green ones are comparable to around 600 dust sandpaper I remember. So I'k wondering if information technology'll be all-time to get a 3m scouring pad, as well as something that'southward finer grit to get a smoother and closer to Satin-like experience. I'thousand wanting to get as close to a Satin feel as possible.

If anyone has whatever tips or suggestions, please share them! Any help and info is appreciated.

Sean C.

MjS88

I did this to a Fender Baja Tele years dorsum. Basically, I taped off the headstock, the heel and the pickups. And so I just went over the neck with 0000 steelwool until satin. I think courser grits might piece of work too, simply I only have experience with the 0000. This works great. Ends up with a really squeamish feeling neck. Information technology'due south not really permanent, every bit in, you do remove a very microscopic amount of finish but information technology will gloss up slowly over time or when polished.

I would now effort the scotchbrite pads since they don't have the metal that sticks to your pole pieces, but steel wool works fine.

monkeybike

I've used green scotchbrite pads on a MIM Classic Actor neck in poly.

Worked perfectly to get a shine satin stop. Every bit long as there is articulate poly coat on the neck I wouldn't worry. Just practice a fiddling bit at a time. Long, consistent and straight along the whole neck from headstock to neck joint.

There was no need for anything else likewise the 18-carat 3M pad.

tochiro

It's a huge mystery for me why guitar companies make glossy necks - Information technology's a waste of money for them and a big problem for us.

Oinkus

Remove paint sand upwardly to 800 or thousand dust , Tung Oil. I do it on all electric guitars.

mystixboi

0000 steel wool is perfect for this and it isn't permanent. If you don't like information technology, the gloss will come back. If y'all practise, y'all can keep doing it. I did it on a les Paul and prs cu22. Worked smashing.

paulbearer

Most of what I play now has a thin shellac finish at best (similar that of a violin), simply for factory stuff with poly or thick nitro which tin yet be draggy, I use 0000 steel wool.
Huge difference immediately. I of the best, cheapest 'mods' you can do, lol. Wool, Scotchbrite, sandpaper, only tame that stuff and change your world!

jvin248

.

Don't employ steel wool -- the fries and bits can scratch other parts of the guitar and get attracted by the pickup magnets and over time short them out. It is a slow failure and people don't connect cause and effects. Just because steel wool is inexpensive is no reason to utilise it.
Use 800 or 1000 grit sandpaper.

Don't sand to bare wood -- or your guitar value gets cut in one-half on the used market over one that is not. Only sand until you go the satin feel and stop. Later on you can polish back to gloss when you sell it.
Tape off the ends of the neck where you want the satin feature to end, so it looks like a pro did it not some guy in his shed.

.

Ron Kirn

Yes. suspension the gloss with the scotchbrite.. Only. and so wax the neck with a good carnauba based wax, MinWax Finishing paste wax is great..

Necks are finished with the same materials that's constitute on Pool cues .. no one give a thought to "dusting upward" earlier breaking a rack of assurance in the local puddle hall, merely get all testy when their hands find a college than desirable coefficient of friction on their necks...

we all accept dissimilar chemical makeups, what ane guy may find sticky, the adjacent won't have whatever problems ... the wax can mitigate that,. Just repeat every few weeks, depending on how often ya play and y'all shouldn't take problems again.

r

edward

1. Agree 100% with not using steel wool. Why folks keep recommending that is beyond me ...unless they enjoy those ugly little fibers of metal all over the place. Fifty-fifty if you bluish tape your pups, that junk gets everywhere and is harder to pickup/make clean off than grit, bleahhh!

2. Use scotchbrite pad or --my personal preference-- 1000grit paper. Yous don't need to sand much, you're merely "breaking" the gloss, not removing much fin at all. Go lightly, and wipe with a make clean rag (I like microfiber shop towels) often then that you tin clearly run into what you're accomplishing onto the terminate. Wiping upwardly grit equally you become is important because if yous don't, the finish dust that accumulates as you sand can mislead y'all as to how much yous're really sanding. Again, go piece of cake and go calorie-free as you lot can e'er sand more. FWIW, I've used 1000 grit on painted (colored) necks also as clear finished ones ...doesn't affair, then long equally you go lite and guess your progress often equally yous get.

2b. The nice thing about 1000 grit newspaper is it "loads upward" fairly fast, significant the paper "clogs" upwardly fairly quickly with the end it is taking down ...this leaves you with even smoother paper equally you go farther. So don't exist and so quick to replace the paper in your hand with a new sheet. I like to use a fresh piece to lightly "break" the surface of the entire neck'due south terminate at first go, then I go over the neck more closely with that used piece of paper that is at present less abrasive because it's been "loaded up" with employ. And when you go the neck to where information technology feels good, apply that at present quondam slice of paper to go across the entire length of the neck considering a colored cervix (blackness, for case) will reveal your sanding pattern, so going up/downward the length of the neck as a terminal "finish" leaves your painted cervix looking better (equally opposed to looking like someone attacked the neck haphazardly with a sander ).

Edward

aussie_owner

I've had excellent results using 3M Polishing Papers, the green 30 micron sheets. Cuts fast, and leaves a satin smooth finish, with less scratching than Scotchbrite pads. Tape off the ends of the cervix to get a make clean line, sand, finish with some good paste wax. Takes like v minutes.

Mickey Shane

I've only ever had one sticky neck guitar. I was able to remove the stickiness past just rubbing the neck downwardly with an old cotton T-shirt twice a mean solar day. It took a while just worked actually well and maintained the shine.

Juan Tuthri

I utilise scotchbright dark-green. I become great results by taping off anything I don't want to touch at all, and then I utilise the pad damp and proceed with the neck with virtually no pressure level. This fashion you command how much it's cutting instead going heavy handed and getting uneven results.

SeanChristopher

Thanks for your info and suggestions everyone!
I'd respond to anybody individually just then I'd end up taking upwards a whole page with posts lol!

I definitely don't want to strip all the finish off the neck and re-coat with anything, because my guitar has a black ready neck and I don't feel like bare wood on the neck would look skillful at all.

I similar the idea of just using something fine dust and knocking some of the gloss off rip become closer to a Satin stop. My only worry is that I've heard a few people say that it doesn't look very overnice and looks like the necks been scratched up when y'all utilize scotch brite pads and don't use annihilation finer grit to smooth the end a tiny chip. But I don't have any first mitt experience yet lol.

I'll get some supplies today and let y'all guys know how the progress is going!

SeanChristopher

Aye. break the gloss with the scotchbrite.. Only. so wax the neck with a skilful carnauba based wax, MinWax Finishing paste wax is great..
Necks are finished with the same materials that's establish on Pool cues .. no one give a idea to "dusting upward" before breaking a rack of balls in the local pool hall, but get all testy when their hands find a higher than desirable coefficient of friction on their necks...

we all have different chemical makeups, what one guy may notice sticky, the adjacent won't have any problems ... the wax can mitigate that,. Just repeat every few weeks, depending on how ofttimes ya play and you shouldn't take bug over again.

r

I like this thought a lot. I've heard that the scotch brite / fine dust sandpaper route is reversible and tin exist waxed and made to look like a loftier gloss terminate again. My question is, would waxing the neck after using a scotchbrite pad, exist the same every bit making the neck closer to a gloss finish again? I merely wanna make sure the wax wouldn't exist reversing whatever I'd be trying to do. Only considering that's how (by my understanding) someone would go about getting closer to a gloss finish after knocking some gloss off the neck.

Thanks for your info and I wait forward to your reply

SeanChristopher

one. Agree 100% with not using steel wool. Why folks keep recommending that is beyond me ...unless they enjoy those ugly picayune fibers of metallic all over the place. Even if you lot blue tape your pups, that junk gets everywhere and is harder to pickup/clean off than dust, bleahhh!
2. Utilize scotchbrite pad or --my personal preference-- 1000grit paper. You don't need to sand much, yous're just "breaking" the gloss, non removing much fin at all. Go lightly, and wipe with a make clean rag (I similar microfiber shop towels) often so that you can conspicuously see what you lot're accomplishing onto the end. Wiping up dust as you go is important because if you don't, the stop grit that accumulates as you sand can mislead y'all as to how much y'all're actually sanding. Once more, go easy and go lite equally you can always sand more than. FWIW, I've used 1000 grit on painted (colored) necks as well every bit clear finished ones ...doesn't matter, and then long every bit you go lite and gauge your progress often as you go.

2b. The nice thing virtually 1000 grit paper is information technology "loads up" fairly fast, meaning the paper "clogs" up fairly quickly with the finish it is taking down ...this leaves you with even smoother newspaper as you go further. So don't be so quick to supercede the paper in your hand with a new canvas. I like to use a fresh piece to lightly "break" the surface of the entire cervix's finish at commencement go, and so I go over the neck more closely with that used piece of paper that is now less abrasive considering it'due south been "loaded upwards" with use. And when y'all get the cervix to where information technology feels good, use that now old piece of newspaper to go across the entire length of the cervix considering a colored neck (black, for example) will reveal your sanding blueprint, then going up/down the length of the neck as a final "finish" leaves your painted neck looking better (as opposed to looking like someone attacked the cervix haphazardly with a sander ).

Edward

I might try the 1000 grit sandpaper!
I hear scotchbrite on a black cervix might show a lot of scratches and I'grand thinking a finer grit sandpaper volition hopefully go a smoother and closer to Satin experience.

SeanChristopher

I've had excellent results using 3M Polishing Papers, the green thirty micron sheets. Cuts fast, and leaves a satin smooth finish, with less scratching than Scotchbrite pads. Record off the ends of the neck to get a clean line, sand, finish with some good paste wax. Takes similar five minutes.

I love this idea. I'one thousand going to look into those micron sheets for certain!
Any more info you can give me on those?
Are they just called 3m polishing micron papers?

SeanChristopher

Remove paint sand up to 800 or 1000 grit , Tung Oil. I exercise it on all electric guitars.

This method is super interesting to me and I wanted to try it but, my guitar has a black neck with a Poly finish. And sanding the finish and paint off wouldn't look likewise smashing in my opinion lol. If it was a maple cervix or something not painted a dark color, that would be a great option. But I don't personally think it would await good having the neck look like it's sanded downwardly and paint sanded down to wood and restained dark wood colour.

But a great suggestion that would exist perfect for natural wood necks or necks without heavy pigment jobs lol!