The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

I really don't know much about guitar maintenance, tune up and stuff, so this is probably a stupid question but...
I heard about people sanding off a little of the finish on the back of their guitar neck so it gets less ''sticky''

Is it a good idea? does it work?

Yes.It does work,however this comes down to player feel more than anything else.

Some opt to just "haze" the finish at the rear of the neck ever so slightly,while others sand the top coat away completely.
Idea of a clearcoat is twofold really.
First of all as protection for the woods.
Second of all to bring out the character of the wood from an estetic POW.

Something to have in mind is that doing so will make value of the instrument at hand drop like a ton of bricks more often than not.

I do sand necks on occasion...and what can i say?
If the back of the neck feels sticky...sure.

Word of advice on more obscure instruments is to use some sort of cleaner and a buffer instead followed by wax.
No...it won´t amount to the same thing but close enough,and what´s more that treatment wont really affect the guitars value in any way.

Sanding is destuctive. steel wool is much less destructive....just knock off the gloss and you will see improvement.
If you want a really smooth silky neck, sand off to bare wood and put a few coats of tung oil on it.......ahhhhhhhh, feels so good!

Sanding necks is a poor idea unless you constantly keep them treated. Laquer,Paint, and clearcoat all protect the neck from dirt and oil and moisture. Some necks are very sesitive and warp easily too. If you have a humidified room that is always constant you are lucky. Guitars shift from owners on the coast with high humidity and salt air, to owners in desert like country with heat and no moisture and vice versa etc. The more protection the better for any wood. Modern body shops deal with finishes every day. We can learn a lot from them. They hate wax with silicones and other enhancers cus you can refinish or spot paint again without a lot of pain. (The paint marbilizes or gets worm holes etc.) Go to your automotive paint supplier and ask him for polishing cremes that are water soluble and not harmful (I forgot the brand but will look later). They have different grits... 600 up to like 2000 for final polish. The rougher ones get rid of bumps and irregularities and the smothest ones give you a glass finish that is slipperier than anything. A little of the finish wax they supply and you won't have to touch it again for a long time. Just a wipe with a miracle cloth once in a blue moon. I use a $50 automotive polisher and it is fantastic. Try it on the whole guitar but do not burn the finish by pressing hard or staying in one spot. AAAAnd ...If you do not like it....your car will be the shinniest on the block.

_________________
If the rich get going run for cover. If the poor get going run for cover.

I'm dealing with this now, as the AV325 project I recently acquired was sanded/stripped on the back of the neck, and "hazed" on the fretboard (with the face of the headstock left thick & glossy... ). It was sanded to the point that the ends of the frets are protruding just enough to annoy me, so they'll get filed just a touch & then the neck will get some kind of sealant- a good friend who's a fine woodworker will hopefully guide me here (he's already started on the body's finish ).

Then I have to deal with the over-filed brass nut...

je

_________________
...doing bad things to good Vantages since 1985...

1981 AV-320
1981 AV-320
1981 AV-325
1982 AV-320
1982 VS-695-12
1982 VSH-445
1983 AV-330
1995 VST 33 CE TBK

Yeah, I'll just chime in with those who have already counseled against rendering the neck to bare wood. Sanding off the finish is a really dumb idea and all you have to do is think about it for a moment. Seal it!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

That's a miserable one to deal with. Looks like your only repair option would be to remove it and braise the slot shut then re-file. Really fiddly work and I don't think you'll have too much success matching the original hardness.

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

Some people are so anal when it comes to "un-finishing" although you can get some good buys on guitars when owners screw them up. I bought a very rare Larrivee neck thru bass for $250 that was half ass sanded then stained. It took me weeks to get it all off and back to natural wood. Then laquer. Gorgeous. I am sure you are torqued off at the mess created on the neck and nut but be patient and you will love it even more cus your soul is now a part of it. Seek out good machinist or welder and the nut will be fine. A matching shim under it may work after redoing the top contour and reslotting. Any luthier can do that if you do not have the tools. What type of finish did MAt use for high gloss. What is best for a respray if only sanded down a bit. My FS1000 has a dull front but the rest is gloss. Other ones I have seen are all gloss. I haven't taken possession yet so don't know if it was sanded a bit or not. Maybe it was like that stock. If you know, post it for me. We all have a few dilemas when buying used instruments. Good luck with your project. Let us know as it progresses..JJ

_________________
If the rich get going run for cover. If the poor get going run for cover.

By the way, another variable in this is the amount that your hands sweat, and the nature of that sweat. My hands don't sweat, but other players whose guitars I maintain sweat some really nasty stuff, which turns un-finished necks into dark goo and eats nickel-plated hardware for lunch. My strings last for months or even years, but one day in their hands and I need to switch to a fresh set.

je

_________________
...doing bad things to good Vantages since 1985...

1981 AV-320
1981 AV-320
1981 AV-325
1982 AV-320
1982 VS-695-12
1982 VSH-445
1983 AV-330
1995 VST 33 CE TBK

I certainly concur with that Squid Head. I have seen some filthy nasty ones myself. Why don't those guys learn to play with surgical gloves on. Save guitars around the world! LOL

_________________
If the rich get going run for cover. If the poor get going run for cover.