Info Please - Sanding Neck

[Jager J]

I haven't seen anything about this. I was wanting to sand the finish on my neck to get a raw wood feel. My guitar is a neck-thru with binding, so I was wondering if it is impossible or if there are any precautions I should know. If anyone knows how to do this or has a tutorial that would help me greatly.

[Jager J]

Anyone?

[GregP]

Sorry, I'm not experienced enough to give good tips... definitely don't use power tools unless you're sure of what the binding's made of, though, because most binding is made from a highly flammable plastic.

Back in the day, instead of using 'satin finish' clearcoat, you would just use glossy coat and then use sandpaper to give it a matte feel. Maybe this would be enough for you to prefer your neck's feel and save you the time of going right down to the wood.

For reasons other than the flammable binding, I'd be hesitant do use power tools at all... I haven't tried, but imagining how it would progress, I visualize screwing up the neck by not stopping at the right depth.

Again, I wouldn't know for sure, but it seems to me that the best solution will end up being a combination of solvent and final hand sanding.

Greg

[Jager J]

Thansk for the replies. I do hate the gloss, it feels like I'm playing with molasses. Removing the gloss from the neck won't affect the binding in any way will it?

[Southpa]

Do you want to remove the finish from the binding as well? You can avoid it by taping over and just sand the wood.

[Jager J]

No I don't want to remove the binding. Just wondering if it might cause problems. Example - After sanding the gloss down to the laquer will the binding create a lip on the neck,etc. Will standard sanding techniques work on a neck-thru with binding? That's what I'm basically asking. If they don't, why? An how can I overcome this.

[Southpa]

No I don't want to remove the binding.

I did not ask if you wanted to remove the binding. I asked if you wanted to remove the finish on the binding. Tape over the binding and sand the clear off the wood. Then remove the tape and lightly feather sand the finish on the binding to blend in smooth with the already sanded wood.

And what do you consider to be standard sanding technique? Just sand with the grain and when you get to the body area, feather sand once again so the sanded wood runs smoothly into the finished wood. Same goes for the beginning of the headstock area. Just put your faith into your sense of touch, a blind man could do it!

Edited April 10, 2005 by Southpa

[Jager J]

Sorry that was a typo, I meant to type "gloss on the binding," my bad

a blind man could do it!

That is good to hear, I'm almost legally blind. Thanks for the info, I'll use the tuts and your advice. Wish I had more experience with wood working. I'll probably seek a little help. Thanks for taking the time to reply to a nOOb.

Edited April 10, 2005 by Jager J

[Maiden69]

Sorry I'm so late, like they mentioned it is very easy to do. I used 320 free cut sandpaper, once you the gloss out, if your neck is stained like mine was, you have to keep going with the 320 until you get all the stain out, then just start with 400-600. Stop here get a damp rag and run it on the neck to raise the grain, once this is done sand again with 600 without applying any preassure, you just want to know out the grain. If you haver a concave scraper, use it, it is better to shave the grain than to sand it, but make sure that you reapeat this step until almost no grain raises when you dampen the neck. Now just start with 800-1000-1500-2000, you are basicly polishing the wood at this point. If you are going to leave your neck raw, I suggest you get lemon oil, and put some on the neck at least weekly or after every time you play hard on it.

If your neck is natural color, you can just use a steel wool or a 600 grit sandpaper to knock off the gloss, and leave it satin, it will feel almost like a bare neck, and it will still have the protection or the laquer on it.

Here is a pic of mine

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Maiden69/DSC01193.jpg

[thedoctor]

If I might use this thread for a moment, what is the "raw-wood" neck feel? What is it that makes it different than, say, an unrubbed neck finish? Is it rougher, smoother, snakeskin, what? I have been trying to get a consistent orange-peel on my bass necks for years to no avail. What is the "raw-wood" feel?

[Maiden69]

I'n my case, I finnd that my hands slide better on the neck with the raw wood on it. But I play both anyway, the LP is raw and it has lemon oil put on it regulary. My others are painted, there is a definate difference in the feel of both, but it is hard to explain. You have to try it in order to figure out which one you like better. A lot of people recomend finishing the neck, and Warmoth goes to the extend to void the warranty if you don't finish yours with a hard finish (no oil here). I haven't had any problem with mine so far, but I keep it in the house, so there is no radical changes in humidity or temperature.

EVH loves to use the necks bare, Zakk Wylde is the same. Other don't care, so I guess it's a matter of liking it or not.

[Daniel Sorbera]

looks like you did a great job maiden. Is that a eppiphone? Thats weird that they would have figured maple necks

And that feel of a raw neck is IMHO much better than that of a finished neck. It is much easier to slide up and down the neck as your hands dont stick. I sand mine up to like 4000 grit and it auccually gets glossy

[Maiden69]

Yeap it's an Epi, it was my 1st good refinish, got me the GOTM in Oct 2004 when there were 2 diff divisions. GOTM 2004 and here link to the thread. There are some broken links on th epics, but most are there.

[JimRayden]

I think I'm gonna go for it too. I'm getting an old guitar soon and I decided to sand off the neck while I'm at modding it. Can I use any other oil instead of lemon oil?

-------------

Jimbo

[Jager J]

Thanks Maiden for all the info. I might get a cheap guitar or possibly just a neck to do a test run on before I start screwing up mine. I'll probably ninja into my friends house and steal his pile.

[Maiden69]

As long as you use sand paper there ain't a possibility of screwing your neck, unless you use like 60 grit.

To get those lines I used an X-acto knife, I marked were I wanted the lines to be and left about 1/8" then taped the area that I didn't want sanded, after finishing to get the neck bare, I used the knife at a very small angle and scraped the paint and dye too. In this Epi, I found out that the back of the headstock, and the sides of the heelhad a mahogany veneer. So i had to score with the exacto on the headstock to get the crisp line, on the heel I just feather the edge since a crisp line will feel on while playing.

[thedoctor]

Maiden, I still don't get the "raw-wood" thing. Do people want a marble-smooth low-friction neck or do they want to feel the grain of the wood? I have an affection for bass necks that catch my thumb when I put a little pressure on it. Kind of like disc brakes for the reckless. Or maybe air-bags

[Daniel Sorbera]

if you sand with real finr grits you dont feel any grain. It is just easier to slide up and down the neck than on some sort of finish. It's not that it's "smoother" persay. I think that after you buff out a finsih it's auccually more marble smooth. But it's harder to slide up and down on it. Just go and grab a peice of scrap maple and begin sanding and go all the way up to like 2000 grit. than decide for yourself if you like it or not.

[Maiden69]

Is not the rought feel, is the smooth one. If the wood of the neck wouls be mahogany or any other porous wood I will leave the finish on, or at least fill the pores a bit with true or tung oil.