'76 Fender P - maple neck fretboard question

[DLM]

I did a dumb thing and slightly sanded down the fretboard lacquer with fine-grade sandpaper, but not all the way through to the wood. Now, the fretboard has hairline swirls and lacks the original sheen. The optical effect is similar to the swirls you'd see in a car's clearcoat.

I talked to a luthier who wanted $160 to re-coat the fingerboard and dress the frets (dressing frets is necessary, he says, because the lacquer would essentially coat everything, frets and all). This sounds like an expensive solution to my dumb mistake.

What are my options? Would I be able to get really, really fine-grade sandpaper, or something like it, to polish out the swirl marks and restore the sheen? Can I buy a can of the lacquer-stuff and do it myself?

Any advise is appreciated. Thanks.

[202dy]

Originally Posted by DLM

I did a dumb thing and slightly sanded down the fretboard lacquer with fine-grade sandpaper, but not all the way through to the wood. Now, the fretboard has hairline swirls and lacks the original sheen. The optical effect is similar to the swirls you'd see in a car's clearcoat.

I talked to a luthier who wanted $160 to re-coat the fingerboard and dress the frets (dressing frets is necessary, he says, because the lacquer would essentially coat everything, frets and all). This sounds like an expensive solution to my dumb mistake.

What are my options? Would I be able to get really, really fine-grade sandpaper, or something like it, to polish out the swirl marks and restore the sheen? Can I buy a can of the lacquer-stuff and do it myself?

Any advise is appreciated. Thanks.

Depending on the grit of the abrasive used, it may be able to be buffed out. If you ended with 600 grit then it can be buffed on a wheel. Or you can use Micromesh abrasives and some rubbing compounds to get it back to achieve a gloss surface.

This is a job for someone who knows what they are doing. It is easy to burn through the finish.

BTW, most guitars that have been played much could stand to have a fret dressing. If there are string marks or divots it definitely something to consider.

[DLM]

I'll definitely look into this!