Refinishing neck

[nubass409]

I have a maple block inlay neck off a VM squier jass bass. I would like to remove the satin finish and replace it with a gloss. Any help!!! This is my first project bass so any help is thankful

[cynical1]

On a Squire bass the finish is probably some type of poly or catalyst finish, which is going to be difficult, at best, to remove completely.

Even the best strippers available will do little to make a dent. Sanding is about the only option here. This will also remove any decals on the headstock.

Generally maple necks are spray after the fret go in, so a refinish will entail cleaning and dressing the frets.

What type of finish where you planning on applying to the neck once you removed the existing finish? (poly, lacquer...)

One thing to keep in mind, a satin finish will allow faster, smoother movement of your thumb up and down the neck.

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[nubass409]

Thanks for the info. Not sure if I want a poly or lacquer. I have a place that will spray a lac for $30 but they will not get into the poly. It a furniture refinishing store. I know the satin will allow faster movement but I like the high gloss look. I think it makes the neck stand out. It does not look to bad right now. I think the person that had it before me tried to give it a aged look. You can see some sanding marks.
Is there anything I can use to buff it up a little. Wet sanding or something

[62bass]

Originally Posted by nubass409

Thanks for the info. Not sure if I want a poly or lacquer. I have a place that will spray a lac for $30 but they will not get into the poly. It a furniture refinishing store. I know the satin will allow faster movement but I like the high gloss look. I think it makes the neck stand out. It does not look to bad right now. I think the person that had it before me tried to give it a aged look. You can see some sanding marks.
Is there anything I can use to buff it up a little. Wet sanding or something

You can buff it to a high gloss using first very fine sandpaper, wet, and going finer in grit, then a final polish with an automotive buffing compound. You can get some good tips on this from the ReRanch site. What grit of sandpaper to start with depends on how bad and coarse the scratches are on the neck now, and you'll have to be careful that you don't cut right through the existing finish to bare wood, which is easy to do when sanding a curved surface. I'd probably start with 600, then 800, then 1200 and then a buffing compound. When changing to a finer grit of sandpaper, wipe off all the slurry on the neck and change to fresh water for the next grit of paper. You don't want any of the coarser grit particles left behind to mark up your nice shine.

[Caca de Kick]

Right, just like 62bass says. I too have taken satin finished Fender necks and only used automotive polishing compound and polished them to a high gloss. I really feel the necks play faster when they're made glossy.
The Warwick stained-maple bodies are the same way, they also have a satin clearcoat that polishes up to a beautiful gloss.

[bassmodder]

On my '08 P, Fender sanded it with too course of a paper. I was sanding with a 2000 and was getting fearful that I was going to hit the decal. I stopped and hit it with 400 then put about five cotes of Stew mac guitar lacquer on the neck. That dried OVER NIGHT! I wet sanded and buffed it out the next day.

It has been a month since and it still has that dipped in glass look to it. As far as the two being incompatible, yes. Fender seems to have no problems using the two on the HW1 basses, so I figured I would be fine doing it as well.

I HIGHLY recommend Stew mac's guitar lacquer (nitro lacquer). That was the easiest and fastest drying lacquer I have ever used.

Oh and we need pix... hang on.. Hard to photograph shine but you get the idea- http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../Headstock.jpg

I sprayed this outside in the back yard... Can cost me 15 bucks and I have LOTS left over.

[Caca de Kick]

bassmodder,
Did you do the whole neck or just the face of the headstock?
I only ask because the laquer will yellow and darken more than the poly will. So if it's the whole neck then I hope it was sprayed evenly.

[bassmodder]

Just the front and the back. There are no tape lines, no roughness. No evidence of any finish work. The sides and back of the neck have OEM finish.

I have seen MANY a Fender with a dark headstock face with light sides, so I anticipate no weird looks down the road.

I chose the nitro specifically because it does yellow over time. I thought it would compliment the guitar as it ages.

I did test spray a piece of wood and leave it in the hot summer sun for a week with strips of tape on them to test for yellowing. I was not successful in getting it to yellow so I think it might have more to do with age than UV.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by bassmodder

Just the front and the back. There are no tape lines, no roughness. No evidence of any finish work. The sides and back of the neck have OEM finish.

I have seen MANY a Fender with a dark headstock face with light sides, so I anticipate no weird looks down the road.

I chose the nitro specifically because it does yellow over time. I thought it would compliment the guitar as it ages.

I did test spray a piece of wood and leave it in the hot summer sun for a week with strips of tape on them to test for yellowing. I was not successful in getting it to yellow so I think it might have more to do with age than UV.

Polyurethane ,with its oil content, will darken with age more than nitro lacquer.

[cynical1]

Originally Posted by nubass409

Not sure if I want a poly or lacquer.

One thing to consider in all this. The rule of thumb is to spray the hottest finish first.

By this I mean that spraying poly over lacquer will have less of an effect on the first finish as spraying lacquer over a poly.

The lacquer could very well lift the original finish when applied, giving you a very unique wrinkled or bubbled finish

If you really want to spray the neck with nitro I would strongly suggest you take all the old finish off down to the wood.

Not a lot of fun, I admit. Especially on a neck as you'll need to pull the frets and nut to do it right.

On the bright side, at least you get new frets and a nut out of the deal too...

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[JustDavid]

My view on satin or gloss finishes is those descriptions apply to the surface character of a finish, not to the finish itself. Gloss' "imperfections" are much finer than Satin's.

My own concern would be only for the playability/feel of the back of the neck. I'd wet-sand with extra to ultra fine sandpaper to gloss up the neck, likely starting with 600 & ending with 1500.

[bassmodder]

Originally Posted by cynical1

One thing to consider in all this. The rule of thumb is to spray the hottest finish first.

By this I mean that spraying poly over lacquer will have less of an effect on the first finish as spraying lacquer over a poly.

The lacquer could very well lift the original finish when applied, giving you a very unique wrinkled or bubbled finish

If you really want to spray the neck with nitro I would strongly suggest you take all the old finish off down to the wood.

Not a lot of fun, I admit. Especially on a neck as you'll need to pull the frets and nut to do it right.

On the bright side, at least you get new frets and a nut out of the deal too...

Happy Trails

Cynical One

Not to pick and argue here, but Fender sprays a (correct me if im wrong) poly sealer under the finish of the HW1 basses. Those are nitro.

Honestly, if the poly is any sort of quality, is properly cured and you don't drench the neck dripping wet with lacquer, I would not expect a problem. This is the second neck I have done this to and never had a problem. Both Fender products none the less.

I understand that the adhesion may not be the best between the two, but with the way I take care of my instruments, that is not of concern.

I would also think that if you are ready to sand and strip the neck (and destroy the decal) than what harm will come if you screw up the original finish with lacquer? A little more to sand off?

The back of the neck- I left the OEM finish on that. I read many times that the lacquer gets sticky and wanted none of that. I simply sanded it and buffed. The curvature of the neck helps hide most of the scratches that don't get sanded out.

[cynical1]

Fender has been applying a product called "Fullerplast" on their higher grade instruments for over 30 some years, then they spray the nitro over it. The Fullerplast eliminates grain filling and makes the whole manufacturing process faster, but the only way to get it off is through mechanical means.

On the Squire, Mexican, Japanese, some USA, and I believe all other imports, Fender uses a 100% Poly and UltraViolet cured Resin. Again, very tough stuff.

This poly and UV resin may take the lacquer just fine. I've never sprayed over one. I have had to clean up the mess after someone sprayed lacquer over a non-lacquer base. It ain't pretty and it's a chore getting it all back off again.

If it were my neck, I'd try the fine wetsanding, steel wool and some swirl remover and auto polish first. If you like it, then you're done without all the work of re-spraying.

Just my 2 cents.

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[bassmodder]

I sprayed a body with paint that was not mixed properly at the paint store once..I put the proper amount of cure in and well... it never cured. Was always sticky. Paint stripper still would not touch it, sand paper would clog. What a mess. I ended up hand sanding it to keep it cool enough through the sanding process.

I ended up buying the Fender (above) and still have that old body as a "project" 95% of the finish is gone; just the curves by the neck have "gooze" left on em.

I am enjoying that new Fender so much that the project is on hold for quite some time!!

What ever you do, don't rush. If you buy polly, double check what the paint person is putting in when the color is "custom". Also make sure that they have mixed the cans recently.

[cynical1]

Originally Posted by bassmodder

..I put the proper amount of cure in and well... it never cured. Was always sticky... 95% of the finish is gone; just the curves by the neck have "gooze" left on em.

Yep, had that happen a few times myself. Temperature, humidity, air pressure on the gun and coat thickness can all be contributing factors...then there's the time the guy at the paint store sells you baking enamel...and you wanted air cure...

If you plan on putting a solid finish back on you can try some Kleen Strip Aircraft Paint Remover. This was always the last resort on solid color jobs. This stuff is lethal, so wear gloves and on wood cut the stand time in half and wipe if off with a solvent right away.

Sometimes you can go back over a non-curing coat with a light spray of the same coating, but with additional hardener or curing agent mixed in. Then, sometimes you can bake the finish...if you have access to an auto paint shop...

That's very good advice you give on taking your time. If you don't have time to do it right, when are you going to have time to do it again?

Happy Trails

Cynical One