Sticky Neck!

[Folmeister]

My beloved MM/EB Sterling is getting really sticky on the back of the neck. It is getting hard to move up and down the neck without increasing friction. Does anyone have a cure for this?

[freshmeat1989]

Is it the finish or gunk build-up? If its gunk build-up then do the obvious, clean it!

[The Golden Boy]

Is it legal to link to another forum site?

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/sh...ht=sticky+neck


a bunch of nice suggestions there.

[Folmeister]

Originally Posted by freshmeat1989

Is it the finish or gunk build-up? If its gunk build-up then do the obvious, clean it!

I am still trying to find that out - got a good wood cleaner recommendation?

[Folmeister]

Originally Posted by The Golden Boy

Is it legal to link to another forum site?

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/sh...ht=sticky+neck


a bunch of nice suggestions there.

Thank you!

[bovinehost]

I didn't check out the Les Paul forum, but I can tell you that your Sterling has a very different finish on the back of the neck than does a Les Paul.

It's oil and wax on the Sterling.

You need to clean it, apply some gunstock oil and then wax it, although IMO waxing it is optional.

There's a lot of information out there. Some of it is bad, some of it is good, and some simply doesn't apply.

Believe me when I tell you that you want gunstock oil and wax.

[Folmeister]

Originally Posted by bovinehost

I didn't check out the Les Paul forum, but I can tell you that your Sterling has a very different finish on the back of the neck than does a Les Paul.

It's oil and wax on the Sterling.

You need to clean it, apply some gunstock oil and then wax it, although IMO waxing it is optional.

There's a lot of information out there. Some of it is bad, some of it is good, and some simply doesn't apply.

Believe me when I tell you that you want gunstock oil and wax.

Thank you, Bovinehost! You are one of the people I was fishing for. What do you recommend I clean it with? What wax? Gunstock oil I can get from an actual gun shop? Can you recommend a brand name? Should I know all of this already? The Les Paul thing was a blind link to a password field. I never did find anything there.

[Arthur U. Poon]

Originally Posted by bovinehost

I didn't check out the Les Paul forum, but I can tell you that your Sterling has a very different finish on the back of the neck than does a Les Paul.

It's oil and wax on the Sterling.

You need to clean it, apply some gunstock oil and then wax it, although IMO waxing it is optional.

There's a lot of information out there. Some of it is bad, some of it is good, and some simply doesn't apply.

Believe me when I tell you that you want gunstock oil and wax.

+1. EB uses Birchwood-Casey's 'Tru-Oil' gunstock finish. You can find it in most sporting goods stores. Wal-Mart carries it. For the wax, Birchwood-Casey makes some kind of 'Tru-Wax', but I haven't been able to find it. Instead I bought some 'Butcher's Wax' from the Home Depot (it's located in the wood flooring aisle). To first clean the gunk off, EB recommends Murphy's Oil Soap, which can be found in the cleaning-agents aisle of most supermarkets. EB's FAQ section of their website gives good instructions on it's useage.

1. Clean the gunk off with a cloth dampened with Murphy's Oil Soap diluted in water.
2. After the neck has dried, wipe it off and apply the gunstock finish- follow the instructions on the label.
3. Once you've removed the excess 'Tru-Oil', apply the 'Butcher's Wax'.

To keep the neck clean in the future, keep your hands clean as possible and wipe your neck down often. Periodically clean the neck off with a few drops of lemon oil on a clean rag.

I've also seen linseed nad mineral oil recommended, but I've never tried either. I've used linseed oil on a shotgun stock; it repelled water, but it was really gummy. It takes a lot of work to remove the excess oil.

[Folmeister]

Originally Posted by Arthur U. Poon

+1. EB uses Birchwood-Casey's 'Tru-Oil' gunstock finish. You can find it in most sporting goods stores. Wal-Mart carries it. For the wax, Birchwood-Casey makes some kind of 'Tru-Wax', but I haven't been able to find it. Instead I bought some 'Butcher's Wax' from the Home Depot (it's located in the wood flooring aisle). To first clean the gunk off, EB recommends Murphy's Oil Soap, which can be found in the cleaning-agents aisle of most supermarkets. EB's FAQ section of their website gives good instructions on it's useage.

1. Clean the gunk off with a cloth dampened with Murphy's Oil Soap diluted in water.
2. After the neck has dried, wipe it off and apply the gunstock finish- follow the instructions on the label.
3. Once you've removed the excess 'Tru-Oil', apply the 'Butcher's Wax'.

To keep the neck clean in the future, keep your hands clean as possible and wipe your neck down often. Periodically clean the neck off with a few drops of lemon oil on a clean rag.

I've also seen linseed nad mineral oil recommended, but I've never tried either. I've used linseed oil on a shotgun stock; it repelled water, but it was really gummy. It takes a lot of work to remove the excess oil.

Thank You, Arthur!

[bovinehost]

The Bovine Method is as follows:

Clean if necessary with Murphy's, then:


1. Sand it smooth with 600 wet or dry sandpaper. If there are any dents in the back of the neck you can raise them with steam by putting the edge of a damp terrycloth towel over the dent and then iron it with the tip of a hot iron. The steam will raise the dent. Simply sand the neck smooth after you raise the dents.

2. Dip one finger tip in Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and rub the oil into the neck with your clean hands. You can get the Tru-Oil at a gun store. Use just enough oil to cover the neck and wipe all excess off the neck.

3. Put the bass in a stand with the fingerboard toward the stand and allow it to dry complelely. This usually takes 1 to 2 days.

4. If the neck has more shine than you want, gently polish it with 0000 Steel Wool.

[The Golden Boy]

Originally Posted by bovinehost

I didn't check out the Les Paul forum, but I can tell you that your Sterling has a very different finish on the back of the neck than does a Les Paul.

It's oil and wax on the Sterling.

Sorry! I thought that was a poly finish on those! But for anyone that has a poly or nitro finish, there's some suggestions!

[dave_clark69]

I think this thread should become a sticky. its pretty usefull is someone has a gunked up neck!

[Juneau]

Info passed on to me from Sheldon Dingwall reguarding cleaning my neck (also oil/wax finish).

Get some 0000 steel wool. Make sure its 0000 - Super Fine. Get a friend to help you with this. Take your bass outside, have your friend hold the bass upside down (neck down, strings down) and lightly rub the neck with the wool. The idea here is to keep steel wool shavings away from your magnetic pickups. After thats done, get some Kiwi Natural Shoe Polish. With a paper towel, rub a little bit of polish into the neck and rub until its shiney. Cheap, easy to do cleaning.

[embellisher]

More of a Setup type question. Moved.

[Eldermike]

Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum. I personally don't want anything on my bass necks, not the ones I am playing. I sand them with 600 - 800, wipe them clean and that's it. If they warp or crack I replace them. And, they will warp, and they might crack but the tone from a clean neck is what I am after. If I stop playing a bass I wax it. Anyone else do this?

Eldermike