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Dingwall Owners Club

#5,301
Here's a few of the whalepool with a flame maple top and no black out, maple headstock. The whalepool is one of my favorites and changes quite a bit under different light. It can go from deep blue to almost aquamarine, the flame is very 3D and deep looking.

The maple heal never bothered me, I like the contrast with the blue and the wenge fretboard.

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All of mine are natural or stained with the hard clear finish, which is top notch. I love figured wood, but I could be tempted by some of the very cool solid colors and metallics, especially the chrome blue or the bronze. Love the Ferrari yellow, too.

Choosing a color and finish would be tough! I added the Lumilay glow in the dark dots, it was an easy mod. I believe Sheldon will do Luminlay as an option now.
 
#5,303
Zoomie, your neck, including all necks built in the last 1-1/2 to 2 years are finished with satin polyurethane. This specific formula contains some nitrocellulose. I recommend Martin guitar polish to clean the back of the neck. If that's not enough to reduce the stickiness, try a little baby powder (talc) on your thumb. Keep the powder off your fingertips to avoid caking your strings. Let me know how that works.

If you need to go further than this, a light rub with 0000 steel wool or 1200 grit sand paper will knock off the gloss. Keep in mind you will be also removing finish so will accelerate the wear.
 
#5,304
Sheldon D. said:
Zoomie, your neck, including all necks built in the last 1-1/2 to 2 years are finished with satin polyurethane. This specific formula contains some nitrocellulose. I recommend Martin guitar polish to clean the back of the neck. If that's not enough to reduce the stickiness, try a little baby powder (talc) on your thumb. Keep the powder off your fingertips to avoid caking your strings. Let me know how that works.

If you need to go further than this, a light rub with 0000 steel wool or 1200 grit sand paper will knock off the gloss. Keep in mind you will be also removing finish so will accelerate the wear.
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Yes agreed with what Sheldon said above, once you use any rubbing material the process is irreversible, that is why gunstock oil and wax must be applied to re-seal as much as you can from the porous surface of the wood, but it is a procedure which must be repeated at least every 6 months.
 
#5,305
Glad that Sheldon finally pitched in.

I didn't want to sound critical, but all that talk about scrubbing the crap out of the neck of a $2,000+ instrument and then hitting it with oil soap, etc. was making me itchy.

Most people don't have the sort of mad finishing skillz that you need in order to achieve a replacement finish on the same level as Sheldon and Co.

Plus, they're already using some pretty advanced chemistry to protect all that valuable lumber from the ravages of humidity, wear and contaminants. The finish on my ABZ gives every indication that it's going to wear like iron...
 
#5,306
Sheldon D. said:
Zoomie, your neck, including all necks built in the last 1-1/2 to 2 years are finished with satin polyurethane. This specific formula contains some nitrocellulose. I recommend Martin guitar polish to clean the back of the neck. If that's not enough to reduce the stickiness, try a little baby powder (talc) on your thumb. Keep the powder off your fingertips to avoid caking your strings. Let me know how that works.

If you need to go further than this, a light rub with 0000 steel wool or 1200 grit sand paper will knock off the gloss. Keep in mind you will be also removing finish so will accelerate the wear.
Click to expand...

Sheldon, as always, extremely grateful for your advice. Martin guitar polish is the only thing that I have ever used so at least I'm not using something I shouldn't.

If I wipe down and apply the night prior, this seems to minimize the issue to almost imperceptable.

At this level of instrument, I am extremely uncomfortable doing anything invasive, for lack of a better term. I'm just not qualified, nor willing to risk the quality of the orginal work.

I'll wait until the Super P5 arrives, then make a decision on the necessity of taking some type of action.

Big bass love, sir !
 
#5,307
Sure, and my method was only meant for those neck where the coating had already been worned out completely, not for a neck which still has it's coating intact. This was mant for when your neck is at least 3 - 5 years old and it's starting to get dirty and black on the actual wood which means by that time your coating is gone.
 
#5,309
steve_rolfeca said:
Glad that Sheldon finally pitched in.

I didn't want to sound critical, but all that talk about scrubbing the crap out of the neck of a $2,000+ instrument and then hitting it with oil soap, etc. was making me itchy.

Most people don't have the sort of mad finishing skillz that you need in order to achieve a replacement finish on the same level as Sheldon and Co.

Plus, they're already using some pretty advanced chemistry to protect all that valuable lumber from the ravages of humidity, wear and contaminants. The finish on my ABZ gives every indication that it's going to wear like iron...
Click to expand...

Agreed Steve!

Still, I welcome all suggestions so I can make the most intelligent decision based on my perception and abilities.
 
#5,310
Zoomie said:
I'm right with you GW and always appreciate your advice!
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Zoomie, a few days ago you've started this topic by threathening to get a scotchbrite pad to your neck, if you had, that would have done untold damage to your finish.

I jumped in, frightened by your statement and I have given you the lowdown on how to restore a smooth silky feel and clean neck, assuming that by your intentions your neck finish had by now worn and that you were beginning to feel the accumulated sweat and dirt common to those necks whose coating is gone fishing.

Actually now I feel a bit "scored" about that, I want to make one thing sure, my suggestion is based only on an irreversible worn out poly coating not and I repat not on a neck which still has it.

For that reason, I will keep my suggestions to myself in future and will let you all figure out how to clean / maintain your own instruments. But I also want to remind you all that I am not just reading this that and the other on google and pasting it here, I have actually trained as luthier / restorer in a major London store, not for the money, as I had my day job already and did this out of hours at weekends for over 3 years, but for the sole purpose to learn how to maintain my own gear without recurring in expensive bills by unknown dubious repair men.
 
#5,311
Grand Wazoo said:
Zoomie, a few days ago you've started this topic by threathening to get a scotchbrite pad to your neck, if you had, that would have done untold damage to your finish.

I jumped in, frightened by your statement and I have given you the lowdown on how to restore a smooth silky feel and clean neck, assuming that by your intentions your neck finish had by now worn and that you were beginning to feel the accumulated sweat and dirt common to those necks whose coating is gone fishing.

Actually now I feel a bit "scored" about that, I want to make one thing sure, my suggestion is based only on an irreversible worn out poly coating not and I repat not on a neck which still has it.

For that reason, I will keep my suggestions to myself in future and will let you all figure out how to clean / maintain your own instruments. But I also want to remind you all that I am not just reading this that and the other on google and pasting it here, I have actually trained as luthier / restorer in a major London store, not for the money, as I had my day job already and did this out of hours at weekends for over 3 years, but for the sole purpose to learn how to maintain my own gear without recurring in expensive bills by unknown dubious repair men.
Click to expand...

Whoa whoa whoa ! Not sure where all this is coming from.

I did ask for suggestions. ALL SUGGESTIONS. Wih the exception of perhaps adding a happy face regarding the scotchbrite pad pun, I didn't assess judgement to anyone's opinion.

I knew exactly what you were talking about as I have some experience refinishing gun stocks. And clearly much of that was transferrable/applicable to necks.

Regardless of my final decision, I welcome and appreciate all advice.

Now lighten up, Francis ! ;)
 
#5,313
I use the clear Kiwi shoe polish, every string change, applied with a soft lint free clothe. A good rub with the wax, and buff, puts things right back to perfect. And it smells good!

I did use the 0000 steel wool as a finish rub out on the Luminlay install, to take out some 600 grit sanding marks. Smooth as glass.

Scotchbrite comes in many grades for solid surface counter top installers, but most folks only know the kitchen sponge product. It's very aggressive on clear coats. Not a good thing.

I've redone fine wood stuff with GW's process, it works great.
 
#5,314
singlemalt said:
I use the clear Kiwi shoe polish, every string change, applied with a soft lint free clothe. A good rub with the wax, and buff, puts things right back to perfect. And it smells good!
Click to expand...

+1 on the Kiwi polish, I believe that was the recommended maintenance up to a certain model year....always part of my new string ritual, polishing up the neck with Kiwi, cleaning the frets, lightly oiling the fretboard with lemon oil.....

Got rid of the bar stank until the next gig anyway;)

It would be helpful (if there isn't one already) to have a sticky in the DW forum with the exact model year Sheldon switched over to the new neck finish to remove any doubt!
 
#5,315
Grand Wazoo said:
yeah I'm ok, no worries, just didn't want to be the one that everybody pointed the finger at, for suggesting to abuse your instrument. :)
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Sorry for taking so long to respond, my funk soul brotha. I got a last minute phone call to fill in last night so I was scrambling to learn some material.

I said it once and I'll say it again. I always appreciate your perspective.

Sadly, last night, I sent the church rig to it's death. The low B on the Ding really is a leathal weapon.

While I can't say that I am unhappy about it, I gloated a little less this morning as I shelled out for a PF800 stack for the church.

It was funny last night. Looking at my checkbook now, not so much.
 
#5,317
spiritbass said:
Ouch. What was the 'dear departed' rig?
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It was an old Peavey combo that had so much rust on it, the church required any user to get a tetanus shot prior to approaching. ;)

I have been putting off doing something about it. I tried to seriously consider leaving one of my rigs, but based on the gross multitude of redbull cans in the vicinity, I could not bare the sleepless nights. So I bought a rig that wont cause lost sleep.
 
#5,318
Zoomie said:
It was an old Peavey combo that had so much rust on it, the church required any user to get a tetanus shot prior to approaching. ;)

I have been putting off doing something about it. I tried to seriously consider leaving one of my rigs, but based on the gross multitude of redbull cans in the vicinity, I could not bare the sleepless nights. So I bought a rig that wont cause lost sleep.
Click to expand...

Impressive - old Peaveys are notoriously hard to kill!
 
#5,319
spiritbass said:
Impressive - old Peaveys are notoriously hard to kill!
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I still see them everywhere. I dont think that there has been an amp built that could take a bigger beating.

As a matter of fact, I have an early model sitting here in my office. Never have plugged the SJ5 in to it. I should for fun.


IMG_3553.jpg
 
#5,320
Zoomie said:
I still see them everywhere. I dont think that there has been an amp built that could take a bigger beating.

As a matter of fact, I have an early model sitting here in my office. Never have plugged the SJ5 in to it. I should for fun.


IMG_3553.jpg
Click to expand...

That's in very nice condition Zoomie. The weak link on those old Peavy's are the Scorpion speakers. The Black Widows are an upgrade.
 

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