How to make neck faster without ruining it?

[lucianoxrp]

One of my basses, has a glossy neck that is pretty sticky and hard to move smoothly over it. I've been watching threads and posts of people fixing this same issue, and most of them use the sanding approach. My concern is that, the bass finish it's pretty cool so I don't want to sand it all the way to the wood.
Is there a not so intrusive way to make the neck a little faster without sanding it out?
Would it work to apply a very light fine grain sand paper to just remove a little of the glossy finish? If so, is there any collateral damage in the neck color?
Thanks

 

[jchrisk1]

Red scotch brite pads work well. They take off minimal finish.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Scotch brite pad - just enough to knock off some shine - don't take off the poly, just make it less glossy. As you play it, the shine will return. Then repeat as needed.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Clean the neck off real well and then hit it with a good wax. See how the neck feels then. If you want to go further, move to a 3M pad. If that isn't enough, you need to get out some sand paper and oil.

 

[bobdabilder]

Put a piece of tape where the headstock transition is and where the heel is and those will be your stopping points. Scotchbright til its dull.

 

[Qlanq]

As above.
5 or 6 passes with the pad or very fine sandpaper, that's all it needs.
Just to take the shine off.

 

[Zooberwerx]

ScotchBrite for me, as well. I've not tried this but you can also wet-sand with 1500 grit and mineral oil...use naptha to remove the oil. This is per TBer @walterw .

Riis

 

[onda'bass]

don't buy a gloss finished neck?

 

[Bob_Ross]

Head on over to the Unofficial Warmoth forum and look for the sticky thread on “burnishing necks”. It provides a very comprehensive step-by-step procedure for turning the back of any wood neck into a slick fast baby’s bottom.


edit: Burnishing Raw Necks

 

[walterw]

Clean the neck off real well and then hit it with a good wax.

this one is often overlooked!

get some guitar wax, a carnauba wax made for guitar, and apply to the back of the neck. buff it out and it’ll feel super-slick and is harmless to the finish.

 

[Arie X]

wax doesn't last too long on a neck.

grey scotch brite 7448.

the 7445 (white) is finer, but it's abrasive can be a health hazzard.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

wax doesn't last too long on a neck.

grey scotch brite 7448.

the 7445 (white) is finer, but it's abrasive can be a health hazzard.

I looked up the SDS and MSDS for the 7445 pad. They didn’t really list anything under health hazards. Is it the abrasive? I think one sheet said it was titanium dioxide.

I’m not saying it isn’t a hazard. Genuinely curious as I have these at home.

 

[Arie X]

the abrasive is Nepheline Syenite.

 

[walterw]

wax doesn't last too long on a neck.

right but it's zero-harm zero alteration.

wax up the neck before the gig and you should be fine for the rest of the night.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

I use 600 grit sandpaper as needed to scuff it, usually every 6 months or so. I haven't stripped the finish off, and it appears to have plenty to go before I get to that point.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

+1 grey scotchbrite. You can vary how aggressively it cuts with hand pressure. Like others said, tape off headstock and neck heel where you want it to stop. If you change your mind later, it can be easily buffed back up to gloss.

 

[wishface]

Someone mentioned doing this in another thread

Naturally I'm a bit nervous. BUt i find the neck is sticky for me on my Sire M2. So this is a valid technique?

How heavily do you need to sand the neck? I don't own any sandpaper (i gather wet and dry paper is the same thing).

Can you use linseed oil to seal the neck?

Thanks

What are the pitfalls to watch out for? Obviously I don't want to damage the instrument. I have never heard of this technique before; I would have assumed sanding the finish would actually make it rougher.

Thanks

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I think the theory is that by sanding it, you create a series of tiny grooves in the neck (scratches) that actually reduce the surface area in contact with your hand. It works. Dont use sandpaper though, too easy to dig in and scratch unevenly. Use a grey scotchbrite, most hardware stores carry them. If you are nervous, start with a white scotchbrite, which will barely touch it, just kind of a satin finish. If that feels good, stop there, if not, try grey. Tape off any areas you dont want to touch. This is entirely reversible by buffing back to gloss.

 

[Lownote38]

Baby powder on your hand works, too.

 

[Allegrus]

^^ Good idea. I've also seen people use light cotton gloves with the fingers cut off.