Removing clear coat on maple fretboard?

[Chris F]

I have a MIM Jaguar bass that has a gloss coat on the maple fretboard. Im considering stripping the clear coat off it it can be done well.

Has anyone ever done this before?
If so, how?
Any regrets?

 

[BruceWane]

You're going to want some kind of finish on a maple fretboard. Unfinished maple will look dirty pretty quickly, and not in a "cool/reliced" way, just kinda gray and gross.

 

[Old Fart]

Yes it will look grey and ugly. And it will play like butter. Finishes, even satin ones, are sticky. Nude necks are not.

Another option is to use the right kind(s) of oil. It helps to seal the maple without the sticky finish. I am not an expert, but a buddy builds guitars/basses and does this, with excellent results.

 

[blastoff99]

Since this is less of a question about a particular bass and more of a generic query, I'm going to send this over to Repair because I think those folks will have good answers for you.

 

[Turnaround]

Yes it will look grey and ugly. And it will play like butter. Finishes, even satin ones, are sticky. Nude necks are not.

Another option is to use the right kind(s) of oil. It helps to seal the maple without the sticky finish. I am not an expert, but a buddy builds guitars/basses and does this, with excellent results.

I think you are talking about the neck and the OP is talking about a fretboard. But in both cases you need to have some kind of finish on the maple, not just for cosmetic reasons. Maple is fairly reactive to changes in relative humidity and leaving it without a finish exacerbates the problem. Your setups won't be stable and the neck could permanently warp.

 

[bobdabilder]

You can use chemical stripper or heat to remove the finish. Both may damage inlays or dots. Once that's done, an oil finish or gunstock wax should be fine. I have several basses with gunstock wax finish that did't twist or explode.

 

[iiipopes]

Please don't. The purpose of the sealer is to prevent the neck from deteriorating and looking like $#!+ over time from the discoloration. Unless you are Clapton. The legend is that Leo saw Buddy Holly or someone else on TV and was appalled at the way the maple neck looked bad from wear and deterioration on TV, and that's why he went to rosewood fret boards in 1959. Part of the discoloration is actually either bacteria, fungus, or mold attacking the wood. Please keep the sealer on the neck, and have it touched up when it wears through.

 

[Vinny_G]

Finishes, even satin ones, are sticky.

Not in my experience.

 

[Lownote38]

Please don't. The purpose of the sealer is to prevent the neck from deteriorating and looking like $#!+ over time from the discoloration. Unless you are Clapton. The legend is that Leo saw Buddy Holly or someone else on TV and was appalled at the way the maple neck looked bad from wear and deterioration on TV, and that's why he went to rosewood fret boards in 1959. Part of the discoloration is actually either bacteria, fungus, or mold attacking the wood. Please keep the sealer on the neck, and have it touched up when it wears through.

^^^ This x1,000

 

[SulzerType2]

Heat gun plus Stanley knife blades, used as scrapers, works for me. Removing all remnants of lacquer against the frets is really tricky. Also not bedding until the maple with the blade is tricky. High frets are trickier still as the gap between them is smaller so hard to use tools or abrasives in.

 

[Turnaround]

Also not bedding until the maple with the blade is tricky.

Huh?

 

[testing1two]

I have a MIM Jaguar bass that has a gloss coat on the maple fretboard. Im considering stripping the clear coat off it it can be done well.

Has anyone ever done this before?
If so, how?
Any regrets?

Is this for purely cosmetic reasons or do you not like the feel of the gloss? If the former, you can lightly sand* or steel wool** the fingerboard to give it a satin look that actually feels super smooth. If you want to maintain the gloss appearance but improve the feel, wax the fingerboard (Pure Carnuba or Johnson's Paste Wax) to reduce friction against your fingers.

*if you sand, take precautions to protect the frets or you will scratch them and create a lot more work for yourself to polish them out.
**if you steel wool, remove the neck, go outside and scrub the entire fingerboard with 0000 steel wool. Then thoroughly clean off the neck (with naphtha) and yourself (not with naphtha) before reassembly.

 

[SulzerType2]

Huh?

Imagine 'until' is a different word.

 

[Turnaround]

Imagine 'until' is a different word.

Thanks - it was going to keep me up all night!