• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Simple neck sanding question.

troyus

troyus

Apr 9, 2008
1,079
13
San Diego, CA.
www.zombiesurfcamp.com
#1
I have an allparts neck I am using for a project. Trouble is, the neck finish is horribly glossy.. which means STICKY! :(

I want to sand the neck but can I sand it so it is fast and not sticky without having to sand it all off and re-finish it? If I have to do that, I'd rather sell the neck and buy one with a matte finish that is not sticky.

Anyone know if you can sand down the allparts neck finish a little bit and end up with a nice and fast playing neck?

:hiding:
 
#3
indeed, i dont hesitate to smooth a neck to my preference. i wouldnt use steel wool, though, but if you do, be very careful of the fragments that inevitably flake off---- those steel "hairs" could potentially cause a number of electrical problems, including wrecked pickups, or so the legend goes. i used to use 0000 wool to polish frets until i heard and read of problems such as pickup failure being attributed to it. i have definitely had to pick little steel furballs off of pole-pieces, even after having been "careful".

i actually just prepped a glossy neck to my preference, which seems similar to yours. with the neck off, i wet-sanded (well, *damp* sanded--- but i damped it frequently to flow the cuttings) with 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1500. i keep these fine grits around for polishing aluminum (up to 3000 grit), but they work great for this sort of thing. dont be aggressive, and let the abrasive do the work. try and keep it as even as possible for uniformity, and to avoid a potential sand through. sand in a straight line---- i rub mine like i would a 24" friend, and i rest it in that general area. 2000 used dry works primo for polishing frets, and really doesnt remove enough material to pose a problem. i suppose you *could* sand the frets down if you were, say, on meth and board. anyway, it makes a huge difference in the way the instrument feels. i do it to all of mine including acoustic instruments. you will find that playing it regularly will eventually polish the finish back to gloss, and you will have to do it again. for me, it seems to happen over the course of 6-18 months, depending on how hard the finish is, and how much i play that instrument.
 
#8
Georynn said:
Guitard's is accurate...

I almost thought these guys were kidding.... then I realized they're guitards...
Click to expand...

"So what you are gunna do is sand just the clear coat off the neck. You should be able to sand it without changing the shape at all. That will speed the neck up. From there you can oil it or not that is all player preference. But the main thing is just to get that finish off."

;)
 
#11
Used some 0000 steel wool, worked out great!

In response to Scott, the matte finish means I get one less callous on my hand from playing... that on my thumb joint. I'm a busy player and tend to play all over the neck so stuff like finish and profile I'm pretty picky about...

What a difference after the steel wool, blows me away! :)
 
#13
troyus said:
In response to Scott, the matte finish means I get one less callous on my hand from playing... that on my thumb joint. I'm a busy player and tend to play all over the neck so stuff like finish and profile I'm pretty picky about...
Click to expand...

That's what's so interesting. I used to be picky about that stuff too and it's like I just forgot about it. My technique now is obviously nowhere near what it was when I cared about the back of the neck, but I'm not sure how or when it changed.

BTW, glad that worked for you. You can go back and rescuff it whenever it starts to feel sticky again. There's a procedure that's like a cross between wetsanding and french polishing with Tru-oil that fills the grain and makes for a dry feeling slick neck. You might look into that for an unpainted neck. It's a lot of work but the results are nice.
 
#14
Scott in Dallas said:
That's what's so interesting. I used to be picky about that stuff too and it's like I just forgot about it. My technique now is obviously nowhere near what it was when I cared about the back of the neck, but I'm not sure how or when it changed.

BTW, glad that worked for you. You can go back and rescuff it whenever it starts to feel sticky again. There's a procedure that's like a cross between wetsanding and french polishing with Tru-oil that fills the grain and makes for a dry feeling slick neck. You might look into that for an unpainted neck. It's a lot of work but the results are nice.
Click to expand...

Thanks, yeah it's funny how preferences change... I was actually preferring unfinished necks until last year a neck I custom ordered accidentally got finished with a satin sheen... and now, I am doing the satin sheen thing. But I've never been comfortable with the sticky glossy stuff personally.

I'll have to take some pics of the final bass [I put this neck on]... I used a weathered MIM Fender sage green jazz body, routed it for Noiseless active jazz deluxe system. I managed to squeeze the battery in the control cavity instead of gouging the body for a battery area, which was close but it worked. Used the Allparts 70s Jazz block/bound neck I had sitting around, Fender Jaguar bridge and tuners, from when I parted out my Fender Jag, and a nice pearl pickguard I picked up on here from another TB'r. All I'm waiting for right now is a 70's Fender Jazz Bass logo and it will be complete! The neck pocket has a gap on one side, but the fundamentals feel awesome so I'm not going to let it get me down... :bassist:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back