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Slightly strange question (Modulus)

blackreverend

blackreverend

Nov 21, 2004
350
11
Island of Kauai, Hawaii
#1
Hey Guys,

I was wondering; I had a chance to play a Modulus Q6, and liked the sound, but didn't really like the high gloss finish on the neck; is there a way to smooth out the back of a graphite neck? I know that it will never be as sleek as a oil finish wood neck, but is there a way to get it close?

BR
 
#4
blackreverend said:
I might try that, but if I do, what are the chances of it sanding down to bare graphite? And would that actually be a bad thing at all?
Click to expand...

400 grit paper isn't going to remove much material from the neck so you are probably safe using it. Hard to say what the odds are of hitting a piece of graphite. The graphite strips are laid into the liquid in the mold so some are going to be closer to the outside than others. I think it would be very bad to expose the graphite. Not sure if it is sharp like fiberglass but it would certainly make the neck feel different in the exposed area. Remember too that if you screw up the neck it's going to cost a lot of $ to get it replaced.

Rick B.
 
#5
As an alternative to #400 grit sandpaper -- not that I advocate either of these methods, I'm just throwing this out there for ya -- you might try the buffing compound that auto body shops use. I had a guitar tech use that on a painted wooden neck that had gotten a lot of nicks & chips, and it worked wonders.

Another thing to be concerned about if you do strip off the surface layer of a graphite neck, is that the resins and/or the actual carbon fibers (I forget which) are sensetive to ultraviolet light, and without the topcoat they can degrade with exposure to sunlight. Craig Calfee, one of the most respected custom carbon fiber bicycle frame builders in the USA, recommends regularly applying sunscreen (!) to any of his "naked" (unfinished) frames. Not sure how many daytime outdoor gigs you'll be playing, but again, I'm just putting this out there for ya.

Personally I think your best bet is to contact Modulus directly and ask whether they already have a solution. I know you're not the first person I've heard ask about a non-glossy finish for graphite necks.
 
#6
I don't like the gloss finish either, which is why mine is a satin finish, which feels more "natural" and isn't sticky.

I would contact Tony @ Planet Bass and ask them what they use to get the "satin" finish. Modulus put the gloss finish on my custom Q5 when it was shipped, and they fixed it for me at his shop in an afternoon.
 
#7
You can get them from the factory with a satin finish. My store just got a new Q6 with a factory satin finnish on the neck. Killer bass! Has an Alder body, Chechen top, Chechen fingerboard and Barts w/ 3 band. It does glide a bit better than the gloss, but gloss never bothered me.
 
#11
I have a recent Q6 and enjoy it very much. I personally would not do anything to the neck. I have basses with gloss and flat finishes on the back of the neck and when playing them honestly don't think much about the difference in feel. There is no real difference in the way gloss/matte finished necks play for me.

I think some players began to prefer the matte finish on the back of the neck after playing an older bass that had the finish worn off from years of play. Manufacturers then decided to apply the matte finish instead of gloss since it is evidently less costly than a gloss finish. Distressed finishes came about in the same way. My first bass was a used Fender Precision bought well used in 1958 and it was naturally distressed. Those that prefer them can have them. Me? I much prefer something that looks new. I am old and like new looking basses and some of the younger players like old well used basses.

Jazz bass or Precision? Matte or gloss? Distressed or glossy/new? The choice is yours.

One other thought is that I own 6 string basses by G. Gould, Yamaha, Roscoe and Modulus. All of them are great instruments but the graphite necked Gould and Modulus are exceptional in the way they play and sound up and down the neck. The B strings are so much more clear sounding on them. No hot spots or dead notes anywhere. All of my 6's are 35" scale, by the way and have great sounding B strings.
 
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