do you sand down the neck?

[esandes]

i do it with fine sandpaper and i find the action is smoother without the finish (lacquer or satin or whatever) since the sweat in my hands don't bind up with the finish that usually comes standard on the neck?

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

I just use 0000 grade wire wool on mine if I need to.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

usually I don't but I wanted to do it on my jaguar for better feel.

 

[esandes]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

it's one of van halen's tricks. i think his signiture guitars don't have a finish on the neck. at least i'm sure his music man's didn't.

 

[woemoejack]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

steel wool here too, usually after every 3 or 4 times playing it

 

[Johnny-DK]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

I use wet 800 grit, and if doesn't feel like a baby's chin after that I'll give another round with wet 1200 grit.
I like the smoothness

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

If it were easy to do I'd have raw necks finished with tung oil on all my guitars. Instead I sand them with 400 grit sandpaper once a year. I've already worn through the finish on my Tele's neck, and the Strats aren't far behind.

The next guitar I get will have an oil finished neck for sure.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

Nope. But I polish matte necks.

 

[hareek]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

Why would you sand down the neck? They make cleaners for cleaning them properly if you have dirt or sweat you want to remove. It's one thing if you want to remove the lacquer for whatever reason, but the wood is finished for a reason in my opinion and that finish is not to be sanded away.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

Why would you sand down the neck? They make cleaners for cleaning them properly if you have dirt or sweat you want to remove. It's one thing if you want to remove the lacquer for whatever reason, but the wood is finished for a reason in my opinion and that finish is not to be sanded away.

If you'd ever felt how fast a raw neck feels you'd understand.

 

[esandes]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

If you'd ever felt how fast a raw neck feels you'd understand.

exactly. and with time, the oils in your hand penetrate the wood and it still doesn't slow down the action. it just gets better.

 

[hareek]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

My satin finished neck is fast enough.

You are the reason you are slow.

Yeah I tend to agree I mean the satin finished maple neck on my strat is plenty fast. It was a gem the first time I picked it up and it's been great ever since. I mean to each is own, but I feel like you are needlessly damaging your neck.

Edit: I guess thinking about it some more, my strat does have a very smooth satin finish to it, whereas my dad has an electric that has a very thick and glossy coat of lacquer and it definitely does not feel as smooth as my strat. If that’s what you guys are talking about changing then I can see where you are coming from, but still you probably should seal the wood though, just with something different. Exposed wood just seems like it would be prone to damage.

 

[tonello]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

I always get mine with satin finishes. The sweat doesn't usually bind up with them. Glass yes, but satin doesn't. I like the satin look more anyways.

 

[esandes]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

you guys who don't remove the finish are really missing out. try it on your cheapest axe, for example, and i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

My satin finished neck is fast enough.

You are the reason you are slow.

Weak attempt at trolling is weak.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

you guys who don't remove the finish are really missing out. try it on your cheapest axe, for example, and i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Not really. Theres a reason that necks have finishes on them. I dig the way my JEM feels but constantly stripping a neck by sanding it removes that protection I guess if your willing to risk your neck imitating a pretzel then have at it. Otherwise i find a good finish that isnt sticky is fast enough. The rest is in your head.

 

[esandes]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

Not really. Theres a reason that necks have finishes on them. I dig the way my JEM feels but constantly stripping a neck by sanding it removes that protection I guess if your willing to risk your neck imitating a pretzel then have at it. Otherwise i find a good finish that isnt sticky is fast enough. The rest is in your head.

i sand it just once. i'm not buying into the "damage" theory.

 

[AlexR]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

I like taking the gloss off it. Makes it nicer for playing with sweaty hands.

 

[gman128]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

Play Ibanez, don't need to. The thin barely there satin finish they put on their necks doesn't slow you down in the slightest

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: do you sand down the neck?

Hell no.

I play just as well on finished or unfinished necks.