Sanding the back of the neck

[darkshadow54321]

I've been wanting to do this for a long while... I'd like the neck to have a woodier, less sticky feel to it, so I'd like to sand it down and then apply an oil finish or even leave it natural, if possible. At the very least, I want a satin finish. The neck wood is maple which is fairly stable, right?

I currently have 1800, 2400 and 3600 grit sandpaper. Are these too fine? Should I get some rougher ones for the initial sanding? The finish on the neck seems to be pretty thin. I have no idea what type of finish it is, but as it's a cheap guitar, I imagine it's poly...

How do I actually sand it? I was told to wrap the sandpaper around a block and use that... is that the correct method?

The only thing I'm worried about is sanding too deep in certain areas. I'll obviously be trying to keep it even around the curve but I might mess it up...

Any help is appreciated!!! Thanks!

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

what kind of guitar is it?

i sanded the neck on a squier strat about 2 years ago and haven't had any problems with it. i can't remember how fine of a grit i used, probably just the finest that they carried at the local hardware store. it improved the feel a lot, got rid of that stickyness that you're talking about. the worst thing that happened to it was without there being any finish on it, the wood got dirtier a lot faster. but if it's a cheap guitar and you're not worried about preserving the resale value, i'd say go for it.

i didn't use a block or anything, just wrapped my hand around the curve of the neck and went to town. just don't press too hard, and do it in small increments so you don't take off too much of the wood and wreck the shape pf the neck.

 

[Voxman]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

If you just want a smoother neck you don`t have to sand it all off.
Try it step by step.It will be much better just by sanding a bit.
The 2400 and 3600 papers will do fine! use your hand

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

I used some very fine steel wool on the back of my Strat neck and it seemed to help a lot.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

BE A MAN! Play that axe until the finish is palyed off!

 

[aleclee]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

You might be happy with the results of just taking it down to a matte finish. I have some friends who have used Micro Mesh with great results. That way you don't have to worry about neck stability, dirt, or refinishing.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

I´d use 0000 steel wool to "satinize" ther finish and see if you like the feel before going all the way.... For ex. most of my guitars have unfinished or oiled necks, but when I had satinized the neck of my Model 6 I was glad that I hadn´t stripped it completely, because on that axe I found that I prefer the gloss finish and simply had to buff it back

 

[Baltar]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

BE A MAN! Play that axe until the finish is palyed off!

haha, great post ;-)

@darkshadow...
i wish i could tell you, but i have the same project in near future, so no expirience for now.
i think of doing the same to my jb-neck. bot not to get it thinner, i want an oilfinish instead
of stock paint

 

[jmh151]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

If it's a glossy strat neck I lightly scuff it with 320 or 400 grit wet dry sandpaper- it gives it a rougher feel, closer to bare wood than if you use the ultra fine 1500 grit sandpaper. OOOO steel wool is good too, but it doesn't seem to change the feel of the neck too much.

The best of all is to remove the neck, sand it down to the bare wood, and apply a few coats of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil.

 

[Baltar]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

does anyone hav an idea, if this impacts the lifetime in someway?

does it have a bigger chance to warp, if it's not painted?

 

[jmh151]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

does anyone hav an idea, if this impacts the lifetime in someway?

does it have a bigger chance to warp, if it's not painted?

Any unfinished maple neck is susceptable to warping if not protected by a hard finish. It's not guaranteed to happen, but the odds increase, particularly if you sweat.The cheaper the guitar, the lower quality the maple and the better chance of it happening.

The 80's Charvels and Jacksons used quartersawn maple , as well as double expanding truss rods, to prevent warping on their oiled necks. Ernie Ball went one step further and reinforced their oiled necks with graphite rods to prevent from warping. I have a Music Man Axis, and even with the oiled neck and graphite reinforcement, it still needs frequent adjustment. My Ibanez RG never needed adjustment.

According to Warmoth, Tung Oil is not adequate to protect a neck. However Birchwood Casey Tru-oil is because it dries hard. I've used tru-oil, it is an excellent sealer and has a les sticky feel than tung oil.

 

[Baltar]

Re: Sanding the back of the neck

thanks jmh151