Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic

alligatorbling · 07-04-2008, 10:11 AM

I had been toying with the idea of this for a while I finally decided to do it, so after work this morning I picked up a variety pack of automotive sandpaper from advance auto. The process was pretty simple. First I cleaned the back of the neck thoroughly with a rag lightly dampened with lighter fluid. Next I taped off the binding and areas where the body meets the neck with masking tape, laid out the sand paper in the order roughest to finest, along with a bowl of water. I wet the back of the neck down with a thin layer of water, then wet the 320 grit and went to work. After I felt that I had cut though enough I switched to 400 grit, then 600 grit, and ended with 800 grit. Between each grade of sandpaper I wiped the neck down with a damp rag and cleaned off the lacquer residue, then wiped it dry to check my progress. Next I would re wet to sand again... After finishing with the 800 grit I wiped down the neck toughly with a clean damp wash cloth and then dried with another... Finally I wiped the sanded neck down with a cloth damped with a little lighter fluid. I have to say I am VERY happy with my results. The gloss is gone, but the reason for this wasn't aesthetics. I was after functionality... (a fast neck thats smooth as silk) and thats what I got! If anyone has considered doing this, I say go for it! If you can live without the back of your neck being shiny then you have everything to gain and nothing to lose!

Wuchak · 07-04-2008, 03:59 PM

Thanks for the good tip. Do you have any pics of what it looks like now?

djwilbanks · 07-04-2008, 04:34 PM

Ejecto · 07-04-2008, 04:43 PM

Respect for doing it to the Classic, I did to my Burny beater and was still a tad anxious. What a difference it makes though, love the results.

alligatorbling · 07-04-2008, 05:11 PM

Heres a pic, you really cant see much difference in it at a glance... The end result is more or less a satan faded look...

alk-3 · 07-04-2008, 05:40 PM

Going through the grits is not necessary; you could have just used 800 grit alone.
Too achieve the same effect you can use some 0000 or 00000 steel wool and not deal with the mess of wet sanding. The naphtha is also not required.
keep in mind it will eventually shine up again, and need to be redone, so going from 320 to 800 would remove all the lacquer after only a few times.

Eggy · 07-04-2008, 06:59 PM

Some people might view it as a bit extreme but I do this to all the guitars I intend to keep, especially if they have painted necks,

Kølabrennern · 07-04-2008, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alligatorbling

The end result is more or less a satan faded look...

How does Satan do his fading?

Sorry, just had to.

Ejecto · 07-04-2008, 08:03 PM

+1 Eggys result.

Wuchak · 07-04-2008, 10:52 PM

I might have to give this a try.

alligatorbling · 07-05-2008, 12:31 AM

Welp... I figured I went this far so i may as well do it right! Heres my final result... super fast, super smooth!

Plus it looks bad ass lol

djwilbanks · 07-05-2008, 01:15 AM

SUPAH NICE!!!1!

No really, I love that look, looks awesome.

Paul · 07-05-2008, 04:05 AM

can i throw in a few tips, its good to finish the neck with 1200 grit paper then verry fine steel wool then some tough fabric like the back of a sanding belt. its an option but lightly oiling the back of the neck with tung oil or hardc burnishing oil (which will leave a satin finish opposed to the normal tung oil) will seal the wood without glossing the neck or giving it a sticky feel its important to get rid of any excess oil by really giving the neck a good rub down and then letting it dry and bleed then whipeing it down again.

paintanddestroy · 07-05-2008, 07:14 AM

i have taped off the fret board and body on a few guitars and just hit them with a scotch brite pad . seems to do the trick.

Eggy · 07-05-2008, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alligatorbling

Welp... I figured I went this far so i may as well do it right! Heres my final result... super fast, super smooth!

Plus it looks bad ass lol

With a neck like that I bet your riffing ability has just increased by 10%

JCM223 · 07-05-2008, 12:50 PM

I always wanted to try something like that, but could never get the courage up to actually do it. I bet it's so much faster now, though!

alligatorbling · 07-05-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCM223

I always wanted to try something like that, but could never get the courage up to actually do it. I bet it's so much faster now, though!

lol yeah ... since gibsons are expensive guitars they carry a stigma of sorts... folks almost feel as if they have to pussy foot around with them... but if its your number 1 and you think youd like it better a certian way, even if its changing its form... then i say go for it... its a guitar, its meant to be played

Fader · 07-16-2008, 09:45 AM

I agree that guitars are made to play. I had to take some 0000 steel wool to my 04 G0 because it felt so gummy. One forum member has suggested baking the back of the neck in the hot sun to help cure and also leave it out of the case. It's better now but this thread makes me want to try a little bit more.

alligatorbling · 07-16-2008, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fader

I agree that guitars are made to play. I had to take some 0000 steel wool to my 04 G0 because it felt so gummy. One forum member has suggested baking the back of the neck in the hot sun to help cure and also leave it out of the case. It's better now but this thread makes me want to try a little bit more.

some of the stain that was deep in the wood pores acutally came back out after taking all the finish off, so some color has returned to the neck and looks quite nice acutally

the final thing i did recently was to apply a coat of tungs oil, after letting it dry for 24 in the open i sanded it one last time dry with 1000 grit, then buffed it down really good with a dry rag... that neck is slick as ice now

Fader · 07-16-2008, 10:12 AM

I might be hitting the auto parts store at lunch. I have an outdoor gig this weekend and the temp is supposed to be in the 90's w/humidity. I'll snap some quick photo's of the back of the neck before I pull the trigger. If I don't pussy out.

alligatorbling · 07-16-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fader

I might be hitting the auto parts store at lunch. I have an outdoor gig this weekend and the temp is supposed to be in the 90's w/humidity. I'll snap some quick photo's of the back of the neck before I pull the trigger. If I don't pussy out.

i think youll like it if you decide to do it... nitro isnt as hard to cut as polly, but it still takes time. if you want to get though all the way your looking at a couple hours or so.. youll start seeing light blotches of the wood showing though here and there when your 65% though... just keep at it and the spots will grow and grow until its all uniform... put in a good cd while you work to pass the time lol, and remember to sand back and forth in a uniform motion, don't spot sand and always go with the grain

id start off with 320 and go for a good while with it, untill you can feel it cutting more stain instead of lacquer, then you can go to finer grits from there out using your best judgment... its pretty much common sense... if i can do it ANYBODY can lmao

Dino · 07-16-2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

can i throw in a few tips, its good to finish the neck with 1200 grit paper then verry fine steel wool then some tough fabric like the back of a sanding belt. its an option but lightly oiling the back of the neck with tung oil or hardc burnishing oil (which will leave a satin finish opposed to the normal tung oil) will seal the wood without glossing the neck or giving it a sticky feel its important to get rid of any excess oil by really giving the neck a good rub down and then letting it dry and bleed then whipeing it down again.

Not at all necessary unless you sand through to the actual wood.
I think most folks here are just using sandpaper and steel wool to knock off the gloss and smooth out the finish, not remove it entirely.

Those who put oils and crap on a neck where the finish has not been completely removed will end up with quite a mess.

Fader · 07-18-2008, 04:38 PM

Well as of yet, I can't bring myself to start the sanding. I think I'll hold off awhile and think about it. I'm playing an outdoor gig Saturday and they are calling for humid 90's. I think I'll find out for sure what I want to do after I feel how lightly rubbing w/0000 wool does.

alligatorbling · 07-18-2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fader

Well as of yet, I can't bring myself to start the sanding. I think I'll hold off awhile and think about it. I'm playing an outdoor gig Saturday and they are calling for humid 90's. I think I'll find out for sure what I want to do after I feel how lightly rubbing w/0000 wool does.

youll notice its quite a bit slicker after rubbing it down with the 0000 wool, it will however eventually gloss back over and have to be redone... this is a good alternative though if you dont want to sand the neck.. you can always go back and hit again with the 0000 wool when it starts feeling gummy again

07-04-2008, 10:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
alligatorbling V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Somewhere between here and there. Posts: 4,095 Thanks: 16 Thanked 28 Times in 8 Posts	Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic I had been toying with the idea of this for a while I finally decided to do it, so after work this morning I picked up a variety pack of automotive sandpaper from advance auto. The process was pretty simple. First I cleaned the back of the neck thoroughly with a rag lightly dampened with lighter fluid. Next I taped off the binding and areas where the body meets the neck with masking tape, laid out the sand paper in the order roughest to finest, along with a bowl of water. I wet the back of the neck down with a thin layer of water, then wet the 320 grit and went to work. After I felt that I had cut though enough I switched to 400 grit, then 600 grit, and ended with 800 grit. Between each grade of sandpaper I wiped the neck down with a damp rag and cleaned off the lacquer residue, then wiped it dry to check my progress. Next I would re wet to sand again... After finishing with the 800 grit I wiped down the neck toughly with a clean damp wash cloth and then dried with another... Finally I wiped the sanded neck down with a cloth damped with a little lighter fluid. I have to say I am VERY happy with my results. The gloss is gone, but the reason for this wasn't aesthetics. I was after functionality... (a fast neck thats smooth as silk) and thats what I got! If anyone has considered doing this, I say go for it! If you can live without the back of your neck being shiny then you have everything to gain and nothing to lose! __________________ "Last time I called shotgun, we had rented a limo... so I fuxked up." -Mitch Hedberg insanity is genius in disguise http://www.myspace.com/cheapmaltliquor Last edited by alligatorbling; 07-04-2008 at 01:10 PM.

07-04-2008, 03:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
Wuchak Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 234 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Thanks for the good tip. Do you have any pics of what it looks like now?

07-04-2008, 04:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
djwilbanks V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 4,715 Thanks: 34 Thanked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic __________________ Fender Deluxe Stratocaster \| Fender/Rist Custom Telecaster \| Crate V18-112 "My loony bun is fine Benny Lava!"

07-04-2008, 04:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ejecto Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 146 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Respect for doing it to the Classic, I did to my Burny beater and was still a tad anxious. What a difference it makes though, love the results. __________________ Poorly guarded construction sites are a goldmine Ronnie Beck, Three-time soapbox derby champ

07-04-2008, 05:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
alligatorbling V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Somewhere between here and there. Posts: 4,095 Thanks: 16 Thanked 28 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Heres a pic, you really cant see much difference in it at a glance... The end result is more or less a satan faded look... __________________ "Last time I called shotgun, we had rented a limo... so I fuxked up." -Mitch Hedberg insanity is genius in disguise http://www.myspace.com/cheapmaltliquor Last edited by alligatorbling; 07-04-2008 at 05:27 PM. Reason: took a better picture

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07-04-2008, 05:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
alk-3 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Guelph Ontario Posts: 90 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Going through the grits is not necessary; you could have just used 800 grit alone. Too achieve the same effect you can use some 0000 or 00000 steel wool and not deal with the mess of wet sanding. The naphtha is also not required. keep in mind it will eventually shine up again, and need to be redone, so going from 320 to 800 would remove all the lacquer after only a few times. __________________ http://www.bartlettwoodworking.com

07-04-2008, 06:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
Eggy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cumbria UK Posts: 439 Thanks: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Some people might view it as a bit extreme but I do this to all the guitars I intend to keep, especially if they have painted necks, __________________ My videos - http://uk.youtube.com/profile?user=Eggy777

07-04-2008, 08:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
Ejecto Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 146 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic +1 Eggys result. __________________ Poorly guarded construction sites are a goldmine Ronnie Beck, Three-time soapbox derby champ

07-04-2008, 10:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
Wuchak Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 234 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic I might have to give this a try.

07-05-2008, 12:31 AM	#11 (permalink)
alligatorbling V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Somewhere between here and there. Posts: 4,095 Thanks: 16 Thanked 28 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Welp... I figured I went this far so i may as well do it right! Heres my final result... super fast, super smooth! Plus it looks bad ass lol __________________ "Last time I called shotgun, we had rented a limo... so I fuxked up." -Mitch Hedberg insanity is genius in disguise http://www.myspace.com/cheapmaltliquor

07-05-2008, 01:15 AM	#12 (permalink)
djwilbanks V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 4,715 Thanks: 34 Thanked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic SUPAH NICE!!!1! No really, I love that look, looks awesome. __________________ Fender Deluxe Stratocaster \| Fender/Rist Custom Telecaster \| Crate V18-112 "My loony bun is fine Benny Lava!"

07-05-2008, 04:05 AM	#13 (permalink)
Paul V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: australia Posts: 1,305 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic can i throw in a few tips, its good to finish the neck with 1200 grit paper then verry fine steel wool then some tough fabric like the back of a sanding belt. its an option but lightly oiling the back of the neck with tung oil or hardc burnishing oil (which will leave a satin finish opposed to the normal tung oil) will seal the wood without glossing the neck or giving it a sticky feel its important to get rid of any excess oil by really giving the neck a good rub down and then letting it dry and bleed then whipeing it down again. __________________ "these knobs go up to eleven" "why dont you just make it go upto ten and have ten be the highest?" ".......but these go up to eleven"

07-05-2008, 07:14 AM	#14 (permalink)
paintanddestroy Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 27 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic i have taped off the fret board and body on a few guitars and just hit them with a scotch brite pad . seems to do the trick.

07-05-2008, 12:50 PM	#16 (permalink)
JCM223 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Long Island New York Posts: 256 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic I always wanted to try something like that, but could never get the courage up to actually do it. I bet it's so much faster now, though!

07-16-2008, 09:45 AM	#18 (permalink)
Fader Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 68 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic I agree that guitars are made to play. I had to take some 0000 steel wool to my 04 G0 because it felt so gummy. One forum member has suggested baking the back of the neck in the hot sun to help cure and also leave it out of the case. It's better now but this thread makes me want to try a little bit more.

07-16-2008, 10:12 AM	#20 (permalink)
Fader Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 68 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic I might be hitting the auto parts store at lunch. I have an outdoor gig this weekend and the temp is supposed to be in the 90's w/humidity. I'll snap some quick photo's of the back of the neck before I pull the trigger. If I don't pussy out. __________________ sidewinderdayton.com It's not a hobby, it's a way of life.

07-18-2008, 04:38 PM	#23 (permalink)
Fader Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 68 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Sanded the back of the neck of my Classic Well as of yet, I can't bring myself to start the sanding. I think I'll hold off awhile and think about it. I'm playing an outdoor gig Saturday and they are calling for humid 90's. I think I'll find out for sure what I want to do after I feel how lightly rubbing w/0000 wool does. __________________ sidewinderdayton.com It's not a hobby, it's a way of life.