Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 My favourite bass is my cheap & cheerful CIJ mustang. The neck is a lovely honey tint, but is very glossy. I like the matt finish on my highway 1 jazz's neck and also a squier 70s style telebass that had a silky matt finish. I'd rather leave my mustang's neck as it is than do a half-arsed job of deglossing it, but if a great result is easily achievable I'll probably do it. So who's taken a glossy neck & made it matt? what are the steps? How did it come out? I'm guessing remove the neck & hardware, mask off the fingerboard & headstock, rub all over with very fine wire wool Is this right? Any tips, comments, pics of deglossed necks would be very helpful. I'm not sure whether to do the back of the headstock as well or is it usual to mask off behind the nut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golchen Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I've done a couple of strat necks with just wire wool and always been very pleased with the results. I did take the necks off but I didn't bother with any masking. Just rubbed the back down well with a few grades, polishing off with a soft cloth inbetween to see how it felt. I kind of graduated it a bit up to the back of the headstock so that there wasn't a 'line' of any sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 you probably wouldn't need to take the neck off, if you don't, make sure you mask off the pickups so no wire wool is attracted to them, but it's a fairly simple process. I love the feel of raw wood, if it was me, i'd take it down to raw wood and treat it with gunstock oil or tung oil or something similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I give all my instruments a neck rub with those fine scotchbrite wood finishing pads, green (or grey) nylon like a pan scrubber, they do a great job of deglossing the neck without going thru the primer, and they leave the neck feeling really silky smooth and natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 [quote name='Al Heeley' post='484500' date='May 10 2009, 07:09 PM']I give all my instruments a neck rub with those fine scotchbrite wood finishing pads, green (or grey) nylon like a pan scrubber, they do a great job of deglossing the neck without going thru the primer, and they leave the neck feeling really silky smooth and natural.[/quote] I've often thought about doing this CIJ 70's jazz I own. These pads look really good, especially as you wouldn't have to worry about bits of wire wool going in your pickups. I just wonder if a 'pan scrubber' really would cut the heavy - and it is heavy - gloss on the CIJ necks. I might do a wee test on the back of the headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 If you have a car paint supplier near you, there are '3M Scotch' pads designed specifically for matting down the finish. They are used on awkward to get to areas, and available in different grades. Much better than pinching the green scourer out of the kitchen! Also... 2000 grit 'Wet & Dry' will do a nice job. (I wouldn't even consider using wire wool). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Use the finest Wet & Dry you can find and just take the thinnest layer of surface off. Don't go through the varnish and definitely [i]don't[/i] go through to the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 [quote name='chris_b' post='484929' date='May 11 2009, 11:29 AM']Use the finest Wet & Dry you can find and just take the thinnest layer of surface off. Don't go through the varnish and definitely [i]don't[/i] go through to the wood.[/quote] Yep... Certainly no coarser than 1500 grit and preferably 2000 grit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Thanks for the tips chaps. I'm a bit undecided whether to go ahead, but if I do, I'll probably post some before/during/after pics. The scotchbrite pads method seems appealing so maybe I'll experiment with that & some 2000 grit wet & dry on my old 80s westone guitar first to get a feel for both methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hi Michael, I would varnish a piece of wood and practise on that or use an old piece of painted wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkThrust Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 +1 for Scotchbrite, but remember to use a new piece and not the one out of the kitchen sink with bits of food stuck to it I used it on a '62 re-issue Jazz and it does a good job of just taking the gloss off without removing much varnish, and after a while the movement of your thumb up and down the neck may re-polish it so you'll have to do it again. Obviously if you want to remove more finish from the back of the neck you would need to use one of the other methods mentioned here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Recently stripped off the nitro from a P neck and paint from a SUB (the oils in my hands make nitro extra sticky even after 10 years of it being applied) I used a combination of Nitromores for starters, then 1200 wet and dry followed by 0000 wire wool. Sealed the bare wood with 3 coats of Danish oil and then took the polished gloss of that off with the 0000 wire wool again. Smooth as a baby's bum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='487251' date='May 13 2009, 08:47 PM']Thanks for the tips chaps. I'm a bit undecided whether to go ahead, but if I do, I'll probably post some before/during/after pics. The scotchbrite pads method seems appealing so maybe I'll experiment with that & some 2000 grit wet & dry on my old 80s westone guitar first to get a feel for both methods.[/quote] ...Or remove the neck and 'matt' the heel where it doesn't show. If you are going to use pads: I would definately suggest that you use the fine grade Scotch pads that are available from car paint suppliers. (They are designed to matt off a gloss finish... not remove burned on baked beans from a saucepan!). Oh... and make sure that you use the Scotch pad wet. Just make sure that you keep your hand (or fingers) flat to get an even finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 so during a trip to the garden centre in my local do-it-all, i had a look for the scotchbrite pads. they didn't have any but they did have something called the 'oakey between coats sanding pad'. i've just used it on the neck of my CIJ jazz and it has worked a treat. i used the super fine pad and did a wee test on the back of the headstock before using it on the neck. it's taken of that glossiness that gets sticky when you sweat, and now feels much the same as my MIA P-bass. It's not quite as 'wood' feeling as my stingray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 [quote name='Mr.T' post='484829' date='May 11 2009, 09:30 AM'](I wouldn't even consider using wire wool).[/quote] Out of interest, why not? I've had great results with it, though admitedly I've never actually used it on a guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Done this a few times. You only need a bit of a rub with 2000 W&D like Mr.T says. That will take the gloss off and it will feel so lovely. I wouldn't bother masking and taking the neck off, I only wanted to flatten off the playing area anyway. Want the gloss back? get some polishing or burnishing cream and give it a good old rub down and you have a glass-like finish again. I have used wire wool too, but what a bloody mess it makes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 [quote name='Clive Thorne' post='498130' date='May 26 2009, 05:00 PM']Out of interest, why not? I've had great results with it, though admitedly I've never actually used it on a guitar.[/quote] I am not knocking any method that may work, but.... I have been in the custom paintwork trade for 30 years, and therefore have the 'proper' materials to hand. I would also be concerned if flatting with wire wool, that microfibres could find their way into pick-ups. Also.... As mentioned by silddx, if the neck is flatted 'properly' with 2000 W&D the finish can always be restored to a gloss if required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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