Sticky neck on 93 dinky reverse professional?

[Bad Apple]

Hi all,

I've got a 1993 Dinky reverse professional (as the subject would imply...) that's got a sticky maple neck. I've tried wiping it down a number of times, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm wary of cleansers, as many of them can destroy the finish. It's got some kind of lacquer on the neck, I believe, and only certain parts are sticky.

Any advice?

BTW, this was a find at a pawnshop that I picked up a year ago or so for $110.

Thanks!

[anarkhos]

Damn, i used to play a guitar of a friend of mine that had a sticky neck, but it was due to the garbage layer that "finished" the neck . Sorry mate i can't help but this sure is an interesting thread.

[shreddermon]

You might want to try not masturbating before playing your guitar.

(Sorry, dude, you laid out the perfect setup for that joke. It had to be done.)

[anarkhos]

You might want to try not masturbating before playing your guitar.

(Sorry, dude, you laid out the perfect setup for that joke. It had to be done.)

[Bad Apple]

You might want to try not masturbating before playing your guitar.

(Sorry, dude, you laid out the perfect setup for that joke. It had to be done.)

As long as I can do it _while_ I'm playing, it's a price I'm willing to pay.

It's only fair, since everyone else feels obligated to touch themselves when they hear me play.

[Cygnus X1]

Try cleaning it with #000 steel wool or super fine Scotchbrite.
Despite what we think, too glossy adds up to a sticky surface.
Cleaning and "roughing it up" a little takes away that sticky feel.

I didn't believe it until I tried it.

Make sure not to get any steel wool around the pickups.

[ps43203]

Try cleaning it with #000 steel wool or super fine Scotchbrite.
Despite what we think, too glossy adds up to a sticky surface.
Cleaning and "roughing it up" a little takes away that sticky feel.

I didn't believe it until I tried it.

Make sure not to get any steel wool around the pickups.

try cleaning in with alcohol too, the alcohol will break up any gunk and dries quickly, then scotch brite. Someone prior to you may have used furniture cleaner, (big no no), or something like it and could have broken down the lacquer making it sticky. Good luck

[Bad Apple]

Thanks Cygnus X1 and ps43203.

I'll give those a shot today. I do steel wool on uncoated fretboards, but I'm a little wary of doing it on any sort of coating. But, alcohol and scotchbrite sounds like a good plan!

Otherwise, I might end up selling this one. I just bought a really nice USA Custom Shop Jackson (built in 1989) that I'm loving too much...

[Bad Apple]

Thanks Cygnus X1 and ps43203.

I'll give those a shot today. I do steel wool on uncoated fretboards, but I'm a little wary of doing it on any sort of coating. But, alcohol and scotchbrite sounds like a good plan!

Otherwise, I might end up selling this one. I just bought a really nice USA Custom Shop Jackson (built in 1989) that I'm loving too much...

[Kont_De_La_Fere]

Rubbing the neck with Scotchbrite works very well. You might want to go slowly. After you have rubbed the neck for a while, it will feel very smooth and look matte. From there on, you could just play your guitar with satin neck, or you can still apply a buffing compound (a car polish) and buff your neck to a glossy finish again. It won't be sticky this time.

[AdRock]

After rubbing it with the scotchbrite rub it down with some 3000 grit sandpaper. It'll be slick and fast. The trick with the 3k is to rub very lightly, but enough to get rid of any roughness from the scotchbrite because depending on which scotchbrite you use it will most likely be the equivalent of somewhere near a 600 - 800 grit sandpaper.

[Bad Apple]

So, I ended up asking my tech before doing anything. He thought that both alcohol and any sort of abrasive were bad ideas.

He apparently uses a car cleaning wax for things like this. I'm pretty sure it was this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Car-Cleaner-Wax-oz/dp/B0009IQX0E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1378775507&sr=8-8&keywords=car+wax

He told me to spread some on, leave it for an hour, and clean it all off with paper towels. I did, and the neck came out silky smooth and beautiful!

[leftykingv2]

Your neck is sticky? What are you like seven years old? Buy some polish and a rag! Also this should be filed under TECH Q&A.

[toejam]

You can use the alcohol and scotchbrite pads or steel wool as suggested. Your guitar originally had a matte satin finish on its neck, but they turn glossy over time from playing it, so you need to "rough it up" a bit to get it back down to not being shiny again. People have also done this on Jacksons or other guitars with painted necks with a high gloss finish... they just like the feel of the matte satin... and it will always eventually go back to being high gloss either on its own from playing it or just buffing it out. Your tech doesn't sound too knowledgeable.

[Bad Apple]

You can use the alcohol and scotchbrite pads or steel wool as suggested. Your guitar originally had a matte satin finish on its neck, but they turn glossy over time from playing it, so you need to "rough it up" a bit to get it back down to not being shiny again. People have also done this on Jacksons or other guitars with painted necks with a high gloss finish... they just like the feel of the matte satin... and it will always eventually go back to being high gloss either on its own from playing it or just buffing it out. Your tech doesn't sound too knowledgeable.

Interesting. I don't doubt that he knows what he's doing; he's been at this for decades, and worked as a tech for a lot of pretty famous people.

To be fair, I just asked him about the neck without the guitar in hand, and his first response was something like "I really can't say without seeing it." Then he suggested I try the wax cleaner, and bring the guitar in if it didn't work. He seems to be averse to putting most things on guitar finishes (like alcohol). I wasn't aware of the original matte finish, so that info would have helped before!

If it happens again (and it sounds like it will), I'll try roughing it up a bit and see what happens. Thanks!