i can now feel the skunk stripe on the neck

[rcl]

Hey guys, This is my first post. I have a 1987 stingray. She has been my best friend since 1989.

About ten years ago I began feeling a slight ridge on one side of the skunk stripe at about the 12th fret. Now I can feel both sides almost the entire length of the neck.

The neck is straight. Truss rod adjustments are stable. The action is low and stable. I set it with very slight relief.

I am in a semi arrid climate. I live in rual Bahia Brazil and luthiers are not common. I have some skills and would be willing to do the job with some guidance.

There is not alot of info on the net about this for MM or Fender.

Thanks in advace.
RC

 

[danny-79]

Hi and welcome to the forum. With out seeing it can’t really comment but it’s quite possibly nothing to worry about, you have probably played it and worn the nitrocellulose lacquer off the back of the neck so your bow starting to feel wood. That’s just a guess.
Put a couple of photos of it up

 

[rcl]

Hey Danny thanks for the reply.

Nothing really to take a picture of. You cant see it but you can feel it. I quess if you had a good camera and good zoom you could see some thing. It would be cool if shooting some lacquer would make the feel go away. It does seem to be weather sensitive. Sometimes worse than others.

The one post I found years ago talked about there being not enough glue originally. The re gluing. Some commented on putting glue along side after slicing between the two woods with a razor blade. Others suggested remove, re install sand and finish.

 

[Bert]

Is there a crack in the paint along the skunkstripe?
It lasted 30 years. I wouldn't repair it until the skunkstripe pops out.

 

[danny-79]

I agree with Bert. Refinishing or repair would likely cause more damage than good. To me it just sounds like it been played a lot. Embrace the mojo and keep putting miles on it !

 

[tbonesullivan]

I can see the glue joins through the finish on just about every guitar I have that is more than a year old. Different pieces of wood expand and contract at different rates. Being able to "feel" the skunk stripe is pretty common on an old guitar with a lot of wear to the finish.

If you press on the stripe, does it move inward? Is there any actual crack at the edge of it?

 

[rcl]

Hey guys thanks for the responses.

I can see a very fine gap between the two types of wood. It doesnt seem to move at all. The truss rod adjustment are stable. The situation is the same with and with out strings on it. I will try and take pics later. The mojo is fine but man.....it is like a bump on your tongue. It is so fine but drives me crazy. What about adding some lacquer to the back of the neck?

 

[Tollywood]

I'm thinking you could lightly sand the neck and the stripe until its flush and then use the Birchwood Casey Tru Oil and wax for a nice hand rubbed Music Man finish on the entire neck.

 

[rcl]

I have sanded it flush in the past. Not deep enough to get to wood but just to knock the ridge off. It works for about a day or so. I guess the different wood types react to weather changes differently.
I am in rual Brazil not sure if Birchwood Casey is something I would find. Is it kin to lin seed oil

 

[Tollywood]

Yes, it is primarily linseed oil, with some other natural oils.

 

[rcl]

what is the wax part?

 

[Tollywood]

It’s another Birchwood Casey product.

Gun Stock Wax - A high-quality formula combining protective and beautifying qualities of the finest carnauba, beeswax and silicone. Produces a lustrous water repellent film that will not rub off like oils.

 

[rcl]

Well , I sanded flush, applied a bit of raw linseed oil. I let that cure for a few days. Applied regular paste car wax, So far so good. It has been 2 days. I will report back after a few weeks.

 

[Tollywood]

We are looking forward to hearing how it went and seeing a picture, please.

 

[rcl]

Well after 5 days or so I can fell a slight edge. It has rained here in that time. She lives in a semi arrid climate so rain is quite a weather change. I will leave it alone for now but in a few weks I may repeat the process. I like the idea and the car wax actually feels really slick Here are some pics. These are post wax applcation.

 

[Tollywood]

I love the color and I like the little spot you wore off with your thumb. It adds character.

The winters are very dry where I live so I need to run a humidifer 24/7 all winter. Do you run one year round to fight the dry climate of your location?

 

[rcl]

No, I live off grid with a very modest solar array. Right now I can only run my fridge while the sun shines as my batteries are nearing the end of their life. I have used a bag of damp rice in the case in the past. I have a 30 year old Martin acoustic that isnt showing any issues so I think I am safe there.
I had Some more pics but couldnt get em to upload. This bass has been may best friend for over 30 years unfortunately she smells like every dive bar in the south east US. I also had a fretless 4 string translucent wine... 1996 I think. Man that neck was smooth ( gun oil finish ) but I could never really bond with it. It had a 3 band eq which was cool. All in all I think it was the flat wounds that turned me off. I like the growl and bite of RW. I would like to try it again now that my tastes have mellowed a bit and now instead of Steve Harris and Geddy Lee I find my self really appreciating James Jamerson.

 

[spychocyco]

I've got a couple of six-stringers from the '80s with skunk stripes, and I can feel the ridge on them. They're both Fenders, and a lot of Fender owners assured me that it's not uncommon and nothing to worry about. So far, I've seen no issues in performance, and it doesn't really affect the playability for me.

 

[rcl]

Yeah I heard the same thing. She is definitely stable. She stays in tune for years at a time and I play regularly. Its not the stability its the preoccupation with that edge that bothers me...like a bump on your tongue. Speaking of stability I once had a Rick 4003 that one day you could put your finger between the strings and the neck. A week later the strings were laying on the frets.....and that sucker had 2 truss rods. Mine stingray has been like this for 10 years or so.....but I am on a mission to be done with it. So far the sand, oil and wax is playing nice.

 

[Tollywood]

... So far the sand, oil and wax is playing nice.

That’s good news!