bongo neck care

[TheDirtyMoocher]

my bongo's neck has gotten to be as glossy as the rest of the body and i want to get it back to the matte finish that it had, but it seems like using steel wool like on unfinished necks might be too severe of a treatement

any suggestions?

 

[adouglas]

That's one helluva good question and if we get a definitive response, it should become a sticky.

My Bongo is less than two months old, so I haven't encountered this yet.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Super fine emery paper will do the trick just fine. I can't remember the grade/number off the top of my head, but what you're looking for is the finest you can get.

 

[TheDirtyMoocher]

whats the difference between emery paper and sand paper?

 

[Aussie Mark]

Emery paper is the dark gray stuff that can be used wet. Sand paper is the yellow/tan paper.

 

[Alvabass]

my bongo's neck has gotten to be as glossy as the rest of the body

Isn't it supposed to be like that? Mine only has a matte finish at the headstock and I can't say it's the result of a change.

 

[bovinehost]

The necks on my Bongos are a flat finish while the bodies are glossy.

And, if my necks get glossy along the way, I'm leaving them just like that.

 

[TheDirtyMoocher]

The necks on my Bongos are a flat finish while the bodies are glossy.

And, if my necks get glossy along the way, I'm leaving them just like that.

i would but the neck isnt nearly as fast and smooth as it used to be

 

[strummer]

i would but the neck isnt nearly as fast and smooth as it used to be

I will not touch the back of my Bongo neck, even though most of it is high gloss now. It looks like the finish isn't too thick, and I'm a bit scared of going trough it.

 

[Aussie Mark]

It looks like the finish isn't too thick, and I'm a bit scared of going trough it.

With superfine paper you'd need to rub 24/7 for a year to get through the finish.

 

[teonigil]

Poly based finishes are tough and there's no need to worry about a "sand-through" when using wet/dry 1200 and up grit. Just go light with no pressure until the shine goes away. Try to sand with small round motions.
000 steelwool is fine too.

IMO, a better option is to use a rubbing paste (the maroon colored one - not polishing or wax pastes) which is the same stuff used for car finish (guitar and car finishes are the same to begin with anyway...). Same process as above.

In both cases, there's no need to do the "7X24" thing.... just do a single pass with light round motions and you're done.

You'll need to repeat this frequently because the result will feel the same as the factory matte finish but it's actually not exactly the same.... The original finish process for the necks is using a matte finish which, when dry, develops a very light texture as a chemical reaction between the paint/lacquer particles.
Now, by sanding the same finish after it got "flattened" you create light scratches which simulate the same look and feel but will not keep holding as long as the original finish. No big deal, because you can repeat this simple process easily.

All poly based matte finishes will shine eventually as a result of playing, this is normal. The only way to create a matte feel that lasts is to NOT use poly or any other kind of lacquer. Instead, a hand applied oil/wax finish can be used on the bare neck wood (Stingray).

Maybe this should become a standard option on Bongo's ?!?
I know I would prefer it this way for sure.

 

[bassmonkeee]

With superfine paper you'd need to rub 24/7 for a year to get through the finish.

Yep. I've done this to the back of my fretted Bongo about 4 times now. No big deal.

The satin feel of Moby's white neck has held up a lot longer than the black sapphire neck in spite of 4x as much playing time.