Hi, I'm new here and I wanted to post a thread that might help those who have a tough time dealing with the dirt and grime factor that builds up on the unfinished Music Man necks.
First off, these necks are beautiful in their prime. Especially when you buy a brand new EB/MM guitar that hasn't had a chance to go through the wear and tear stages from regular use. The dirt and grime factor drives me crazy just like many of you. I'd clean the neck and have to keep cleaning it daily because I play the guitar a lot. The dirt build up always bugged me and I was skeptical on how dirty this neck could get, but I didn't want to find out by ruined wood because it was unfinished. So I disassemled the neck, and decided to finish the unfinished portion of it. I bought my Music Man Axis red quilt about five months ago, on New Years eve. I only recommend this procedure to those who are familiar or skilled with wood work and wood finishing. It sure did pay off because I will always have that beautiful Birdseye luster and not have to worry about the serious dirt build up that can dull a gorgeous wood. I only have to wipe the neck every now and then and even so the dirt and grime comes off easily.
Carefully remove the neck but leave the locking nut and tuners in tact. Be very careful and take your time. Being impatient will make things worse if you damage your axe because you rushed things. You have to sand the unfinished portion of the neck with a 220 grit sandpaper. Tape off the gloss line that seperates the finish on the head from the neck so you don't touch the gloss finish on the headstock itself. Stick the line of the tape directly over the gloss line so everything remains even.
After the tape-up, sand the neck lightly until you achieve the woods natural birdseye luster. Wipe it with a lint free rag to remove any saw dust, fibers, and what not. Next you have to take a sticky tack cloth and remove any sanding remains that a regular cloth can't remove. Using a lint free cloth or a tee-shirt, apply thin coats of a wipe-on Poly. I'm using Miniwax Wipe-On Poly(clear satin) and it works beautifully. Give the poly at least 5-6 hours to dry between each coat. After each coat you have to take steel wool and give it another sanding. (After you sand the neck, before the first coat, you should use steel wool from then on...no more sad paper. Regular sand paper is too abrassive.) After each coat use the steel wool to smooth everthing out. Use the tack cloth again to remove any sanding remains and repeat this pattern for 2-3 coats. Again, 5 hours to dry with each coat. I use 3 coats. Let the neck dry an additonal 24 hours after the final coat. The neck can be finshed and ready to go in less than three days depending on your schedule. Again, at least 5 hours in between each coat and 24 hours after the final coat. Make sure you are working in a dry area with little-to-no dampness as much as possible. Use a de-humidifier if you live in places like NY or Florida where everything is hot and wet this time of the year.
This procedure does work and that dirt factor becomes almost non-existant. You'll always have that beautiful shine on the birdseye neck and the unfinished portion of it will always be protected.
Hope this helps!
First off, these necks are beautiful in their prime. Especially when you buy a brand new EB/MM guitar that hasn't had a chance to go through the wear and tear stages from regular use. The dirt and grime factor drives me crazy just like many of you. I'd clean the neck and have to keep cleaning it daily because I play the guitar a lot. The dirt build up always bugged me and I was skeptical on how dirty this neck could get, but I didn't want to find out by ruined wood because it was unfinished. So I disassemled the neck, and decided to finish the unfinished portion of it. I bought my Music Man Axis red quilt about five months ago, on New Years eve. I only recommend this procedure to those who are familiar or skilled with wood work and wood finishing. It sure did pay off because I will always have that beautiful Birdseye luster and not have to worry about the serious dirt build up that can dull a gorgeous wood. I only have to wipe the neck every now and then and even so the dirt and grime comes off easily.
Carefully remove the neck but leave the locking nut and tuners in tact. Be very careful and take your time. Being impatient will make things worse if you damage your axe because you rushed things. You have to sand the unfinished portion of the neck with a 220 grit sandpaper. Tape off the gloss line that seperates the finish on the head from the neck so you don't touch the gloss finish on the headstock itself. Stick the line of the tape directly over the gloss line so everything remains even.
After the tape-up, sand the neck lightly until you achieve the woods natural birdseye luster. Wipe it with a lint free rag to remove any saw dust, fibers, and what not. Next you have to take a sticky tack cloth and remove any sanding remains that a regular cloth can't remove. Using a lint free cloth or a tee-shirt, apply thin coats of a wipe-on Poly. I'm using Miniwax Wipe-On Poly(clear satin) and it works beautifully. Give the poly at least 5-6 hours to dry between each coat. After each coat you have to take steel wool and give it another sanding. (After you sand the neck, before the first coat, you should use steel wool from then on...no more sad paper. Regular sand paper is too abrassive.) After each coat use the steel wool to smooth everthing out. Use the tack cloth again to remove any sanding remains and repeat this pattern for 2-3 coats. Again, 5 hours to dry with each coat. I use 3 coats. Let the neck dry an additonal 24 hours after the final coat. The neck can be finshed and ready to go in less than three days depending on your schedule. Again, at least 5 hours in between each coat and 24 hours after the final coat. Make sure you are working in a dry area with little-to-no dampness as much as possible. Use a de-humidifier if you live in places like NY or Florida where everything is hot and wet this time of the year.
This procedure does work and that dirt factor becomes almost non-existant. You'll always have that beautiful shine on the birdseye neck and the unfinished portion of it will always be protected.
Hope this helps!
