Is there a cure for a sticky neck?

[cellkirk74]

I do not know how it happened, but the neck of my stingray became rather sticky over the years. I cleaned and polished it but this is no real solution because after just a few hours of playing it feels like it has been used with candyfingers again. I think the laquer changed in about 17 Years of playing.

What can I do? Should I sand it or anything?

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Hello, not a big problem, you need to give it the gun stock oil & wax treatment, which is all clearly explaind in the Ernie Ball FAQ, listed here

Ernie Ball | FAQ

Good luck

 

[mynan]

Gun stock oil and wax on a lacquer neck?

 

[bovinehost]

Good point. 17 years old will have a laquer neck finish.

I'd sand it a bit with something SERIOUSLY light.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Gun stock oil and wax on a lacquer neck?

Yes mynan you are right, I totally forgotten that a 17 yrs old neck would be lacquered.

In that case I once emailed a lady in CS asking how to keep the Bongo neck smooth and slick and she told me the best way was to give it a little gun stock wax, which without causing any abrasion works quite well, but then again so do most wax based furniture polish. That is if we can compare a bongo painted neck to that of a lacquered early Ray.

 

[RobertB]

I'd sand it a bit with something SERIOUSLY light.

Really really fine steel wool has worked well for me in the past.

 

[Sonnyonbass]

I was thinking: Take a shower?


Seriously. I also think: sand it very very very light.

 

[five7]

3000 grit or the blue sanding fiber material. It is comparable to 3000 grit.

 

[cellkirk74]

Thanks for the replys guys!!!

I think i will try light steelwool first and see how that works.

@ Rockon: I tried beershowers, but it didn`t help

 

[Rick Auricchio]

You might want to try a ScotchBrite pad instead of the steel wool. The steel wool risks getting little bits stuck to the pickup magnets. Or little metal splinters into the wood...those hurt if you pick one up into your hand.

 

[Moose308]

I recently had a bout of that sticky neck thing with my Bongo. Everything was fine until I cleaned the whole bass really good. Then the neck was sticky and annoying. I tried the steel wool/scotch-brite pad, and it almost made things worse.

The way I finally solved it was (oddly) when I decided to refresh the fingerboard with a fresh coat of linseed oil. I lightly smeared some on the back of the neck, and wiped most of it off, and let the whole thing dry overnight. After that, the neck has felt perfect.

Perhaps not the solution, but it is a solution.

YMMV

 

[RobertB]

I think we're talking neck, not fingerboard. Pup magnets should be fine, but you can always tape them off.

 

[cellkirk74]

I am not concerned about the magnets at all because they are a little rusty anyway. And right, we´ra talking about the neck, not the fretboard.

Moose308`s point is good. I am not really sure whether the neck was more sticky before or after i tried to clean it.

@ EB Crerw:What method have you been using at the factory to finish the lacquered necks in the early nineties?

 

[RobertB]

Actually, I just caught the "lacquered" part. I withrdaw my steel wool suggestion, because I've never tried it on a lacquered neck, and therefor have no idea what the result would be. Intuition kinda says it wouldn't be such a great idea. Works wonderfully on the oil & wax finish. Did the neck on Mr. Sparkle feel nice when I sent it to you, Zak?

 

[five7]

Steel wool makes a mess. I wouldn't use it.

 

[Basspro]

What have you been using to clean and polish it? If your using a furniture polish, that could be the problem as some will actually cause buildup.

 

[RobertB]

Steel wool makes a mess. I wouldn't use it.

Does it? I must've gotten lucky and found the non-messy kind.

 

[bovinehost]

Personal opinion, I'd use a Scotchbrite pad first before I went leaping towards the steel wool.

 

[RobertB]

Like I said, I wouldn't recommend it for a lacquered neck, just due to lack of "data", but you judge something by its fruits, right? The phrase "steel wool" sounds harsh, but the grain I'm talking about is finer than any fine sand paper or scotch brite pad I've found, and when I've used it, it left nothing behind but baby butt smooth goodness. Not being argumentative, just fyi.

 

[cellkirk74]

What have you been using to clean and polish it? If your using a furniture polish, that could be the problem as some will actually cause buildup.

at first soap and a slighty wet towel, but also some furniture polish one time. That made no big change. Lemonoil for the fretboard.

Actually I did not clean the bass a lot the first lets say 10 Years...