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neck question

cdb

cdb

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2006
Messages
240
Location
Pennsyltucky
Yes, another annoying question form the EBMM noob:

What is the neck finished with? Could I sand the back of down to either:

make it more of a satin finished

make it a little less "round" ?
 
maddog said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is unfinished?

Or yes, you can sand it lightly using 400 grit paper to increase the satin finish?

Or yes, you can take your hand sander and whittle it down?
 
The neck is unfinished from the bottom of the headstock all the way to the neck pocket.

You can sand it if you want. Probably void your warranty though if you sand it enough to change the neck contour.

If you want to clean it, put tape over the pickups and use 0000 steel wool on the neck. Then apply birchwood-casey tru-oil lightly to the back of the neck. Wipe it off a minute or so later and apply Birchwood-Casey gunstock wax. Makes the neck lightning fast again.

The tape is to ensure that tiny pieces steel wool don't end up clinging to the magnetic polepieces of the pickups.

EDIT: do NOT follow this procedure for a Bongo or any SUB model! They have painted necks!
 
SteveB said:
The neck is unfinished from the bottom of the headstock all the way to the neck pocket.

You can sand it if you want. Probably void your warranty though if you sand it enough to change the neck contour.

If you want to clean it, put tape over the pickups and use 0000 steel wool on the neck. Then apply birchwood-casey tru-oil lightly to the back of the neck. Wipe it off a minute or so later and apply Birchwood-Casey gunstock wax. Makes the neck lightning fast again.

The tape is to ensure that tiny pieces steel wool don't end up clinging to the magnetic polepieces of the pickups.

EDIT: do NOT follow this procedure for a Bongo or any SUB model! They have painted necks!
Click to expand...

Cool. Very good advice, thank you! No bongo or SUB in my rack yet, though, just a 'Ray 5

It just feels a bit... i dunno, slow and sticky... like it has a finish of some kind... I have about 20-30 hrs of playing time on it maybe... no fried chicken or taffy before playing...
 
cdb said:
Yes, it is unfinished?

Or yes, you can sand it lightly using 400 grit paper to increase the satin finish?

Or yes, you can take your hand sander and whittle it down?
Click to expand...

Yes the neck is unfinished and coated with Birchwood Casey Gun stock oil.

As far as reshapping the neck, I'd becareful, not to go too deep to hit the trussrod, I have done it twice in my time but i used my friends X-Ray machine to see the rod so I wouldn't hit it.
So be very Careful.
 
Musicman Nut said:
Yes the neck is unfinished and coated with Birchwood Casey Gun stock oil.

As far as reshapping the neck, I'd becareful, not to go too deep to hit the trussrod, I have done it twice in my time but i used my friends X-Ray machine to see the rod so I wouldn't hit it.
So be very Careful.
Click to expand...


geez, I don't think i would shape it so thin that I would hit the truss rod.... just wanna make it a LITTLE flatter. Now I'm scared.:eek:
 
cdb said:
geez, I don't think i would shape it so thin that I would hit the truss rod.... just wanna make it a LITTLE flatter. Now I'm scared.:eek:
Click to expand...

Sometimes there's not alot of meat on these necks to be guessing, Maybe Contact Jon from Ernie Ball he may have a better idea then I do, I beleive in Safety before Sorry that's all.
 
Musicman Nut said:
Sometimes there's not alot of meat on these necks to be guessing, Maybe Contact Jon from Ernie Ball he may have a better idea then I do, I beleive in Safety before Sorry that's all.
Click to expand...

Yes, indeed. I don't wanna screw it up...so help the noob, please, how do I contact Jon?
 
cdb said:
Yes, indeed. I don't wanna screw it up...so help the noob, please, how do I contact Jon?
Click to expand...

Mr Jon where are you cdb needs Questions Answered, If you go thru the forum he's Jon and you'll see Customer Service I beleive, or Post here like your doing, He'll reply.
 
I wouldn't call the SR neck unfinished.

It doesn't have a hard finish like a Bongo or an EBMM body but it does have an oil and wax finish that other posters have mentioned.

I found the steel wool treatment works well and the Murphy's oil soap cleaning works well too.
 
Just a heads up on thinning the neck: The thinner the neck the greater the risk of carpal tunnel and other hurtful hand conditions. Yes, you may intitially be a little quicker with a thinner neck, but practice makes perfect and once you're 100% comfortable on the SR5 you'll be as fast as on any other neck.
 
strummer said:
Just a heads up on thinning the neck: The thinner the neck the greater the risk of carpal tunnel and other hurtful hand conditions. Yes, you may intitially be a little quicker with a thinner neck, but practice makes perfect and once you're 100% comfortable on the SR5 you'll be as fast as on any other neck.
Click to expand...

Nah, I have played for 25 years, I have decent technique in both hands, and never had carpal tunnel. I presently play on a wide variety of basses... thinner, flatter, wider necks... even, gasp, a 4 stringer which shall remain un named, that has a very skinny and shallow neck... no cramps for this old gramps... but I appreciate your concern.
 
cdb said:
Nah, I have played for 25 years, I have decent technique in both hands, and never had carpal tunnel. I presently play on a wide variety of basses... thinner, flatter, wider necks... even, gasp, a 4 stringer which shall remain un named, that has a very skinny and shallow neck... no cramps for this old gramps... but I appreciate your concern.
Click to expand...

Lol, I guess it was your avatar that threw me off:D
 
Musicman Nut said:
Mr Jon where are you cdb needs Questions Answered, If you go thru the forum he's Jon and you'll see Customer Service I beleive, or Post here like your doing, He'll reply.
Click to expand...


I am on vacation, but I saw the light in the sky.

My advice is don't do it. I don't know how much wood you would have to sand through to get to the truss rod, but I wouldn't risk it. I don't really know how much you want to reshape the neck, but a new one is costly, and I wouldn't want you calling us later and saying" It's Jon's fault! That chump said it would be OK!!":D So again, don't do it. IMO.
 
SteveB said:
If you want to clean it, put tape over the pickups and use 0000 steel wool on the neck. Then apply birchwood-casey tru-oil lightly to the back of the neck. Wipe it off a minute or so later and apply Birchwood-Casey gunstock wax. Makes the neck lightning fast again.
Click to expand...

If you apply birchwood-casey tru-oil lightly to the back of the neck, wipe it off a minute later, and apply Birchwood-Casey gunstock wax, will you get oily fingers that will subsequently degrade the strings?
 
backagain1 said:
If you apply birchwood-casey tru-oil lightly to the back of the neck, wipe it off a minute later, and apply Birchwood-Casey gunstock wax, will you get oily fingers that will subsequently degrade the strings?
Click to expand...

I tend to handle the guitar using paper towels during this process, so that my fingers don't touch anything except the back of the neck. Then I wash them thoroughly when I'm done. Regardless, I haven't noticed any string degradation as a result. I change my strings every week or two anyway, just as a matter of course.
 
i dont clean my basses or guitars often and im not too careful about washing my hands before i play so my necks sometimes get sticky (totally my fault). but, when i decide to do something about it i bust out the 0000 steal wool and a few minutes later its just fine

i should get some wax and oil and spend an afternoon tending to my children
 
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