Please tell me this can be fixed...

[nuklehed]

I've reached out to see if MM can fix this. This is a 1999 Translucent Orange StingRay 4 that had a bit of fret sprout. I had gently put on some painters tape, corrected the fret, and peeled off the tape to see the finish go with it. This is at the fifth fret where my thumb usually stays - perhaps that's what weakened the finish over the years... Heartbroken but I know it could be much worse. Since this has a matching headstock, I'd love to be able to keep my original neck.

Looking for any advice you may have, and no, I will not be doing my own repairs ever again Best case, MM can fix and I'll send her in to get it done.

 

[DrKev]

Oh dear, that doesn't look great. That looks like you've actually lost wood. If that's the case you can't put it back and that's now a feature of your neck. I don't know what painter's tape you used but I've never seen any kind of masking tape damage wood like that before. Yikes!

If that was my neck, assuming the neck had the standard factory oil and wax "finish" (it's not really a finish just a very thin wipe-on, wipe-off surface treatment) I would very gently sand it with 600 and 1200 grit sandpaper, to clean the surface of the neck and taking extra attention smooth out the roughness where the wood is lost. Then give a very light wipe-on, wipe-off coat of gunstock oil and wax (Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and Gunstock Wax are the usual brand mentioned).

 

[tbonesullivan]

Are you sure the damage wasn't there before? Can you take it from a different angle? Was there wood stuck to the tape when you removed it? I've never seen masking or painters tape able to tear off wood before. Is that possibly adhesive from the tape?

 

[Golem]

Are you sure the damage wasn't there before? Can you take it from a different angle? Was there wood stuck to the tape when you removed it? I've never seen masking or painters tape able to tear off wood before. Is that possibly adhesive from the tape?

Maybe the surface layer of wood had begun to separate from decades under a sweaty thumb and simply let go when the tape tugged at it ?

I would just sand it smoother and oily wax the area without stripping and re-oiling the whole neck. Even if you did redo the whole neck the damaged area might still look different ... so why make more work of it, and possibly create more isssues ?

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

I wouldn't sand it yet. I wouldn't do anything without talking to a good repairman first. That said-
I feel like you could fill these gouges with superglue, which will cure super hard, and then you can sand that down to a completely smooth finish. Then wax or whatever you want on top. There are so many fixes on youtube, and it's amazing how many guys use superglue to amazing results. I think what you have is gonna be fixable, so don't panic yet.