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?