Refinishing my Fender Neck Like My Axis

[hendmik]

So over the past year and a half that I've owned an Axis, my poor Strat has gotten less and less play time than it used to. It sounds great, it just doesn't feel like the Axis. So I decided to strip the neck down to the wood then sand down a bit of the sides of the neck to feel more like my Axis, then apply liberal amounts of Birchwood-Casey oil and wax to finish it off.

So here's my question. Tonight, after stripping the finish off the neck, I noticed that the fret dots are plastic. While I'm not surprised, I hadn't thought of this before I started. I was able to avoid letting the paint stripper melt them, but they are no longer smooth when I pass my fingers across them. Clearly the Fender factory applies the finish with the dots roughed in, then buffs out any inconsistencies.

Will oiling and waxing the neck smooth those problems out? I kind of doubt it. I was hoping not to sand the fret board, only the back of the neck, but am I stuck doing that to try and even out the fret markers?

Thanks.

 

[bluebullet]

try rubbing the board with steel wool then oil and wax it and see how it feels. you can always sand it again if you need to. and with the strings on you might not feel those fret markers as much as you do with them off as your fingers wont make full contact because the string will be between your finger and the board

 

[Warg Master]

Not only did he use the F-word, but he used it in the title of the post!!!

 

[Raz]

Here's a suggestion, sell it on Ebay, right after you do a quick touch up on it (most F&*der players wouldn't know the diff, just as you only realized after you Axis purchase). Then with the proceeds, go out and by a real man's strat. an EBMM Silhouette

Like I said before I've always wanted one (F&*der strat) but instead I got an EBMM Silo Spec, well two actually!

 

[koogie2k]

F-word......bad...... ....hehehehe....good luck with it bro. Sorry I can't help you out with it other than.....maybe......get rid of it....hehehhe....just kidding....no I'm not......well, maybe.....not......okay, yeah............no.........hehehehehehehe

 

[slukather]

Here's a suggestion, sell it on Ebay, right after you do a quick touch up on it (most F&*der players wouldn't know the diff, just as you only realized after you Axis purchase). Then with the proceeds, go out and by a real man's strat. an EBMM Silhouette

I was gonna say the exact same thing. But instead of selling it, burn it. But selling it would be better, you might get some money back on the so called guitar.

Scott.

 

[jongitarz]

You guys are brutal!! I LOVE IT

 

[hendmik]

Yeah, ok so everyone needs a guitar to experiement on (at least every guitarist should have one) and I sure as hell would never do that to a MM. So the Strat loses out.

I was avoiding sanding the fretboard, but I had to do a bit of it to even out the dots. It worked out pretty well. Then, I sanded off quite a bit from the sides of the neck, constantly checking it against my Axis. The only place I'm not happy, is right at first position. The neck just still seems like a row boat. But everything else is much, much better. Someday, I'll get ambitious and refret it with larger wires rather than the small standard ones.

Thanks for the help (and all the sarcasm - it gave me a good laugh).

 

[koogie2k]

Believe me bro, we enjoyed it too...heheheheh....really, you know we had to rib ya! I just have no idea on how to do those things. I leave it to the pros. Or, I just buy another JP...hehehehe.....

I would like to see the finished product though...even though it is from the "other" guys......

 

[Lew]

I applaud you on finishing the neck.
whilst youre at it,why not put a contour on that chunky square neck heel and add some staggered lockers take out the string tree's,put in some taller frets,and shield the routes and get rid of that 60 cycle hum...

err...

Welcome to the forum....

 

[Raz]

I applaud you on finishing the neck.
whilst youre at it,why not put a contour on that chunky square neck heel and add some staggered lockers take out the string tree's,put in some taller frets,and shield the routes and get rid of that 60 cycle hum...

err...

Welcome to the forum....

OUCH!

 

[jongitarz]

I applaud you on finishing the neck.
whilst youre at it,why not put a contour on that chunky square neck heel and add some staggered lockers take out the string tree's,put in some taller frets,and shield the routes and get rid of that 60 cycle hum...

err...

Welcome to the forum....