Help! Tacky sticky finish on my 1990 Silhouette

[wylvis]

My 1990 Honeyburst Silhouette has a tacky slightly opaque finish that makes a dent if I press my fingernail into it and attracts bits of paper if I wipe it with a paper tissue.

Is this to do with its age or the conditions in which it has been kept?

It is secondhand. Could it have come into contact with some harmful cleaning products/polish which might cause this to happen?

Can I buff it back to a harder shinier state?

Thanks

Will

 

[mikeller]

I would try washing it down with Murphys Oil soap - diluted 1 part to 3 part water, wiping with a clean paper towel and see if that removes it. Could be someone tried to treat it with tung oil or something that didn't set up well.

See this article: How do I maintain the neck on my new Music Man guitar?

 

[wylvis]

Thanks Mike.

I should make it clear that it is a problem with the body, not the neck. The neck has a poly finish (I think it is from the era when they didn't do the necks finished with oil). I shouldn't put Murphy's oil soap on a maple neck with a poly coating?

Will

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

Let me ask you, Are you comfortable with your wetsanding and finishing skills? If have no experience with this then i would have someone else do it, but if you're game, this is how I would go, start wet sanding the entire body 2000 grit, then 3000 grit then buff with buffing wheel with rubbing compound, the thing with finishing is its a very sensitive process, and should be approached with extreme caution, i wish the best.

 

[DrKev]

Stop!

Does anybody know - did Music Man ever use nitro finishes?

If this was an old nitro finish that softened and got gummy over time there is a way to fix this (clean it with Naphta on paper towels, then buff with a soft clean cloth, followed by a light treatment of carnauba wax). BUT I do not know what finish this is and if the naphta will be safe. So, first thing I would do is call or email Customer Service, give them the serial number. Explain the problem, ask them what finish would have been used and see if they can suggest a fix.

 

[wylvis]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for your reply. The answer is no, I am not confident with my wet sanding skills. I will take it to a professional. Is this situation normal and how much sanding and buffing can a finish of this era take?

Best

Will

 

[wylvis]

Hi Dr Kev,

Thanks for that. will get in touch with customer services with the serial number.

Best

Will