Taking varnish / lacquer off a birds eye maple neck?

[Brand X]

Hey folks, one of my Silos has a Birds eye maple neck that has been lacquered and it's doing my head in particularly as it's so damn hot at the moment snd my hands are slipping whenever I play it....

So - how best to go around getting this stuff off and having a nice bare neck to play?

Cheers folks

 

[azazael]

Was it lacquered by EBMM or someone else?
Depends what they used.
If its poly based then just leave it be... lot of trouble.
Nitro... relatively easy.

You could start working you're way through it by brute force with some steel wool but it will be very messy and might not end up the way you want it in the end either.

 

[Brand X]

Was it lacquered by EBMM or someone else?
Depends what they used.
If its poly based then just leave it be... lot of trouble.
Nitro... relatively easy.

You could start working you're way through it by brute force with some steel wool but it will be very messy and might not end up the way you want it in the end either.

Cheers mate - It's the factory sealant used on quite a few Silos (my dad has on finished the same way).

Poly or nitro - I wouldn't know the diff......I very rarely have sealed necks...

 

[azazael]

contact customer service find out what is used

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I've done this on both Musicman (my sub 1) and non-musicman guitar necks. Sand with very fine sandpaper, like 220 to start. Work higher once the finish is removed. I end with 600. Some people go to 1000, but I don't see the sense in that on wood. Then tru-oil on.....wait 45 seconds....wipe off. Repeat after half an hour.

 

[beej]

Tommy (tommyindelaware) is great at this. He took the lacquer off the neck of my old Morse- believe he used a furniture scraper. Re-shaped it at the same time.

Might want to drop him a PM for some advice. (Oh, and he also techs for Steve Morse so you can be sure you're talking to a consummate pro.)

 

[Brand X]

Cheers for the advice folks - I assume that taking the lacquer off the fingerboard is more difficult?

 

[klaveguitars]

Hey BrandX, check your PM box

 

[4Boogie]

I sanded the finish off of one of my non Music Man guitars and I'm so glad I did. I used a palm sander with 80 grit to get the thick laquer off. Once I got down to the wood I started using higher grit papers up to 220. Then I started with the hand sanding from 220 grit to 300, 600, then 1000 grit. Its good to have a air compressor to blow the dust out of the wood grain while you work. If you play outdoor gigs this time of year this will may a huge difference in your comfort level