Ibanez Prestige glossy necks getting sticky

[mindwalker]

Hey guys,

Maybe it's my dirty little hands but I've come to realize that while playing on my RGT320Z with a glossy neck finish, it gets kinda sticky after 30 mins of use! I do wash my hands prior to playing and all that but my natural sweat just somehow adheres to the neck and makes everything harder.. (and I don't sweat so much).

Today I realized after some 1.5 hours of playing that my left thumb was getting sore from all the sliding on the neck. This stickiness makes sliding around the neck harder and less precise cause of added resistance..

Has anyone experienced this ? Is this just not a good guitar for me ? Is there some kind of oil you can use ? I would really prefer NOT to do any mods to the guitar suck as sanding the back of the neck because if I have to get rid of it, the more stock it is the better. But maybe there's something out there either for my hands or guitar that can make things a bit better..
Would hate having to part ways with the guitar because of this.. I mean.. it really is stunning.. I like the neck's feel (other than the stickiness) and the sound / weight / neck through... looks..

Thanks a lot of any tips gurus!

[sebastian]

Sand it with 320 grit sand paper to get the finish off.
You can finish up with steel wool.
Then you can put an oil finish on it.
I did the same thing to my JEM7DBK, love it!

[mindwalker]

Originally Posted by sebastian

Sand it with 320 grit sand paper to get the finish off.
You can finish up with steel wool.
Then you can put an oil finish on it.
I did the same thing to my JEM7DBK, love it!

Correct me if I'm wrong but won't sanding the back of the neck remove the glossy color finish ? Then it's going to look like the guitar has a bad tan if you can see the wood right where I started sanding. Besides the back of the headstock is also coloured so I would also have to sand that ?

I somehow feel a bit uneasy about doing this to a 2000 dollar instrument

Here's a picture for reference

[Takin' a Ride]

I have the same problem with my RGT320. It's sad because it makes me not want to play it. A lot of guitars have necks finished like this (Gibson for one) or completely painted. I like the feel of a satin finished or oiled neck a lot better.

[sebastian]

Neck Thru - Hummm
I hate painted necks.
Either leave it or make a nice tape line at each end of the neck and sand it off.

[mindwalker]

yeah maybe I'll just leave it and sell the guitar if I realize that I rather play on my other Ibbies with standard necks...

Found a video on youtube that looks like this situation... it doesn't look like a big difference on the video but yeah.. things can always go wrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzI-fZbvtI

[mertay]

:P

http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/666285...oker_glove.jpg

[Beard]

on my gibson I had the neck sanded and oiled as I don't like things all glossy. But i never intend on selling haha!

[mindwalker]

Nice thing with the glove.. could actually work.. after cutting those 2 fingers

yeah I wouldn't really want to sell this guitar... maybe a little sanding will work miracles then!

[mertay]

Originally Posted by mindwalker

Nice thing with the glove.. could actually work.. after cutting those 2 fingers

Yeah I never tried, prrobably needs getting used to (and might like it when weather is cold) but maybe even protect the neck from darkening in time

I also wonder if a very thin layer of wood (or something else) can be applyed covering the neck that won't damage much when taken off or replaced. Never saw anything such and probably would change the feel but I guess there isn't a lot of options.

[johnnyninja]

Try one of those miracle eraser pads you get at the super market. It's an extremely mild abrasive pad so it won't "sand" off any of the finish that you will notice but it will clean it up. I've used it on a few of my necks with success. It's cheap and can't do any damage. It may be worth a shot. You can use it when if your a little paranoid about it.

[faekildare]

Get a 2000 grit sand paper and lightly wet sand the back of the neck. If you decide to sell the guitar, get polish compound and buff it back to shine.

[mindwalker]

I'm thinking that part of the stickiness might be due to grime building up as I didn't seem to have a problem in the beginning (i.e. when I got the guitar). I do clean the neck with a soft cloth everytime I'm done playing, but if this isn't getting it off it might just be spreading it all around..

Is it safe to scrub the back of the neck with a slightly humid cloth ?

If that doesn't work then I will start considering sanding..

[-laurens-]

I have a RGT320Z RBB and I would not sand it before you try something else. Use some alcohol to clean the neck, so any grease would be dissolved. Then wipe down with a cloth with a bit of luke warm water. That should do it.

[mindwalker]

Originally Posted by -laurens-

I have a RGT320Z RBB and I would not sand it before you try something else. Use some alcohol to clean the neck, so any grease would be dissolved. Then wipe down with a cloth with a bit of luke warm water. That should do it.

I definitely must try! How concentrated do you reckon the alcohol should be ? I'm guessing.. no 95% pharmacy alcohol