What to do when a neck's satin finish becomes glossy?

toneboy · #1 04-24-2007, 05:14 PM

I've been playing my PGM301 for a little over a year now and the satin finish on the neck has become glossy and smoother and I'm not too keen on that. It doesn't have that slightly rough feel it used. I really noticed this when I got my 2nd PGM301.

I would prefer not to sand the finish off to bare wood and I don't want to get it refinished (though that might not be out of the question). I don't think that sanding a satin finish is an option (because it's thin to begin with) but if I'm wrong, please let me know.

I searched this site and didn't find any threads on this subject so any advice would be helpful.

**Ayrton** · #2 04-24-2007, 06:04 PM

0000 steel wool will give you what you want without removing the finish.

buddroyce · #3 04-24-2007, 06:56 PM

My suggestion is to strip the finish off and get it tung oiled.. never have to worry about dealing with a sticky glossy neck ever again.

toneboy · #4 04-25-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayrton

0000 steel wool will give you what you want without removing the finish.

Ok, thank you for the tip. I'll give that a try.

toneboy · #5 04-25-2007, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buddroyce

My suggestion is to strip the finish off and get it tung oiled.. never have to worry about dealing with a sticky glossy neck ever again.

I'll probably end up going that route once I wear the neck's finish off (from playing the guitar) enough and start exposing bare wood.

**Ayrton** · #6 04-25-2007, 01:16 PM

Buff down the neck with the steel wool, then wipe on a couple of coats of Tru Oil. Once dry, buff again.

Tru Oil will seal the neck against moisture where Tung Oil will not.

toneboy · #7 04-25-2007, 02:15 PM

Ah, I think I recall you mentioning that Tru Oil stuff before. If it's good enough for gunstocks I know it will be good enough for a guitar neck.

That being said, it seems that you're suggesting that buffing the neck with steel wool will take the finish off. Is that correct?

**Ayrton** · #8 04-25-2007, 06:15 PM

You do not have to remove the factory finish, just buff with the steel wool to knock off the shine and give the new oil something to "grab" onto. Tru Oil is very thin and you can wipe it on with a cotton cloth.

I don't know about the newer Ibanez necks, but the older ones have a fairly thick finish and steel wool would take forever to burn through it. If your neck has a "raw" feel to it now, the I would try just one coat of Tru Oil and see how you like that.

toneboy · #9 04-25-2007, 09:22 PM

Eh, I don't believe think the finish is that thick. The finish on the PGM neck is not like the standard finish on some of the older RGs. I wonder if Rich H. will chime in considering I bought this one from him.

**Ayrton** · #10 04-25-2007, 11:26 PM

I stopped by GC tonight a looked at a 20th 550, and a 2550. Both guitars have a thin "raw wood" finish on the necks, so I am assuming that is what you PGM has. Knowing that, I still say a buff with steel wool and then 1-2 coats of Tru Oil followed by another buff.

For the record that is how I finish raw necks.

jP777 · #11 04-26-2007, 04:09 AM

Hi,

I'm in the same position with my RG2820. The thin satin finish became glossy and I would like to get back to a more raw surface, and I don't really want to remove all the finish.
I'm used to play a 91 UV, which has a more raw feeling. But I think the back of the neck is oiled (is it right?).
I tried a few days ago MusicMan guitars (Axis and Petrucci) and I would like something anywhere between the MM and early UV feel.

Ayrton: is it 100% useful to put Tru Oil on it? Does the 0000 steel wool really knock off the shine of the surface, wouldn't it turn the surface even shinier? What about 400 or 600 grade sand paper? I only use 0000 steel wool to polish frets and I'm a bit scared about doing this on the neck...

thanks

toneboy · #12 04-26-2007, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayrton

I stopped by GC tonight a looked at a 20th 550, and a 2550. Both guitars have a thin "raw wood" finish on the necks, so I am assuming that is what you PGM has. Knowing that, I still say a buff with steel wool and then 1-2 coats of Tru Oil followed by another buff.

For the record that is how I finish raw necks.

Thank you again for the advice Ayrton. Sounds like that's about the safest way to get rid of the gloss.

**Ayrton** · #13 04-27-2007, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jP777

Ayrton: is it 100% useful to put Tru Oil on it? Does the 0000 steel wool really knock off the shine of the surface, wouldn't it turn the surface even shinier? What about 400 or 600 grade sand paper? I only use 0000 steel wool to polish frets and I'm a bit scared about doing this on the neck...

thanks

Well steel wool is not harsh enough to remove the factory finish, but it will knock down the gloss. The Tru Oil is really just a precaution against having raw wood, and it goes on with very thin coats.

jP777 · #14 04-27-2007, 04:41 AM

Thank you Ayrton

I've tried yesterday on another glossy surface and buffing it with the steel wool made it smooth.

I'm gonna try this on my RG's neck this saturday, I will let you know about the result...

Phishphood42 · #15 04-28-2007, 07:06 PM

Slightly OT, but I didn't want to start a new thread. I took out my guitar today and noticed that there was a slightly darker ring at the seventh fret on the back of the neck. It turns out to match my thumb perfectly, so I'm guessing its either sweat or oil from my hand that sank into the wood. How do I get rid of this? Steel wool? Its barely there but its really bothering me.