How do you guys feel about scuffing down painted necks for faster play?

I’m all about the feel there, I have satin finish slimish necks so I get your conundrum. I guess as long as you’re not bothered by the resale value, anything goes. I’d do it.

I really like mine protected from humidity, so I wouldn't want bare wood personally, other than the solid rosewood ones.

I love the feel of a satin clear finish, but they eventually get polished to a high gloss from playing. My Anderson looks like it came from their shop with a gloss neck and satin headstock.

I just keep them and my hands clean and I don't have trouble usually. I've probably adjusted my playing style over the years without knowing it.

my guitars, except Les Paul, all have oiled unpainted necks

I’ve definitely done it (though not on my expensive ones). Love it.

Masking tape and rough side of a kitchen sponge (may be something like “scotchbrite”?)

Quote: “I am seriously thinking about sanding the others down to a silky satin finish.”

This brings up an interesting topic.

Some years ago, when I purchased my first Music Man Bass, I had a few questions regarding how best to care for its fingerboard and neck as the fingerboard was bare wood and the neck finished with Tru-Oil.

For sure I read the manufacturers instructions and followed them, but a relative is a violin maker, luthier and repairer who is extremely experienced and would get given priceless Amati, Stradivarius and Guarneri instruments to care for, primarily because his cardinal gift is that of being able to make the intrusion necessary for the repair, completely invisible.

So I asked him to comment about these bare neck finishes which were new to me.

If in doubt, ask an expert!

He told me that this was a very interesting topic and a hot subject for discussion amongst the world’s top violin family, professionals.

That the Strad magazine, compulsive reading for such as them, had recently conducted a poll across violin family players of all the world’s top orchestras. Inquiring whether they preferred the necks of their instruments to be gloss finished as was tradition, or sanded down even to bare wood?

The survey concluded that these top instrumentalists were virtually evenly divided amongst those that preferred a traditional finish and those preferring a sanded or bare wood finish to the back of the neck. So, it would appear that whichever way one prefers the back of a neck to be finished, their exists a solid body of professional opinion that would solidly endorse either approach.

Where pricelessly expensive, irreplaceable vintage instruments are concerned, retaining the original finish may be an important factor in preserving the instrument for posterity and retaining its inherent value.

In addition, experienced players used to such a finish, have had no difficulty in performing brilliantly on the instruments concerned for hundreds of years without questioning the issue. Therefore, it would appear that the questions arising about this matter is a recent construct, perhaps borne out of social media activity amongst enthusiasts.

Traditional finishes afford the advantage of protecting the wood and are easy to keep clean.

Some players complain that such finishes increase the negative effect of perspiration, and that makes it more difficult to play.

To this, I think its important to add that not everyone as equal when it comes to matters of personal perspiration. For some, it is a far greater negative issue than for others.

On the other hand, other players proclaim that a sanded or bare wood finish, gives improved grist to their fingering grip and hand positioning on the neck.

The claimed improvement in grip, is stated to reduce the unwanted effect of perspiration and increase the confidence of players in their sureness of touch and intonation.

What is my view?

I tend towards adapting myself to the instrument, rather then demand the instrument be exactly complying with my precise, ideal requirements.

This is perhaps a consequence of the exposure and use of an extraordinary large number of different instruments, over a very long period of time.

On the whole I prefer instruments with a traditional finish.

My reasons are that as a collector, the overwhelming majority of them are stock, original, in mint condition and with quite a few with their original strings fitted.

In practise, I do not find a finished neck sticky or slow. The reason for this is that the backs of the necks are repeatedly treated with cabana wax, the hardest known wax, and very highly polished indeed.

As a consequence, they are extremely slick and sleek and very fast to play. Particularly so because before every instrument is put away the neck is polished in this manner, the fingerboard and frets cleaned along with the strings to preserve them.

So, every time the case is opened it is like playing the instrument from brand new, only far better because there are no music shop sweaty fingerprints anywhere on the back of the neck to make it sticky.

I suppose I should admit that I simply don’t perspire very much so don’t have the issues that some might. This is a highly personal matter.

As for my instruments that feature bare wood or Tru-Oil finishes.

Broadly, I adhere to manufacturers recommendations in caring for them.

Where bare fingerboards are concerned there is the difficulty, perhaps inevitability as some might see it, of keeping them clean, as they can dirty up quickly.

To that end, washing one’s hands before playing can go a long way towards preventing the fingers natural acids, enzymes and oils from being emitted into the wood in the first place, on the basis that prevention is better than cure.

Having a towel handy whilst one performs can be an additional asset in that respect. To that end I also polish the bare wood fingerboards with cabana wax as it provides a barrier to the ingress of those potentially damaging elements some would deem to be unavoidable and inevitable.

Thus, I have proven them to be neither unavoidable and inevitable at all.

Re-applying Tru-Oil to the neck and lightly sanding, although periodically recommended by the manufacturers has never proven necessary.

Simply because of the routine disciplines applied before putting the instruments away that ensure they are well maintained and in pristine working order, ready for when they are needed.

For this I have to thank guitarist Bert Weedon who taught me at a young age to clean under my strings after every time I played to preserve them and bassist Bill Kidle who taught me to love and care for instruments and to keep them in good condition.

So, to conclude.

I feel the real issue is not whether a neck features and traditional or sanded finish per say.

Rather, the real issue is whether a routine discipline is involved. Encompassing personal hygiene and routine cleaning and maintenance of the instrument.

If that is the case, then in my experience would suggest that for me at least, it makes no material difference to the actual playability of the instrument, provided one employs a professional approach to what I regard as necessary disciplines.

Although it hearkens to an era long past, we could by analogy like these to recording studio protocols where tape heads would be routinely cleaned, and azimuths set by engineers prior to a recording session.

The salient point being, whether one prefers a traditional or sanded or bare wood finish. There are perceived advantages and disadvantages in either case, and quite regardless of that choice some level of discipline and routine maintenance will be necessary to obtain optimal performance from the instrument in both instances.

i put a Warmouth neck on one of my strats, it was "roasted maple" and unfinished. I added Tru-Oil and it's my favorite neck. Going to be sanding down my ASAT neck and using Tru-Oil on that. For me, it's a stellar improvement. I have several other guitars with lacquer and satin finishes, and they play well, but the sanded/Tru-Oil necks are really something.

I would go with unfinished or satin necks all day. But as you say, its highly likely to devalue the guitar, as with many mods that are personal preference

I have a Yamaha SG with painted neck - my number 2 guitar that I bought 30 years for a stupidly cheap price but is worth a bit - I've been tempted in the past to strip it but I preferred not to for sentimental reasons.

Like you, I find gloss or painted necks sticky...

I have a Italia with an awesome looking blue sparkle finish - also on the neck

I went over it with 0000 (!) steel wool and it is now not sticky anymore, feels great.
so maybe there is no need to completely remove the paint/finish
also worked wonders on a maple Tele neck with the thick glossy poly finish

Quote from DonPetersen

I have a Italia with an awesome looking blue sparkle finish - also on the neck

I went over it with 0000 (!) steel wool and it is now not sticky anymore, feels great.
so maybe there is no need to completely remove the paint/finish
also worked wonders on a maple Tele neck with the thick glossy poly finish

That still takes some bravery

Quote from V8guitar

That still takes some bravery

it barely removes *any* material - it's more of a surface conditioning

it just turns glossy (sticky) to satin (non-sticky), it's probably even reversible if you polish it back up to a sheen

the trick is to use almost no pressure at all

Quote from DonPetersen

it barely removes *any* material - it's more of a surface conditioning

You are not accounting for how heavy handed I am :)...seriously, its a great idea

Just a suggestion for consideration, if you do use fine grit sandpaper opt for sheets of auto body sandpaper rather than sheets specified for wood. With the exception of sanding belts, I made this transition about 33 years ago in my cabinet shop. Leaves far less scratches and a more consistent, smoother finish, which was very apparent when staining.

Last year I stripped the finish from the back of a Strat neck and followed the process suggested by this video

It turned out great, and I’ve recently done the same thing with another Strat. I started with 80 grit to remove all of the original finish, then worked my way up through the grits, finishing on 10,000 grit. Wow it’s turned out amazing after applying the relic wax and instrument feed (which I think is basically a beeswax compound).

that's a bit overboard to me. in my experience, you don't need to remove the original finish at all. simply sanding the finish itself incrementally is enough to get a silky satin feel. i gotta have a nice soft finish on all of my necks.

Quote from BayouTexan

I wouldn't use a scraper or any metal on it. 1500 grit sandpaper using a perpendicular (crosscut) hand sanding pattern should be enough.

I didn’t use a scraper, unlike the guy in that video, instead I started with 80 grit to remove the original finish, as mentioned. As I moved up through the grits it was getting smoother each time, which is why I kept going and took it to 10,000 grit which feels amazing and is super shiny.

Quote from BillyNoSocks

…you don't need to remove the original finish…

You do if you don’t like polyurethane and want a waxed neck.

You can even get far with the rough edge of a kitchen sponge