The sticky Gibson neck

[DeleriumTrigger]

I've had my Explorer about a year, and it doesn't really see very serious playtime. Probably about 5 hours a week, sometimes less sometimes more.

Within 15 minutes of starting to play, the neck is completely and visibly gunked with hand junk and is so sticky to play on that my bicep actually hurts after a jam night like I've been doing dumbell curls all day long. I frequently pause mid-song to wipe the neck with my t-shirt quickly.

I read that washing your hands with dish soap before playing is good for this, I haven't tried this one but I'm wondering, should it be this bad?

Anyone have any wisdom they can share on this topic?

Thanks dudes. :rockon:

[ronmac]

It's possible that your body chemistry is reacting with the finish, causing it to soften.

You can level the finish off a bit by using 0000 steel wool (keep this away from your pickups) and a bit of elbow grease. This has worked for me on a couple of instruments, and was originally recommended to me by Dana Bourgeois. Dana, and many other Luthiers, now actually use a different finish (satin) on the neck than the rest of the body.

In extreme cases you can remove all finish from the neck and treat with a gunstock (tung) oil.

[dwagar]

nitro takes time to cure. Depending on humidity, I've heard as much as a year or two. Its nature is that it evaporates and shrinks into the finish. While it's a pain at first, in the long term that's a good thing.

It's best to leave your guitar out of the case as much as you can, let it get some air.

Don't polish it until it's well set up. The polish will 'seal' it from the air.

Clean hands, always. I wash my hands prior to every set at a gig, before picking up my guitar at home. Not only for the neck, your strings last longer too.

Once the nitro is nicely set, I like to use a mist type polish on mine. I use liquid polish on the rest of the guitar, but I find the mist polish turns the back of the neck into 'glass'.

[hoser]

my les paul was like that. I sanded the paint off and refinished with a clear satin. the mahogany looks beautiful exposed and no more sticky neck.

[DeleriumTrigger]

So far we have:

-Steel wool it
-Leave it
-Sand it down

I've gotta say that the steel wool idea scares the crap out of me, simply because I've never really done any wood related work on a guitar before. I did read in a few other places that it's a good remedy for it though.

Having the neck sanded down would also give it a bit of slimmer / faster feel correct?

[hoser]

yes, a satin finish is a lot smoother. I had mine done at a guitar shop.

[Grenvilleter]

Is it possibe the shop where you bought it uses wax on their guitars ?
Wax can and will build up and make the neck terrible to try and play.
Especially after about 15 minutes when your hand warms things up.
I hate polish for that very reason and no longer use it except very very sparingly.

You can take some lemon oil and wipe down your neck to try and take the "sticky" off. Also "Goo-Gone" is a citrus based cleaner that will not harm the finish. You could try that first before you do anything.
If it works...don't wax your neck and just dry wipe after a playing session.
Micro fibre cloths work exceptionally well in removing oils from your hands left on the guitar after playing eliminates the need to wax as frequently.

[dwagar]

Having the neck sanded down would also give it a bit of slimmer / faster feel correct?

and have the effect of reducing the value of your guitar by a bunch.

once the back of your neck turns to glass, sanding it wouldn't make it feel 'faster'

[hoser]

well obviously you wouldn't do it if you plan on reselling or care about resale value.

[Hamm Guitars]

My Kitchen cabinets get 'gummy' when ever the temperature or humidity is high. I was told that this is the result of either recoating too early or finishing in high humidity conditions. I also have matching cabinets in one of my bathrooms that have the same finish, but are not tacky under the same conditions (they were done right, I guess).

My cabinets were built in 1984, so if you have the same issue, it will likely never set.

[zontar]

I wonder how much of this is caused , at least in part, by climate.
Out here in dry Alberta I've never had this problem. But then my Les Paul was about 15 years old when I bought it. But I've never seen that on other people's Gibsons out here, including brand new ones.

As for my necks--I don't polish them--I just wipe them down. I used to polish them, but wiping seems to work as well in terms of keeping the finish clean, and nobody sees the back of the neck to show it off. (Which is a shame with my bass--there's some lovely birds eyes on it.)

As for wax--I would avoid it for sure.

[shoretyus]

Having the neck sanded down would also give it a bit of slimmer / faster feel correct?
How much are you planing on sanding? You are trying to either fix the finish or remove the finish. Not the wood.
You can wet sand with 1000 grit to 2000 grit wet/dry paper as an alternate to steel wool

[DeleriumTrigger]

I would just have a luthier take the finish completely off the back of the neck if I was going to that route. I don't ever plan on selling this guitar, and Explorers aren't the prettiest girls on the block to begin with :D, so that's not much of an issue.

It does get hotter than all hell in our jam room currently, we will be moving the AC unit in soon though.

I will try the lemon oil and microfibre cloth wipe stuff first though, thanks guys! Say... where can I get a microfibre cloth? Martha Stewart I'm not... :smile:

[shoretyus]

I will try the lemon oil and microfibre cloth wipe stuff first though, thanks guys! Say... where can I get a microfibre cloth? Martha Stewart I'm not... :smile:

Is this where the red and white aisle sign comes down:smile:

or an automotive store....

[dwagar]

I would suggest go the microfibre cloth route, but don't oil it. Don't seal the lacquer with anything, let it get air to cure. It needs to be able to evaporate. If you seal it, it'll only take longer.

[dnoseworth]

My Hot Rod tele , my les paul classic and my 2001 Historic R9 all did the same thing, the magic cure is keep playing your guitar, yes it's annoying but the stickyness will go away, just keep wiping your explorer. On another note to some of the other responses. If you get a sticky spot on your car would you sand it?

[fraser]

My Hot Rod tele , my les paul classic and my 2001 Historic R9 all did the same thing, the magic cure is keep playing your guitar, yes it's annoying but the stickyness will go away, just keep wiping your explorer. On another note to some of the other responses. If you get a sticky spot on your car would you sand it?

well obviously if its the steering wheel, yes:smile:
and since youd spend hours with that sticky neck in your hand, id do something about it.
id wipe it with naptha to get rid of the grease and dirt, then satin it out with 0000 steel wool. itll become glossy and sticky again with use

[DeleriumTrigger]

Hey guys,

I've been using a microfiber cloth on it for a few weeks now, and washing my hands with dish soap before play. Unfortunately, no noticeable results as of yet. I have still been storing it in the case however so next step is to get a stand of some sort (waiting to figure out wall hangers in our jam room soon) and have it spend some quality time outside.

:rockon:

[james on bass]

I'm not familiar with this guitar. Is it a gloss or painted neck? I say go the steel wool route.

I detest painted or glossy necks. My 6 string came with a satin finish which is what I prefer. My other 2 basses had a gloss finish that I sanded off very lightly so I in effect had a satin finish. So much nicer.

I too have always been very "anal" if you will about not picking up my instruments before I've washed my hands with soap and water. In between every set as well. I always have a rag hanging off the side of my rig to dry my hands and/or wipe the neck, and keep a stash of wet-naps in my gear briefcase for those outdoor gigs or cheap bars that don't keep soap in their restrooms.

[Grenvilleter]

"id wipe it with naptha to get rid of the grease and dirt".
------------------------------------------------------
Really good point. Make sure the "sticky" is not old polish built up before you lay on any steel wool.
Goo Gone is available in many hardware and department stores and will not harm the finish on your guitar. It will also strip off any external influence that may be causing your neck to get sticky.
If it cleans up, then use the microfibre cloth to keep it that way but I don't think the cloth will do a hard case on it's own.
If that fails, then consider the steel wool option.
Good Luck and let us know how it turns out