Yet another 52RI thread (sticky neck solution content)

Tom S · October 19th, 2005, 12:58 PM

OK, I have a 52RI with a neck that feels sticky to me. (It's one of those chambered spruce-tops, but aside from the body, it's apparently identical in every other way to the 52RI, so let's just say it's a 52RI, since I'm only talking about the neck.)

This my be a no-brainer to a lot of people here, but I used a simple, obvious solution to correct the "problem." Last night I spent about five minutes addressing this issue with some sandpaper, without doing any damage or leaving any discernable marks.

I started with 400 grit sandpaper, and went over the back of the neck with the lightest possible touch, as if I were lightly rubbing it with a cloth. I didn't touch the heel or the back of the headstock. The 400 grit will break the surface and create some fine dust, and takes off the majority of the finish. You really don't need any pressure to accomplish this. Wipe off the neck with a cloth, then go to 800, then 1000, then 1200 grit. I couldn't find my 1500 or 2000 grit, so I finished with a wet-sand using a 400 grit alo sanding film. I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it's very fine. And it probably isn't even necessary if you have the finer grit papers.

In any event, the back of the neck is fairly satinized now, and unless you are looking at it extremely closely, you can't even see any sanding marks. Of course, anything that's visible even at that close inspection could be taken out. I didn't bother since no one would ever notice it in a million years. The stickiness is gone. The back of the neck now looks almost identical in finish to the Am. Dlx tele I own, which I find superb. The heel is still highly polished, as is the back of the headstock, and you can't see any transition.

This is really a simple fix, and only takes about 5 minutes, seriously.

lpacilio · October 19th, 2005, 07:57 PM

My solution was to play mine.

After a couple of weeks any trace of stickiness simply disappeared. Frankly, it wasn't that bad to begin with.

zeeman · October 19th, 2005, 08:06 PM

Ditto what lpacilio said on mine. You're a braver man than I. Glad it worked out for you.

October 19th, 2005, 12:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tom S Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,208 49 Photos	Yet another 52RI thread (sticky neck solution content) OK, I have a 52RI with a neck that feels sticky to me. (It's one of those chambered spruce-tops, but aside from the body, it's apparently identical in every other way to the 52RI, so let's just say it's a 52RI, since I'm only talking about the neck.) This my be a no-brainer to a lot of people here, but I used a simple, obvious solution to correct the "problem." Last night I spent about five minutes addressing this issue with some sandpaper, without doing any damage or leaving any discernable marks. I started with 400 grit sandpaper, and went over the back of the neck with the lightest possible touch, as if I were lightly rubbing it with a cloth. I didn't touch the heel or the back of the headstock. The 400 grit will break the surface and create some fine dust, and takes off the majority of the finish. You really don't need any pressure to accomplish this. Wipe off the neck with a cloth, then go to 800, then 1000, then 1200 grit. I couldn't find my 1500 or 2000 grit, so I finished with a wet-sand using a 400 grit alo sanding film. I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it's very fine. And it probably isn't even necessary if you have the finer grit papers. In any event, the back of the neck is fairly satinized now, and unless you are looking at it extremely closely, you can't even see any sanding marks. Of course, anything that's visible even at that close inspection could be taken out. I didn't bother since no one would ever notice it in a million years. The stickiness is gone. The back of the neck now looks almost identical in finish to the Am. Dlx tele I own, which I find superb. The heel is still highly polished, as is the back of the headstock, and you can't see any transition. This is really a simple fix, and only takes about 5 minutes, seriously.

October 19th, 2005, 07:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
lpacilio Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 252	52Ri Sticky Neck My solution was to play mine. After a couple of weeks any trace of stickiness simply disappeared. Frankly, it wasn't that bad to begin with. __________________ The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. - Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

October 19th, 2005, 08:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
zeeman Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 316 5 Photos	Ditto what lpacilio said on mine. You're a braver man than I. Glad it worked out for you.