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NPD, Two piece maple neck, what to do?

Discussion in 'Tele Home Depot' started by Chicken Curry, Jan 24, 2021.

  1. Jan 24, 2021 #1
    Chicken Curry

    Chicken Curry Tele-Meister

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    39
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    Australia
    Just purchased today, it has a maple cap, bit of flame at the back which is nice. Few noob questions:
    1: What shape headstock is this?
    2: What should I do with the headstock? It seems to have the logo/something sanded out. Sand the whole thing bare?
    3: The maple cap seems very bare, no varnish or very little, there's some staining from use, very little though. There's some fingernail marks.
    4: The edge of the fretboard is stained from use, dark and mucky, how can I sand it or get rid of it. Tried taking pics of it but it doesn't quite show how mucky it looks.
    5: The glue between the frets and the fretboard does seem to have dried up under some frets, is this a concern? can this be touched up without a refret? (Last pic)

    So in general, I want it looking nice, as it has a nice look to it, I don't mind using some type of varnish to bring out the flame/grain patterns. Not sure if I'll build a partscaster or just use it to swap out a neck from one of my teles just to experiment.

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  2. Jan 24, 2021 #2
    Jim_in_PA

    Jim_in_PA Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    The headstock shape is just something that the manufacturer used that's sorta like a Strat, but doesn't infringe on the design. Given that you feel that the headstock has been sanded to remove a logo, that very well could be the case and also account for what you are feeling finish-wise. Clean it up, carefully sand it and then re-finish to your preference. Many folks who are actual players prefer a non-glossy finish on the back of the neck. The headstock should be finished so it's complimentary of the guitar body the neck will be bolted to. All of these things, with the exception of cleaning up/sanding, are subjective personal preference.

    Unless the frets are worn and need to be replaced, it's just a matter of meticulous cleaning/scraping/sanding, etc., to get things to where you can move on to refinishing.
     
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  3. Jan 24, 2021 #3
    E-miel

    E-miel Tele-Meister

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    Drenthe, Netherlands
    4: Try cleaning it with a damp cloth. In my experience a lot of it will be removed. Then some sanding for the remainder.
     
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  4. Jan 24, 2021 #4
    Boreas

    Boreas Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    It looks like a project to me. I assume there is a truss rod adjustment at the heel? If so, make sure it is free and can adjust the neck action. If not, you may just have a fancy piece of wood. Check that before going further.

    Since the frets don't seat properly, and you want to work on the edge of the neck, I would probably recommend pulling the frets and starting from scratch.

    1. Level and radius fingerboard.
    2. Deepen fret slots as needed.
    3. Sand off the edge of the neck and roll it more if you want.
    4. Reshape neck if you wish.
    5. Sand/fill/stain/finish as you wish.
    6. New frets of your preferred flavor. Best to glue them in. BUT, make sure they seat all the way!
    7. Light level/crown/polish.
    8. Find a body and some tuners and you are good to go!
     
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