Gibson SG Sticky Neck Fix?? Does it exist?

[mc5nrg]

All you need to do is "matte" the finish. I doubt it took me 30 seconds and very little pressure. I used steel wool pad and made no mess of any kind.

Ding. Just run a small pad up and down the back of the neck a few times. Repeat if needed. Maybe repeat a year or two later, if needed.

 

[DustyRhodesJr]

Here is a fix I stumbled on by accident-

In fixing a ding on a Gibson neck with superglue, I used "zip-kicker" to dry the glue.

To my surprise, the chemical in the zip'kicker completely hardened the finish on the neck.

Since it makes glue dry quickly, a finish must be close enough in makeup to where it works
on that as well.

 

[ewheel]

A little talcum powder on your palm really helps with the sticky until the finish cures a bit more.

 

[JBid]

A little talcum powder on your palm really helps with the sticky until the finish cures a bit more.

Talcum is good. Nitro-cellulose does not cure, it dries by evaporation, no catalysts are involved.

 

[icr]

Hello,

I purchased a '94 Gibson SG Standard on craigslist this past summer, knowing that it had sat in a case under a bed for quite a few years. The neck has been getting very sticky, and as I have reviewed this subject quite a bit naphthene seems to work for 30 minutes or so, then it goes back to getting sweaty, and I don't want to resort to sanding down the finish. It also sounds like 000 steel wool doesn't solve the issue either. Do any of you guys have any fixes for this? I actually was running my thumb nail down the neck and put a permanent guage in the finish of the neck, which I never thought would be a possibility with a finished guitar neck (let a lone a gibson).

I appreciate any feedback you all may have.

Thank you!
Joe

Next time look for: Polyurathane.

 

[Steinmetzify]

See this all the time lately. Green Scotchbrite pad, like you'd use in your kitchen. Why are people so afraid to do things to their guitars?!

All it's going to do is knock the finish down a bit, make it easier to play. Once a month or so, seriously only takes like 20 seconds. Run up and down the neck a few times, wipe off with a dry cloth. It's not going to damage your guitar at all.

 

[jcs]

2000 grit sandpaper....heck ive used as coarse as 600, then 1200, then 2000 and then 4000 grit.

I'm not using 0000 steel wool or any steel wool if I can help it.

On my 1992 MIM Strat I took the back of the neck down with 600, 1200, 2000, 4000.....the guys at GC couldn't believe how nice the neck felt.

I filled some huge dings on the solid maple neck of my USA Peavey Foundation with super glue......I leveled each filled spot with a razor blade, then the same procedure....unbelievably smooth neck now.

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

The neck on my 98 SG STD would get very gummy in reaction to my skin. I used a small pump bottle to spray a very light coat of plain unscented mineral oil on the back of the neck every time I played it. This worked great to let my hand slide freely.

Eventually either the finish wore smooth, or the mineral oil soaked into the finish, or the plasticisers dried out. Whatever the reason it eventualy improved from needing a spritz every time to needing it only occasionally.

 

[custom53]

I had a mid '90s Les Paul Standard that had the "Sticky Neck".. I have used the steel wool treatment on other guitars but just couldn't bring myself to do it to the Les Paul. Mainly because I couldn't "bond" with it to start with. Heavy and had the '50s Baseball Bat neck. I ended up trading it for a '04 Les Paul Standard. It had the '60s neck and no "Stickiness"..

 

[e???]

Run a green scotchbrite pad up and down the neck for about 20-30 seconds slowly. Wipe it off with a paper towel or whatever, then repeat using a white scotchbrite pad which is less coarse. Gives you a great smooth neck. Some one here told me to use a paper grocery bag. I did and it made it far worse, so then someone else told me to do the green and white scotchbrite, and it works great. Have done it to a few guitars now, and I recommend it. The problem with steel wool is the steel sometimes gets attracted to the pickups magnetically, then eventually messes with your output a little bit. Or so I've been told.

 

[RJLII]

Many good tips for necks that are sticky by virtue of them being glossy, but steel wool and Scotchbrite pads won't do any good on rubbery nitro like the OP describes having. The plasticizer needs to get driven out to harden it up. That means leave it out of the case for a year or two or hit it with a hair dryer and force the evaporation. Been there, done that.

 

[73Fender]

The Scotchbrite pad should not wear through the finish, with light pressure and a few passes.
I would not leave the naphtha on the finish, but it will totally evaporate very quickly, in any event. I also use FingerEase on my necks, with great satisfaction.

There are different grads of scotchbrite aka 3M pads..go to the paint section of home depot etc..the green is mid grit, white is fine grit and red is rough grit. If worried, use the fine grit gently, follow with a good cleaner and polish. This works for my Fender sticky nitro necks (actually I use green for those). Not sure what bearing having the guitar in the case for so many years would have though.

 

[swiveltung]

I bought a new Gibson Archtop in about 2004. I gave up on it 2 years later. Pretty much tried everything but never got rid of the sticky neck.