Nitro finish stickiness

[RvChevron]

Does glossy nitro finish feel sticky, compared to say very thin satin poly/urethene, or oil finish?

 

[paintguy]

Usually...

Poly or urethane have never, ever felt sticky to me. Nitro almost always does.

 

[buddastrat]

Yep. Real sticky to me. Play an EJ strat neck for an idea.

 

[fastburn430]

It can. I think it depends on how the builder sprayed it and let it cure.

 

[sqadan]

My Strat with nitro neck feels pretty slick... but my 52 tele reissue is kinda tacky... sometimes sweat etc... can make a nitro finish soften up over time, making it feel more sticky.

 

[BigViolin]

It can. I think it depends on how the builder sprayed it and let it cure.

I'd love to know the best way to do this.

 

[RvChevron]

One builder and one painter, both told me nitro is not sticky.

I guess it depends on how it's sparyed/applied.

 

[BluePowder]

Nitro in my experience has never been sticky.

On my EJ's neck especially it's a totally different story.

 

[stephax]

Nitro does not stick, ask a luthier. But when humidity comes into the process...

 

[KazJY]

As far as the EJ's neck goes - does it go away eventually?

 

[allman5]

I'd love to know the best way to do this.

Talk with Scott Lentz (Lentz guitar.com)

 

[Rosewood]

I don't know any way to spray lacquer that will change the surface tension except a flatting agent for satin or steel wooling it, and it will polish itself out after playing for a while. Lacquer gets dirty and picks up a lot of contaminates which doesn't help the feel. The dull spot on top of a guitar where your arm sweats is a perfect example, sticky and eventually soft.

 

[KevinF]

I have played a number of guitars with nitro necks and never had a problem. However, a good friend of mine bought a Fender Custom Shop strat that had a neck that was extremely "sticky". He used steel wool and micromesh on the neck and even tried "cleaners" (guitar polish or something). He could not get rid of the stickiness and eventually sold the guitar due to it.

 

[sqadan]

I don't know any way to spray lacquer that will change the surface tension except a flatting agent for satin or steel wooling it, and it will polish itself out after playing for a while. Lacquer gets dirty and picks up a lot of contaminates which doesn't help the feel. The dull spot on top of a guitar where your arm sweats is a perfect example, sticky and eventually soft.

Precisely... If you play alot and don't wipe down the neck of your guitar before putting it in it's case - you are bound to end up with a sticky neck. Also, some plastic compounds etc... can soften up a nitro finish. Some cheapo guitar stands can actually react with a nitro finsih and leave what looks like burn marks all over the finish.

 

[Jon C]

depends, usually not. the neck on my Les Paul R8 was a bit sticky when new, but it was recommended that I try Gibson's polish on it. after using that a couple of times over a month or two, there hasn't been a problem.

 

[Birddog]

I am the proud owner of my first Gibson LP after years of Fenders. It indeed has the sticky neck thing going. As another poster mentioned, Gibson guitar polish takes the feel away, at least for a while. I give it a wipe before and after each session and it seems to be getting less and less sticky each time I play it.

At first it was annoying, now it doesn't bother me. It's not so much "sticky" as it is "frictiony". Hard to describe.

 

[BluePowder]

Sometimes I have to admit, I do tend to grow accustomed to the "stickiness". Now when I play a satin finished neck it feels like a toy.

As for the EJ the stickiness only occurs and gets noticed when I play the guitar for an extended period of time, ie. when my hand starts to build up some moisture.

Other than that it's okay!

 

[KazJY]

Precisely... If you play alot and don't wipe down the neck of your guitar before putting it in it's case - you are bound to end up with a sticky neck. Also, some plastic compounds etc... can soften up a nitro finish. Some cheapo guitar stands can actually react with a nitro finsih and leave what looks like burn marks all over the finish.

DEET will mess up a Nitro finish too - any mosquito repellant with DEET.

I still have marks on my 2 Gibson SGs - the paint never solidified again after being on the rubber stands - it's just gooey on my SG Special.