Getting the neck paint stripped

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nabeel
Anyone have an idea of how much that would cost? I got an LTD Ouija (not physically yet), but in case I don't like the painted neck (I am not a fan of the painted neck), how much would it cost (estimate obv) to get that stripped and just do a natural finish? If it's in the 200ish range I might just get it done, just have to find someone locally to do it...
Mr. Wicked

What's wrong with painted necks?

nabeel

They get sticky, though the LTD might be a higher quality
I like the look of non-painted better too, with a black body

1point8t

Its kind of a tedious process, but its something you can do if you have patience and a little skill...

You'll want to get a bunch of brand new razor blades, along with 250, 400, and 600 grit sandpaper, and a can of high grade tung oil. Tape off the area you intend to remove the paint from. You'll want to use the razor blades to scrape away from you, in this kind of motion <<<<<<<<<< \.

You'll want to scrape through the clear coat and just about all of the paint. Once you start seeing bare wood, you can start at it with the 250 grit paper. Be careful not to scrape your fret ends on the fretboard itself. Be extra careful on the edges of the headstock. I usually use the sharp edge of the razor and carefully scrape away the paint on the edge of the headstock, with the goal of leaving the painted face of the headstock with a factory look.

Once all the paint is gone, go over the neck with the 400 grit, and finish it off with the 600. You will then want to apply tung oil to any exposed wood, using an old t shirt or fine cotton rag. Apply your first coat, let it dry for a few hours. Over the next couple of days, apply a few more thin coats but not to the point where the oil residue builds up and causes it to get sticky. Once you've applied 4-5 coats of oil, you can hit it with some light steel wool to get rid of any stickiness. The natural oils from your hand will sink into the wood over time and make the neck slick as butter.

I've done this to 4 or 5 guitars and its worked out great every time...just be patient and careful, and you'll be happy with the result.

nabeel

Thanks for the info... I would do it myself but don't have the time... more importantly the patience.. haha. I painted one of my Epiphones, took alot longer than I expected. I might give it a shot though, but I'm not too confident in my own abilities...

Though I might try it on the old Epi first

Spoonylove

Thanks for the info... I would do it myself but don't have the time... more importantly the patience.. haha. I painted one of my Epiphones, took alot longer than I expected. I might give it a shot though, but I'm not too confident in my own abilities...

Don't be a beeeocth. Man up, Nancy!

muziqman

I love the feel of the satin finish on the neck of my RG321. I'm currently looking at the MH-1000 or a Horizon NT-II but both of them have painted necks. Is there any way to get the "feel" of the satin finish without stripping the paint ?

greenman

I love the feel of the satin finish on the neck of my RG321. I'm currently looking at the MH-1000 or a Horizon NT-II but both of them have painted necks. Is there any way to get the "feel" of the satin finish without stripping the paint ?
wet-sand the neck with 1000-2000 grit sandpaper. if you find you don't like it after sanding, you can always buff it back out later.

muziqman

would this possibly reduce the value of the guitar ?

SpicyPickles

Yes, it would.

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muziqman

you realize that post is from May '09 right ?

cfhmachado

i,m doing the same thing to my JD 600. It feels great so far, and its probably just me, but it seems to have unlocked some tone hidden undernieth the claer and sealer. i'll post pics once i,m completely done. I tried the razor on a few of the tricky areas. Id personally just use sand paper where ever you can. The razor seemed to be more work than any help, except for on the paint lines where it a must.

Josh R.

Hey I know this is old asf but I was wondering if someone could help me out so I did all these steps and for some reason my neck is like stained or something right where the neck meets the headstock it is black and it won’t go away what do I do cause it stands out pretty bad 

villages l.

Yes, i think

Josh R.

How do I fix this ?

Arno S.

100%

Pushead

Either paint over it, or live with it. It's part of the wood.

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