Frets on Finished Necks with Maple Fingerboards

[simple]

If you have had Warmoth put a finish on your neck and you have a maple fingerboard, then you have finish covering your frets that needs to be removed.

You'll want to tape up your fingerboard between the frets to protect it, then you can use graduating sand paper grades and fine steel wool to gently remove it. The major caution is to stop when you reach the metal.

If you are unsure of your ability, please defer this to a local qualified guitar tech.

 

[CD]

How thick is the finishing? I thought I read somewhere that you could just play the guitar to scrape it off, like bending the strings across the frets.

 

[simple]

How thick is the finishing? I thought I read somewhere that you could just play the guitar to scrape it off, like bending the strings across the frets.

You don't want to "wear" off the finish by just playing it. Chances are you'll catch a big chunk of it and more will come off than you wanted. The finish is applied thin, but not thin enough for the method of removal that you read about.

 

[Jimmy Jingles]

Quick question...

For extra $$$, will Warmoth level, dress and polish the frets?




Thanks!

 

[simple]

Quick question...

For extra $$$, will Warmoth level, dress and polish the frets?




Thanks!

Nope. Warmoth doesn't offer that service (yet).  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Ayrton]

Quick question...

For extra $$$, will Warmoth level, dress and polish the frets?

I install the new neck and then drop it of with the tech.

 

[rahimiiii]

just level and dress the fret and the finish will come off, you will probably need to do this anyways...

 

[Alfang]

I have purchased several Warmoth necks, some finnished, some not,  They didnt aply finnish over frets, they did it right.
it's been my experience, that when you buy a Warmoth finnished neck, it' needsa but a small turn on the truss rod before installing to body, then bolt it on  and play
It's almost too easy, a caveman could do it
Alf

 

[jhumber]

If I'm totally honest, I didn't realise for a few months that there was finish over my frets. It really is very thin, and it certainly didn't appear to be detrimental to the performance/feel of the neck. Recently it's started coming off itself (I've had the neck about 4 months), and yesterday I removed 90% of it just using my finger nail and a little bit of patience  :icon_smile:

I totally understand why it's there, but from what I can tell, it didn't impact the playing quality of the neck (which was/is great all over). So yeah, the finish is over the frets, but it didn't feel like a life or death situation to get it all off.

Cheers,
Jordan.

 

[simple]

I've heard the experience playing on frets with finish on them ranging from hardly noticeable to "this neck is completely dead and unplayable!"

 

[-CB-]

FWIW, the three Warmoth necks I got that were maple (or goncalo) got the Leo approach -

Grabbed a nail.  Put it in my vice.  Used a jewelers full round file to file a round groove in the head.  Checked the groove against the frets... when it was close....  just scraped off the finish and that was that.  Never took hunks out.  Worked great.  I always get the willies when the words sandpaper and frets are mentioned.

 

[Superbeast520]

FWIW, the three Warmoth necks I got that were maple (or goncalo) got the Leo approach -

Grabbed a nail.  Put it in my vice.  Used a jewelers full round file to file a round groove in the head.  Checked the groove against the frets... when it was close....  just scraped off the finish and that was that.  Never took hunks out.  Worked great.   I always get the willies when the words sandpaper and frets are mentioned.

Thats the exact method Fender used for scraping finish off the frets when they started out, Im not sure if they still do it, but its what I read and exactly the approach I would use.....I guess you ment Leo Fender????/........either way, good Idea to pass along. :icon_thumright:

 

[-CB-]

Yes, Leo, aka Clarence Leonidas Fender.

(da man his-self)

Leo and I are pretty good pals now.  His ghost has been haunting me ever since I started meddling with the innards of his amps, reverse engineering the whys and hows... "the Leo way".  Usually, he'll come up to me and just say "psst.. hey kid..." and lay some truth upon me.  I used to be startled at it all, but anymore I know that "its just Leo" and he means no harm, and has been a great guy once you get to know him.

The thing with Leo, is to remember (even as a ghost) he's one squeeeeeeeky cheap so-and-so.  I swear he probably used the nails from the shipping crates his vendors sent him, to fashion those scrapers.

Of course you probably think I've been sniffing the Deft too long.... but hey...  I probably have.  But Topper (another Leo) could see George and Marion... while nobody else could.  And he didn't snif Deft one bit.

 

[oliviermarian]

Hello,
just received a maple neck to.
quite a lot of finish over the frets, which worried me the first time i played it becaus I had not noticed it before and the bends were awful.

I just played bends on every fret on every string, and it started to leave by itself.

Probably different for every one.

To be honest I find it quite strange regarding the quality of Warmoth's work fir everything else, that they don't do this before shipping.
But hey, we seem to always find some little thing not to be happy, so I'll take this back, and say I AM VEY HAPPY WITH WARMOTH for everything on this first project  :hello2:

Olivier.
http://www.oliviermarian.com/warmoth

 

[neil]

ive done a few scratch builds thet have had maple necks,or in one case an ebony board that needed spraying white....sick but it was the customers choice.
I do normally mask the frets,but it takes ages...warmoth are great guys but no one could expect them to be able to make such great parts and spend an extra hour per neck masking for the same price.
The nail trick or being very carefull with a scalple as a scraper NOT a cutter and every body will be happy.

If your wondering about what kind of sicko would like an ebony board sprayed white there are some pic on my my space...look for the upside down guitar player...edit the pic after a few beers!

www.myspace.com/neilsguitarworks

have fun guys and girls

 

[jackthehack]

Are you sure it wasn't Prince? Looks like something he'd play....

I know a woman would-be Metal player, actually took a perfectly good new American Std Strat and paid someone to paint the body purple and the maple neck all black, can't find the picture to post....

 

[neil]

the guy in the picture does a prince tribute act over here in the u.k.  his got the purple rain era wig the lot and he's real tiny...that body is only 11" wide! :laughing7:
When he turned up to collect the guitar i thought he must have nicked his dads car :doh:

 

[jackthehack]

Found the pic of the American Std painted purple with maple neck painted black....

 

[-CB-]

Novel way to get the finish off the frets I'd say.....

 

[Alfang]

If you look closely, you can see a purple guitar there.