Removing lacquer from neck

[twitchylizard]

I finally finished my guitar and am currently in the wiring stage. I ordered the neck with a gloss finish. I doubt I am going to like the feel of it so my question is what have you guys used to remove lacquer from necks? Thanks

 

[Cagey]

Acetone (lacquer thinner) will strip lacquer easily, and it's dirt cheap.

Thing is, I don't think Warmoth does a gloss finish in lacquer. Their gloss finish is polyurethane. Stripping that is less fun. You need a serious stripper - something with methylene chloride in it. It's wicked stuff (warnings here) so you sorta need to suit up when you use it. You don't want to inhale the vapors or get it on your skin or in your eyes. But, it's about the only thing that works short of an angle grinder. That's why poly is such a great guitar finish. It looks great and can take a real beating.

Around here, the only brand I've found with methylene chloride in it is Klean-Strip. I imagine a Google search will turn up some others.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

You could probably take it down to a satin finish with some steel wool.

 

[dmraco]

As Cagey said you probably got a poly neck.  I would be VERY cautious when removing it.  You have a higher likelihood or ruining the neck.  I would worry of the effects of the chemicals on the wood and glue used on the neck.

Try the steel wool.  You do realize the sell raw necks??

 

[Danuda]

For the effort and damage you could cause I would just try and sell the neck, maybe to someone on this board, and then buy a different neck that doesn't have a finish.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

You need a serious stripper

LOL - regards SustainerPlayer 12 years old.  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[twitchylizard]

As Cagey said you probably got a poly neck.  I would be VERY cautious when removing it.  You have a higher likelihood or ruining the neck.  I would worry of the effects of the chemicals on the wood and glue used on the neck.

Try the steel wool.  You do realize the sell raw necks??

I like the way the finish looks, but the feel isnt the greatest. Ive had gloss necks that are less sticky than this. Its either something I'll have to get used to or ill try the steel wool.

 

[dmraco]

I like the high gloss.  I know if can get sticky when some players perspire.  That has never been an issue for me though

Try it for a while before you do any major changes

 

[twitchylizard]

I like the high gloss.  I know if can get sticky when some players perspire.  That has never been an issue for me though

Try it for a while before you do any major changes

I am one of the biggest sweaters I've ever seen lol I go through strings constantly from my acidic sweat. I will definitely try it for a while though. Ive got a Les Paul that is kinda sticky but it doesnt bother me as much. So I guess I;ll just give it some time

 

[dmraco]

Nitro acts different than poly.  Give it a shot.  Sorry to hear about your acid sweat

 

[-CB-]

Methelne cloride will melt the dotd really fast.

 

[bagman67]

One more reason to just sell it and buy a new one with the desired finish, or finish it oneself.

 

[leo12.]

Try this before you go chemical its reversable too.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/epiphone-les-pauls/17007-dulling-poly-finished-guitars-pic-heavy.html

 

[twitchylizard]

One more reason to just sell it and buy a new one with the desired finish, or finish it oneself.

This is the first neck Ive ever ordered for Warmoth so idk how I could of known how sticky or unsticky the finish is. Like I said Ive had guitars with less sticky necks. I like the look of the gloss and I figured if it felt like shit I could at least sand it off or something. I custom ordered the neck so selling it off this soon would be impatient of me. Im just gonna see how it goes for a couple of months.

 

[Cagey]

I custom ordered the neck so selling it off this soon would be impatient of me. Im just gonna see how it goes for a couple of months.

Wise move. You'd have to be very lucky to get 60%-70% of what you paid for it.

Time cures a lot of strange feel and you can get used to damn near anything. You just have to approach it with an open mind and give it a chance. Warmoth's necks are premium parts, so you have to sorta let go of some prejudice and let reality have a chance. It's entirely possible that you may find you prefer that neck.

It happened to me 100 years ago. I was a solid and loyal Gibson guy, playing a flat-boarded baseball bat neck with other anomalies. I borrowed a Strat-style G&L from one of my brothers for a bit during a refurb. We lived about 175 miles apart at the time, so I had it for a while. Prior to that, I swore to all that was holy I'd never play such a thing. Single coils? Are you nuts? Longer scale? Why? On and on. However, in a surprisingly short period of time, I grew to love that guitar and how it played, and my Gibson ended up sitting in its case providing a secret hiding place for cat hair and dust mites until it finally became trade bait for something. Got another G&L of my own, and have never looked back since.