Sanding Down a Fender or Squier Guitar Neck

I plan on removing the classic vibes squire decal and serial number what do I need to do that and to replace the decal with my own

You should really tape up your fretboard with painter's tape to protect the fretboard and fret tounges from damage and seal the exposed wood with gun oil, with a light 0000 steel wool sand in between coats. Then polish with beeswax.

I play strats ( no surprise chk name ) and teles . If you are not experiencing a sticky problem don't sand your wall art. IF you are using the guitar to perform or record music DO IT . Its all about is it your INSTRUMENT or a possession ?

Hey, Shane! What pickups are on your telecaster?

Will people stop mislabeling n call it what it is ..taking the gloss off

Gonna do it to my squire cv 50s p bass super-dooper glossy neck soon ;)

congratulation

How do you know if you sand it down to far to the bare wood?

So is it more influenced by hygrometry now ? Is there still enough lacker left to protect the neck from warping ?

Great video appreciate the advice. Looking to do the same thing on my classic vibe.... Do you need to seal the wood after sanding?

Sanding the neck of your guitar is great, I did it on my Jackson Kelly. But you have to be aware that it kills the resell value of your guitar...

I've done this to a painted les paul special neck years back using similar methods. I found over time friction would re-burnish the flatness of the finish and shine it / sticky it up again.

Have you experienced that at all yet?

400 grit with a light touch is all ya need. Did this on 2 of my guitars it was perfect

I tried the grey sanding (wire wool grade) sponge on the CV 60’s tele but it felt a bit squeaky.
I then used a 360 grit sandpaper and it felt amazing and looked the same as sanding with super fine.
I think the lower grit makes it feel more like wood.
The great thing with the poly necks is if you really don’t like it, don’t sweat, you can buff it back to gloss.

I followed your advice Shane and sanded my Squier CV Tele neck this afternoon and it worked a treat! Feels so much better and easier to play now. Did the fretboard with steel wool and that looks good, too. No more gloss!

For anybody doing this make sure you remove your neck, and don’t do it with a guitar attached to the neck. It’ll be easier and you will get better results.

What are you guys doing with your hands that makes the glossy neck "sticky"? Have you tried washing them? lol!

I thought this was gonna be about sanding the fretboard. I know, it doesn't say that in the title, but the fretboard is also part of the neck. Would you suggest doing that on hte fretboard with the frets still on? A guitar guy said he'd need to replace the frets and I can't afford it right now...

Just did this to my acoustic, feels great, just a heads up. If you play on stage or handing guitars back and forth with roadies it's pretty slippy now. Watch out for drops! Also I think the gloss slows you down when moving around the neck but when holding chords the thumb has leverage on the gloss now not as much. Depends on your playing style I guess. Anyways my observations. Good video !

Have you sanded the fretboard also?

Great video. Really helped to understand exactly what you’re taking off the neck when sanding. Cheers!

I do something similar with brand new necks that have been sprayed with polyurethane. First I tape off the fretboard with painters tape. Next I sand the gloss off the back of the neck and both sides of the headstock with 400p grit sandpaper, then spray two coats of Mohawks Pre catalysed satin lacquer. I finish by buffing them out with 0000 steel wool. The finish is smooth as silk when done, .

There's more than one way to skin a cat and one way to skin a cat is evenly and another way is with bumps and ridges so consider that before you skin your cat. That is to say when you decode that message consider using a block when sanding and not your lumpy fingers no matter how light or even one thinks they're performing.

has anyone tried using baby powder on the back of the neck?

All these years later, we've learned a few things. The first is that this is even easier when using the green grade of Scotch-Brite. Also, for a trick factory look, drop some painters tape on the top and bottom of the neck. You'll end up with distinct lines where you sanded and where you haven't.

I never had a problem with my hand feeling sticky on glossy necks, but the satin result is far preferable from a feel standpoint.

what about the tone? is it ok?

Awesome! Did you add a thin finish on them or is it safe to leave them as is? I love the dryest possible feel, my hands get quite sweaty when I play

0000

Hi Shane, could you do the exact same thing with the glossy body on a classic vibe?

Hi Shane, did you leave the gloss on the fret board or did you sand that down later? Any thoughts on that? My classic vibe has a really glossy fretboard. I might wanna sand that down but I'm nervous about it. Thanks!

green scotch-brite pads!

I realise a very old vid, but I had to comment as this really shocked me for a few reasons. 400 grit paper is way to coarse for doing this. 400 is enough to take the lacquer off and leave the wood unprotected. The only benefit you'd get over using a finer paper is that you'd save a few minutes doing it. On your $1000+ pride & joy, saving a few minutes is not a priority. You're trying to roughen up the lacquer, not remove it. It's also really advisable to take some commons sense health precautions. Seeing white polyurethane dust everywhere... that's really not good.

- Get some 600/800 grit and carefully take your time over it. Work your way up the grades.
- Don't jump more than double grade on paper, work up the grades. Otherwise you end up with disparities across the surface.
- Use the paper wet when working with varnish. This a) avoids the paper "gumming up"; b) giving a more even finish and c) reduces toxic dust being thrown into the air.
- Wear a P2 respirator or better and do it outside or in a well ventilated area.

Polyurethane varnishes on modern instruments can leave you with chronic illnesses and permanent disabilities if the dust is inhaled. It's mutagenic and carcinogenic: it causes DNA to mutate and causes cancer. (Mutated DNA causes severe illnesses - you don't ever get telekinesis or weather controlling abilities as much as Marvel would have you believe). On older instruments they normally use nitrocellulose - I'm not sure if it has as serious long term health complications, but it can certainly make you black out inhaling it.

I've just sanded down my HB TE-70 using this way (400 + 1500) so that is it. The neck was super glossy, Classic Vibe style, but now it's way better. The neck is far more comfortable now, should have done it earlier but hesitated. Just a light touch and you get a pretty even surface satin feel neck.

Just did this to my CV strat after years of being scared but simultaneously suffering from the 5mm laquer haha... i just went once with a 600 sand paper and the effect is immense! Also, incredibly easy... Now it feels a lot like my 40th anniversary CV Jazz Bass, take into account the first thing that came to my mind when i bought that bass was "damn i wish by strat had a neck like this". Thanks!

I just acquired a Fender Professional 2 Strat in Miami Blue on a trade and the neck is incredibly fat. I want to sand it down but I'm nervous because of the skunk stripe and the unknown(for me) depth of the truss rod. I was thinking of maybe trying to trade the neck with some sasquatch type dude who could use the bigger neck but I'm thinking now that may turn it into a partscaster if you will.

Not sure if it's the best but I use a little bit of furniture polish on the neck afterwards to make it look a little more glossy

Have a 50s cv strat that I love to death, definitely have gotten tired of the heavy lacquer though after playing my fender telecaster a bunch

Would it be a good or bad idea to use the same technique on the fretboard

I'm going to strip the finish off the back of a spare CV neck so I don't have the hassle of resanding it when the finish wears down.

Ty!!!

Anyone know if you can do this to the body as well? I would like to remove the gloss from the neck and body.

A bowl of water with a drop of dishs oap to watersand works wonders especially on the super fine grits.

The sanding that you Did cause some pressure and may cause some damage in the neck pocket
Is it Ok to sand a guitar neck with No Support under it ?

Hi, any repair experience with, or advice on; with a Fender skunk stripe where the stripe is slightly sunk and slightly raised in sections of the neck?

Still relevant. Thinking about doing this on my Guild Polara Newark St reissue. Great guitar, however, they didn't skimp on the gloss, regretfully.

thinking about doing this to my players series

what's your opinion on sanding the front????

what if you start with 800 sand paper? is that ok too?