Varnishing a neck

[Marky L]

I picked up an aftermarket maple P neck from Clarky and it's just what I was after.. except it just looks a bit too new!

It has a light toned maple look to it and I guess has a silk varnish coating as standard. I really want a darker amber/honey look to it and probably glossy too. Now I am a DIY fool so it needs to be easy.. i.e. spray can. Do I just lay some masking tape over the frets? What varnish should I use?

Any advice greatfully received

Mark

[Ou7shined]

I shouldn't be helping because I posted dibs on this neck

You'll get some excellent nitro varnish from manchesterguitartech.com.
You'll have to remove all traces of varnish from the neck (excluding the fingerboard of course) as it might react badly to whatever is on there just now. When it comes to spraying, mask off the finger board and spray all over in light coats - it literally goes touch dry in minutes so you can build up the layers every 20 mins or so on a warm day (don't spray on a damp or rainy day). Put some screws in the heel screw holes for hanging. Don't breath in the spray, it's supposed to be nasty sheit. Good luck.

[Ou7shined]

Oh and one tin will easily do a whole neck.

[Mr. Foxen]

Leave it in a sunny window till autumn will also sort the colour.

[Marky L]

Thanks for the replies. I'll see about ordering a can for the link Ou7shined.. and I have a very faint (very I might add) twinge of guilt!

Indeed Mr. F. I had thought about that.. but I want to use it!

[Ou7shined]

Oops, it's actually manchesterguitartech.[b]co.uk[/b].

Oh and don't worry about it, I'm very philosophical about these things.

[steve-soar]

Is it straight, are the frets level, is it fit for purpose?
Then bolt it on and stop worrying about its appearance.

[steve-soar]

Re-lacquering a maple neck and board is really tricky.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Marky L' post='860991' date='Jun 8 2010, 01:57 PM']Indeed Mr. F. I had thought about that.. but I want to use it![/quote]

Will be plenty of time you ain't using it, stash your bass under a roof window, out of thieving eyesight, but in the sun. Maybe cover the body though, have a lovely yellowed headstock on a distressingly pink bass that was once red.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='861001' date='Jun 8 2010, 02:03 PM']Is it straight, are the frets level, is it fit for purpose?
Then bolt it on and stop worrying about its appearance. [/quote]
That's a bit rum Steve, nobody said that to Clarky in his poll thread about this very neck... which he swapped back purely based upon appearance.


[quote name='steve-soar' post='861006' date='Jun 8 2010, 02:05 PM']Re-lacquering a maple neck and board is really tricky.[/quote]
Yep it can be tricky, especially with the frets in place but he's planning on masking off the entire fingerboard and just spraying the easy bits.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='861096' date='Jun 8 2010, 03:25 PM']That's a bit rum Steve, nobody said that to Clarky in his poll thread about this very neck... which he swapped back purely based upon appearance.[/quote]
Wasn't just appearance, it was also feel. The rosewood neck (like Sid) was 17 years old and worn in, whereas the maple neck was very new feeling (as well as looking). Had I been able to spray varnish it (I am scared of anything other than slight tinkering, eg, truss rods and basic soldering) it might have been a different story though.

[Ou7shined]

My bad Clarky. As soon as I clicked the post button I realised that it was presumptuous of me to have used the word "purely".
To be fair though your poll was mostly about appearance.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='861119' date='Jun 8 2010, 03:41 PM']My bad Clarky. As soon as I clicked the post button I realised that it was presumptuous of me to have used the word "purely".
To be fair though your poll was mostly about appearance. [/quote]
To be fair, you are right! I am impressed by appearances, sort of the bass equivalent of Hyacinth Bucket

[attachment=51680:0205kua.jpg]

[Ou7shined]

Ain't we all.

[henry norton]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='860898' date='Jun 8 2010, 01:42 PM']Leave it in a sunny window till autumn will also sort the colour.[/quote]
Ahhhh leaving a musical instrument in direct, hot sunlight for a long time can also produce a nice warping effect in the neck - I'd definitely go the lacquer route. You wouldn't leave your beloved bass next to the radiator would you???

[Marky L]

Yeah, this is replacing a funsome "lively" neck and I don't want to end up cooking and twisting from too much hot sun.. but I do like the concept.

I was actually thinking of doing the fretboard too (*runs and hides) and was wondering about coating the frets with wax instead of little strips of masking tape prior to varnishing. I do have a very clear and disturbing image in my mind of me blubbing, holding a buggered neck and mumbling "Why the f**k did I even think about doing this..."

[Clarky]

[quote name='Marky L' post='861204' date='Jun 8 2010, 04:50 PM']Yeah, this is replacing a funsome "lively" neck and I don't want to end up cooking and twisting from too much hot sun.. but I do like the concept.

I was actually thinking of doing the fretboard too (*runs and hides) and was wondering about coating the frets with wax instead of little strips of masking tape prior to varnishing. I do have a very clear and disturbing image in my mind of me blubbing, holding a buggered neck and mumbling "Why the f**k did I even think about doing this..."[/quote]
So the L in MarkyL doesn't stand for Luthier then?

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Marky L' post='861204' date='Jun 8 2010, 04:50 PM']...I was actually thinking of doing the fretboard too (*runs and hides) and was wondering about coating the frets with wax instead of little strips of masking tape prior to varnishing...."[/quote]
Nice bit of lateral thinking but I think it would be easier to simply remove the frets, spray it and put new ones back in.... but that's me.

[Marky L]

[quote name='Clarky' post='861224' date='Jun 8 2010, 05:04 PM']So the L in MarkyL doesn't stand for Luthier then? [/quote]

Alas no.. Far from it.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Marky L' post='861204' date='Jun 8 2010, 04:50 PM']...I was actually thinking of doing the fretboard too (*runs and hides) and was wondering about coating the frets with wax instead of little strips of masking tape prior to varnishing...."[/quote]
Nice lateral thinking but I think it would be easier to simply remove the frets, spray it and put new ones back in.... but that's me.

[Marky L]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='861299' date='Jun 8 2010, 06:13 PM']Nice bit of lateral thinking but I think it would be easier to simply remove the frets, spray it and put new ones back in.... but that's me.[/quote]


Removing frets!?!? Oh my oh my! I am starting to think that maybe I like the pale maple silky look! Never removed, nor replaced a fret in my life.

[steve-soar]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='861299' date='Jun 8 2010, 06:13 PM']Nice bit of lateral thinking but I think it would be easier to simply remove the frets, spray it and put new ones back in.... but that's me.[/quote]I've refinished maple necks and you have to rub down the entire neck, fingerboard included, you basically have to sand in between the frets and that is the tricky part.
You then have to file and sand the lacquer off the frets, as if you were doing a fret dressing, taping up the exposed fingerboard to leave the frets showing.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Marky L' post='861323' date='Jun 8 2010, 06:34 PM']Removing frets!?!? Oh my oh my! I am starting to think that maybe I like the pale maple silky look! Never removed, nor replaced a fret in my life.[/quote]
It's not a job for all but it is certainly less scary than it sounds.

Dude just go back to the original plan. I've seen plenty aged necks with a lighter fingerboard.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='861329' date='Jun 8 2010, 06:39 PM']I've refinished maple necks and you have to rub down the entire neck, fingerboard included, you basically have to sand in between the frets and that is the tricky part.
You then have to file and sand the lacquer off the frets, as if you were doing a fret dressing, taping up the exposed fingerboard to leave the frets showing.[/quote]
I've done 1 or 2 myself (including re-frets) and it is entirely possible to treat both sides of the neck as a separate jobs, with the front of the headstock a third. If you don't need to go near the fingerboard then don't.

[steve-soar]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='861333' date='Jun 8 2010, 06:46 PM']I've done 1 or 2 myself (including re-frets) and it is entirely possible to treat both sides of the neck as a separate jobs, with the front of the headstock a third. If you don't need to go near the fingerboard then don't. [/quote]I thought it was the whole neck he wanted refinishing.