Members Jimmy25 Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 1) What's the most effective and safe way to clean a stratocaster's aged maple neck? 2) And do you use the same thing of what you use to clean a maple neck to clean a stratocaster's body or strings? 3) I found my maple neck extremely sticky that my fingers, esp my thumb at the back of the neck, it gets stuck so often when I play solo up and down the neck, this is one thing that's really bothering me, is there any solution to make a maple neck smoother?(ps. isn't steel wool / sandpaper going to hurt and leave scratch / scar on the maple neck?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bjcarl Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 Any good toothpaste/dentifrice...I like something abrasive, applied liberally with a toothbrush. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members i3oosted Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 You sell it and buy a Gibson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 Then sell the Gibson, and buy 3 harmonies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsupermanny14 Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 1) What's the most effective and safe way to clean a stratocaster's aged maple neck?2) And do you use the same thing of what you use to clean a maple neck to clean a stratocaster's body or strings?3) I found my maple neck extremely sticky that my fingers, esp my thumb at the back of the neck, it gets stuck so often when I play solo up and down the neck, this is one thing that's really bothering me, is there any solution to make a maple neck smoother?4) How to avoid a maple neck turning into something like this http://www.makenmusic.com/product.cfm?prodID=208&catID=1 where it gets the black and grayish color and not pure aged yellowish look anymore? personally I prefer aged yellowish and would be cool if it continues to turn more yellowish, however, I don't like it when black and grayish color starts to come in to the neck, is there any way to avoid this? if not, usually how long does it take for that to happen which I don't want?5) A stratocaster from 1993, second-handed, never got setup by a pro and I never did to any of my guitars, how do I know if the truss rod, action, intonation, neck curve and pick up height is good/bad and needs a setup? does a proper setup by a pro really makes a big difference in playability? 1. I think you can use some very light weight steel wool on the neck to get some of the surface dirt and then run some oil on it.4. What is wrong with that neck? I think it looks awesome!5. If the action is not too high and you are not getting fret buzz then there is nothing wrong with the bow (or lack thereof) in your neck. You will also know if your guitar has proper intonation if all the notes down the neck have the correct pitch. You can test this by playing the notes on the 12th fret and then playing the 12th fret harmonic. If both are exactly in tune then your guitar has proper intonation. I have never cleaned my guitar.... never needed it I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brown, Charlie Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 1) What's the most effective and safe way to clean a stratocaster's aged maple neck?2) And do you use the same thing of what you use to clean a maple neck to clean a stratocaster's body or strings?3) I found my maple neck extremely sticky that my fingers, esp my thumb at the back of the neck, it gets stuck so often when I play solo up and down the neck, this is one thing that's really bothering me, is there any solution to make a maple neck smoother?4) How to avoid a maple neck turning into something like this http://www.makenmusic.com/product.cfm?prodID=208&catID=1 where it gets the black and grayish color and not pure aged yellowish look anymore? personally I prefer aged yellowish and would be cool if it continues to turn more yellowish, however, I don't like it when black and grayish color starts to come in to the neck, is there any way to avoid this? if not, usually how long does it take for that to happen which I don't want?5) A stratocaster from 1993, second-handed, never got setup by a pro and I never did to any of my guitars, how do I know if the truss rod, action, intonation, neck curve and pick up height is good/bad and needs a setup? does a proper setup by a pro really makes a big difference in playability? 0000 (four zero) steel wool on the back of the neck will make it smooth, do it unstrung and cover the pickup poles with tape... then wipe down everything with a towel to get off the little pieces of metal, then take the tape off the pickups, restring. A setup is basically truss rod adjustment, fretwork, nut work if it won't stay in tune, set action/intonation, and cleaning. Hell yes a pro setup makes a difference if it's a good tech, some of those guys are {censored}ing magic. You can have them clean the fretboard and smooth/steel wool the back of the neck, they probably wouldnt charge extra if you're already getting a setup. After they clean the fretboard ask them whats good to keep it clean. If its never had a setup since 93 and you don't know what you're doing yet then just take it to somebody, it will be better than new. Later on learn to do the truss rod adjustment and set action/intonation yourself - you can do it all with an allen wrench, screwdriver & {censored}ing patience. Fretwork & nut filing means buying tools + the magic part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MojoFilter Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 1) What's the most effective and safe way to clean a stratocaster's aged maple neck? A lightly moistened cloth rag with a tiny touch of regular soap, or a "Spray & Wipe" cleaner, like Dunlop Formula 65. If you have caked on dirt & grease, put some Zippo Lighter Fluid (Naptha) on a clean rag, and rub gently. It will come off without having to resort to using abrasives. Naptha is a de-greaser, among other things, and won't damage the finish of the fingerboard. 2) And do you use the same thing of what you use to clean a maple neck to clean a stratocaster's body or strings? You can use a cloth with Naptha to clean your strings; for the body, I use the Dunlop "Spray And Wipe" option, with either a lint-free cloth or a high-quality microfiber cloth. 3) I found my maple neck extremely sticky that my fingers, esp my thumb at the back of the neck, it gets stuck so often when I play solo up and down the neck, this is one thing that's really bothering me, is there any solution to make a maple neck smoother? An old trick: Take a brand new $20 bill, and run it up and down the back of your neck for a minute...it'll smooth out the stickiness. Whether this is due to the light abrasive nature of the bill, or due to the chemicals that they use to print $20's? I have no idea. I just know it works. 4) How to avoid a maple neck turning into something like this http://www.makenmusic.com/product.cfm?prodID=208&catID=1 where it gets the black and grayish color and not pure aged yellowish look anymore? personally I prefer aged yellowish and would be cool if it continues to turn more yellowish, however, I don't like it when black and grayish color starts to come in to the neck, is there any way to avoid this? if not, usually how long does it take for that to happen which I don't want? The picture that you you included: that's the result of the original nitrocellulose lacquer finish being worn completely away, and the bare wood absorbing dust, grime, etc. They stopped using nitrocellulose on most non-custom shop Fenders a long time ago, so there's a good (but not 100%) chance that this won't be an issue. A 1993 production Strat is almost certainly finished with Polyurethane, which is much more durable than Nitro. If you notice whatever finish you have on the neck is flaking off, and you don't want it to, take it to a competent guitar tech. It can be fixed. 5) A stratocaster from 1993, second-handed, never got setup by a pro and I never did to any of my guitars, how do I know if the truss rod, action, intonation, neck curve and pick up height is good/bad and needs a setup? does a proper setup by a pro really makes a big difference in playability? There are quite a few resources online that can teach you how to do a proper setup; However, you can cause yourself BIG problems if you monkey with a Truss Rod, and don't know what you're doing; at worst, you can snap one - and that's a big, big job for a luthier to correct. If you're an absolute newbie at guitar setup, my best advice would be to take it to a reputable guitar tech, and pay to have him teach you how to set it up properly. 90% of a setup is very easy to do, provided that you have some basic tools (a set of feeler gauges, the right allen wrenches, the right sized screwdrivers, etc)...but a lot of people that have never adjusted a Truss Rod don't know when they're over-tightening, or what amount of tightening will get what result...and as a result, they over-tension them, and sometimes snap them. Once a trained guitar tech has shown you what to do in that regard, you'll have a little more confidence in the future, and should be able to set up a guitar with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MojoFilter Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 And: stay away from Steel Wool. There's absolutely no reason to use Steel Wool on your guitar at all, and a fantastic reason NOT to: Steel Wool will flake, and your pickups have magnets that will attract them...and you can cause your pickups all sorts of problems if those flakes and tiny little scraps of Steel Wool get in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catscurlyear Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 bung it in the washer ,special items, i wouldn`t put it in the dryer though it might shrink, hang it outside, if it`s windy it`ll be dry in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimmy25 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 I don't understand, steel wool and sandpaper may scratch and even revove the finish on the neck yet so many people are still suggesting these? however, MojoFilter's solution is to use $20 bill and run it up and down on the back of neck, that's something new... btw, can I just use powder and wipe it on a sticky maple neck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crunchtime Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 I have not tried it but some Never Dull might do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brown, Charlie Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 I don't understand, steel wool and sandpaper may scratch and even revove the finish on the neck yet so many people are still suggesting these? however, MojoFilter's solution is to use $20 bill and run it up and down on the back of neck, that's something new... btw, can I just use powder and wipe it on a sticky maple neck? 0000 steel wool is about equal to 800 or 1000 grit sandpaper, very fine... actually it removes scratches. You're not trying to sand completely through the finish to bare wood, you stop as soon as it gets smooth. It doesn't take much effort to satin the finish, as soon as the 'sticky' is worn off, you're done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr. Scottie C Posted January 15, 2012 Members Share Posted January 15, 2012 How do you clean a stratocaster? I don't know.... But the best way to eat a frog is to put one leg over each ear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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