Tele neck finish... "laquer" not coming off... help!

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So hopefully a clever boffin here can help me out.
Doing a tele project at present.. have a nicely relic'd tele body but a brand new neck.

Note: this thread will not descend into the relic debate.

I need to relic the neck to match the body. It's an eBay neck with beautiful flame and grain:
advertised as "laquer".

Trouble is, the damn stuff won't come off with acetone (nailvarnish), or even this stuff which I got this morning:

It definitely FEELS like laqquer to me, not poly. Any thoughts on what else I should try before accepting that it might be poly and I've jus lost my touch? Why would they advertise it as laquer  though?!?

I am confused. Please send help :)
1979 Tokai TE-85
1980 Tokai LS-80
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Comments

  • jd0272jd0272 Frets: 3867
    edited January 2014
    Did the seller state it was cellulose? Id imagine some people view owt shiny on a but of wood as lacquer. Haven't read link btw

    Time to get the heat gun out...
    "You do all the 'widdly widdly' bits, and just leave the hard stuff to me."
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  • monoaminemonoamine Frets: 506
    described as "tinted laquer"
    just doesn't feel like poly, if you know what i mean
    1979 Tokai TE-85
    1980 Tokai LS-80
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  • ChrisMusicChrisMusic Frets: 1133
    Have you eMailed the seller to ask what was used in more specific terms, and how you can remove it?
    I don't know about the polymer oil finishes, but I would have thought they were too involved for a commercial neck.
    Polly is going to be a bitch to shift, whether thin enough to abrade away or take the heat gun challenge.
    Cheers,  Chris   :)

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  • jd0272jd0272 Frets: 3867
    In all fairness, I had the finish off the back of my old SRV Strat with a bit of the old sand paper and some due care so as not to mess with profile in no time at all. Oiled up lovely.
    "You do all the 'widdly widdly' bits, and just leave the hard stuff to me."
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  • jd0272jd0272 Frets: 3867
    monoamine;135205" said:
    described as "tinted laquer"just doesn't feel like poly, if you know what i mean
    Anderson et al use thin poly finishes, supposed to feel lovely. Doesn't have to be 'gunky'.
    "You do all the 'widdly widdly' bits, and just leave the hard stuff to me."
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  • Looks like a poly lacquer.

    Don't sweat it - it will be harder to remove, but generally, people on here have success with a heat gun and care. It peels off.

    You might have a bit more trouble around the frets, but it should be doable. I've not done this myself, but I have 'aged' poly (in feel, not looks) with sandpaper - 320, 400 then 800 grit makes it matte and play really smooth and fast.

    So if it's just a feel thing, it's easy. If it's a relic look, it'll be much more work, but still doable. I think I have a neck from the same manufacturer on my jazzmaster, which originally came from ch guitars. It's quite beautiful :)
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547

    Step away from the heat gun!!!

     

     

    fine for stripping bodies if you are careful, not advisable for a neck at all.  That much heat on a thin wood/metal item will cause damage 

    I use a scraper for bulk removal, a stanley knife blade works well and allows me to scrape ribbons of finish off, as soon as you get close to wood switch to sandpaper.  i go to sandpaper because if you continue to scrape it may chatter when it hits the different material, not had this happen on nitro but it has on poly.

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  • AlanPAlanP Frets: 54

    I think I read an opinion somewhere (Ron Kirn?) that any finish that is sprayed on is regarded as lacquer, and any finish that is brushed on is regarded as varnish, regardless of composition (this was basically a suggestion in respect of "common usage")

    Wikipedia seems to think lacquer might involve shellac (so it is French polish, which is usually rubbed on...) - it all seems like a bit of a minefield really...
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  • monoaminemonoamine Frets: 506
    minefield indeed.
    thanks for input already chaps.
    seller emailed me back and says it is "poly urethane laquer"

    i think the blade scraping technique sounds best.. i have time and patience for a neck as beautiful as this
    then spray it myself with nitro
    then age appropriately :)
    1979 Tokai TE-85
    1980 Tokai LS-80
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  • Good luck with it, looks like a pretty neck! I'm sure you'll be fine if you take your time :)
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