"Sticky" necks

thebreeze

What's the deal with this?  I'm guessing it's some sort of polish or something to preserve the wood or something to do with the nitro?  

My wonderful LP is a big offender.  Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  Why do manufacturers put it on if it's a bad thing?  I don't really like the way it feels and I'd like to get rid of it or should I just get used to it as it's serving some sort of purpose?

Whitecat

It's usually improperly applied nitro that's the culprit. Rushed job/not cured properly = sticky. Not sure if there's a simple fix or if it's something that sorts itself out with time... lots of it!

Alnico

@Iamf68 would probably know about this ?

GavRichList

My AVRI JM was a bit of bugger for it. Sanded the finish off and tru-oiled it. Couldn't be happier - now feels very close to my 62 jaguar. 

thebreeze

Thanks chaps.

@GavRichList what did you use for sanding?  

BloodEagle

Melon

GavRichList

I went this route:

impmann

My SG has always been like this. I've got used to it and just ignore it but it feels a bit yuk when you've been playing something else for a while and come back to it. The Les Paul and the 335 don't get like that at all - neither do any of my other guitars. So I guess it must be just Gibson's shite QC again... ;-)

WezV

Many necks feel too sticky because of the way the lacquer is buffed.  They are not actually sticky, there is no residue, they are just so smooth and shiny you get a bit of a suction effect.    when its this kind of sticky a rebuff with micromesh allows you to keep the gloss, but be totally stick free.  or you can just remove the gloss for the same feel.  you need a surface that is not perfect to reduce that frfiction


Bad batches of  lacquer do happen, but not as often as people seem to think.  you normally do get a build up of gross residue when this is the cause of a sticky neck

guitars4you

@WezV and @Whitecat have correctly suggested valid issues - also as many players don't clean their guitars to often you get a build up of stale sweat and oils from your hands and fingers which somehow adds to the drag and feel - whilst a touch of polish is always handy I'm not sure I like the feel of this and I feel adds to the sticky chracter - As such you can try a T-Cut style polish (Meguiars is popular to use) on a soft cloth - don't overdo it but it can add a touch of that 'played in' character with out removing the gloss finish - I'm a big fan of that fully cut back vibe on a Fender but I'm pretty sure you don't want that character on your Gibson, but a slight cut back and you'll barely notice - Be subtle with it and repeat if required - You'll genearlly have to repeat this over  a period of a few months - be subtle each time

a more detailed option from Premier Guitar - http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/24083-guitar-shop---curing-sticky-neck-syndrome or http://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons/1014/gary-brawer-on-maintenance-sticky-neck-slick-it-up/49190

similar response on both - I have used the scotchbrite pad many times - but rarely on a newish Gibson

p90fool

I agree with Wez, my Les Paul neck was perfectly finished and was like trying to slide your hand down a pane of glass.

I just scrub it for a few seconds with a kitchen scourer every few months. There's no need to go nuts and remove the finish, though I imagine it'll wear through eventually.

thebreeze

Thanks everyone - that's really helpful.  So much I didn't know and feel much more informed now after reading your advice, watching the video and reading the article.

All things considered, I'm erring on the side that my problem is probably more of the "rushed finish" rather than the "suction effect" which is a bit disappointing.  But it's not so bad that I don't want to play it and can't put up with it

(It's not something that any of my other guitars are afflicted with).

BloodEagle

My 2008 Les Paul Custom and 2006 Flying V both have sticky necks with a weird residue that builds up afer playing for a bit even if theyre repeatedly cleaned - I think its just a Gibson thing, not necessarily 'bad nitro' or rusedh finish any of that bs - its happening on guitars which are like 9 or 10 years old, its just what happens.

thebreeze

BloodEagle said:

My 2008 Les Paul Custom and 2006 Flying V both have sticky necks with a weird residue that builds up afer playing for a bit even if theyre repeatedly cleaned - I think its just a Gibson thing, not necessarily 'bad nitro' or rusedh finish any of that bs - its happening on guitars which are like 9 or 10 years old, its just what happens.

That's reassuring and kind of how I was trying to approach it.  I was just playing it a lot recently and suddenly thought, "what is all this really?"  I was also struck by the fact that in the video and article they're really talking about maple/Fender type necks. I've played other Gibsons though where it's nothing like this one so maybe there is something amiss?

Whitecat

BloodEagle said:

My 2008 Les Paul Custom and 2006 Flying V both have sticky necks with a weird residue that builds up afer playing for a bit even if theyre repeatedly cleaned - I think its just a Gibson thing, not necessarily 'bad nitro' or rusedh finish any of that bs - its happening on guitars which are like 9 or 10 years old, its just what happens.

Except that it doesn't happen on many other guitars, including Gibsons. So it's almost certainly a "rushed finished" on your examples.

BloodEagle

Haha - is it really, in your expert opinion I presume? Amazing that you, a complete stranger, can tell me without any doubt that two of my guitars which you've never even laid eyes on much less seen up close or played have 'rushed finishes' . It's happened on literally every non vintage Gibson I've ever played. Any other internet experts care to chime in? 

p90fool

Nashville Gibsons spend about six weeks on the dryer after spraying, that's straight from the Cadbury's Caramel Bunny school of "rushing".

Corvus

I've found similar on mine. My Firebird was extremely grabby but two coats of a good carnauba wax seem to have sorted it, leastways I don't notice it as an issue any more. I also use talc/baby powder on the left hand a la Jeff Beck which helps.

Seen it said they add a flex agent and that's the cause, possibly to try and stop the nitro cracking and warranty returns and such. No idea. Have used them before and not felt a difference. Commonly used on car plastics for instance. But there's different paint makers same as there is with cars & guitars, they don't all feel the same. Same with two-pack ("poly"). Different makes, different properties, feel etc etc.

Whitecat

BloodEagle said:

Haha - is it really, in your expert opinion I presume? Amazing that you, a complete stranger, can tell me without any doubt that two of my guitars which you've never even laid eyes on much less seen up close or played have 'rushed finishes' . It's happened on literally every non vintage Gibson I've ever played. Any other internet experts care to chime in? 

Seems to be the logical conclusion considering your asinine "they're all like that" statement - the fact is that I've played a vast number that are not, but a few that definitely are.  Whatever. 

crunchman

I've had one new Gibson, and another I bought second hand when it was a couple of months old.  Both had sticky necks to start with but it wore off over time just by playing them.

My AVRI Strat was similar as well.

On all three of those they all got noticeably better after 6 months or so of playing, and on the two that I've had for a decent amount of time it had gone away entirely after a year or two.  The other one is still less than a year old so is still a little sticky - but nowhere near as bad as it was.

blueskunk

Wee bit of fast fret applied to neck helps.