Making your slow neck a fast neck

Freddy-Bl00D

So while playing a few 'Faster' licks up and down the neck today on my Fender Jag-stang I noticed that my thumb tends to stay behind alot, its just dragging behind the rest... Its never botherd me because I never really played this style... I went and got my USA Deluxe strat and it played like a breeze... Comparing the two necks would be like comparing a Porche with a Citi Golf...

So my Jag-stang is 15years old and has been through alot and my strat is not even a year old still mint. Is it the age of the neck that plays a role and can it be sorted with lemon oil and some TLC or is it the glossy finish on the jag neck that should be sanded abit... Im sure lower action radius of the neck etc. is also factors but im looking at things i can change myself...

Heres a quick youtube video on sanding a neck but i'd like your opinions before I go for it..

Neon-Gecko

If you decide to satin sand your neck as in the vid but realise it's not for you at a later stage, simply polish the neck up with 2000 grit paper and polish to restore it to the original condition...

AlanRatcliffe

We discussed this recently in a "sticky neck" thread. In short, it's a common mod and reversible. So go for it.

Jacquesg4j

Yeah go do it! I had the same problem but then just learned to play with it, so my tecnique changed! Don't do it, change guitar neck finish!

guidothepimmp

Neon Gecko wrote: If you decide to satin sand your neck as in the vid but realise it's not for you at a later stage, simply polish the neck up with 2000 grit paper and polish to restore it to the original condition...

Now here is a useful bit of info...

+1 thanks

mity88

definitely do the sanding, i did it and it works great!!!
at first it felt too "fast", but then once i got used to it things seemed easier to play

Freddy-Bl00D

Awesome thanks a million guys, i'll see if i can get a chance to do it this week..

Clint-Green

I had the same problem with my Epiphone LP Standard (they really pile the poly finish on those things). I took a regular green scouring pad and spent about 10 mins rubbing the back of the neck down with it, and it feels fantastic now. No more thumb sticking. And the best part is that if I want to sell the guitar (not that they have a great resale value to start with), I can just buff it back up to a shine (I doubt I ever will though, this particular axe beats most high-priced Gibsons I've played in both sound and playability; she's a keeper!).

I've read that this is a temporary fix though, that after a few months of heavy playing your thumb will buff it back up to that horrible sticky shine but when that happens I'll just dull it up again with the same scouring pad.

I have spent some time considering taking the finish off completely as I've heard that nothing compares to a bare wood neck (sealed with boiled linseed oil, of course) but it looks kind of crappy, IMO, especially on a Les Paul where the neck and headstock are colour-matched to the body. :-\