# refinishing a maple/rosewood neck to a solid black help



## Soulgolem (Jun 12, 2009)

Hi all, I'm in the process of refinishing a guitar neck. I've read a lot about finishing in various forums, but I keep reading everywhere that a black finish needs special attention, so I want to double check if what I plan to do is right, and also ask for some advice.

The guitar in question has a bolt on neck made of maple with rosewood fretboard, just a clear coat on the back of the neck and a solid white on the headstock.

I want to turn the whole thing black (except the fretboard).

If i understand correctly, I have to start with removing the finish on this neck first, what should I use (brand name) available in Canada for removing the clear coat in the back of the neck ? The headstock I plan to sandpaper as I will also be modifying it anyway.

Then, what do I need to prep the neck for a coat of black ? And how can I avoid having paint on the fretboard ? just standard paint tape ? What kind of black paint can I use, can it be bought locally ? (doesn't have to be a special black)

Thank you,
Francis.


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## Steve Adams (Dec 31, 2009)

I would not paint the neck. I would keep it wood, and do the crazyglue method. works the best. 

The finishes on the necks that are already black are very hard materials. I dont know what to use that won't wear after time.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Do you know what the finish is now? Typically things are painted then clearcoated over top to give it that shine. No real reason to strip it if you want it all black. You probably should sand and degrease it to give the paint some traction. Then coat overtop with either lacquer of polyurethane. The fretboard should be taped off.


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## Soulgolem (Jun 12, 2009)

Is it hard to tape off the fretboard and spray paint around it ??

What kind of sand paper should I use ?

If it's any help, here's a picture of the guitar, it's an Aria DM-380.


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## House Guitars (Jan 4, 2010)

Francis,

If you do want to refinish the neck or have already started here are some tips

-Scrape/sand the old finish off the neck
-Sand the neck to 220 before refinishing
-Spray 2 clear coats on the whole neck (that way if it is ever stripped in the future is can be stripped back to the natural wood)
-mask off the parts of the neck you don’t want to be black (regular paint tape is fine, or you can get finishing tape from an automotive supply place, they offer tape in different widths and that can be really helpful),
-Spray your black coat |(if you are using lacquer or similar finish you can dye the finish black, or you can you black Automotive spray paint)
-Spray clear coats over the black (the type of finish you use will dictate how many clear coats you need)
-let dry
-wet-sand and buff if necessary

Hope that helps

Josh


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## Soulgolem (Jun 12, 2009)

Thanks for this step by step guide House Guitars, makes my life a whole lot easier. Just a few things I want to make clear in my head ?

By sand to 220, do you mean to use this kind of sandpaper (220), if not, what kind or strength of sandpaper should I use ? (I know nothing about sand papering)

Where can I get a clear coat finish, what kind should I use ? Anything easily available at the hardware store ? What brand ?

Thanks again !!


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## House Guitars (Jan 4, 2010)

220 reefers to the grit of the sandpaper. When I am preparing a guitar for finishing I sand with 120, 150 and finally 220.

I’m afraid that I don’t have time to go into all the little details about finishing, but I would highly recommend that you get the book Guitar finishing Step by Step from StewMac. It will explain everything that you need to know about finishing, different types of finishes and working with colours. 

I’m not sure what to recommend as far as clear coat. The finishes you find at your hardware store will be furniture grade as opposed to instrument grade. Also you need to be very careful working with finishes. Most of them are highly toxic and bad for your health. I would recommend that you read up on the different types of finishes and pick one that you will be able to safely work with. All this info can be found in the StewMac book.

Josh


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## Rich Rice (Feb 5, 2008)

*Do yourself a huge favor*

Get some cheap scrap wood and practice up before you ruin your neck. Prep work is 90% of a fine finish. Black is a very unforgiving color, too. Sand, seal, sand the sealer, steel wool (0000 grade) and coat your test pieces. When you have a consistent spray technique and a handle on sanding, then _maybe_ your neck will be nice. Don't start tearing up a neck until you have a clue how things need to be done, and don't rush the job. Every scratch, groove, scrape, or missed spot will scream through the finish, once applied. It's not that difficult, but you need to be thorough and you need to have a feel for the job. Go slow. If you have questions, you can e-mail me nd I will try to help you.


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## Soulgolem (Jun 12, 2009)

Thanks for the advices House Guitars & Rich Rice.

I'm taking this pretty slowly with great attention to detail, that's why I want to confirm everything twice before taking the next step, right now, I started sanding the neck with 100 sandpaper and slightly reshaped the headstock (something I wanted to do also), then used 150 then 220 sandpaper.

I'm not sure how the neck is suposed to look once sanded, but it feels a lot like bare wood now. Seems the finish wasn't very thick at all. The 220 sandpaper made it feel pretty smooth also.

Where can I find instrument grade finishes ?

The next step seems to be to use a Sand & Sealer, is that a grain filler ? Then what, sanding it with 220 again ?

Francis.


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## Rich Rice (Feb 5, 2008)

In all honesty, I don't know what you have available in your area. Sanding sealer is a coating that has high solids, adheres well to the wood, seals the wood, and sands easily. It is softer than a topcoat, and builds more quickly. It also acts as a primer, which (generally speaking) "glues" the paint to the wood. You will remove it almost immediately if you touch it with 220 grit. You want to go with 320, 600, up to 1000 grit or so, depending on how smooth you want it.

It is definitely not a grain filler. Since your neck is maple, you don't need grain filler anyhow. Maple is a very tight grained wood, and you can go straight to primer if you so choose. If you do a couple of coats of clear sealer first, the neck can be brought back to natural at a later time. If you don't care about that, then get some automotive (lacquer based) primer, shoot three light coats, then let it hang in a warm, dry area overnight. Let each coat dry for about half hour or more before re-coating. You really don't want to do more than three coats per day, or you will have drying problems. Less is more. Keep doing the three coats each day (or so) until you have a nice build of the primer.

Avoid runs, drips, dust, etc. as best you can. Once you are happy with the primer coat, you can wet sand it with 600 grit or higher. this is the stage where you want it to be super smooth, and any imperfections will telegraph through to the topcoats- so be sure it is as perfect as you can get it. Wear latex gloves when sanding or handling the neck at the end of this stage, and don't touch it with your skin. The oils from your skin can cause problems when you topcoat.

Good luck!


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

That's a cool looking guitar, but I see where you are coming from with the neck. A really odd design choice on their part to leave that neck natural finish like that. I am sure it plays nice, but it sure doesn't match the design aesthetic of the guitar. With a Mosrite based copy like that, 'the look' is a factor.

If you don't mind me asking, how much do those go for?


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## Dieter Billinger (May 25, 2009)

The existing finish on the neck doesn't need to be removed. It only needs a good sanding with 320 or 400 grit to eliminate the shine. The existing finish is likely ntro laqcuer as are most guitar finishes. The next step is find a compatible paint which will adhere well to the lacquer. Believe it or not most guitar finishes are actually automotive paints. These are available in a huge variety of colours and are for the most part solvent friendly. You won't need a primer coat as the existing finish serves this purpose well however a light coat of lacquer sanding sealer won't hurt. This works as a barrier between the old and new finish. The black paint can be found again in the automotive paint section of your local C.T store. You don't want a high gloss paint since you will be putting gloss clear coats over the paint. Find a black paint with a low gloss (but not flat). This will have the desired hardness and durability for a guitar neck. Paint the neck with several thin coats. Don't try to get it in one step or you will have a runny mess on your hands. Each coat should add colour but not enough to make the paint job look wet. Black solvent based paints are usually quick drying and can be re-coated with an hour or two. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly for at least 48 hours before sanding any inadvertant drips. The paint will pill and pull if not sufficiently cured. 

The top coats can be 5 or 6 coats of lacquer sanding sealer followed by 5 to 10 coats of of clear gloss topcoat. This operation can take a few days to complete. The final coat must be allowed to cure for at least 5 days prior to wet sanding and buffing. 

Be aware that Lacquer solvents are high in VOC's and are extremely flamable and toxic. Not reccomended for indoor DIY. Outside in summer is OK on a low humidity day but wear a respirator. 

best regards
Dieter Billinger.


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## Soulgolem (Jun 12, 2009)

Rich Rice said:


> In all honesty, I don't know what you have available in your area. Sanding sealer is a coating that has high solids, adheres well to the wood, seals the wood, and sands easily. It is softer than a topcoat, and builds more quickly. It also acts as a primer, which (generally speaking) "glues" the paint to the wood. You will remove it almost immediately if you touch it with 220 grit. You want to go with 320, 600, up to 1000 grit or so, depending on how smooth you want it.
> 
> It is definitely not a grain filler. Since your neck is maple, you don't need grain filler anyhow. Maple is a very tight grained wood, and you can go straight to primer if you so choose. If you do a couple of coats of clear sealer first, the neck can be brought back to natural at a later time. If you don't care about that, then get some automotive (lacquer based) primer, shoot three light coats, then let it hang in a warm, dry area overnight. Let each coat dry for about half hour or more before re-coating. You really don't want to do more than three coats per day, or you will have drying problems. Less is more. Keep doing the three coats each day (or so) until you have a nice build of the primer.
> 
> ...


Thanks Rich Rice for the in depth tutorial ! I'm ready to go to the hardware store and buy all the paint and clear I need. Hopefully it will work out beautifully. 

Thanks for the advices Dieter Billinger, I will try to find a low gloss automotive paint. I already sanded the old finish off so I'll be starting with the sand and sealer, then primer (is it really needed if I coat with sand and sealer ?), then black paint, then clear coats. Why do I have to put more coats of sand and sealer instead of just the clear lacquer at the end ??

torndownunit, I bought this guitar for about 300 USD from Music123, it sounds surpisingly good, the neck feels average, but that can be arranged with a new nut and fret crowning. Headstock design is a very weird choice, that's why I chopped off each side and gluing new maple and reshaping it prior to painting, this process is almost done now.


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