# Sanding Down A Neck



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I want to sand down the neck on my SG. It's got a really fat '59 LP neck that is too big for my hand and playing style.

I would like to do it over a period of time, a little bit at a time to gradually get it where I want it.

Has anyone done this? Any tips techniques or advice to give me on how to do this?

The neck is mahogany. When I remove the finish do I need to worry about leaving it raw?

It's that wine red / maroon colour. Do I try to paint or stain it to get it back to the same colour or leave it natural wood colour?

What clear seal do I coat it with?

This is my #1 player so I don't want to fuck it up.

Thanks


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

I'm not sure that's a good idea. I would sell the guitar and buy one with a neck that would fit you.

And it's your #1 guitar with that "big" flaw. How are the others.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

There's merit to the idea of simply replacing the SG with another that has a more suitable neck for you. SGs with slim necks are abundant whereas those with a "really fat '59 LP neck" are _not _IME_. _Finding a buyer for yours would be easy (assuming it's priced sensibly). 

That said, if this one's your player and you're determined to keep it, others can chime in on the specifics of altering the neck.


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## superfly (Oct 14, 2021)

Latole said:


> I'm not sure that's a good idea. I would sell the guitar and buy one with a neck that would fit you.


^ is the right answer.


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## NashvilleDeluxe (Feb 7, 2018)

It would take a pretty high skill-set to pull that off effectively. Sincerely, unless you've put in your 10,000 hours, go shopping. Will, at @la grange guitar workshop (FB)


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## Arek (Jan 24, 2009)

I have done it once - never again.
Went a tiny bit too far and the the wood between where I hold the thumb and truss rod caved in.
Only the sides along the truss rod cavity, along the grain. It looked OK, but when touched, the sliver of wood was getting pushed inside.
Still playable, but just imagine channel like hole where truss rod goes.

It is a risky endeavour to be done with a help of x-ray or something.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Arek said:


> I have done it once - never again.
> Went a tiny bit too far and the the wood between where I hold the thumb and truss rod caved in.
> Only the sides along the truss rod cavity, along the grain. It looked OK, but when touched, the sliver of wood was getting pushed inside.
> Still playable, but just imagine channel like hole where truss rod goes.
> ...


I read a person can use a super tiny drill to find the depth of the truss rod.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I have a 335 and a 137 I can use to make templates from. I bought one of these template tools awhile back.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)




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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)




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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)




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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

This thread has some good posts:





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Sanding down a neck to make it thinner?


So I have an allparts fat neck that is fatter than any neck I've ever owned. Almost like a baseball bat. Anyone have experience with taking it upon yourself to sand it down to where it feels just right to you? Or just buy the neck you like? What sandpaper and what techniques to use? Any advice...




www.tdpri.com


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

I wouldn't do it either. You can find as good a SG with the neck size you want. A SG with a thick neck is harder to come by.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Really good video:






This is the finish used in the video:





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Tried & True Original Wood Finish - StewMac


An all-natural wood finish made from a blend of polymerized linseed oil and beeswax for superior water and liquid protection.




www.stewmac.com


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

A thicker = heavier neck also contributes to the tone, the resonance. You'd be changing that, to some extent, and so risking some of what you love about it.

Find one with a better neck. Go shopping.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

This guitar is a definite player. I appreciate the advice to get another but... I will move ahead at some point with the neck ruining. I should have bought a mint mint mint Standard I saw for $1350 a few weeks ago.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Adapt and conquer.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

I expect someone will be wearing the T-shirt


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## superfly (Oct 14, 2021)

player99 said:


> Any tips techniques or advice to give me on how to do this?
> The neck is mahogany. When I remove the finish do I need to worry about leaving it raw?
> It's that wine red / maroon colour. Do I try to paint or stain it to get it back to the same colour or leave it natural wood colour?
> What clear seal do I coat it with?


Since you are determined, and assuming you have skill and knowledge to pull it off, here's some answers to your Q's:

0. Remove strings and adjust truss rod to make the neck perfectly straight. Use any straight edge that has notches cutout for the frets, as you need to measure the relief of the fretboard without the fret wear.
1. You can use very rough sandpaper on a 6-8" flat sanding block (I prefer wood, through it you can "feel" the material getting removed better). You can also use a wood rasp, but this takes more skill and works faster (you need a proper tool, read on rasp grits and usage). Mahagony is not a very hard wood (hardness 2 on a scale 1-5), so sandpaper should work fine, it will take more time though.
2. I would first sand straight at the bottom of neck, parallel w fretboard surface and check the target thickness at at 3 places with calipers, 1st, 6th and 15th fret. Stop a bit short w the rough sandpaper, you will need to smooth it later with finer grits.
3 . Laser cut several neck profiles (at 1st, 6th and 15 fret) from any material (plastic, metal, wood), and start sanding in parallel lines with the center of neck and check progress often with the cutouts. This step I would find unnecessary if you have a good eye and feel for what you want to achieve, and just go from feeling the neck with your hand for comfort and fit. Laser cuts should be foolproof though.
4. Choose your finish. You can leave bare and (stain or not, read on good stains for oil finish process) finish with oil (my preference, read on type of oil and procedure), you can stain and finish w lacquer (I would do nitro, read on it's advantages and disadvantages).
5. Sand with finer grits depends on which finish you choose, (read on it a bit too) and prep for finishing.

That's about it.

G luck, have fun and post pics from during the process and the finished product too.


Edit: added step 0.


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## superfly (Oct 14, 2021)

-


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

SG's with thinner necks are plentiful, SG's with thick necks are hyper desirable. Sell and replace.


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)




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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Okay Player said:


> SG's with thinner necks are plentiful, SG's with thick necks are hyper desirable. Sell and replace.


This guitar has too many dings to be valuable. It will also be easier to do the neck than it will be to swap out the bridge, pickups, tuners, wiring harness, have @zztomato redue the frets etc. Plus it's my guitar. Buying a new one will change the neck, but I have another one that is slimmer but it doesn't do it for me. 

So if I buy a new guitar I will swap it for all the hardware, and most likely keep my #1 anyway. Watch some of the vids I posted. It isn't impossible for someone of my superior intelligence, talent and experience to completely fuck up-- er do the job to perfection. I can always hire someone to do it for me, but I have been looking into this for a few years and I think it's about time to get in there with a chainsaw and have at it.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Just use a cheese grater and be done with all this nonsense.


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

It’s doable.
What don’t you like about the neck?
Can you use your contour gauge to compare it to a neck you like?
You might find that softening the shoulders make a big difference to a feel (moving it more to a c or even a v shape from a D shape).
Use sandpaper.
Go slow.

Remove a bit. Play it for a while. Repeat if necessary.
It easy to remove more material.
It’s darn near impossible to add more.

Start with 100 grit sandpaper at the coarsest.
You don’t want to get your profile right then have to remove more material to get rid of scratches.

Use contact cement or spray adhesive to glue sandpaper to a block of wood/mdf/ corian countertop/something hard and flat

Mahogany is fairly soft so you won’t have to work hard (once you remove the finish).
To remove the finish use a card scraper or a single edge razor blade.

Nathan


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

player99 said:


> This guitar has too many dings to be valuable. It will also be easier to do the neck than it will be to swap out the bridge, pickups, tuners, wiring harness, have @zztomato redue the frets etc. Plus it's my guitar. Buying a new one will change the neck,_* but I have another one that is slimmer but it doesn't do it for me.*_


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Okay Player said:


>


Lol my main guitar sounds better than any other guitar ever.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

nnieman said:


> It’s doable.
> What don’t you like about the neck?
> Can you use your contour gauge to compare it to a neck you like?
> You might find that softening the shoulders make a big difference to a feel (moving it more to a c or even a v shape from a D shape).
> ...


It is so fat it's tearing my hand apart.


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## Arek (Jan 24, 2009)

player99 said:


> I read a person can use a super tiny drill to find the depth of the truss rod.


Maybe how far the truss rod is from the surface of the neck, but what if enclosing cavity is 1 or 2 mm larger?
Tiny drill may slip or break when sliding on the round rod…..


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

player99 said:


> Lol my main guitar sounds better than any other guitar ever.


It probably won't once you take off all that wood.

For heaven's sake, at least take it to a pro for the job.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

player99 said:


> Lol my main guitar sounds better than any other guitar ever.


Has it occurred to you that maybe the neck is part of what makes it your favourite? and that when you try to sand it it's going to tell you "Stop it, Dad! I can only be me!"


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I checked the fat necked SG against my thin necked 335, and it seems like the SG centre is over 1/8" thicker at the centre / middle than the 335 is.

I also used the template making tool and it won't take much to bring it down. IT looks like the sides are the same. So if I make a templates for the 1st, 5th, 8th, 12th etc. I will be able to handle it... hopefully.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

I’d buy a fat neck SG in one shake of a lambs ass.
If you want, I’ll buy any of the 2 billion thinner neck SG’s and trade you.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I sort of rushed through reading the OP thinking it was another "Sand the neck finish for a nicer feel", which I love doing. But then reread and realized it was to change the neck profile. I agree that selling the guitar would be the best bet if the size is too big. How did this become your #1 if the neck is too big. I love big necks and if a guitar has a skinny neck there is no way it could become my #1.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I am not selling this guitar, I am sanding down the neck. Or I will get someone to do it for me.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

player99 said:


> I am not selling this guitar, I am sanding down the neck. Or I will get someone to do it for me.


You should check the grounding lugs before doing anything with the neck!

sorry, just rehashing memories of the time I asked people what caps they liked.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

RBlakeney said:


> You should check the grounding lugs before doing anything with the neck!
> 
> sorry, just rehashing memories of the time I asked people what caps they liked.


Ha!

OP: what’s the best way to sand down a neck?
Forum: SELL THE GUITAR AND CHECK THE GROUNDING LUGS AND BUY AN EPIPHONE BECAUSE THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EPIPHONE AND GIBSON, HERE ARE 73 ARTICLES ON WOOD SPECIES AND BRIDGE ENGINEERING THAT PROVES IT!!!

All jokes aside, in this instance, I do understand people’s reluctance to encourage this. If nothing but for the fact that it’s a travesty to remove one of the very few BBW neck SG’s from the world.

also, given that neck shape is so critical and honestly one of the only discernible features on a guitar aside from weight between various models.. it’s hard to understand how a guitar could become someone’s favourite, given that it would be much easier to replace the guitar with a more desirable neck shape and transplant knobs and pickups if they are in-fact vital to the soul of the guitar.

I think player99 should just do what he wants, because I am also real stubborn and don’t actually want any advice or input that doesn’t directly support my already made decision to do what I want. Even if it means breaking something or losing money. It’s hard the maverick mindset.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

player99 said:


> I am not selling this guitar, I am sanding down the neck. Or I will get someone to do it for me.


Ask me how I know selling the guitar is the best option. I had a telecaster and was unsatisfied with the neck. I spent $700 on it. I had Freddy's Frets do the work. In the end I was not happy with the way it turned out. Nothing wrong with what Freddy did I just didn't like the result. I ended up selling the guitar. Of course you don't recoup any of the money spent on the neck. The guitar was so perfect, was my number 1. If I could just get the neck as I wanted. 
Of course being a telecaster "why don't you just put on a different neck". Yup tried that to. Had Hansen guitars from the Vaughn area make me a neck and it was a complete sloppy job and poorly built neck. I ended up sending it back and getting a refund. I guess I could have tried someone else but by then I was just fed up with trying to make this guitar work. If you buy a guitar and it isn't 100% the way you like it, then its likely not the guitar for you.
At one time I was a heavy modder, pickups, necks, saddles, etc. I now just find a guitar that suits me as is. 
Now I know you're probably one of those determined guys that are just going to do what you do anyway. So I'll just offer a bit of advice. If you do decide to modify the neck I'd advise you to get someone thats is very experienced with this type of work. This isn't for someone to attempt as a weekend diy. In the end its your guitar.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Please send me your address, I've got extra sandpaper.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I just sanded through to the truss rod. 




Not.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

My car door wouldn't shut properly so I ground it off.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Here's how you can fix that.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

player99 said:


> I just sanded through to the truss rod.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Stop before you get to the fretboard.


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