I recently bought the squier classic vibe 70s jazz bass 5-string, and it’s been great but theres a slight issue. The back of the neck has a lot of gloss. It looks good but it feels sticky and it’s hard to slide up and down the neck.
I want to remove some of the gloss a bit but i don’t know what exactly i should use.
I was planning to use 0000 steel wool but then i start hearing things about microscopic particles, or getting down to bare wood, rusting fibers, zombie apocalypse, nuclear war.
Anyways, i don’t know what to use or if its even safe at all. I need some bass pros to help me out.
EDIT: thanks for the advice people. I guess i will avoid steel wool and get a green scotch pad instead. For my own peace of mind i will avoid sandpaper, i know it’s the same thing but just hearing the word “sanding” is a bit nerve racking. I feel more comfortable with the green pad.
I have the same bass you have, and at the beginning I hate the glossy finish of the back.
After some time, without modification, i have learned to not squeeze the neck so much.
I still prefere the satin finished necks, but now I don’t hate It anymore.
Just my 2 cents.
as others have said a green scotch brite pad is the safest/easiest bet - just rub it along the neck until you get a feel you are happy with; also fine sandpaper will work. i agree that i would avoid steel wool - it can indeed leave fibers/particles so i have stopped using it for projects.
Alright, thanks for the advice. Is there a specific abrasive grade of green scotch pad that would be good for this job. Like heavy duty or something? Iv heard about using medium but im unsure.
Here’s the thing. If this is your only bass then do what you must. I wouldn’t put a steel wool anywhere near my instrument because I don’t want any stuck on the magnets.
There are many reasons to like satin finish at the back of the neck because it’s so smooth and you thumb can glide up and down the neck with ease but satin smooth finish requires more thumb pressure an can easily leads to fatigue. Generally speaking, Of course.
Glossy on the other hand, is grippy and sticky can be troublesome to sweaty people. The upside is that it requires much less effort to fret a note. If you are more precise type of player you can definitely benefit from the grippiness.
I like them both for different reason and enjoy both traits as it adds to the style I play and also the inspiration from each type. I have very light touch in general and relying on the momentary pulse of pressure to fret the notes.
I have both finishes on high ends and cheap and cheerful so it’s not the feature of one price range, just preference.
I too have both a glossy and satin and don’t find I notice the difference overly. I’m still learning but I’m very much striving for that very light touch and, with only the thumb in contact, I’m not sure it makes that much difference to me. And I play a couple of covers that have a lot of slides; still happy to play them on either bass.
My G&L has a glossy finish on the neck, took some getting used to. I always intended to go at it with some sort of sanding, but really was only a problem when it was brand new, after some playing time it smoothed out and stopped being so sticky and finnicky. That or I just got used to it. Minor adjustment when I switch back to a bass with a satin finish, but nothing too crazy.
Most likely this. I have two basses with a gloss finish and two with a satin finish. I never even think about which is which once I begin playing. I’m sure there are those whose body chemistry or sweaty hands or higher humidity are impacted more by a gloss finish. But I also believe that people read things online and imagine problems that don’t really exist.
Yeah, I sort of want to be a lot more experienced to decide what I really want before I start taking sandpaper to my instruments. Maybe one day, but that day is not here yet!
This happens a lot. Even if it’s a real thing, learning to use its strength can be great as it adds to the personality of each instrument.
I love my satin finish EBMM roasted maple neck and Joe Dart it fees like it’s been doused with baby powder so smooth, love it but I’m not about to take down the glossy finish to my BFR Feugo, the 40th Anniversary Stingray or the birdseye maple neck on my Saber bass.
