Nice gig, but sticky Gibson neck

Peter Z · #1 08-09-2020, 11:44 AM

Yesterday we played a really nice and very small open air gig for only 60-70 people in a restaurant garden. First time with my new Anthem equipped Gibson SJ-200. It sounded incredibly good.
It was a very warm evening and the sweat was pouring out of me. I got some troubles with the neck of my guitar since it became really sticky.
I know that but with my SJ and my Hummingbird it’s much worse in comparison to my Martins.

Does anyone else have this issue and how do you handle it without grinding the finish off a new guitar?

Dru Edwards · #2 08-09-2020, 12:33 PM

Hi Peter, Gibson electric players sometimes get that too. I think it's related to the Nitrocellulose finish getting dirty and then sticky. I've never noticed it on my Gibson electrics but I know lots of other players have. Give your neck a good cleaning and see if that helps.

Peter Z · #3 08-09-2020, 01:11 PM

Thanks, Dru Edwards. I did my best to wipe the neck between songs. It helped a tiny bit but not to much.
Maybe the solution is playing one of my Martins on hot days.

Today I was playing a few songs on a birthday party, started with the Gibson and switched to my OM-21 after a while. For some reasons it’s better with the Martin neck.

BluesBelly · #4 08-09-2020, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Z

Thanks, Dru Edwards. I did my best to wipe the neck between songs. It helped a tiny bit but not to much.
Maybe the solution is playing one of my Martins on hot days.

Today I was playing a few songs on a birthday party, started with the Gibson and switched to my OM-21 after a while. For some reasons it’s better with the Martin neck.

Have you tried a bit of talc or similar?
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=136822

Blues

rokdog49 · #5 08-09-2020, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesBelly

Have you tried a bit of talc or similar?
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=136822

Blues

This ^^^^^^^^^^^

Peter Z · #6 08-09-2020, 01:53 PM

Great information! Thank you, friends!

FoxHound4690 · #7 08-09-2020, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Z

Yesterday we played a really nice and very small open air gig for only 60-70 people in a restaurant garden. First time with my new Anthem equipped Gibson SJ-200. It sounded incredibly good.
It was a very warm evening and the sweat was pouring out of me. I got some troubles with the neck of my guitar since it became really sticky.
I know that but with my SJ and my Hummingbird it’s much worse in comparison to my Martins.

Does anyone else have this issue and how do you handle it without grinding the finish off a new guitar?

Hi Peter, I have a Les Paul that has this same issue, on a hot day when my hands are sweating the thing is very difficult to do sliding with because of how sticky the neck can feel. it's the Nitro finish that causes this and I know first hand that the guitar can feel horrible to play when the neck is like this but thankfully it's an issue that can very easily be solved by spraying a little bit of finger ease or some other non abrasive guitar lubricant. just give the back of your neck a simple once over with finger ease or whatever else you've got on hand. It's always worked great for me since i've had my LP.

By the way. Be very careful with that nitro finish if you're playing gigs outdoors, don't get it in direct sunlight because the finish will start to "melt" I know someone who had an ES-355 and exactly that happened from being in the heat and sun too much... and trying to get it repaired through Gibson will be a nightmare because they won't want to know about it. Just a heads up for when your playing outdoor gigs man.

gfa · #8 08-09-2020, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Z

Yesterday we played a really nice and very small open air gig for only 60-70 people in a restaurant garden. First time with my new Anthem equipped Gibson SJ-200. It sounded incredibly good.
It was a very warm evening and the sweat was pouring out of me. I got some troubles with the neck of my guitar since it became really sticky.
I know that but with my SJ and my Hummingbird it’s much worse in comparison to my Martins.

Does anyone else have this issue and how do you handle it without grinding the finish off a new guitar?

My Martin (but not my Gibson!) periodically develops a sticky neck that won't clean off (cleaning helps, but only for a short time). I give it a good wipe with very fine steel wool and it's good for quite a while. Logic tells me this will eventually cause some visible intrusion into the finish, but it's been several years, several wipes, and nothing visible yet.

bufflehead · #9 08-09-2020, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Z

Maybe the solution is playing one of my Martins on hot days.

Especially if you have a Martin with a satin-finished neck. (Or a Taylor with a satin-finished neck, or a Breedlove....)

Marshall · #10 08-09-2020, 04:05 PM

Wash your hands between sets.

How old are your Gibsons? I have an old 1957 J50. Hand a lot of sticky neck problems in summer. I used Meguiar's auto finish restorer to remove the oxidized part of the old finish on the neck. Worked great.

For a while i used cotton parade gloves on my left hand with fingers cut off. That kept my palms from sticking. But the Meguiare's did the trick on the old nitro.

Peter Z · #11 08-10-2020, 08:16 AM

I do wash my hands between sets. The SJ-200 and the Hummingbird are new. I also have an older L4a that isn't that sticky.

jseth · #12 08-10-2020, 12:36 PM

Both my Mark Angus acoustic guitars have nitro-finished necks and bodies... I've not had extreme issues with "sticky" necks, but I keep both the necks and my hands clean and dry when I play (as much as possible!). Having played both of those guitars for around 40 years, the necks are getting pretty thin on the finish, at this point, especially on the 6 string.

I had occasion to speak with James Goodall about a mark on my Goodall Grand Concert that I wanted to "rub out" a bit... and he told me that the last thing he uses on his new guitars, when he takes them to the buffing wheel for a final polish, is McGuiar's Cleaner/Wax... it did the trick on the Goodall very nicely, so I used it on my Angus guitars, as well...

Lo and behold! The backs of the necks are very smooth and don't seem to "gunk up" like they have in the past...

I also have an old Gibson electric (well, a '74, pretty old) and it responds well to the same treatment...

Peter Z · #13 07-23-2022, 02:47 AM

I know, two years have past, but I found this, my old thread again and thought I should let you know how the problem was solved in case others have the same issue.

Just wait a few weeks and the neck is fine and not sticky anymore. Obviously the nitro needed some more time to cure.

RJVB · #14 07-23-2022, 03:26 AM

Would wiping the neck down with fast fret (or WD40 which AFAIK is nitro-safe!?) make it too slippery? I routinely put some skin cream on my fingertips before playing steel strings. I've learned to avoid getting too much of that on my LF thumb because it will make the neck slip out of my grip (but then I use a mostly classical LH position).

rmp · #15 07-23-2022, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJVB

Would wiping the neck down with fast fret (or WD40 which AFAIK is nitro-safe!?) make it too slippery? I routinely put some skin cream on my fingertips before playing steel strings. I've learned to avoid getting too much of that on my LF thumb because it will make the neck slip out of my grip (but then I use a mostly classical LH position).

I wouldn't not put anything like WD40, or perhaps even fast fret any where near nitro finishes.

I've got 6 gibsons I know this is an annoyance, overtime it will go away.