Eliminating Gibson "neck drag"

Uladine

Uladine

New member
I bought a gibson SG standard recently (2005 model, nothing special) and while I love the guitar, I am slighly annoyed with the way the back of the neck feels. It's not sticky, but for lack of a better term and seems almost clingy after a few minutes of playing. I don't have overly sweaty hands and none of my other guitars have this issue. It gets kind of gunky feeling after longer sessions and I'm always trying to wipe the neck down. I've played other gibsons that seem to do this too. Is it something with their finish? Is there a simple way to eliminate the problem? I've seen people actually remove the finish from their guitar necks exposing the raw wood but I dont want to go that far.
 
It could just be that your SG has a different neck radius that causes more of your hand to be in contact with the neck. That would cause more drag and seem as if the neck is not slippery enough.
 
I had an SG many years ago with the exact same problem. I tried steel wool, thinking is would take off the abrasive area, but it never would help it. I couldn't play it more than 15 minute or my thumb was raw. I eventually traded it to a guy that played left handed for a strat(his strat was right handed & flipped over). Apparently on the neck where he played it wasn't abrasive, and he loved it. I just had to get a new nut made for the strat and I loved it. So it must be a problem thats been with Gibson for a while, mine was almost 30 years ago...
 
it's probably just the nitro. it reacts in a weird way to some peoples body chemistry. The other guitar player in my band has a problem that is similar to what you're describing. I don't let him play my guitars because of it.

sometimes I have a similar problem if I don't wash my hands before playing. I don't know for sure if it's my cuticles or what, but that basic area on my fingers gets real dry and splits, so I have to use lotion every morning and night. If I don't wash the lotion off before playing, The lotion reacts with the nitro and it feels like there's crap on the neck. I think that maybe the paint is literally coming off.

the only advice I have is to wash your hands before you play. I don't know if that helped the other guitar player in my band though.
 
You probably just have to wash your hands before you play. I have that some problem when a certain friend plays my guitars. Pisses me off when it's my nice ones!
 
It just seems weird that none of my other guitars have ever done it. I actually wash my hands before I play a lot of the time, but I guess maybe whatever clear coat gibson uses doesn't like my hands. It could have something to do with the neck radius I suppose, but I'm beginning to think maybe other guitar companies like ESP and Schecter may have found "faster" finishes that gibson hasn't converted to because of their vintage reputation or something.
 
Uladine said:
It just seems weird that none of my other guitars have ever done it. I actually wash my hands before I play a lot of the time, but I guess maybe whatever clear coat gibson uses doesn't like my hands. It could have something to do with the neck radius I suppose, but I'm beginning to think maybe other guitar companies like ESP and Schecter may have found "faster" finishes that gibson hasn't converted to because of their vintage reputation or something.
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Gibson uses nitro-cellulose lacquer, those other companies are probably using UV cured polyurethanes.

Some peoples chemistry just reacts wierd with the nitro, and sometimes nitro just goes on wierd (it has a bad reaction to being sprayed on days with particularly high humidity, for instance). ALWAYS washing your hands right before you play will help a lot. Your chemistry will probably change at some point and it will get better, but that is not a sure thing.

One thing you might try is a product called Power Chord, made by a small company called Bioterra Industries. It's kind of hard to find, but you can (apparently) get it on Sam Ashes website. It creates a kind of protective film on your guitar (which gets wiped away and reapplied each time you use the stuff) which MAY help. It is also my absolute favorite guitar polish, by the by. It just plain works.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
This is a common problem on Gibson guitars. As has already been mentioned, Gibby uses a Nitro based finish. Unfortunately, they don't always take the time to allow it to cure properly. When you start to play the finish will warm up and become a little sticky. Unfortunately, there really isn't a whole helluva lot you can do for this. If the guitar is new, try getting the problem resolved through your dealer...but don't hold your breath. If it is used, the only thing I have seen that works %100 of the time is sanding off the finish on the back of the neck. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, and I wish you luck with your problem. If it makes you feel any better, I had the exact same problem with a $4,000 Les Paul. It was..and always will be...the last non-vintage Gibson I ever own.
 
Pledge Clean n Dust. Reapply whenever itgets sticky again. It is also (not so surprisingly) an excellent guitar cleaner. Spay it on a rag, and then apply, to control where it ends up.
 
edgarallanpoe said:
This is a common problem on Gibson guitars. As has already been mentioned, Gibby uses a Nitro based finish. Unfortunately, they don't always take the time to allow it to cure properly. When you start to play the finish will warm up and become a little sticky. Unfortunately, there really isn't a whole helluva lot you can do for this. If the guitar is new, try getting the problem resolved through your dealer...but don't hold your breath. If it is used, the only thing I have seen that works %100 of the time is sanding off the finish on the back of the neck. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, and I wish you luck with your problem. If it makes you feel any better, I had the exact same problem with a $4,000 Les Paul. It was..and always will be...the last non-vintage Gibson I ever own.
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Couldn't you just sand it off?
 
Couldn't you just sand it off?
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Ummmmm...yes. That is what I did, and is also what I said will work. The problem, is that I shouldn't have to sand the neck off of a brand new Custom Shop LP. I took a beating when I sold it. Never again.
 
The problem with the pledge and wax that were mentioned is that over time, they will create a buildup of wax that will create finish problems of their own. You may solve your sticky neck issue only to have you finish start to lift and seperate from the guitar.
 
Vigorously wipe down the neck with a clean cloth and apply baby powder to your hands. Repeat as often as necessary.
 
Damn, if I didn't like the tone so much I'd probably return the thing, but I guess I'll look into the Power Chord stuff that Light mentioned. Beyond that I guess I'll just deal with it. Thanks for the assistance, guys.
 
Uladine said:
Damn, if I didn't like the tone so much I'd probably return the thing, but I guess I'll look into the Power Chord stuff that Light mentioned. Beyond that I guess I'll just deal with it. Thanks for the assistance, guys.
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What other wooden object does the back of a guitar neck resemble both in shape and the way you handle it? A pool cue. I use talcum powder on my hands when I play, and it alleviates the sticking.
 
edgarallanpoe said:
The problem with the pledge and wax that were mentioned is that over time, they will create a buildup of wax that will create finish problems of their own. You may solve your sticky neck issue only to have you finish start to lift and seperate from the guitar.
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Pledge "Clean and Dust" (not some other version) doesn't build up. No wax content. I originally used it to remove a sticky layer of funk that my LP had on it when I bought it. A couple brands of guitar polish did nothing, the Pledge eliminated it instantly. There is a slight residue, but it is slippery, and goes away after a while. I reapply as often as I feel needed.
 
sticky neck

on my les paul my neck gets sticky when i start to sweat.. clean your whole guitar w/ pledge i have been doing that for years.. also you can powder your hand ...but that will last only as long as you dont sweat... what i do when i am going to play and i know im going to sweat a lot [ and i have dry skin naturaly ] i apply a small amount of crazy glue to my hand where it contacts the neck lightly rub it in it wil dry in a few seconds... dont get on your fingers that hold the pick or you not be able to hold your pick. try a light coat of crazy glue it solved my problem...
 
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