Gibson Les Paul Custom Neck Finish Like a Jackson

[crestwood1972]

As anybody who's played one knows, the necks on Jackson guitars are second to none. Smooth, fast, just perfect. The Les Pauls on the other hand are tacky (as in sticky, especially when under hot lights).

Does anybody know what Jackson does to make their necks so fast? Is it a special finish known only to them? Or can the average guitar center guy replicate it on my Les Paul?

 

[6L6C]

I am by no means a carpenter and I know what you mean about the necks of the Les Paul’s I have an 81.
As it was explained to me Gibson uses a very soft lacquer and the acids from your hands will go into the lacquer giving it that grippe feeling in certain spots. Give the guitar a good polishing and that might give you some satisfaction for a few hours. A guitar person (Gibson recommended BTW) told me wipe down the guitar after use with a damp cloth or sponge, he also gave me some polish that he had to address this problem and it has worked excellent! You don’t have to use it all the time. The problem he pored some in an unmarked bottle I don’t know what it was. Next week I will be in his area so I will stop in and see if he has more or at least a company name. Not sure how he got a hold of it, I do know he liked it and wanted more but was having problems tracking it down himself. The only other action is to have the back of the neck redone which will most likely take away from any future value increase of the guitar.
I will PM you if I find out what it is.
John

 

[crestwood1972]

I appreciate that. I actually got some Gibson polish with my 2007 guitar. But I was looking for a more permanent solution. I would ship the guitar to Jackson if necessary, but I was wondering if anybody knows if the average luthier can replicate it.

 

[devilrob1979]

Gibson uses nitrocellulose lacquer which does gum up some with heat and sweat. Jackson uses polyurethane to finish their necks on the painted ones and I believe some of them have oiled necks. Oiled necks feel like a gun stock or baseball bat. Any luthier worth his salt could remove the paint on the back of your Les Paul. Zakk Wylde's been doing it for years. Most of his necks are maple but he does have a mahogany necked standard. Anyway, a stripped down mahogany neck isn't going to be as smooth as maple but shipping it to Jackson is by no means necessary.

 

[crestwood1972]

Can't the neck be stripped and then resprayed with polyurethane? It's mahogany.

 

[devilrob1979]

Yeah it can but if you're really wanting it to be slick I'd go with tung oil or truoil which is a gunstock oil. EBMM uses tru oil with a little paste wax on top of it. Only do this if you intend on keeping the guitar forever as it's going to destroy any resale value.