Charvel neck: how am I supposed to take care of this thing?

[cardinal]

I have a newer Charvel custom shop and love it. Had it for a year or two. What am I supposed to be doing to care for the neck? It's getting a bit dirty in spots and I generally worry about whether it's susceptible to humidity and such.

Thanks!

 

[guitup too]

Maple w/ maple fretboard? Raw or oil finish? If so, OOOO steel wool the neck & frets to clean them. Then,
1) Apply Birchwood Casey gunstock oil.
2) Allow oil to dry. 24-72 hours is usually good.
3) OOOO steel wool again and wipe down with a tack cloth.
4) Repeat steps 1-3 until you get your desired finish.
2-5 coats will usually get you there. It is a good idea to remove the neck from the rest of the guitar to avoid getting metal shavings from the steel wool in your electronics. I have read about people using Scotch Brite? pads instead of steel wool but I haven't personally tried them.
I have done this to raw maple necks (mostly Wolfgang's) for years with great results. Pretty sure Ernie Ball uses BC gunstock oil on some of their necks.
If your fretboard is rosewood or maple do everything listed above, EXCEPT for applying the gunstock oil to the fretboard. Only use the gunstock oil on maple or maybe mahogany when talking about necks.
After you have that original finish done you may want to clean, oil, OOOO again once or twice a year dpending on how much you play and how quick the neck starts looking dirty. 1-2 coats usually works here as routine maintenance.

 

[cardinal]

Cool, thanks!

Yeah, it's one-piece maple with a skunk stripe.

 

[neilli]

I've never done anything to them and they're just fine. A bit dirty (well, diseased looking in one case LOL), but totally sound..

 

[BigBellyRocker]

Maple w/ maple fretboard? Raw or oil finish? If so, OOOO steel wool the neck & frets to clean them. Then,
1) Apply Birchwood Casey gunstock oil.
2) Allow oil to dry. 24-72 hours is usually good.
3) OOOO steel wool again and wipe down with a tack cloth.
4) Repeat steps 1-3 until you get your desired finish.
2-5 coats will usually get you there. It is a good idea to remove the neck from the rest of the guitar to avoid getting metal shavings from the steel wool in your electronics. I have read about people using Scotch Brite? pads instead of steel wool but I haven't personally tried them.
I have done this to raw maple necks (mostly Wolfgang's) for years with great results. Pretty sure Ernie Ball uses BC gunstock oil on some of their necks.
If your fretboard is rosewood or maple do everything listed above, EXCEPT for applying the gunstock oil to the fretboard. Only use the gunstock oil on maple or maybe mahogany when talking about necks.
After you have that original finish done you may want to clean, oil, OOOO again once or twice a year dpending on how much you play and how quick the neck starts looking dirty. 1-2 coats usually works here as routine maintenance.

Yep, I uses similar steps except I don't need to take out the guitar neck. Just use painter masking tape to tape off the guitar pickups. You can remove the masking tape once you're sure that all the OOOO steel wool particles are off your guitar neck.

 

[Racerxrated]

I always thought that 0000 steel wool was used to get the grime off, and then let your oil from your hands start the process all over again...and that's all you need to do. Your natural oils keep the neck just fine.

 

[Anonymous]

I always thought that 0000 steel wool was used to get the grime off, and then let your oil from your hands start the process all over again...and that's all you need to do. Your natural oils keep the neck just fine.

I agree, a little 0000 steel wool will clean it up. They are oil finished, I see no reason to oil the maple neck again.

Steve

 

[Chubtone]

I always thought that 0000 steel wool was used to get the grime off, and then let your oil from your hands start the process all over again...and that's all you need to do. Your natural oils keep the neck just fine.

I agree, a little 0000 steel wool will clean it up. They are oil finished, I see no reason to oil the maple neck again.

Steve

Exactly. They are oil-finished to begin with. In 1984 I called the Charvel factory to ask this same question. They told me #0000 steel wool on the back of the neck and on the fretboard (maple) and frets and that the oil from my hands would keep it finished forever.

 

[metalmaniac93]

Love my CS Charvel too!!!! Killer axe!! I never clean-up my oil finished maple necks and I have 5 guitars with that neck wood and finish. I just leave them as is.

 

[Anonymous]

Warm water on a smooth cloth. That's all you need. If your using these treatments, you've wasted your $ and time. I've never used anything but warm water on smooth cloths and the unfinished maple neck on mine is still great after 7 years plus.

One more thing.. If it is a finished neck, then obviously you wouldn't have to worry too much about ruining the wood.. IE.. Using oils and such. I still stand on the warm water and cloth. Just a bit of water, you don't want to saturate the neck.

But if it is an unfinished neck as mine is, I would strongly advise against using oils etc. They will embed themselves and any dirt further into the wood.

As stated above, your natural oils from your hand will condition the wood.

 

[fek]

I use a Scotchbrite like pad to get the obvious build up of gunk off and then leave the discoloration there. I like it dirty!

 

[Crunchity]

What (if anything) can be done to make the back of a pro-mod neck feel more like the Custom Shop necks? There's a significant difference in feel and I though I love my US pro mod San Dimas, if there was a little something in the way of sanding or finishing to bring it closer to my CS's smoothness, I'd try it!

 

[Chris O]

Leave the mojo. At least until it starts to smell bad...

 

[glip22]

0000 Steel wool to clean it up some. If it gets too bad down the road, it sands to bare wood very easy with 220 like the one I am working now. 25 years old though. Do the entire neck aside from the face of the stock. Hit with 320 after that. Stained it with natural stain to bring out the figuring and seal it a little. Then tru oil cut down with some mineral spirits works a treat. It gets incredibly smooth when done correctly with a nice satin vintage amber look. This one still gets another 4 coats or so.

 

[Chubtone]

Another method that works great is to put it in the backseat of your convertible with the top down and run it through a car wash.

 

[cardinal]

Another method that works great is to put it in the backseat of your convertible with the top down and run it through a car wash.

Oh man I don't have a convertible. Do you think it'll work if I just hold the neck and ride through the car wash on a bicycle?

 

[Mailman1971]

Another method that works great is to put it in the backseat of your convertible with the top down and run it through a car wash.

Thats so 80's. These days I strap it to the luggage rack on my Giant SUV and roll on thru.
But strap it good. Use Over flexed bungie cords. To not damage the wood.

 

[Chubtone]

Another method that works great is to put it in the backseat of your convertible with the top down and run it through a car wash.

Oh man I don't have a convertible. Do you think it'll work if I just hold the neck and ride through the car wash on a bicycle?

 

[Chubtone]

Another method that works great is to put it in the backseat of your convertible with the top down and run it through a car wash.

Thats so 80's. These days I strap it to the luggage rack on my Giant SUV and roll on thru.
But strap it good. Use Over flexed bungie cords. To not damage the wood.

Lot's of good advice in this thread

 

[paulyc]

Leave the filth...it's relic'd now and worth more...WAY more.