I have a strat with a maple neck. There's a little chip in the varnish between the second and third fret, which is starting to grow bigger. Any advice here? It is typical for the finish to wear away?
I have a strat with a maple neck. There's a little chip in the varnish between the second and third fret, which is starting to grow bigger. Any advice here? It is typical for the finish to wear away?
DJ,
The chip can be fixed by building up small drops of clear laquer directly in the impression letting each drop dry completly before applying another. Once you've reached the right height and allowed enough dry time, you can then wet sand the area to a smooth level surface, starting with 600 then gradually progress until reaching 1500-2000 grit paper. The final surface should be smooth and level with the rest of the finish. Polishing would be the final step assuming your neck has a shine to it. If you've never done work like this before you may want to find a competent repairman. It's not a big job but does take some patience and skill. Good luck.
Well, it's pretty much totally normal for a maple neck. You could fix it, but if you play it alot, it will chip and/or wear in other places too. It's one of several drawbacks to finished fingerboards like maple Strats, Teles, and some others. It's also the reason Fender went to rosewood fingerboards in the early 60s.Originally Posted by DJO
Absolutely perfectly normal, look at the top of the page .
I find that maple necks play bettetr when the finish starts to wear away.