Anyone Ever strip an Epiphone Neck?

[AnotherJim]

I have an Epiphone Les Paul Studio in Cherry. It was my first electric. Anyway, the neck finish has a crack, If I decided I wanted to sell it I probably couldn’t as the user would think the whole neck is cracked. Anyway, I was reading the budget guitarist site and he posted a YouTube video in which he showed his Epi with the neck stripped of the poly and finished with an oil and he swears it plays faster, and I thought it looked fantastic. Any of you ever done something similar as the neck is a set neck? I have stripped bodies (MIM Tele) down to the wood, but bolt on necks seems to be a lot easier to manage pertaining to both body and neck. Anyone have any experience?

BTW the new site is awesome!

[Mossman]

I have an Epiphone Les Paul Studio in Cherry. It was my first electric. Anyway, the neck finish has a crack, If I decided I wanted to sell it I probably couldn’t as the user would think the whole neck is cracked. Anyway, I was reading the budget guitarist site and he posted a YouTube video in which he showed his Epi with the neck stripped of the poly and finished with an oil and he swears it plays faster, and I thought it looked fantastic. Any of you ever done something similar as the neck is a set neck? I have stripped bodies (MIM Tele) down to the wood, but bolt on necks seems to be a lot easier to manage pertaining to both body and neck. Anyone have any experience?

What kind of finish does the Epi Studio have? Is it a thin, satin finish, or thick and glossy?

[glasshand]

Yes, I have stripped an Epiphone neck, but it was a bolt-on in my case. It was not easy. The finish they use, at least on their cheaper guitars, is about an eighth of an inch thick and as hard as a rock. I don't know if they're all like that, but I imagine most of them are. I got all the finish off with sanding, but it was a royal pain. I would use a heat gun, but if it's a set neck and you're only trying to strip the back of the neck, that might be a little dicey. Maybe a combination of heat gun and then sanding near the headstock and body.

[AnotherJim]

It has the thick glossy finish (Studio). My intent was to use a heat gun but getting near the body is dicey between worrying about the joint itself and my concern for it getting sloppy there and taking some of the finish off the body. Also, s a sander a best call on the edges of the headstock as well? This would have to be a combination of a heat gun and a sander I would imagine. I know chemicals dont work well on the poly.

[glasshand]

Anything can be done with sandpaper, it just may take more time. The good thing about sandpaper is that you can work slowly and precisely enough to ensure that you're not rounding off edges or removing wood or whatever, if you work by hand and not with an orbital or palm sander or whatever, and that may be best for the edges of the headstock. You may have to start with something crazy like 60 grit, though.

[uglyvw]

Typically there is a pretty tough sealer coat on these. I have done it before with sand paper, slowly to sand away finish layer, but not cut through sealer coat.

[rrobbone]

I have done what you're musing, and it is indeed a arduous process. Due to it being a set neck, I'd keep a heat gun away from the heel of that guitar. I'd also worry about separation of the fretboard with that technique. It would likely be just fine with a careful approach, but there's always a chance.

A heat gun scrape usually leaves an uneven surface - something you'll have to sand to correct anyways - so I'd stick with sandpaper. It will also be quite a challenge to get all of the poly and sealer off well enough to have an oil finish sink in properly. You'll likely have to go down to wood, and with an Epiphone LP I'm guessing it's some sort of open pore species?

If all you're looking for is a better feeling neck, might I suggest a simple rub down with a green scotchbrite pad? I dislike glossy poly necks due to the "stickiness" or higher friction they have. The pad cuts the gloss and leaves a much better feeling smoothness, and it's a hell of a lot easier than what you're proposing. I got into the habit of doing this every time I played, and I'm now down to the wood surface on two of my favorite guitars - I don't have to scrub them anymore.

[Jaymo]

Anything can be done with sandpaper, it just may take more time. The good thing about sandpaper is that you can work slowly and precisely enough to ensure that you're not rounding off edges or removing wood or whatever, if you work by hand and not with an orbital or palm sander or whatever, and that may be best for the edges of the headstock. You may have to start with something crazy like 60 grit, though.

^ This.

[Jaymo]

I have done what you're musing, and it is indeed a arduous process. Due to it being a set neck, I'd keep a heat gun away from the heel of that guitar. I'd also worry about separation of the fretboard with that technique. It would likely be just fine with a careful approach, but there's always a chance.

A heat gun scrape usually leaves an uneven surface - something you'll have to sand to correct anyways - so I'd stick with sandpaper. It will also be quite a challenge to get all of the poly and sealer off well enough to have an oil finish sink in properly. You'll likely have to go down to wood, and with an Epiphone LP I'm guessing it's some sort of open pore species?

If all you're looking for is a better feeling neck, might I suggest a simple rub down with a green scotchbrite pad? I dislike glossy poly necks due to the "stickiness" or higher friction they have. The pad cuts the gloss and leaves a much better feeling smoothness, and it's a hell of a lot easier than what you're proposing. I got into the habit of doing this every time I played, and I'm now down to the wood surface on two of my favorite guitars - I don't have to scrub them anymore.

^ And this.

[JimyTheAssassin]

I’m just curious. You guys who have been through this wouldn’t recommend trying citristrip or some other type remover? Is sanding still just better? I just removed poly from a neck with citristrip but it wasn’t specifically an Epiphone


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