Barault, sticky neck?

therealguyfi · December 2019

I got a well used Barault recently (and LOVE it!) but there’s one thing I can’t figure out: the back of the neck seems to get sticky, like there’s some kind of residue on there. I have to wipe it down every 30 minutes or so when I’m practicing. I don’t know if the finish is coming off or what. My previous guitars were a Gitane, an American Dell Arte and an SX (an Asian factory guitar) so this may be a different kind of finish than what I’m used to. I noticed this somewhat when I was trying it out, the previous owner commented that he sometimes played the guitar with dirty hands so I don’t know if some grime built up. I’ve wiped it down throughly and it feels clean...for a while.

Thoughts?

Twang · December 2019

Could be Nitro Cellulose. Nitro cellulose is notoriously sticky and very common on guitar necks. Especially on more expensive guitars i.e Gibsons and high end Fenders etc. Advantage over other finishes is its very thin. I have it on my guitar and I'm not mad on it either.

TheHotClubofLickMyAxe · December 2019

You might want to very gently sand the back of the neck with a 800 grit to make it smoother.

Bones · December 2019

I've used nitro on several guitars. Never had it soften or get sticky. Did someone put some strange cleaner or solvent on it?

cavemusic · December 2019

I have a Barault - no sticky problems with mine. Maybe the previous owner's sweat or other goo on it? I'm pretty careful about washing hands before playing my instruments. And I wipe them with a microfibre cloth before putting them away. I played someone's bass that had that problem but I think was many years of unclean hand habits!

Twang · December 2019

There is an interesting chapter in Jose Ramirez’s book “Things about the guitar”. He is experimenting with different finishes for his guitars by using a lot of the old varnishes that the great violin masters used. He talks about waiting years for varnishes to dry and never drying in some instances. He gave a guitar to Segovia who complained that his hands kept sticking to the guitar. Nitro isn’t sticky like glue it just feels like it grips your hand more than poly or shellac imo.

geese_com · December 2019

The previous owner is pretty gross.

Buco · December 2019

What Darius said is a good way to go about it. Or 0000 steel wool. Or the synthetic equivalent since some people don't like steel wool (even though it's used by luthiers). Or the Scotch Brite equivalent, white or gray pads, I don't remember which is supposed to be the same gritt as 0000. Prior to this clean it well. Some people (luthiers) use naphtha or denatured alcohol to clean.

Bob Holo · December 2019

Jean probably uses Nitro - if so, be careful about alcohol... Naptha is safer on Nitro and the modified shellacs sometimes used in France.

It's possible that there is so little finish left on the neck that what's left is not actually a functioning finish, but mostly just grain-filler, stain & shellac-sealer. If that's the case, then dirt and hand-oils have likely worked their way into what's left and corrupted it. If so, then to get the neck back to normal, it'll need to be stripped and refinished, or at least cleaned with naptha, sealed with shellac, and oversprayed.

If that's the case, it's not the end of the world. Take it to someone experienced in restoration and they'll be able to identify what needs to be done.

Jose · December 2019

Another option could be the previous owner damaged the finish, Lacquer reacts to other Chemicals, Vinyls, Insect repelant, guitar stands etc. If that is the case refinishing is what is needed.