What gritt sand paper should i use to remove the clear coat from a guitar neck?

Question

What gritt sand paper should i use to remove the clear coat from a guitar neck?

Answer 1

Use 600 grit aluminum oxide sand paper. It is black. You can buy it in an automotive supply store.

Answer 2

Split dog has told you correctly.

Mike Lonergan

TradesProfessional, Inc.

Answer 3

try finger nail polish remover 1st. then wipe down with a cloth soaked in turps, you may not have to use the sand paper, however a 00 is the finest to use

Answer 4

I would use a 220 grit or higher.  Follow up with 0000 steel wool, for a smooth finish.

What do you plan to do after you remove the clear coat on there?  You need something, or it will get pretty dirty!

Answer 5

Have painted /refinished a number of solid body guitars.

No musician, but owner's were particular about the underside of the neck to give the right amount of "slide" & wanted it almost bare wood.

Would not sand it at all & as John w/ mentioned , the wood is better off being burnished.

Easy enough to do w/ fine steel  or bronze wool to take the finish down to where you like it.

You can put a little oil finish on  to protect the wood & then rub it  off w/ the wool or crumpled up brown paper or even a handful of sawdust.

Best regards

Answer 6

Are you sure you want to remove the finish? If you're going to sand it, it will take time. Can you use paint stripper? Are you looking to just have the back of the neck unfinished so that it will feel better in your hand? You know what? it will feel better without finish. Especially if your guitar is newer than ten years old as they have been using such heavy finishes on guitars nowadays that when I play a new guitar, the neck feels like plastic in my hand. If you're going to have an unfinished neck, get the sealer that violin makers use. Violin necks (and all the violin family - viola, cello and stand-up bass) have unfinished necks but they do seal that wood with something.

Sanding will go slowly and you should go slowly so as not to sand too much. I would say start with 220 grit paper. 600 is too fine, that is for polishing a finish. You would be sanding for the rest of your life with 600 grit before you removed that finish. Once you get it to bare wood, sand it with 400 grit. Then, rub it vigorously with either 0000 steel wool (but make sure to get all the little flecks of steel wool off of there when you're done!!), or a green ScothBrite pad (approximately equivalent to 400 grit paper). I would even finish the job off by taking a cotton cloth, loading it up with shavings or dust from the same kind of wood and then vigorously rubbing the freshly stripped area. This will actually burnish the wood with some of its own natural oils.