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Thread: Noisy finish ???

  1. #1
    Registered User janolb's Avatar
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    Default Noisy finish ???

    Hi everyone !

    I hope this subject hasn’t been covered yet, I can’t seem to find anything on the forum nor on google.

    I have a tiny problem with my loar lm700, the neck finish is really «#noisy#» in my left hand. It’s king of weird to explain so I uploaded a very short video to show what i mean by “noisy”

    https://youtu.be/qQ14IIsfjBI


    It’s barely noticeable in a live band/rehearsal situation but in a quiet room, like at home when I exercise it can be realllllllly annoying ^^

    I am tempted to remove the nitro finish of the back of the neck and just leave it unfinished (I have a Stratocaster from the 80 that has been this way for many years and it is in fact quite pleasant).

    So ! What do you guys think ? I’m pretty new to the mandolin world so I was wondering if it was a common problem or if maybe I don’t hold the instrument properly with my left hand ??

    Thank you very much in advance !!
    (And I hope my English is not too much trouble to read or too incorrect... if it is I’m sorry !! Good vibes from France)

    Jean

  2. #2

    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    I see what you mean by "noisy" and it is quite annoying. I associate the "noise" with the finish being rather sticky i.e your hand sticks to the glossy finish, especially in warm humid conditions. An easy fix is to rub the neck with 600 grit sand paper or 0000 steel wool to reduce the glossiness of the finish. No need to remove the finish down to bare wood, just take the gloss down to make it duller. Of course, you can remove the finish entirely down to bare wood (search for "speed neck" here on the forum) but that could impact the value of the mandolin at resale time (if that's a consideration for you).

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

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  4. #3
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Take a look at this search of the Cafe using the search term "speed neck".
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  6. #4
    Registered User janolb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Hi Len !

    Thank you very much for this precise answer

    I will try to reduce the glossiness of the finish. I’ll tell you if it worked !

    Thanks again !

    Jean

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  8. #5
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    I remember a guy who would wear a latex glove liner with the fingers cut off. It was a very thin lightweight white cotton glove meant to be worn under latex gloves and wick some of the moisture away.
    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

  9. #6

    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Quote Originally Posted by janolb View Post
    Hi Len !

    Thank you very much for this precise answer

    I will try to reduce the glossiness of the finish. I’ll tell you if it worked !

    Thanks again !

    Jean
    Au rien or da nada. Take your pick

    Here is how I dealt with my "sticky" neck problem.

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	177581Click image for larger version. 

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    It was refinished (I am guessing) at the Gibson factory back in the '70s with a heavy coat of black lacquer (very sticky) as part of a neck replacement. The label says F-12 from 1956 but the neck is from an F-5 of the 1970s. As I live in Florida (very hot and humid), a complete finish removal seemed like a good idea to me but ymmv. You can see how the bare wood has acquired a sort of natural patina over the years and feels great.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL
    Last edited by lenf12; Jun-14-2019 at 11:39am.

  10. #7

    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Quote Originally Posted by John Bertotti View Post
    I remember a guy who would wear a latex glove liner with the fingers cut off. It was a very thin lightweight white cotton glove............
    Was it Michael Jackson?

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  12. #8

    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    Was it Michael Jackson?
    Maybe not MJ (since he wore leather gloves sans fingers) but that may where John's friend got the idea

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

  13. #9
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Wasn't actually anyone I knew I just saw someone do it. I recognized the glove from my BioMed days. I did know a guy who used to use cornstarch and or talk on his hand and instrument neck. I don't know if that worked or not but he did it.
    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

  14. #10
    Registered User janolb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    Wow this neck looks gorgeous.

    I began to work on the neck with 000 steel wool, it has not solve the problem yet but the noise has changed, i suppose it’s a good thing ^^

    I’ll try and look for the term «#speed neck#» , I didn’t know it was called like that.

    Again thanks every one for your answers !!

    Jean

  15. #11
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Noisy finish ???

    The steel wool thing did work for me.
    I basically followed what the man in this video demonstrates:



    A year or two of playing may re-polish the neck so it gets sticky again - just repeat the procedure, like I did today.
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

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