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Hi everybody, last week i bought a Gotoh 1 piece maple neck for Strat, and yesterday i bought a compressor for painting jobs....

The neck is well sanded and ready for the first coat, but i don't know where to start!!!!! 
I'm going to use nitro-celulose, because i want that "vintage" touch/finish, what should i do??? should i use first some sealer on the neck??? or what?

Please help me 

start here:

http://reranch.com/fenderneck.htm

good luck, and don't get high on the fumes 

FUZZ_KING wrote: start here:

http://reranch.com/fenderneck.htm

good luck, and don't get high on the fumes 

thank you!!!!!
who's next?? any advice is welcome!!

This is the easiest way to get a nice vintage looking neck.  Mix up a nice stain and lay it on the bare wood, then cover in clear or maybe slightly tinted clear. 

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/vinneck.htm

One problem I had staining the fretboard was, it was covered with some invisible protective stuff, and I only found out after calling the manufacturer.

Now i'm seriously thinking of not doing the job, because i'm kind of scary..... 

The way I usually approach it on maple necks is as follows:

2 coats sand and sealer
Couple coats (depending how dark you want it) Neck Amber, sprayed VERY LIGHTLY and LENGTHWISE!!!!  It gets dark REALLY quick!
Anywhere from 1/2 to a full can of Clear Gloss, depending on how think you like your finish on the neck.
Let sit 30 days
Buff out with rubbing compound and 3M's finest polishes (like Perfect It and Finesse It).

The one item that not everyone agrees with is the first couple coats of S&S.  The reason I do this is two-fold:
1)  It gives a consistent, high-solids base for the amber to stick to.  If you spray on bare wood, the Nelsonite sealer might make the amber blotchy as the wood will absorb it at different rates(see FUZZ_KING's comment).
2)  If you screw up, you can always wipe it off with thinner and start over.  If you sprayed amber first, you're out of luck.

Also, make sure to spray the last couple coats of gloss wet - you can't really wetsand orange peel off a maple neck, namely between the frets....

You could also just oil the neck with Tru-Oil - a lot less work, and it's ready to play within a couple days!

Hope that helps! 

If you want to tint the neck to give it a vintage sort of feel or just because you like the color, then go for it! But first make sure you sanded it down fine. On my projects I usually go to 1500 or 2000 for good measure, but that's because I'm a meticulous perfectionist- but 600 or 800 should do. I don't think sealing the wood is necessary, since it's only a gloss finish. I take it that you'll be using a spray gun because you bought a compressor. If you are using a gun, if this is your first time painting, then when the knob is vertical (for up and down spraying), that means your spray fan will be horizontal. If your knob is horizontal, then it's for side to side painting with a vertical fan I believe (check instructions). Ok spray time!

This is how I would do it:
1.) LIGHTLY MIST the area with the clear. Mist, don't coat it.
2.)Wait 2 minutes
3.) Spray your first coat in a vertical or horizontal direction (pick one), but keep in mind you'll be spraying again so don't coat it all the way
4.) Wait 5 minutes
5.) Spray your second coat in the opposite direction
6.) Wait 10 minutes.
7.) If you feel like you need to coat it again, then wait 15 minutes, then spray one more time.
IMPORTANT:BE PATIENT! Don't rush when painting and make sure you wait between coats. If you do, you'll drip.

If you're painting with a gun, then the resulting surface should be smooth enough so you don't have to sand it. If you do want to/must sand, then:
1.) Make sure it's completely dry! (But then again, Nitro never cures  )
2.) Wet sand starting with 800, 1000, then 1500.
3.) Clean up the dirt off
4.) Use Carnuba wax (Car polish) and buff your surface till you can see your reflection

Try not to sand through your surface.
The longer/finer you sand, the shinier the result is.

I don't know if this will help, but these are the steps I would take.
Good luck!

Hi Guys!!! thanks for all the comments, i don't think i'm ready for fininish a maple neck  i don't have any experience, i'm not familiar with that new term "PATIENCE"  and i'm scare to mess it up with the neck, i mean, the neck wasn't cheap for me, and i really don't want to screw it up, because i really like, i think i'll start using de gun with a guitar body before a one piece maple neck.

Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!! i hope someone finds usefull this topic, and i hope soon in the near future i can apply all the suggestion you made!!!

You should really try and test it on some pieces of wood, so you gain some confidence in the process. And: PATIENCE!!!! 

allright! i'll try to do it in a poplar neck that i have so i can practice! and earn some patience! =)