When I first bought my strat the neck was sticky, which was also the case with all the other guitars I have played. I got lemon oil to smooth it and it helped a lot, but it's still not as smooth as I want it to be. I don't know if I just like the feeling of raw wood, but is there a way to make it smoother? Could I use steel wool? And does the satin coating deteriorate after years of use? Any information would help.

a light going over with wire wool is the common method for ammending the sticky neck. I dont do it though. polish polish polish and time time time are my prefered method.

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No no and no

In the US, "wire wool" is called "steel wool" ... use the 0000 grade.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

If I use steel wool it won't scratch up my neck right?

It will scratch it ... a lot of tiny scratches which will make it look like it's lost its shine.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

. Maybe I'll just be patient and polish it.

If you use the super fine stuff, 0000 like orville said, it will scratch it. but don't imagine big scars. To your eye it will just look like the finish is dull and worn off. You wont gouge it or anything.

If you are scared of the effect, go buy a cheap baseball bat with a similar gloss on the barrel, and do it to that first, then you'll see what its like.

Funiture wool
http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=1436

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Thomas Jefferson

go to a barber, use talc, shave more often?

Dude, just practice more. It will wear with time. Until that happens you have not played it enough. Andy Timmons said when they could not refret his first guitar any more because the neck would not take it, he thought he might be beginning to become a decent guitar player.

If it's really sticky I would use the steel wool definitely

I actually practice quite a bit. Actually, before I even used the lemon oil I noticed that the coating was coming off a little bit, so I guess as time goes by it will go away eventually.

Just an extra comment on the 0000 steel wool...

After using the steel wool you can restore the shine by using some polishing compound followed by some "swirl remover" (I personally prefer the 3M stuff myself). You can find both products at any automotive parts store that sells refinishing supplies and or at places like Stew Mac. It's the same process as you would use for refinishing a guitar body or a car even...once you knock the gloss down, you restore it with lots of buffing and then the swirl remover puts that high glossy look back into the finish. Obviously, just don't use it on raw wood .

Just a thought,
Jim

(sticky neck...boy could I come up with some rude comments for that one! LOL!)

I did this to my Strat years ago and my LP, from a visual standpoint it kind of looks like a satinish finish. After a while you'll hardly even notice the difference.

I've found that car polish (Simoniz) works very well to provide the slick rear of the neck for a long time.