Ebonizing rosewood

[shreddermon]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

With all due respect, I find the desire to do this to rosewood bizarre. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Rosewood is cool. As is maple, pao ferro, etc. Ebony is good stuff too, of course, but not the be all and end all. Respect your woods!

[sully]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

agreed.

[quiksilver]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

Sully: As far as durability, I guess I'm being adventurous with this guitar. I did clean this fretboard with steel wool, then lemon oil, before I put the guitar back together, and nothing came off on the rag, and I would guess it would be most vulnerable to coming off right now, as it hasn't had much time to cure/dry completely. However, if it comes off or causes any problems, I'll post an update.

shreddermon: To each his own. I'm not into rosewood on a Soloist. If Jackson made a 22 fret, 1H, ebony fretboarded Soloist, I'd buy it. They don't (outside of a $2500 Custom Shop model) so I made my own, to the extent possible.

[Inazone]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

Any update on how the india ink is holding up, Quiksilver?

[finnman]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

Nice job. I like it

[quiksilver]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

So far, so good. I've been checking my fingers after jamming, and I've had no ink coming off whatsoever.

[agresivo]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

Bump!

Quicksilver, is that India ink still on the fretboard?
It's been a while now...

[Sunbane]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

[ QUOTE ]
So far, so good. I've been checking my fingers after jamming, and I've had no ink coming off whatsoever.

[/ QUOTE ]
Is your india ink water based or alcohol based? I would guess an alcohol based ink would have better effect and durability(?).

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

I'd be afraid my fingers would turn black [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I prefer maple and ebony fretboards but appreciate the wood grain of the rosewood boards that I have.

[Anders]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

I bought a BC Rich NJ Jr. V with the Speedloader trem a couple of weeks ago. They are supposed to have ebony fretboards... I HIGHLY doubt that!

Sure, they're black, but the grain doesn't look like ebony, and bending repeatedly on the top frets yesterday made my fingers turn black... [img]/images/graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

It's probably just dyed rosewood. I saw a Speedloader Warlock on ebay where the dye had totally come off on the first couple of frets. It f'n pisses me off that they claim it to be ebony! [img]/images/graemlins/eviltongue.gif[/img]

Anyway, I guess when it starts wearing off... I'll have to re-ebonize it! I wonder what they used to dye it at the factory?

Anyone else experienced this with imports, or other guitars that were supposed to have ebony fretboards?

Anders

[Chuckracer]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

I think these stained rosewood boards look like crap. It looks like someone painted a rosewood board. It still don't look like ebony.
To each his own, I guess. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[shreddermon]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

Whatever it looks like, I just think it's weird. Respect your wood. It's all good.

[Bengal65]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

Stewmac sells a oil based black dye for fret boards. Here:
www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Colors,_tints,_and_stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html
The link is not working. When the page loads put "fret board dye" in the search box and it will come up as the first item.

[Sunbane]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

I wouldn't care if it looked like ebony or not. Some guitars just need a dark fretboard, and this method would be a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a DK-1 neck or whatever.

My Model 6 has the darkest rosewood board I've ever seen, and I suspect it has been ebonized by a previous owner. It looks awesome on that guitar.

[Budman68]

Re: Ebonizing rosewood - India ink pic

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't care if it looked like ebony or not. Some guitars just need a dark fretboard, and this method would be a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a DK-1 neck or whatever.

My Model 6 has the darkest rosewood board I've ever seen, and I suspect it has been ebonized by a previous owner. It looks awesome on that guitar.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">agreed, 'bane. As for saying that you shouldn't stain rosewood is like saying you shouldn't stain any wood that looks nice. So much for our amber, crimson, or purple stained guitars then eh? It's a matter of taste, color and opinion and what someone doesn't like, another may love. That's what makes this little blue marble go 'round [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Why must there be so many hate comments on something that is based on taste? To me it's a lot like scoring sports like ice Skating and gymnastics, it just shouldn't be........

I mean really, it's not like I constantly go around saying, "if you guys want a strathead, then buy a friggin Fender" .....right? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]</font>