Join Me in The Dark side, Luke I am your Dad.

[Gazz]

I going to dye my fretboard as dark as I can get it, as black as a Raven, I have a few dyes to try, and a Masking liquid called Maskol, it's fantastic for those pearl inlays, paint it on, peel if off. Any tips on the dark side? 

Edited Thursday at 16:56 by Gazz

[Paul S]

Black leather dye, forget the make but a search should throw it up.  @NancyJohnson did a post about it a few years ago and I tried it - worked a treat.

[stevel]

Best leather dyes are made by Fiebing’s, but be very careful - the stuff gets everywhere and is next to impossible to remove 

[Gazz]

1 hour ago, stevel said:

Best leather dyes are made by Fiebing’s, but be very careful - the stuff gets everywhere and is next to impossible to remove 

Thanks for that, I'm searching now... 

[Gazz]

1 hour ago, stevel said:

Best leather dyes are made by Fiebing’s, but be very careful - the stuff gets everywhere and is next to impossible to remove 

Is this what I need Steve!? 

[stevel]

That’s the one I was referring to, yes. Can’t guarantee it’s what you need, but I’ve used plenty of it in the past. Do some research into how to get a good even coverage - I use a sponge applicator when working on leather.

[Gazz]

1 hour ago, stevel said:

That’s the one I was referring to, yes. Can’t guarantee it’s what you need, but I’ve used plenty of it in the past. Do some research into how to get a good even coverage - I use a sponge applicator when working on leather.

Yeah, probably do the same application with fretboard. Rosewood has a very open grain, and is a very porous wood, so I will be carefull...... any road up, can't go wrong with black,.... I have a few other dyes, I'll do samples, thanks Steve! your a Star. 

[NancyJohnson]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

Black leather dye, forget the make but a search should throw it up.  @NancyJohnson did a post about it a few years ago and I tried it - worked a treat.

 

Yup, Fiebings Leather Dye.  Black.  Mask off your nut/binding, make sure the fingerboard is finish/varnish-free and clean (I'd already been using lemon oil, the board wasn't grimy).  Oh, wear gloves. 

 

Apply the dye with a Q-Tip, and do smallish areas, let the dye set up for about 30 seconds and wipe off any excess.  I was a little concerned about the inlay dots on the neck as it's almost impossible to go round them...i was easily able to clean off the dye on top of the dots with a Q-Tip dipped in some methylated spirit.

 

Obviously I was concerned.  Christ, it was a £4.5k bass.  The results were very much what I wanted and there's been little dulling of the board since I did it.  

 

Good luck!

[Gazz]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

Yup, Fiebings Leather Dye.  Black.  Mask off your nut/binding, make sure the fingerboard is finish/varnish-free and clean (I'd already been using lemon oil, the board wasn't grimy).  Oh, wear gloves. 

 

Apply the dye with a Q-Tip, and do smallish areas, let the dye set up for about 30 seconds and wipe off any excess.  I was a little concerned about the inlay dots on the neck as it's almost impossible to go round them...i was easily able to clean off the dye on top of the dots with a Q-Tip dipped in some methylated spirit.

 

Obviously I was concerned.  Christ, it was a £4.5k bass.  The results were very much what I wanted and there's been little dulling of the board since I did it.  

 

Good luck!

Thanks NancyJohnson, the board is really clean, oil free and ready to go, I just need to ask, what the hell is a Q-Tip? surely not what I'm thinking? me being a UK novice.... 😁

[Acebassmusic]

1 hour ago, Gazz said:

Thanks NancyJohnson, the board is really clean, oil free and ready to go, I just need to ask, what the hell is a Q-Tip? surely not what I'm thinking? me being a UK novice.... 😁

Q-Tips are a brand of cotton buds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_swab

[Geek99]

3 hours ago, Acebassmusic said:

Q-Tips are a brand of cotton buds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_swab

Asda sell them 

[NancyJohnson]

I'm struggling to find a decent vanity shot of the bass before I dyed the board, but the first shot below should suffice. 

 

The board was quite light brown and (for me) didn't really fulfill the all-black look I was after.

 

 

[LukeFRC]

nice to meet you dad, wtf you been the last 40 years?

 

[Gazz]

5 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Asda sell them 

Cheers Geek99, av got bags of them, long, short, wood, plastic. 

[Gazz]

14 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

nice to meet you dad, wtf you been the last 40 years?

 

Been bizzy son, fighting those pesky Jedi Rebel Alliance dudes,.... 💀

[Gazz]

36 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

I'm struggling to find a decent vanity shot of the bass before I dyed the board, but the first shot below should suffice. 

 

The board was quite light brown and (for me) didn't really fulfill the all-black look I was after.

 

 

Nice, that's what I'm trying to achieve, the darker the better, love the Bird by the way.... 

[Gazz]

Well, my dye arrived, and me rubbers (gloves) so I've been bizzy, and its Black'er than a Pit Mans Boots, 1 coat applied, might do another before the masking comes off....