Darkening a rosewood fretboard

adampeter

Currently gathering bits and pieces together for a Jag build.
Wanted an ebony board on this but have picked up a nice Jag neck with a rosewood board.
So question is, can this be darkened to an ebony shade? obvious worry with stains is black fingers after playing!!

Gagaryn

Corvus

I have gone full black a couple of times, under strong light the wood colour can still show up. Don't really like to do more than darken a board up a few shades really, it's more realistic that way.
Seal in with a thin coat of a drying oil, boiled linseed or Danish left to dry a couple of days. Stops the dye rub-off onto fingers. Redo it once in a while, the sealing oil can wear away and then the dye rub away as well.

WezV

Corvus said:

I have gone full black a couple of times, under strong light the wood colour can still show up. Don't really like to do more than darken a board up a few shades really, it's more realistic that way.
Seal in with a thin coat of a drying oil, boiled linseed or Danish left to dry a couple of days. Stops the dye rub-off onto fingers. Redo it once in a while, the sealing oil can wear away and then the dye rub away as well.

I have heard reports of the leather dye rubbing off onto fingers before.  it doesn’t have to at all, just depends on the surface it’s applied to.

I think the issue is it’s intended to be used on raw wood, and does not take as well on a factory guitar that may have already had some kind of light oiling or conditioning.

you can stain raw rosewood black, give a light rub down with 0000wire wool and never get black fingers at all.

 a coat of oil after won’t hurt at all though.

adampeter

Corvus said:

I have gone full black a couple of times, under strong light the wood colour can still show up. Don't really like to do more than darken a board up a few shades really, it's more realistic that way.
Seal in with a thin coat of a drying oil, boiled linseed or Danish left to dry a couple of days. Stops the dye rub-off onto fingers. Redo it once in a while, the sealing oil can wear away and then the dye rub away as well.

definitely only want to darken, not full black
so leather dye is the way to go? 

Corvus

Fiebings is good, I have Rustins other spirit-based wood dyes, no real difference between them, all are pigments & binders in solvent. I mix them to make colours without worrying what make but you won't go wrong with Fiebings.