I've researched through some other threads, and just want to know if I have my facts right.
As I announced recently, I bought a used CCB ("Cheap Czech Bass") I really like the sound and the feel of it, and it is in really good shape overall. It came with an "ebonized" fingerboard, and I knew what I could expect with it over time. So okay, there was some wear on it when I got it, and the reddish underlying wood was just beginning to show through in spots. (The Strunal site indicates this model uses brasilwood.) Well, after playing around with the thing all weekend long, aside from nursing a sore hand and fingers, I've accelerated the wear. From what I can see, the underlying wood doesn't look bad, but of course, I'm only seeing splotches of it. Anyhow, I'm seeing that this will become a cosmetic concern, so I want to figure out how to deal with it as a project in the not-so-distant future.
I understand that the "ebonizing" may be removed either by rubbing alcohol or light sanding. I scoured the fretboard on my EB-3 with 000 steel wool, removing 35 years' worth of gunk, and there was no damage. Same result with a DB neck? And although I'll have some black Stew-Mac dye handy, if the wood and grain on the board looks decent
, I may just rub silicone-free lemon oil into it. That's what I also did to the EB-3's rosewood fretboard, and it resulted in a nice, dark grained board. Is lemon oil a good treatment for DB neck? And does anyone know what other common wood (rosewood, walnut) a brasilwood board compares to cosmetically?
