My Es-9 is only about 8 months old, but the black coating...whatever that is ... in the fingerb oard is wearing off a lot. Looks like peeling skin after a sunburn in spots. Is this bad..good or neither? Doesn't effect playability or sound. Just looks bad and I'm worried that it's there for reason. Can I just sand it off completly? Nice enough wood underneath. Do I need to treat the fingerboard if it comes off or finish it somehow?? SO many qusetions.....
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Double Bass Engelhardt ES-9 fingerboard
- Thread starter ttekulve
- Start date
I'm fairly certain Engelhardt doesn't spray their boards anymore, and given how long you've had your S-9, yours should not have the lacquer on it that Moped refers to. They DO dye their ebony to acheive the 'traditional' solid black look on what are actually very dark brown, streaky boards. You can remove much of the dye with careful sanding, as Moped suggested, or by carefully rubbing it off with a cloth and plain old rubbing alcohol. Avoid lacquer thinner, 'cuz if you get it on the finish, you're in trouble. When done, you can leave the board as is, or apply a drying oil finish like tung, boiled linseed or danish oil, or just hit it once in a while with some lemon oil. Good luck!
Mine is about 2 years old and has the thin coating on the sides of the fingerboard. It may have been on the top as well but was removed when the board was dressed. Mine also has a few pinkish brown streaks in the wood--sort of gives it character.
