Fretboard dyeing?

[Baker69]

Came here to say this. Works like a charm, I've used it on pau ferro several times, darkens it up nicely - looks like rosewood, does exactly what you want. One little container lasts a loooong time. It's pretty foolproof, and very, very easy to work with. Doesn't run like a liquid stain/ink.

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No reason to mess with anything else.

I’ve been reading about this, it sounds promising.

 

[Baker69]

I did try some fretboard oil as I’ve used this for some years on other basses but it didn’t affect the wood colour at all.

 

[Jazzerramma]

Firstly you need to strip the fretboard, I used cellulose thinners on a rag, be careful if you have plastic position markers, maybe better using IPA if that's the case, use a tooth brush around the frets, dry off thoughrouly. Dye I use are either a ink (black) or a spirit dye, inks tend to stain fingers, but I use that on a sealed board scenario, spirit dyes are best for open boards, but I would test a few first for finger staining, I use Ronseal or Russell's. There are many ways to apply stain, but I use a brush to paint it on, wait a few mins and wipe dry, then leave it 24 hours, repeat if not dark enough. Sealing, do not use linseed oil, especially boiled, it's not boiled, it just has dryers in the product, linseed oil is gunge that will block pores in wood and not good for skin contact and neither are the dryers, if you need to use a oil go for tung, it will really enhance your board, it will take months to dry fully but can be buffed to a beautiful sheen that very hard wearing, one thing to note any oil that sits in a fretboard is going to change it's weight so you don't want too much oil on it, you can thin it with spirit, I don't use the lemon stuff, personally it's a gimmick and does nothing but smell, you can wax your board also, beeswax is fantastic with a little turpentine to make it spread, but very sparingly apply and spread well, hand buffing well later, above all, patience is the key to getting good result.

 

[LL-Toolbox]

I'm not a great woodworker, but fretboards are treated to seal the wood, either with something like polyurathane or hardening oils. Unless you have a custom made neck that you KNOW is not sealed, you can be certain it has been sealed in some manner. As a result it probably won't take dye very well. There is also the problem of the neck wood catching bleed through of any dam you might try to make. IMO paint would be a better option and even that is a poor one. I'd leave it alone.

I've had at least 30 basses and only a few had fretboards that were "sealed". Those were mostly maple. That's why they make fretboard oil.

 

[sissy kathy]

I've had at least 30 basses and only a few had fretboards that were "sealed". Those were mostly maple. That's why they make fretboard oil.

Fretboard oil, snake oil, same thing.