Staining Pao Ferro ?

[BillB]

Has anyone ever stained a pao ferro board (to darken it up) ? If so, what did you use. Also do manufacturers (Squire) use any kind of finish to seal pao ferro finger boards that would have to be removed prior to staining ?

[skibum5545]

This is the standard product for ebonizing fretboards:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supp...oard_Stain.html

Usually Pau Ferro fretboards have little on them but lemon oil and a couple years of grime. With some naptha and 0000 steel wool, your 'board should be prepped in no time.

I've never heard any complaints about the above product, but I've never used it myself. Proceed at your discretion.

[lovekraft]

Usually Pau Ferro fretboards have little on them but lemon oil and a couple years of grime.

I'm with Skibum there - it seems kinda pointless to use an expensive rosewood and then cover it up with stain. But that's just me...

[Mattia]

Wait, Pau Ferro's expensive rosewood now?

Ahum. Anyway, I'd leave it alone. Most rosewoods will darken with age/playing (don't leave them in the sun, though), and if you want an ebony board, get ebony. Let wood be wood, and revel in its beauty and variations.

[lovekraft]

Wait, Pau Ferro's expensive rosewood now?

Evidently not - in fact, it's apparently cheaper than anything except cocobolo and (maybe) plain maple!

I still think it will look better without any "enhancements", especially after a year or so of playing time.

[fryovanni]

Wait, Pau Ferro's expensive rosewood now?

Ahum. Anyway, I'd leave it alone. Most rosewoods will darken with age/playing (don't leave them in the sun, though), and if you want an ebony board, get ebony. Let wood be wood, and revel in its beauty and variations.

Pau Ferro Is not expensive compaired to most real rosewoods. East Indian Rosewood is about the only cheaper Rosewood that comes to mind. Pau Ferro Runs about $13.00-$15.00 bd. ft. for fairly good stock(a bit more for really nice stock). Cocobolo,Honduran RW, Madagascar RW, are the mid range RW @ about $22-$30 bd. ft.. Brazillian seems to vary quite a lot, but usually is in the $75 per.pound range .

So is your goal to dye it black or just get it a bit darker like EIR?

Peace,Rich

[Mattia]

Wait, Pau Ferro's expensive rosewood now?

Evidently not - in fact, it's apparently cheaper than anything except cocobolo and (maybe) plain maple!

I still think it will look better without any "enhancements", especially after a year or so of playing time.

Hehehe...Cocobolo's pricier than Pau Ferro most of the time (and steadily rising in price as it gets more popular/less easy to find; acoustic sets in PF go fro around 60-90 dollars for really nice stuff, Cocobolo's more like 100-150). EIR's the cheap one; I can get fingerboards for 3 bucks, top quality.

Either way, yeah, I think it looks nice, and ages very nicely!