hi guys

I'd like to know if it's common for fretboards to have this light color? rosewood are usually darker right?





it's a mia 95 (serial number matches)

thanks

I had one strat with light rosewood, it played fine like the others

Hi paulo_nunes, welcome to the Forum.

Rosewood is more usually darker, but these light ones do come along sometimes and they are absolutely fine. Personally, I think it looks rather nice and distinctive.

If you really didn't like it then there's products to help. For example, this is more often used to even out ebony (which is seldom nearly as regular as people think). But you could use it on rosewood too if you wanted:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_s ... Stain.html

Or you could just buy a spirit or waterbased wood stain (Liberon is one brand to search for), thin it down some and tint your fingerboard to taste.

Myself: I'd leave it as it is, though. It looks great!

Cheers - C

it's the first time I've seen a fretboard like this one


at first I thought it could be a fake, (the serial number matched the description) and I thought it could be a really bad dried up board

but from what you guys are saying, there's nothing wrong with it

I'm actually liking it, being different from most strats and all. I think i'm going to keep it like it is


thanks for the responses guys

Get some lemon oil and apply to the fretboard let it soak for a while and wipe off excess.It will help! Even the darker rosewood will lighten when it dries out.I do it twice a year to my rosewood and ebony boards.

Well when Fender says the board is Rosewood they do not say what kind of rosewood. There are numerous Rosewoods and you will find that Indian is the darkest and brazzilian tends to be browner in color you also have Kingwood and Palisander these are just some of the Rosewoods. They all look different!!!!

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The rosewood fretboard on my Gibson Les Paul is almost exactly that color. And there's nothing wrong with it.

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A mix of boiled linseed oil and balsam turpentine will do the trick. It will darken the wood and give it a wonderful depth.

Apply, let soak in and wipe of excess. Repeat until satisfied. The appearance will get "deeper" the more times it's applied. 4 to 10 times is not unusual.

Repeat yearly or when necessary, typically 1 to 2 layers is needed.

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I have seen rosewood necks like yours before. There is nothing wrong with it and it looks fine so go tear it up.

I have seen rosewood necks like yours before. There is nothing wrong with it and it looks fine so go tear it up.

Looks like pao ferro!

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Addicted to chasing down tone info, and publishing all my findings at my blog: www.WoodyTone.com

Exactly. And I was told by a local guitar luthier/ expert that it was very desirable.

My $0.02...

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

Most neck rosewood is "usually" darker, but Mother Nature doesn't make every single tree exactly the same, so variations in grain and colorations do occur in nature.

Some people like the lighter necks, although you should check (as mentioned already) if the neck's dry, which will make it lighter than normal.

If you want it darker, you can put lemon oil on it and play it a LOT to wear it in. My Peavey "metal" guitar had a lighter rosewood neck. I actually put dark wood stain on it to darken it up. Eveyone's different.