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Post subject: Re: bowling ball finish
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:52 pm
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Location: In the pocket north of Washington D.C.
I saw a Jazz bass done in a bowling ball finish, but it was a custom job done by the owner. Nothing from the Fender factory as far as I know.


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Post subject: Re: bowling ball finish
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 8:59 pm
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BCbassman wrote:
I have heard that explanation of how they did the Wildwood finishes since the 1960's but I don't believe that anybody injected trees to be cut down later.
It just doesn't make sense.
How do you inject dye into a living tree?
How could they get enough wood to do a run of instruments?
I think this was a load of crap the Fender put over on us. LOL
I think they were stained in the factory.


There is quite a bit online about injecting dye into living trees. Here are a few:

http://www.sustainer.org/dhm_archive/index.php?display_article=vn806rootgrafted
http://buckeyegardening.com/0510doctortrees.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/research_papers/pdfs/scanned/ne_rp232p.pdf
http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/117/2/357.full.pdf
http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=1831&Type=2

There is even an industry around making dye and chemical injection into living trees easier:
http://arborjet.com/index.htm?gclid=CMfT8cfe_7MCFQu0nQodR34A0g

While the injection of dye was initially done in North America in the late 19th century for botanical research and later for tracking distribution of chemicals for the treatment and prevention of diseases like Dutch Elm Disease or pest control, there have been claims it was done as early as sometime during the 15th century for stringed musical instrument production with root injections done by certain noted luthiers, or perhaps more likely by their suppliers at the request of the luthiers.

This root dye injection process which has been claimed to have been used so long ago has been a very controversial issue among antique stringed instrument experts for centuries with many authorities believing that root dye injection claims were "marketing gimmickry" used to protect a trade secret process in which the wood was dyed after harvesting in such a fashion as to look as if the dye had circulated throughout the wood. Other equally noted authorities hold to the root dying procedure actually being the source of the color patterns. This dispute about the lutes, violins and cellos that were said to be root dyed while living has never been settled. Interesting that the controversy has jumped 5 centuries now isn't it?

Online references to Fender's Wildwood finish resulting from dye injection into living trees abound. Here are only a few:

http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Fender_Wildwood
http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/fender/Coronado.php
(And this last one is about the rarest FRR Wildwood finish of all being not on Fender guitars, but on Rogers drums:
http://www.maxwelldrums.com/museum-sale-dynasonic-collection-c-79_85.html


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Post subject: Re: bowling ball finish
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:20 pm
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I readily acknowledge the references to the Wildwood finish being injected into trees and I know that this has been the explanation for years. You will find many references to this being done. I just don't believe it.

Fender got the wood they used for the Wildwood guitars/ Rodgers drums or whatever from a supplier. I don' know who that was but I can't see how a supplier could afford to wait for a tree to grow to harvestable height, girth or whatever, and trust that the dye had taken the desired effect on the wood and have the wherewithal do this in multiple colors too!

This was done to this wood after it was harvested. I don't know how, but I'll bet if you dig you will find an answer.
I don't want to argue about it . I know what I am saying goes against what we all have been told.

Maybe - I am just getting more skeptical in my old age. LOL
Peace, Brother Dave. You do know a lot more about this stuff than I do.


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Post subject: Re: bowling ball finish
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:17 am
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Location: Albemarle, NC
BC you could be right! But then again there is so much written about it going back 5 centuries.


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Post subject: Re: bowling ball finish
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:35 am
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Finally found a photo of a Tele with the finish.

Image

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Post subject: Re: bowling ball finish
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:24 pm
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^ That's pretty sick.

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