Darkening a maple neck?

[elvisdog]

Hey all, have a StingRay guitar, love the way it plays, don't care for the way it looks -- coral red with white pick guard & maple (non-RS) neck. I have ordered a shell pickguard which should be here this week. The neck is still too pale for my tastes, though. Is there any non-destructive way to darken it up other than to play it for a few years?

Will post before and afters if anybody's curious. Or if anybody wants to trade for a sunburst, now's your chance!

 

[DrKev]

Not really an easy way to do that. As I recall, the earlier non-RS StingRays and Cutlasses had a vintage-tinted satin poly finished neck, so short of stripping the finish and having it redone there is nothing you can do. My old 1996 '62 RI strat had a similar finish, and it has hardly changed at all after 1000+ gigs.

 

[mb99zz]

Great question. I’m curious what others say. Would you want the entire neck, fretboard, and headstock to be darkened? If so, are you ok with the prospect of damaging the print on the headstock?

 

[tbonesullivan]

Does it have a matching painted headstock? If not, the natural stocks are painted with satin poly over the silk screened logos, and you will really not be able to get that portion to darken.

The gunstock oil and wax blend will darken over time with use and age.

 

[elvisdog]

yeah, it's the satin poly neck, so I guess I'll have to learn to love it. there was a shoe-polish trick making the rounds on the telecaster page a while ago but I don't remember if it worked or not.

 

[billpepper82]

shoe polish I've done it on many of fenders