Jazzneck Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Can anyone help, please? I have got my mits on a 2nd hand lovely fretted, rosewood faced Allparts maple neck which (to me) has a problem. Someone nitro lacquered (clear finish) completely over the frets and fingerboard without filling the grain in the rosewood first *!?*!?* OK, I can remove the lacquer with gentle use of the appropriate solvent but can any of you heroes/heroines tell me how I go about filling the grain and bringing the board to a smooth overall baby bum smoothness like wot I've got on all my old basses, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 photos? rosewood shouldn't have that much grain. you sure it's rosewood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Is there a problem with it being a bit open grained anyway, since it has frets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Pics below..... Not sure if it is real rosewood but it is definitely lacquered - a very thin layer. To me it feels "hard" and "dry" but not in the same way that a Fender maple board does - just feels different. My tiny brain cell tells me that I want to get it feeling and looking like my other "rosewood board" basses which have no open grain and feel much "softer" somehow. I have tried my ususal trick of Briwaxin' the beast but it just wipes clean off leaving the lacquered "hard" finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I don't think its lacquered. You do often see quite waxy looking rosewood. The fingerboard on my J Deluxe looks quite waxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 (edited) [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1347895487' post='1806289'] I don't think its lacquered. You do often see quite waxy looking rosewood. The fingerboard on my J Deluxe looks quite waxy. [/quote] Sorry Schizznit, but it is lacquered, I can even see some of resin which has crystallized in a few very small areas - the waxy soft finish is exactly what I'm after. Edited September 17, 2012 by Jazzneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 If it was me, & I've done similar with gun-stocks in the long past; I'd be looking for a "scraper" (a cabinet makers tool for fine finishing), but you need a small one, so maybe a very blunt but not dented stanley knife blade, a lot of time, patience & elbow grease with the blade scraping with very light pressure with the grain, (along the neck NOT across it) with the blade at a slightly forward than vertical angle. Once you get down to bare wood use a light dose of lemon oil on a lint free cloth. Maybe try it on a couple of the narrow spaces at the dusty end first to see what you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 +1 to the small scraper suggestion. When I built my first bass, I went over the fingerboard with Danish Oil (which is actually a drying finish rather than a true oil), and it came out looking much like your pictures. It was easy to remove with a single edged razor blade used as a scraper, then buffing with steel wool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugget Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 [quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1347889462' post='1806171'] Can anyone help, please? I have got my mits on a 2nd hand lovely fretted, rosewood faced Allparts maple neck which (to me) has a problem. Someone nitro lacquered (clear finish) completely over the frets and fingerboard without filling the grain in the rosewood first *!?*!?* OK, I can remove the lacquer with gentle use of the appropriate solvent but can any of you heroes/heroines tell me how I go about filling the grain and bringing the board to a smooth overall baby bum smoothness like wot I've got on all my old basses, please? [/quote] I'd get the laquer off the frets first, it really screws with the zingy tone from the frets. Rosewood has veryopen pores (which I think leads to the tone of it) and filling them can be tricky without leaving it sticky/glassy. I've done some with a hard setting wax which if done corrrectly with very very thin coats fills the pores without feeling to sh*t and waxy, wipe of all the excess wax when applying just to fill the pores and not get any build up on the top. Older basses with smooth rosewood boards is probably down to build up of crap in the pores. I'd also not use any chemicals to get of the laquer as that might effect anything you put on top. As suggested scrapping or very fine sandpaper will get it clean without adding any chemicals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 [quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1347896098' post='1806300'] Sorry Schizznit, but it is lacquered, I can even see some of resin which has crystallized in a few very small areas - the waxy soft finish is exactly what I'm after. [/quote] Hmmm...that's nuts. Lacquer should never been seen on rosewood fingerboards (sorry Ricky owners!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 (edited) Thanks Guys - I've tried the scraper trick up the dusty end and it worked. I will now continue up the way, slowly and gently, and will report my findings..... might take a few weeks, though. Edited September 18, 2012 by Jazzneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1347897816' post='1806339'] (which is actually a drying finish rather than a true oil) [/quote] Depends on what danish oil, some is wipe on varnish, some is tung oil based, the latter smells of stale nuts once the solvent smell goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1347974160' post='1807429'] Depends on what danish oil, some is wipe on varnish, some is tung oil based, the latter smells of stale nuts once the solvent smell goes. [/quote] Mine must have been the former variety. Came out fine on the body and neck, looked just plain wrong on the rosewood fingerboard... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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