Tinting pale neck

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Johnmondo
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Tinting pale neck

Post by Johnmondo » Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:56 am

I’m having my Player series Jaguar overhauled soon, including tinting the neck and applying a new decal. My plan was to use the Stew Mac Color tone liquid stain but I’m looking for suggestions.

1. What might some alternatives be?

2. If I went with the stain, what is a good clear coat to apply after?

I appreciate any info!

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epizootics
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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by epizootics » Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:48 pm

There are very cheap ways to do this, but most of them require some fiddling. A few years back I tinted a maple neck only using stuff I'd found in my flat. If I recall properly, I extracted the yellow pigment from turmeric powder by putting a few teaspoons in a small jar of denatured alcohol. Filtered that and mixed it with dark garnet shellac flakes. I vaguely remember adding something else - either coffee or a concentrated chamomile solution (put a bunch of the dry flowers in dna, then leave the container open on your window sill until it has reduced enough), not sure anymore. After that I know I gave it a few coats of nitro from an off-the-shelf automotive clear coat rattle can.

Having the tint mixed with shellac makes it a lot easier to apply it in a consistent way. Straight up alcohol-based tints can be a pain to apply manually because they dry so fast.

The result was a pretty convincing vintage tint. I don't have the guitar in question any more but I got a chance to see it on TV last year (!) with its new owner and it seems to have aged fine.

My point is that there are many ways to skin this particular cat, but I don't know that I'd go down the hippy / DIY flowers-and-spices route if I didn't have scraps from the same wood to practice on first.

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Johnmondo
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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by Johnmondo » Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:54 am

Thank you for your reply! I ended up buying some vintage amber tint from stew Mac and a satin clear coat to finish it. I thought of going the DIY way but after some searching I think I narrowed it down to get the finish I desire.

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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by adamrobertt » Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:41 am

epizootics wrote:
Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:48 pm
There are very cheap ways to do this, but most of them require some fiddling. A few years back I tinted a maple neck only using stuff I'd found in my flat. If I recall properly, I extracted the yellow pigment from turmeric powder by putting a few teaspoons in a small jar of denatured alcohol. Filtered that and mixed it with dark garnet shellac flakes. I vaguely remember adding something else - either coffee or a concentrated chamomile solution (put a bunch of the dry flowers in dna, then leave the container open on your window sill until it has reduced enough), not sure anymore. After that I know I gave it a few coats of nitro from an off-the-shelf automotive clear coat rattle can.

Having the tint mixed with shellac makes it a lot easier to apply it in a consistent way. Straight up alcohol-based tints can be a pain to apply manually because they dry so fast.

The result was a pretty convincing vintage tint. I don't have the guitar in question any more but I got a chance to see it on TV last year (!) with its new owner and it seems to have aged fine.

My point is that there are many ways to skin this particular cat, but I don't know that I'd go down the hippy / DIY flowers-and-spices route if I didn't have scraps from the same wood to practice on first.
Ah yes, we definitely all have dark garnet shellac flakes just lying around.

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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by epizootics » Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:15 am

adamrobertt wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:41 am
Ah yes, we definitely all have dark garnet shellac flakes just lying around.
...you get my drift. That stuff is available in most art supplies stores over here. Stewmac's vintage tint is not.

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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by schoolie » Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:00 am

A mix of garnet and amber shellac makes a beautiful tint. Shellac.net is your friend on that path.
Lately, I've used Mohawk amber toner, but it's not easy get an even color, and too much turns the wood orange. The advantage of these products is that it's easy to strip off if something goes wrong.

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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by adamrobertt » Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:58 am

epizootics wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:15 am
adamrobertt wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:41 am
Ah yes, we definitely all have dark garnet shellac flakes just lying around.
...you get my drift. That stuff is available in most art supplies stores over here. Stewmac's vintage tint is not.
I just thought it was funny that you were like "oh yeah I did it with some everyday stuff laying around my apartment, like, garnet shellac flakes and concentrated chamomile solution" like that's typical shit the average person has in their junk drawer. :D

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epizootics
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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by epizootics » Sun Jul 25, 2021 2:13 pm

adamrobertt wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:58 am
epizootics wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:15 am
adamrobertt wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:41 am
Ah yes, we definitely all have dark garnet shellac flakes just lying around.
...you get my drift. That stuff is available in most art supplies stores over here. Stewmac's vintage tint is not.
I just thought it was funny that you were like "oh yeah I did it with some everyday stuff laying around my apartment, like, garnet shellac flakes and concentrated chamomile solution" like that's typical shit the average person has in their junk drawer. :D
...and and can of automotive nitrocellulose clear coat. My junk drawer is very large ;D

Seriously though, isn't chamomile a thing in the US? It seems everybody has some in their kitchen drawers over here - usually given by a great aunt, "If you have trouble sleeping [nothing to do with the crack dealers under my window playing vocoder music really loud at three in the morning], this'll work better than any sleeping pill you'll find".

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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:56 pm

She needs to try better sleeping tablets.

Chamomile :k
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: Tinting pale neck

Post by OregonMike » Tue Jul 27, 2021 11:47 am

Johnmondo wrote:
Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:56 am
I’m having my Player series Jaguar overhauled soon, including tinting the neck and applying a new decal. My plan was to use the Stew Mac Color tone liquid stain but I’m looking for suggestions.

1. What might some alternatives be?

I really like ReRanch https://www.reranch.com/products.htm (when he's open), but found a good alternative after painful searching. https://www.ohiovalleynitro.com/

Another option is Tru-Oil. Provides a very durable finish and will tint the color a bit too.

2. If I went with the stain, what is a good clear coat to apply after?

You could clear it with their nitro clear.

Good luck!

I appreciate any info!

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