mahogany walnut stain

[dot_claire]

have a mahogany tele body, wanting to get to about the same colour as a gibson explorer mahogany colour. any ideas on what stain/dye to use?

 

[Freeman Keller]

Your picture looks more like mahogany itself than the old Gibson color. Before doing anything wipe your body with naphtha and compare with the picture. That will show you what the color would be under a wetting finish like lacquer and you might feel that is good enough.

I had a vintage 355 on my bench that was the old color that Gibson called walnut, it has worn thru in the belt buckle area but looks like this

StewMac sells a Colortone dye they call "dark walnut" (#5104. I haven't use it but the color chip looks like my old Gibbie

ColorTone Liquid Stains - StewMac

ColorTone Liquid Stains mix into most finishes and deliver hues that highlight wood grain on guitars, amps, and more. Backed by our Lifetime Promise.

www.stewmac.com

Another possibility is to use a tinted pore filler. Mahogany is a porous wood and need to be filled before finishing. I have used brown paste filler and it has much the same color as your picture



What ever you do, practice on scraps of the same wood. Stains are largely irreversible and if you don't like it you are kind of stuck.

 

[old wrench]

I've used a couple of different Walnut stains and they were all a rather dark brown color - much like the Gibson example that Freeman posted up.

That Gibson example might be Walnut stain on Maple - the same Walnut stain on Mahogany will looks a little (or a lot) different from Walnut stain on Maple


.

 

[dot_claire]

That Gibson example might be Walnut stain on Maple

the gibson website says its a solid, 1 piece mahogany body, but as of today they've discontinued the model, and changed the spec sheet. the name of the guitar is 1958 mahogany explorer, walnut, and the description says it has a walnut finish. the spec sheets just says that its finished in a "Vintage Patina".

Your picture looks more like mahogany itself than the old Gibson color. Before doing anything wipe your body with naphtha and compare with the picture. That will show you what the color would be under a wetting finish like lacquer and you might feel that is good enough.

I had a vintage 355 on my bench that was the old color that Gibson called walnut, it has worn thru in the belt buckle area but looks like this

View attachment 1276714

StewMac sells a Colortone dye they call "dark walnut" (#5104. I haven't use it but the color chip looks like my old Gibbie

ColorTone Liquid Stains - StewMac

ColorTone Liquid Stains mix into most finishes and deliver hues that highlight wood grain on guitars, amps, and more. Backed by our Lifetime Promise.

www.stewmac.com

Another possibility is to use a tinted pore filler. Mahogany is a porous wood and need to be filled before finishing. I have used brown paste filler and it has much the same color as your picture

View attachment 1276718

What ever you do, practice on scraps of the same wood. Stains are largely irreversible and if you don't like it you are kind of stuck.

even if it isnt what i wanted originally, that walnut stain looks beautiful on your example. ill get some grain filler and apply it to some spare mahogany i have lying around, finish it, and see what it looks like. thank you both.

 

[eallen]

Looks like clear solvent based like nitro or poly on mahogany with no stain.

 

[old wrench]

the gibson website says its a solid, 1 piece mahogany body, but as of today they've discontinued the model, and changed the spec sheet. the name of the guitar is 1958 mahogany explorer, walnut, and the description says it has a walnut finish. the spec sheets just says that its finished in a "Vintage Patina".





even if it isnt what i wanted originally, that walnut stain looks beautiful on your example. ill get some grain filler and apply it to some spare mahogany i have lying around, finish it, and see what it looks like. thank you both.

I guess I wasn't very clear about which "Gibson" I was talking about

My comment referred to the Gibson that Freeman shows the pic of - it may very well be Walnut stain on Maple.

The Gibson Explorer picture looks like Mahogany with either clear or a lightly tinted clear finish on top of it.


.

 

[Freeman Keller]

the gibson website says its a solid, 1 piece mahogany body, but as of today they've discontinued the model, and changed the spec sheet. the name of the guitar is 1958 mahogany explorer, walnut, and the description says it has a walnut finish. the spec sheets just says that its finished in a "Vintage Patina".





even if it isnt what i wanted originally, that walnut stain looks beautiful on your example. ill get some grain filler and apply it to some spare mahogany i have lying around, finish it, and see what it looks like. thank you both.

Gibson has reintroduced the dark walnut finish that was used in the 1970's (the 355 in my picture is a '68) and use it on both mahogany (SG) and maple guitars (345).

Dark Walnut Series | Gibson

www.gibson.com

The color is not at all similar to the one in your picture. In my humble opinion your picture is a mahogany guitar with a natural finish. Remember also the Gibson has pretty much stopped doing stains (their traditional vintage guitars were hand applied stains, modern finishes are mostly sprayed now).

 

[frisco slim]

What I see in your picture is mahogany with black grain filler, followed by mahogany dye or stain to intensify and darken the color.

 

[crazydogtele]

Not a tele but I am in the process of doing a prs build with a mahogany neck and body.
Using a tru oil gunstock kit ( walnut stain, finish, and wax ) looking great very happy with the
results

 

[Nicko_Lps]

have a mahogany tele body

African or American Mahogany?

If its african you cant do it unless you bleach the wood, african is reddish.
If its american you dont need any colors, what you show is natural with a slight tint from nitro finishes.

 

[dot_claire]

African or American Mahogany?

If its african you cant do it unless you bleach the wood, african is reddish.
If its american you dont need any colors, what you show is natural with a slight tint from nitro finishes.

honduran.

 

[Nicko_Lps]

honduran.

Is it really dark or normal? Pictures of your body would be great

Generally speaking, just a finish will get you there. A nitro/polyurethane will slightly tint it, an acrylic polyurethane will make it look even paler as its milky white, opposed to the nitro/polyurethane that are yellowish and ting even more over time.

 

[schmee]

have a mahogany tele body, wanting to get to about the same colour as a gibson explorer mahogany colour. any ideas on what stain/dye to use? View attachment 1276688

I would say for that look, no stain. Just clear poly or whatever you are using. More coats, more dark. Try an area in the rout.

Here is an alder body with only poly, no stain, it was nearly white before coating: (dont look at the ugly yellow neck!)