Shiny Rosewood Fingerboard

[Ramblin Ray]

I just got an American Chambered Ash Tele with a '62 type RW fingerboard. The rosewood is real shiny, not real natural looking. I've seen this on other RW neck Fenders and always wondered what it is? I'm thinking they buff the fingerboard with compound or something. Any ideas? By the way--this is a wonderful guitar!! The '52 RI pickups are really surprising me, they just have "it".

 

[Mike Fleming]

It could just be polished, maybe at the same time the frets were polished. Not with compound, probably not even with oil. A little rubbing will shine up rosewood real fast.

Mike

 

[maestrovert]

The Shinin'

for a minute there......
i thought of the Ric r/w boards.....they're lacquered.....
yes, rosewood will polish up quite nicely all by it's lonesome !

 

[Dr.Guitar]

I usually just buff them on the buffing wheel after I do the frets. Looks great, maybe to shiny for some. but it really make the rosewood pop out at you.

 

[yegbert]

how to make them less shiny?

Is there a way to take a shiny rosewood fretboard, and make it less shiny?

I have an ES-335 and I love the looks of its rosewood fretboard. It's a rather dark shade of brown, and it's not shiny. I've thought about getting a Tele with a rosewood board someday (have two maple now), but some of them are too shiny and light brown for my taste. I've seen tips for darkening the board, but not for removing the shine.

 

[Uriah T.]

Re: how to make them less shiny?

#OOOO Steel wool works great for me on rosewood and maple boards. Cleans em up a bit and removes that excessive shine. Be careful to cover your pickups, though- this stuff loves magnets like nobody's business.

 

[lz_69]

About a week of playing will bring it back to normal

 

[Ramblin Ray]

The more I look at the edge of the fingerboard and the fact that there is laquer behind the nut, makes me think they spray the entire neck, then remove it from the fingerboard. The shininess I'm referring to is not the same as a nicely broken in RW board. I also don't see this on AS teles, that have satin finished necks.