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I am finishing a guitar that has a cocobolo fingerboard with beautiful colors and figuring. I'm afraid that putting a finishing oil on it is going to darken it too much. Does anyone know of a way to finish the fingerboard so that it retains its vibrant colors, while still being protected and feeling right while playing the guitar?

I personally don't put a finish of any kind on my dark fretboards, just run thru the micromesh to polish them up.

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Blue Ring Acoustics
blueringacoustics.ca

I should have added—the color really pops under naphtha or alcohol, so I definitely need something on it, but something that won’t darken or become sticky or worn looking.

Howard's Feed & Wax does a nice job. I think coco will darken over time anyway...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Coco usually darkens quite a bit with age buts it's still a great color, I think.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I haven't tried it on fingerboards, only pegs and tailpieces, and not long term, but has anyone else tried Super Glue? I actually read about doing it to seal fingerboards, and for finishing the outside of woodwind bodies on a lathe. That was in an earlier life.

I have a figured Bubinga fingerboard that is dark, but has nice flame. I'd do the CA if it really works.

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Why be normal?

+1 for Howard's feed n wax....

I've used CA on fingerboards to keep the color. Not a very natural look though.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Finish the FB ala Fender.....

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I tried the CA on a violin FB to see if it would work. It is a very unusual FB; they called it royal ebony? It was white on one side, and dark on the other, and figured besides. I'm not normal. I figured if it didn't work, I'd pull it off, and fake conforming. But it worked. So I tried it on another one, a wedged one out of something they called Yucatan Rosewood. Very hard wood, but lighter in weight because the piece was very porous, and figured as well. The figured wood finds me at Woodcraft! It worked on that too, but it took a LOT of CA to fill it.

So I decided to give my guitar FB a go. It is figured Bubinga. Go figure. It worked quite nicely.

After the CA dries I sand with 400 grit wrapped around a pink eraser. I use it dry. If it still has holes I do it again. I tried 800 wet/dry after that, dry; but it didn't do what I wanted. Crocus cloth is the key. It polishes it really nice. You MUST use the crocus cloth dry, the polish will turn everything orange red.

I put a smudge of some Trewax I bought at a garage sale a long time ago, together with a drop of Linseed oil; mixed together, and just used the fingertip I mixed it with to spread a tiny bit on the surface. Rub it in with your palm, and polish with a paper towel to rub off everything; and then polish with the crocus cloth again.

There really can't be much wax/oil on it.

Ken

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Why be normal?