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I recently got a couple of sets of Padauk B&S's. On the 1st set I've wet the back wood with Naptha several times to see what it would look like 'finished'. Afterwards that set has been sitting out exposed to mostly flourescent light, and I'm noticing it changing and getting darker. I've been advised that after I build with it, to let it 'sit' for a couple of months to 'oxidize', and read reference to 'photo-oxidation', or something like that.

Anyone have any info or input regarding the oxidation process's of Padauk. Like, what type of light, sun, flourescent, incandescent, or whatever, to hasten oxidation? Or other elements, like sea air, I'm close to the ocean.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to let a fine guitar sit while it oxidizes. I would say play it and enjoy it while it oxidizes, it's going to do it anyway.

Al

I built a couple of guitars out of padauk two years ago. One mostly stays in its case, whereas the other hangs out in my shop. The latter is not exposed to direct sun, but it is exposed to fluorescents. Being out of the case, it is exposed to the shop's environment, thus if oxidation is occuring, it is more prevalent on this one than the one in the case.

I just took a look at both. The one in the case still has that vibrant red color, whereas the one hanging in the shop has lost some of it. The reds have faded somewhat to a more reddish brown. Not at all unpleasant, by the way. I've seen padauk that has faded from red to brown and it looks a whole lot like rosewood.

Both guitars are french polished, by the way.

Best,

Michael


Michael McBroom38834.4239699074

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Live to Play, Play to Live

"Photodegradation" is the term for this color change process caused by UV light. This process can be slowed down, but never stopped. "Oxidation" in wood generally means part of a combustion process.

Setting the wood in direct (but cold) sunlight will darken padauk within minutes. A few hours will see a huge change. Remember this is service change, and any further sanding will lighten it up again.Larry Davis38834.4600115741

What Larry said is absolutely dead-on correct. You can buy finishes with UV inhibitors, but they won't completely stop the process. Eventually that nice red wood is going to fade to a dull brow, and sometimes a grey-brown. Some like that, others find it lacking in warmth. Pauduk has great tap tone, so is probably worth using.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Al Carruth once told me that all wood will eventually turn to some shade of brown. So, that day-glo orange bunga-bunga wood you payed top dollar for will eventually be some shade of brown. But it won't be the same shade of brown as the day-glo yellow dalbergia unobtainium that was smuggled into the country cleverly concealed in a bale opium.

I have noticed the same kind of thing with cherry as well. When the wood is freshly cut or scraped or sanded it's kind of pale. Leave it out in the sunlight for a little while and the color deepens to a more brownish tone. I kind of prefer the browner color tone myself.

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53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/

Desirable photodegradation is called "patina" and undesirable is called "brown"

Light woods darken and dark woods lighten as a general rule of change. All wood changing to a brown color would be highly debatable and easily debunked as a myth    Larry Davis38834.4921412037

One thing I have noticed is that an oxidized or photodegraded surface of padouk will not hold a glue joint as well as a fresh surface. That is probably true of all woods but padouk is the one that sticks vividly in my memory due to joint failure.