Did NH treat rosewood fretboards and bridges with anything?

walrus

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As I've gotten to know my 2011 F-30RCE, I kept wondering about the rosewood fretboard and bridge - had they ever been treated with anything? I came across this thread, where there was a bit of discussion whether NH treated their guitar's rosewood:

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...the-finger-board/page3&highlight=Guitar+Honey

The fretboard and bridge of this guitar seemed very "light colored" and "dry" to me, but I have been too busy playing it to think much about it until yesterday. Anyway, I gave the fretboard and bridge a light treatment of "Guitar Honey". I suddenly have a different looking guitar! The fretboard feels much nicer, too. I like the results!

I wish I had taken specific photos before treating the fretboard, but here's one that shows the board a little bit and definitely shows the "lightness" of the bridge:

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And here is the same "pose" in a photo after - quite a difference!

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Anyway, it makes one wonder if NH treated their rosewood fretboards and bridges at all - at least on this model.

walrus
 
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chazmo

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Walrus, as far as I know New Hartford did not stain/oil/finish the bridges in any way. As I recall, I saw a bridge fitted to a guitar in final assembly room, which is where guitars went after their completed bodies left the finishing department (spray booth and dry), and before they entered the final stage -- the stringing room (where labels were recorded in a ledger and strings were put on).

If you apply, say, bore oil, or any other dressing, you will likely see a drastic darkening of color on the bridge. That's healthy and normal.
 

chazmo

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I think the same is true, by the way, of the fretboard, but that was already on the neck long before the guitar got to final assy. Again, I don't think any dressing was applied to the board, and I'm 100% certain that the board was masked off in the spray booth as I remember that.
 

walrus

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I would agree with you. The fretboard and bridge on this guitar sure seemed to NOT have any treatment. Both look darker now, and feel much nicer.

walrus
 

tommym

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I really like the results too! I really never understood the dry bridge finish from NH. Design statement? In any case, did you just mask off the bridge and apply the product with a lint free cloth?

Tommy
 

Brucebubs

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I have a Martin JDP II - Diane Ponzio series 2.
The bridge looked very similar.
I treated the bridge and fretboard with Music Nomad F-One conditioner.
Easy to use and excellent results.

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bobouz

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Guitar Honey is okay, but it contains petroleum distillates (not good). It also, in my experience, dries out & the wood lightens back up over time.

Nomad's F-One is a very good product, with all natural oils. It does not readily dry out, and the wood continues to hold the darker color. If a little bit gets on the finish of your guitar, just wipe it off without worries. Near the bridge base, I use a q-tip & hold a folded over sheet of typing paper against the bridge/body junction to mask off the body finish - crude, but quick & effective (& no tape residue on the body).

Fret Doctor is a bore oil & highly recommended by many folks. I just purchased a bottle to try out & see if it might darken a very light board even more than the F-One oil.

So my recommendation would be, when you feel it's time again to oil your board & bridge - ditch the Guitar Honey, as there are better products available for this task.
 

adorshki

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I wish I had taken specific photos before treating the fretboard, but here's one that shows the board a little bit and definitely shows the "lightness" of the bridge:
walrus

You got me wondering if that might not actually be "Pau Ferro" which has come up recently as one of the go-to alternatives for true Dahlbergia rosewoods, since they're all CITES-listed now.
Pau Ferro's also known as Morado and Bolivian Rosewood but it's not a Dahlbergia so still readily available.
Guild actually said they used Morado fingerboards on D4's as early as '99 I think it was, if not earlier.
Fender just announced it's going to be their default fretboard material going forward.
It's actually supposed to be very similar to rosewood tonally with the benefit (for bridge and fretboard use) of being harder.
And noticeably lighter colored than rosewood.
Quite a few makers have already used it for bodies.
You tell me:
"True" Rosewood or Pau Ferro?:
dd92598ce21674d0c5c74cd4f5db941c68ade67.jpg

wd-strat-neck-maple-22t.jpg
 
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walrus

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I really like the results too! I really never understood the dry bridge finish from NH. Design statement? In any case, did you just mask off the bridge and apply the product with a lint free cloth?

Tommy

Yes! Simple and quick!

You got me wondering if that might not actually be "Pau Ferro" which has come up recently as one of the go-to alternatives for true Dahlbergia rosewoods, since they're all CITES-listed now.
Pau Ferro's also known as Morado and Bolivian Rosewood but it's not a Dahlbergia so still readily available.
Guild actually said they used Morado fingerboards on D4's as early as '99 I think it was, if not earlier.
Fender just announced it's going to be their default fretboard material going forward.
It's actually supposed to be very similar to rosewood tonally with the benefit (for bridge and fretboard use) of being harder.
And noticeably lighter colored than rosewood.
Quite a few makers have already used it for bodies.
You tell me:
"True" Rosewood or Pau Ferro?:
dd92598ce21674d0c5c74cd4f5db941c68ade67.jpg

wd-strat-neck-maple-22t.jpg

I have no idea!

walrus
 

adorshki

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Yes! Simple and quick!
I have no idea!
walrus

They're both PF: a Martin and a Fender, respectively.
However if NH specified EIR on those F30's I believe 'em.
But I was also reminded of Chaz's comments that NH was investigating tonewood alternatives in anticipation of potential CITES issues down the road, and PF already had a history of successful use by Guild.
In fact after seeing that D4 spec shortly after I first joined, I'e suspected my own D25's board might be PF.
Could explain why no fretboard divots after all these years....
 

chazmo

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Yeah, that's right, Al. NH was looking at the issue because they had a load of European-bound axes get confiscated and quarantined for a while. They didn't publicize that, as I recall. But they were in reaction mode, guys, not anticipation mode!

My recollection is that the European confiscation was about mahogany, and afterwards, they used some substitutes for Honduran in production bound for Europe. I also don't recall being shown any alternate rosewoods in the wood shop (and I think I *was* shown some alternate mahogany). But, I never really heard too much follow up as that was getting close to the end of the NH era. It could've involved rosewood, and there are indeed many different species that have rosewood-like characteristics.
 
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