D-55 Fretboard Binding Lacquer Finish

[tomvwash]

Does this look like a DIY job? It's a rosewood tint lacquer, off in three small areas, treble side only, on a New Hartford D-55. I don't see any product online yet, but maybe a Colortone lacquer pen??? Thank you,

Tom

 

[geoguy]

I think you could touch that up just fine. Those are the touch-up pens sold by Stew Mac, correct?

My guess would be an amber lacquer, but you might have to try a few combinations of clear/amber on some white binding scraps to find the right color, before actually touching up your guitar.

 

[tomvwash]

Yes, good idea on more than one tone. This is the way to go, I think. thank you,

Tom

 

[Christopher Cozad]

Does this look like a DIY job?
Tom

Hi Tom,

DIY lacquer job? In a word: probably.

Tinting lacquer for spray finishing guitars is a well-established tradition, and has been used extensively both to disguise unattractive or undesirable wood grain/patter/color/etc and/or to achieve a more desirable color (desirable at the time, in the eyes of the beholder). But for obviously deliberate exceptions (such as sunbursts, solid colored guitars, etc), dark(er) tint is not typically applied over materials that would not appear to naturally support such hues (such as Spruce tops, white binding, etc). For a re-spray of a tinted neck, binding (and fingerboard, face of headstock, etc) is usually masked off until the dark(er) color(s) is/are applied. Masking is then removed from all but the fingerboard and clear or "pre-aged/pre-yellowed/amber/vintage/etc" lacquer is applied over all (or vintage is applied, followed by thinned topcoats of clear). In your case, seeing the red wine colored tint over the white binding is a telltale sign that someone skipped the binding-masking step. Doing so intentionally is (has been) fairly un-common.