How to stain a Fender maple fretboard

[@zenguitarankh]

I can watch these all day. "Gotta be careful, I was rushing it" I love how he left that on the video to demonstrate a mistake...keeping it real. How classy is that?

[@omepeet2006]

In other words: "Do as I say, don't do as I do".

[@BillMcGirr]

Very helpful to see what kind of mistakes you can make. I always love watching his videos.👍

[@heilo263]

I can't watch a guy take a chisel against fretboard grain... I felt that in my scalp.

[@mrfoogaba2005]

The Bob Ross of Guitar Repair.

[@sideoutside]

You spelled Jim Bakker wrong..

[@patrickcarroll1754]

Hands down,Mr Foogba

[@coreyevans835]

That would be twoodfrd.

[@disco4535]

This man isn't just master at his skill, he is great at teaching and explaining very simply what he's doing and why

[@pbbbpcd]

It seems so easy... when HE does it!

[@kevintingzon]

it'll always be easy, as long as HE does it.

[@onpsxmember]

Dan screwed up more than we'll ever try. That's why he's the best. Staining won't get easier than those bottles. Try mixing colours until you get there instead of just tweaking the amount of a certain colour. I waited for a video like this. I got an old Peavey T60 that needs a refret, since the original owner tried to make a second nut out of the first few frets with his death grip. Apparantly he also paid off the ranch of the Marlboro Man. So I wanted the keep the colour he produced over the years with just use slightly wider fretwire, maybe seal underneath with thin CA glue and call it good. Now I think about doing solid work with a new finish. @Stewmac: What colour would you suggest for a 79 T60? Is there a trade secrets on how to refinish a neck after the staining? multiple coats with wet sanding in between?

[@marcdellavalle254]

Lol yea no kidding 😂

[@GediSpock]

Simple. Not easy.

[@TheUniversalEyes]

Everything is easy when you have 5 tools for every tool.

[@rafasounds2010]

please be my grandpa

[@Niko-ss5kd]

wtf

[@jrviade85]

@@Niko-ss5kd 😂😂😂

[@LRS905]

Get in line, man.

[@Haassan1]

That would be sooooo convient.

[@Cigarsnguitars]

He costs too much.

[@MrJoeyBoombotz]

I love these videos. There are going to be a lot of great luthiers in the world in the future because of Dan. He is absolutely inspirational. His passion for his work is fantastic.

[@OZRIC1985]

Very detailed work! It's nice to see a professional doing the staining with such care! Thanks for your great video!

[@Mrryanleephillips]

You could also stretch a rubber band until it's thin enough to insert into the fret slot. Release the rubber band tension and it expands leaving no space for the finish to seep into the fret slot.

[@oatnoid]

Hey gresst idea. 'cause I'm cheap and lazy.

[@williamyoung3070]

It would be good to see the rest of the finishing process on this.

[@jcout25]

This man is absolutely incredible at any and everything. I'd pay a million bucks to have him teach me everything he knows.

[@NGH99999]

Excellent video. I always appreciate StewMac videos, because your planning and editing results in quick, yet complete instruction. A lot of YT instructional videos are painfully long, with a lot of unnecessary filler!

[@Freedom89984]

The master at work. I can look hours at this. No risks, careful approach, tons of experience. Your guitar wants to live with this guy.

[@user-ig7nq7pc7k]

"That's all there is to it!" Yes, and dozens of years of thinking and working and applying your craft. You are an ARTIST, my dear sir, and we can only hope what the musicians decide to play on your instruments is equally as good. Thank you. : )

[@artworkbysteve1]

I have to say I seen thousands of videos this is the most informative downright serious Craftsmanship Videos I've ever seen on anything thank you very much

[@LaughingBuffaloes]

I really enjoy these videos where we get to watch Dan work his magic. I would really love to see a video of the frets getting installed, leveled, and dressed.

[@calamityjohnny1646]

I'd love to know how to stain the fretboard with the frets already installed. To avoid buildup at the fret/fretboard intersection.

[@Amber57499]

Did you ever find out?

[@ranman58635]

Don't put too much on your cloth. When you're done with whatever you coat that with you can use your razor and gently undercut the fret wire and then micro-mesh polish it off.

[@OrionHellraiser]

I could watch this videos all day, he's the man!

[@stacymccaulley8646]

Orion Hellraiser he could build my guitar anytime

[@sebsebsebbbb8390]

These*

[@leftymadrid]

Man, this shop is heaven for a guitarist, excellent work done behind those doors! I absolutely love seeing stuff like this because you can make your most important instruments always be playable! There's NOTHING more beautiful than getting to really know your instrument after so many years, thus creating that special bond with your guitar. I have three guitars and do not need more! One of them is my go to guitar, others are plan b, and c... You know your head over heels on that one special guitar when you've re-fretted it 3-4 times lol To personally wear down, break in a new good guitar, and keep rocking with it for 30-40 years or more, down that very long road Is most satisfying... Shops like these are simply wonderful. StewMac all the way!!!!!!!

[@AlexCBrandon]

Ok, THAT is impressive. Well, everything Dan does looks that way, nature of a ton of experience and hard work, but that color matching is like magic!

[@yusdiy]

Finally I have a bit if understanding about maple fingerboard finishing method. This was a mystery to me for years. Thank you Dan for covering this topic. Greetings from Malaysia.

[@LeviBulger]

I would love to be this guy's apprentice. I've already learned so much from him through the years.

[@jesussavesrick]

It appeared that the chiseling the plastic fret inserts left scrap marks in the fretboard wood (2:01). I know Dan is a master, so not sure how to do it better or different.

[@jfranciskay]

Hey Dan - for the teflon fillers, why not just make the first cut in the teflon with the template, then put the sheet in the slot, mark the proper depth with a pencil line, then remove and use the template to make the second cut. That way you don't have to risk cutting yourself with the chisel and it will be at the perfect depth!

[@AedanBlackheart]

Wtf are you even talking about man you're nuking wood.

[@Boldfacechimp]

I love how he’s always so patient. Cures the anxiety 😂

[@marinedalek]

2:15 With the chisel flipped over you can use the corner of the bevel as a fulcrum to get finer control over the depth of cut.

[@elonmust7470]

Yep

[@bristolfashion4421]

More life lessons from StewMac…! take-a-way message is: be patient. Thank you everybody who helped makes this ( and all of your ) video. Soooohhhh useful.

[@fearbabyriffs]

This Old House for people who love guitars.

[@griffmillerii1885]

My wife says that Dan is the Tom Silva of guitar repair.

[@PragmaticDany]

😂 you’re right

[@stevenleek1254]

Even when it's simple and straightforward, he makes my jaw drop in amazement!

[@paroblynn]

I do all of my work except refrets anymore. A lot of folks bring their instruments to me. I'm not where near anything more than a good tech but I watch these videos not only for the knowledge but because they are relaxing. Does anyone else with some knowledge or hell, even no tech knowledge watch these just because they like watching them?

[@nickhetzer2744]

Sure i have my guitar since 4 days and watch these videos to learn about guitars and because they are relaxing

[@mattheweastel129]

Lovely job. So satisfying watching that colour match up!

[@FriendM2010]

I hope his apprentices are paying attention 😳😳😳 Clearly, a natural teacher 👍👍👍

[@popogejo7245]

I'll say it again; someday Dan will be as well known as Les, or Leo. There probably thousands more like him, but I'll bet only a handful with that level of dedication

[@marcosavarise5031]

1st off, Dr Dan is the MASTER, he has taught me SO much ...that said, one problem with his finish work on this P-Bass neck: the factory sprayed, and very thick, lacquer finish for this era P-Bass neck is sprayed "after" the frets are installed, and said finish is as thick as a coat of plastic, so what Dan is doing is just color staining the bare, sanded maple, he's not applying the same thick lacquer finish he sanded off when re'radiusing / leveling the fingerboard .....

[@nicoxstyle]

Man, you made that fretboard look mighty fresh. Great work.

[@noseyparker6622]

Don’t think for a minute I didn’t see that chisel dig into the Maple 😉

[@Jesse-B]

Uncle Dan you never cease to amaze me.

[@timothyjrosser1]

Could I do this refinishing without removing the frets? I have some light age wear on my maple fingerboard and I like the look of this (the wiping on bit not the hard stuff!)

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

Dan/stewmac, please make a video of you actually performing the truss rod adjustment you had to make to this. I'm at that same point with a 2006 strat

[@jp2503]

Amazing! I love seeing a true craftsman in action.

[@108ashtangi]

Great match Dan! Thanks for setting the standard high.

[@alext9151]

I can watch this man at his work forever!

[@wante3202]

MORE people like you. Thats whats musicians and human kind need.

[@Kilovolver]

The master of masters. Thanks a lot Dan, we appreciate it more than we can express in this comments!

[@RalphBartholomew]

Dan's a national treasure.

[@jimihendrix1575]

I'm convinced this guy can do ANYTHING.

[@sthefanwernke]

It’s nice to see that Mike Ehrmantraut is still alive and settled for an honest job

[@darrenb5485]

This guy is the business. Proper craftsman.

[@CubensisRecords]

Hey Dan, is there a change a tone when you do this on a neck?

[@KM-ws8qs]

A true craftsman & professional. Thanks Dan, & Stew Mac.

[@soyborne.bornmadeandundone1342]

This guy is THE guitar tech.

[@eflamberson]

Dan is an American treasure.

[@patricksmith8783]

Couldn't help but notice that as he was using the chisel to trim the teflon he scratched the fretboard. Will the stain or sealer conceal the scratch or do you sand it out after? BTW I do love his videos.

[@congamike1]

As always, that's beautiful work!

[@BassRocket]

I feel like this man could literally fix anything on a guitar.

[@wildizer]

Is there a follow up video to this one showing the 'finishing' / lacquer step?

[@kennyrees2114]

Can you also stain a guitar neck when the frets are still installed? I'm thinking about staining the neck of my squire tele. the standard neck has no finish at this point.

[@magicdaveable]

I used your part # 5040 black (a lot of it) to stain a curly maple fingerboard. I put the fingerboard in a stainless steel tubular container with a screw tight lid. It hooks up to a refrigeration vacuum pump to suck the color inside the wood. I use denatured alcohol for the carrier. It really permeates the wood with color. The fingerboard is really interesting variegated black. To me it looks like "curly ebony." When I get the neck finished I will send you a photo.

[@Weirdwest805]

new more, too short, can watch this man all day!

[@seattlesix]

Been cutting those tips off the dye bottles for decades...😶 so this is why I subscribed to the channel. Thanks I feel smarter than a pin today. 😌

[@chrispile3878]

As always, Dan.... You are THE MAN.

[@flobeeonekinobee2353]

That's nice, my friend had his 74 precision bass refretted and they'd sanded the board but didn't stain it, it was so light compared to the headstock, it looked like a bogey on a bride.

[@SuperHotrod4]

Can you use Tru-Oil to finish the neck on top of the liquid stain? Will it remove some of the color? Thank you.

[@howardskinner4916]

Was the original finish lacquer? If so, StewMac Aged Clear spray would work. I've gotten good results with it.

[@joem6859]

Dan the man... do you have a step by step process for building new maple/maple necks?? I just finished 2 maple/maple necks from scratch and the fret levelling/crowning, polishing process contaminated the unfinished maple board. And I had the board pretty well taped off. Seems like the fret edges created the most contamination. Do you finish the maple boards first, then fret? thanks

[@makperjos2008]

HI, how do U clean unfinished maple fretboard? My fretboard is very dirty. Thanks for Ur help.

[@jokpyles]

hello Mr. Erlewine, a e-bass neck came to my shop with mold stains. The was look like be a good conditions and I have scraped the varnish until beyond the wood surface; the spots almost disappear and now I would like to live the finishing darker in order to hide the stains. what is the best solution: do the staining the neck or finishing it with a colored varnish? In case of I decide to make the staining, I thought to apply an extra layer of tru oil over; what do you thing about?

[@vinicioserafini5929]

Dan, you're a real artist!

[@steelydan473]

I have very few heroes in my life who I really lookup to, Dan's one of them

[@ericrose3877]

Beautiful Technique, Thank you, Dan.

[@nodayatthebeach]

That looks like work I would fall in love with.

[@averyzaliasylvia4026]

Great video..You are so good at this sir. i wonder if its possible to change the color of the guitar finish..like make it a bit more yellow because i have a guitar that made out of sitka spruce for the top but the color is cream and i am not fond of it :(

[@enase13]

I wanna darken a roasted maple neck. Would this work for that? I was thinking of getting a dark walnut stain to make it look more chocolatey

[@ozoneswiftak]

?? Would you finish all necks? Like a new mex fender. With the new pau ferra fret board, I'm not sure if a polyurethane wipe on technique would be fine?

[@stephencraig8578]

I don't have access to denatured alcohol. If I mix the vintage amber stain with water, do I need to seal the neck & fretboard after?

[@uptownphotography]

Is there a way to take off (or tone down) a gloss finish on a Maple finger board and make it more matte? I have been talking to a guitarist who does not like gloss on the fingerboard as he feels it gets too sticky. Thanks as always. (Have a nice holiday weekend too). Philip NYC Area

[@joshua0226]

Does he than , do the nitro over the stain ? How many layers for nitro and time in between? Is it better to stain first and than apply nitro, or just apply a tinted nitro with a can for a neck?

[@koroba73]

Passion and patience. I love your job!

[@guitarocd9984]

I bought a can of your Amber colored lacquer. It worked Excellent.

[@SurfersHandler]

Dan, you're an inspiration.

[@DiscoScottie]

How much did this neck repair cost? I'd imagine it wasn't cheap.

[@kingstumble]

My thoughts too.

[@Lewiiiiiiiis]

Absolutely hah. In fact I remember a video where Dan mentions that it's usually out of the question as a process because a guitar is so rarely worth the effort. I guess this guitar was an exception!

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

@@Lewiiiiiiiis - other than the instrument belonging to a person that can afford it anyway, in the case of an older instrument belonging to a musician, it's usually worthwhile. The wood will become more resonant in time, which generally makes it sound better - which makes the expense worth it. Some famous instruments have been saved right here on this channel.

[@miko8732]

@@DavidSmith-ss1cg like the nut on Willie Nelsons trigger guitar

[@adiaz8892]

What kind of alcohol is he using, and where can I find some? Looking forward to trying this out!

[@evanb2679]

This video is fascinatingly high quality

[@rhykko77]

wonderful to watch a master like Dan !

[@jimjarrel9179]

I have a 1975 Telecaster that the lacquer is so dry on the headstock that if you rub too hard it will come off. I want to keep the original decal intact. Is it ok to spray lacquer over the old finish? I wouldnt be able to sand before or it would remover the finish. What product do you recommend?

[@Karmakatt6]

Gorgeous color

[@RobertLandrum13]

Would it not be easier to just stain the neck and then clean the fret slots with a fret slot pick? Seems like it would take a lot less time and work with the same result. Of course I could be totally wrong but my curiosity has peaked.

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

That's a lot of work and I bet it will look perfect when done. I wonder if the owner considered just putting a new neck on the guitar.

[@a1b1bcsologuy]

how do you remove the studs on a prs stoptail

[@stewmac]

You should be able to back the stop tailpiece's studs out of the bushings with a screwdriver. What model PRS or stop tailpiece do you have?

[@heilo263]

There's gotta be a better way to fill fret slots than with oversized teflon you have to cut away against the fretboard with a chisel... like with some caulk you can just tap out later with a pick?

[@brandontuttle5768]

Can you guys do a video on filling and re-locating tuning peg holes for a fender 6 in line? I cant find an all inclusive video anywhere. I bought Kluson 6 in line locking tuners and they were unevenly spaced on the headstock (asian made neck), and I was able to find out that fender uses 17 and sometimes 15 degree placement, but I dont know what tools to use to fins and mark the angle for placement. my protractor has no solid place to rest to make the markings, so I have resorted to using tracing paper and the cardboard insert that came with the tuners

[@stephencraig8578]

Can I apply a water based stain over a polyurethane sealer?

[@cabronismo]

Dan is the Bob Ross of Guitar Repairs LOL

[@jakejuntilla1752]

Hi stewmac, this might not be significantly connected to this topic but relative concerning to adding a finish on a guitar neck. I know usually tru oil is used but being that don’t have access to such can I use a balsam/beeswax as an alternative?

[@gloryxkid]

Can you mix the stain with water?

[@patrickthomas8890]

What color would match a classic vibe strat? I want to touch up the neck

[@Complicaadd0rock]

Duuude, that was glorious to watch! Besides, he even talks just like Mike Ehrmantraut, much for the delight of all us Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul fans out there! 😂😁

[@lukeseto9848]

Can you do this with the frets still on the neck?

[@thesaj1110]

Cn you please tell me what camera you are using? its amazing.

[@johnnyacosta2745]

hi I have a question can I use the same color on a maple PRS guitar neck

[@007phs]

very useful video, which clear coat do you use after the color tone on the fingerboard for this Fender, Satin or Mat ,1k or 2k ? i have a American special Hss maple strat and ordered your straw product Thank You !