Do you happen to have a more straight on view of your Alembic’s fretboard? In particular toward the headstock. It looks almost black in the pics I’ve seen but not sure. I noticed that it has pretty much the same oval inlays my project has, as well as a brass nut that I have and the same strings. My laurel fretboard is similar to rosewood and a medium reddish brown, which doesn’t really fit what I want. I want to darken it but probably not to straight black, but a very dark reddish brown with the grain still showing through. I’ve considered black but I can only really get AI mockups to look at and it’s not really a reversible endeavor.
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I was thinking more close up and personal, kinda like this:
The nut and tuners are just kind of sitting in there right now and not secured, but you can see that the fretboard needs some work still. The harsh LED and halogen lighting where I took this washes it out a fair bit but I think I still want it a bit darker.
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I may have missed the head stock part when I snapped these but if you want it I’ll post it when I get home tonight
Thanks! So is that ebony? Or just a super dark brown? Or actually black and the light is giving it a slight brown hue? I think I was the super dark brown look on mine. I picked up some Fiebing’s leather dye, in both dark brown and black. My big concern is that the oval inlays will be darkened. From videos I’ve seen, the dye darkens those but stain doesn’t really. But the dye changes the wood better and more uniformly.
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This is a natural ebony with natural grain no dye.
These 2 are also ebony but a bit more uniformed.
This one
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Ebony on a white bass is a nice, classic look. Love the BBNE.
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Here an example of an ebony fretboard on an Aria. Photo is not of mine, I’ll take one and posted it another time.
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The Aria Pro II line is really good. Another classic maker originally from Matsumoto, much like Fujigen. That’s Guitar Country.
The Matsumoku factory in Matsumoto was quite famous and many great guitars were made there for Aria, Fernandes, and Burny up until the late '80s. After that they were contracted out to Indonesia, China and Korea, but that era were up there with Fujigen in quality.
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That’s the best MM style pickups config. Such great tone, just from pickup locations alone.
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It is 100% the best 5-string tone I have heard. And I tried a zillion before settling on this one, each pickup config has amazing and useful tones. Really love this bass.
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Mine was MIJ by Matsumoto. Just FYI.
It’s night now and need good light to really show the beauty of the ebony fretboard. Been real busy lately so might be a bit before I post a pic. Just to much other stuff to attent to at the present moment.
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Little experience with the dye vs stain, but I do know how to use oil paints and linseed oil to color wood, as long as an oil based finish is applied on top. Have only used dyes on frames for artwork down at Basil Prosperi. Since you’re using gold as the complement, consider a warmer black which might be where you’re already at. If so, a Mars black vs carbon would be advisable. Or a mix starting with burnt umber. Ultramarine for cool, burnt Sienna or an ochre or red oxide for warm. Red oxide plus green oxide might be warm but with less red tint. Cool blacks will usually look darker, less brown. Against warm gold a cool black will be a bigger contrast, warm black more harmonious. Neither better, only different.
If you haven’t already, maybe go ask at the Woodsmith store in Capital Square. Less than a mile away from Guitar Center. They’ll actually have ebony wood, and some expertise at how to simulate it.
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Super good instruments. Keep meaning to head down there sometime, very pretty part of Japan.
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And of course, I wiped off the first coat of stain about 10 minutes before you posted this….lol
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I have never used ink on wood but have on plastic and metal and it strikes me that ink with a clear top coat might be super interesting.
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Layering might get you where you want–until it’s saturated and black-black. Using color to make or tint black is a good way to go. Color wheel complements do it. Red plus green = gray, purple plus yellow, blue plus orange. Darker pigments like earth tones (burnt umber being chief for this use) bring the value down.
Everything you’re doing is super fun and cool. It’ll look great regardless!
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Yep! It will be more similar to the dye, I suspect, because it’s suspended in water and something like gelatin or shellac for binding. Regular India black ink, like Higgins, is usually a carbon/bone black which is bluish and cool. Many colors available.
Curious–Kamikos–do you know what your top finish is? I would’ve guessed a spar varnish or a thinned clear shellac. Looks like most fretboards are unfinished and preserved with walnut or lemon oil.
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