best stain for a maple neck/board?

[335clone]

I picked up a new Squier Tele for my son the other day, and the maple neck and board are just a bit too white. I have read some people staining the neck and board to give it more of a light amber hue more akin to a vintage instrument. Anyone done this and have a good color suggestion for the stain? It feels like an unfinished neck but I will hit it with some steel wool before I apply JIC.

 

[Prages]

Even if it feels unfinished, I'm sure it's got some kind of satin poly on it. Hitting it with steel wool might make it feel more like raw wood, but it's not going to let stain soak into the wood.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Wind

 

[335clone]

OK, thoughts on a UV lamp to artificially age it?

I guess If I have to I can tell him to start smoking.....

 

[VoidTerraFirma]

Marlboro.

 

[Rick 381]

Re-ranch vintage tint lacquer.

 

[Lerxst]

Back on hceg guys were always raving about shoe polish on finished necks. Idk, seems like anything you apply on the finish will probably wear off over time unless it's something that cures/bonds

 

[Lerxst]

OK, thoughts on a UV lamp to artificially age it?

I guess If I have to I can tell him to start smoking.....

I'd suspect that most of the finishes in use Today have uv inhibitors so that might take forever

 

[Jbird]

Roast it

 

[Knox in Box]

Someone here did the shoe polish thing as well. Update?

 

[xStonr]

Rub some brown shoe polish on it then wipe it off right away. Repeat as needed.

 

[Flatspotter]

Leave it in a strip club for a month.

 

[Beyer160]

Leave it in a strip club for a month.

No way am I leaving ANYTHING of mine in a strip club for a month, I'll never see it again.

I'll just have to stay there with it.

 

[Steverino]

Re-ranch vintage tint lacquer.

I did this with a Mighty Mite Fender neck that was white as snow. I steel-wooled it and gave 3-4 coats. Do your research on different finishes and what works and what doesn't.

 

[335clone]

Leave it in a strip club for a month.

NOT the stains I am looking for.

 

[Tig]

Try some @micwalt chicken broth.

 

[mongooz]

clear laquer with gold toner.....think vintage 50's look

 

[mongooz]

as posted above, the re-ranch is likely the easiest way to get a decent 'vintage laquer' look.

http://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/tinclearcoat.html
or
http://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/fennecam.html

 

[GDSmithTX]

I did the Kiwi brown shoe polish tint on a Squier 51 neck several years ago and had no issues with it. The thing started off as white as grandma's ankles and ended up looking pretty good, considering I spent maybe 45 min on it, doing several light coats and then buffing them with an old white t-shirt. It didn't turn the rich amber of my CV Strat's neck, but it ended up way nicer than it started out.

If I did it again, I might be tempted to try alternating light coats of tan and brown or tan and cordovan polish to see how that ended up.

Never had a problem with it coming off on my hands, but my hands don't sweat much.

 

[335clone]

I did the Kiwi brown shoe polish tint on a Squier 51 neck several years ago and had no issues with it. The thing started off as white as grandma's ankles and ended up looking pretty good, considering I spent maybe 45 min on it, doing several light coats and then buffing them with an old white t-shirt. It didn't turn the rich amber of my CV Strat's neck, but it ended up way nicer than it started out.

If I did it again, I might be tempted to try alternating light coats of tan and brown or tan and cordovan polish to see how that ended up.

Never had a problem with it coming off on my hands, but my hands don't sweat much.

Thanks, I was looking for someone with first hand experience with the shoe polish.