# cheap vintage neck tint



## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

hi
i needed to replace the neck(for the 3rd time in its life) on my strat. i was looking around the innernet for info on recreating the amber colour of its original neck, and saw a bunch of canadians were doing the same, but having troubles locating the neck amber from u.s. suppliers. 
so maybe this will be useful to somebody someday.
i bought a few packets of fabric dye from a dollar store- i see this stuff in every dollar store, its called "tintex". i guess any water soluble dye will work though. bought 4 packs, used only 3(but even a lot of that was thrown away)
i mixed a lot of yellow with a little brown, and a drop of red- i had already sanded the neck bare, and i just wiped it on with a rag. it dried in about an hour, then i applied another coat. mixed another batch with a bit more brown for darker results, and repeated about 4 times. i left the dye mixture really watery and weak, so as not to go too dark. i wanted to only go slightly further than the neck on my 62 reissue, as the original was darker by a bit. so i just matched the dye stain tto the reissue neck exactly, then applied tru-oil to finish the wood, and darken the stain just a bit more. 
turned out good enough for me, and with the tru oil used the whole thing cost under $10.


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## YJMUJRSRV (Jul 17, 2007)

Nice result. Color looks great in the photos.


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

Nice job Fraser. How long did it take from beginning to end?


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

hi
thanks guys-
kenmac- i stripped the original poly off the neck using just sandpaper, started 400 grit then ended with 1500- including the time that took i figure it was about an 8 hour time investment. but i spread it over 2 weeks, to allow for drying time and spent more time then necessary with the tru-oil- i steel wooled it flat after each application, which is overkill, you can generally level it after every 3-5 coats and be good. total coats on this was 7- but a lot was levelled off i figure. tru oil doesnt really need a lot of drying time- it hardens on the neck as you are applying it. all my previous neck finishes were lacquer and not tinted, so i erred on the cautious side- im sure i could do the same with better results even, in about 5 hours


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

*Feibing's leather dye*

I am going to use Feibing's leather dye this weekend, as this guy did. I found his method at the telecaster forum.

"The dye will penetrate into the hard poly finish a short distance and when the alcohol evaporates you can just wipe off the residue left on the surface."

"There are some benefits to this method.

1. The dye doesn't penetrate the wood (if you have several poly coats over the wood) so if you don't like the color all you need to do is strip off the poly and start again.

2. If you want to tint a finished neck (like my last project) you don't need to take it down to the wood. Just lightly steel wool the finish, wipe it down with methyl alcohol to clean it and away you go.

3. You can mix and match dyes to create your own custom colors."

He used Feibings light brown to achieve the Fender tint.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

hi rhh7
i read the same post- looks like a good idea. id be interested in seeing how it holds up over the years- good luck and post your results please!


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Quite ingenious. 

As anyone ever tried using Minwax Gel Stain in 'antique maple'? 

http://www.minwax.com/products/wood_stains/gel_stain.cfm


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