How can I darken a really light poly maple neck?

[Ocean]

I've heard that UV rays will speed up the "yellowing" of a maple neck even if it's finished with polyurethane. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I really don't want to strip and refinish...just get it a little darker. It's really just a cosmetic thing for me.

Thanks!

[martyncrew]

Gently rough with 0000 steel wool, apply brown (not tan) Kiwi polish, let it sit for a couple of hours, then rub it off. Repeat as required...

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by martyncrew

Gently rough with 0000 steel wool, apply brown (not tan) Kiwi polish, let it sit for a couple of hours, then rub it off. Repeat as required...

thanks man - I'll give it a try. I've read about the Kiwi polish before...nice to see it repeated here.

CL

[soli528]

replace the neck with one that is the right color (Assuming we're talking about a bolt-on here). I don't mean to sass or anything, It's just that once you're done sanding and applying polish several times, you stand a chance of ending up worse than before, whereas if you removed the existing neck you could sell it and likely get halfway toward the cost of the replacement. Just an idea...

[Ocean]

Fair enough. I think I may just have a pro strip and refinish it though...now after some thought. It's just a perfect neck so I don't want tp get rid of it!

[Trandy]

Originally Posted by soli528

I don't mean to sass...

Only a true southerner uses the word "sass".

I'm originally from Virginia and I know about such things.

[buddastrat]

you'll change the sound of the guitar with a new neck.

[dhdfoster]

Pop it off and take it to a tanning bed.

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by dhdfoster

Pop it off and take it to a tanning bed.

I've heard that actually works!

[Vintage-tone]

What is your neck ?
year / brand .

So Polyester or Poly Urethan will not darken.
What we want to achieve in guitar artificial aging is the exact opposite of what the furniture and car industry wants.
Bout everyone else but us want colors that fade and clear coats that yellow out with UV and different parameters...

[Bassomatic]

Originally Posted by buddastrat

you'll change the sound of the guitar with a new neck.

And usually the feel. In fact the whole gestalt.

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by Vintage-tone

What is your neck ?
year / brand .

So Polyester or Poly Urethan will not darken.
What we want to achieve in guitar artificial aging is the exact opposite of what the furniture and car industry wants.
Bout everyone else but us want colors that fade and clear coats that yellow out with UV and different parameters...

It's an '05 Am. Deluxe Strat neck.

I've actually sent it to a guy to have it stripped and refin. in Nitro since I started the thread. Think I'll experience any negative results as far as feel goes? I've loved the nitro necks I've played...less sticky it seems

[buddastrat]

Nitro always feels very sticky to me at least until a lot of time for curing. My favorite is an oil finish or none at all.

At the local shop, they get a lot of older MIM and USA trades and some of them have a real nice tan to the necks. I seen them go around the first time and they didn't look like that. So the poly has to darken with UV or whatever it was exposed to. There's one there now and it looks better than most of the nitro tinted custom shop strats.

[xStonr]

I've been "tanning" my very light maple neck on my Tele lately. I leave it by a window. It is a slow process but it is getting a little darker. I've been at it for about 10 days now.

[Trebor Renkluaf]

Just play it as is and let it yellow naturally. Why risk fu#%ing the guitar up if you like it?