Kiwi shoe polish?

[birv2]

Has anybody used this to darken a maple neck/fretboard? I've got a BSB Affinity Squier. I love the guitar, but that neck is pretty pale, as someone said, like my grandma's legs in the winter.

Curious if it works and/or it would have some horrible irreversible effect.

 

[Heywood Jablomie]

Methinks the wax content wouldn't be a good thing for unfinished wood. A lemon oil treatment, if you haven't already done that, may darken it a bit. Perhaps there are stains that would be safe. If it was my guitar, I'd just accept it as it is.

Edit: Just found this

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Frettin...rboard_Stain.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=13580

 

[M29]

I have heard of it being done. If I remember correctly there was some discussion about this on the Squier 51 site.
Personally I would not suggest it if you wanted to either stain or clear it later on. IMHO or course.

 

[Bloozcat]

It's really not permanent in a good way...

Because of the wax content it has a tendency to wear off (on your hands) over time. You'd be better off tinting some MinWax wiping poly and applying that.

 

[msteeln]

If you can stand the smell, carefully applying a stew of used ciggies will give the fretboard a decent looking tint. A friend did this with success decades ago.
But the shoe polish has been used often for this, and googling will find info on it's pro/con usage, or check out www.reranch.com for some possibilities.

 

[ZMAN]

I have tried it on a headstock on a rosewood board Strat. It did work. I have never tried it on a neck though.
A lot of guys will put their guitar out in the Sun, not a lot of heat just the sun with the body covered and just the neck exposed. This will darken those ghost white necks considerably. I personally think there should be a law against those white necks. How much does it take to put a drop of stain in the poly.