Official Luthiers Forum!

I bought a set of Myrtlewood back and sides not too long ago, but the deal was that I had to buy the backs separate from the sides. The pictures online made them look like a perfect match, but when they arrived at my house, I found out that the back is a little darker than the sides. The back is more of a grey-gold, and the sides are lighter yellow.

Here is a picture of the two wetted down. The sides are on the left, and the back is on the right.



Is there any way that I can darken the sides to help them match better? Would leaving them in direct sunlight help at all?

Thanks!

Oregon Myrtle definitely darkens with exposure to light and air. It also lightens when you sand it. The best way to start would be to sand both the back and sides to get a fresh surface to see how well they match. Once you determine that, you can figure out the best course of action to end up with a good match on the finished instrument.

-jd

If you haven't yet sanded these surfaces, they may not be as far off as you think. Once both surfaces are prepped, the raw color will show, if they are allowed to darken together, they may be pretty close. Either way, over time the natural color change will probably bring them closer rather than further apart. As the color difference is now, I wouldn't worry about it. the back and side will never be viewed in the same plane and slight color differences will be hardly noticeable (especially with a binding line dividing them). The eye (brain actually) will attribute subtle differences to light angle not different wood. If it really bothers you, you can send the wood to me for disposal.

_________________
Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.