Official Luthiers Forum!

What is it?

Mike

I'm not sure what the formula for the stain is, but I understand the porefilling operation does at least some of the staining (when I took the factory tour, I noticed the glassed in neck pore filling room was extremely messy with the stuff everywhere, and all over a couple of workers in there doing the work; poor girls!). I don't know if additional stain is applied after the pore fill is leveled, we didn't get to see that operation...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

it is used to be a 2 stain process. They are using a new product now . It has been a while since I hung out in the finish area. They used a red mahogany and a brown mahogany on top of that. I found a good and easy substitute is to use Minwax spexcial walnut , then dark walnut.
After the satin sets you use a filler , as the minwax stain has a sealer in it. The key is the filler. If you look at Martin necks you can see the dark areas of the pores that are filled. Martin uses a mineral based filler. I use pore o pak . I make about 3 tablespoons at a time in a small cup. Add a few drops of dark walnut stain and ebony. You want this very bark brown. I mix this with a plastic fork and whip it up so it is smooth much like hershey syrup. Once it is mixed I add a few drops of naphtha to aid in the flash time.
Martin will work in the filler with a small air buffer but I find hand rubbing with denim.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Why do you say that, Todd? Is it the appearance you find distasteful, some effect it has on playability, something else?

Got it. Thanks Todd.

You can make a pretty good approximation of the Martin neck color (old style) by mixing the red and brown Mahogany transparent dye stains (from Stew Mac) in alcohol.
I also add a tad of the amber to simulate the yellowing of the old lacquer as well as a touch of green to slightly neutralize the red in the red mahogany stain.
I apply stain first (flood the neck with pure alcohol to keep the stain from "grabbing") and apply the filler (Stew Mac brown) after.

I do the same as David, except I never thought to use green, then a wash coat of shellac to seal before the pore filler.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I agree that the natural look of mahogany needs no "help". I love it. But it is nice to know the technique for various situations.

Mike

I totally agree.

For sure, instrument repair and restoration artisans not yet born will be carping about choices that we made in some future day.......................<grin>