Bridge ebonizing question

[CoolerKing]

1) what do you think this is, light EIR?
2) possible to ebonize to match fretboard?

I feel pretty comfortable with woodworking, would mask off the area and seal the masking tape with some white glue. Then would remove the saddle, sand just a touch, wipe with naphtha and then use minwax ebony wood stain. Let dry, rub off several times, and viola.

[redir]

Is there supposed to be a pic?

Minwax ebony stain is not an ebonizing stain. It will barely darken EIR or any wood. What you need is something like India ink or a black leather dye. That will make any wood totally black.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by CoolerKing

Let dry, rub off several times, and viola.

Pretty sure there's more to making a viola than that.

[Doons]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Pretty sure there's more to making a viola than that.

That has been my experience.....

[CoolerKing]

Originally Posted by redir

Is there supposed to be a pic?

Minwax ebony stain is not an ebonizing stain. It will barely darken EIR or any wood. What you need is something like India ink or a black leather dye. That will make any wood totally black.

Whoops, that would have been helpful.



Thanks for the advice

[CoolerKing]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Pretty sure there's more to making a viola than that.

ROTFL!!! Exhaustion kicks in

[RonMay]

Jerry Rosa of Rosa String Works, uses leather die to blacken bridges.
He's been doing this kind of work for over 30 yrs.

Ron

[JayBee1404]

I’ve owned three Lowdens, all had Ebony FBs and EIR bridges, and I’ve never felt any need or desire to ‘ebonise’ the EIR to try to match the FB - to my eyes there’s no clash, they are both beautiful in their own way. All I’ve ever done to the bridges is apply a tiny drop of Dr Duck’s Axe-Wax very infrequently, which darkens the wood slightly, and gives it a nice, subtle lustre. But it’s your guitar, and thus it’s your choice.

Lowden traditionally used EIR for bridges, but they have begun to use Bocote. They are fairly similar, but the one in your pic looks like Bocote to me, but I’m not an expert.

Lowden EIR bridge...

https://shop-gb.lowdenguitars.com/co...osewood-bridge

Lowden Bocote bridges...

https://shop-gb.lowdenguitars.com/co...-bocote-bridge

https://shop-gb.lowdenguitars.com/co.../bocote-bridge

My Lowden’s EIR bridge...

[John Arnold]

Alcohol soluble aniline dye I what I use. Unlike pigmented stain, it will penetrate the surface and darken the wood more. Some (not all) leather dyes are the same composition.
That bridge looks like pale Indian rosewood to me. Bocote has more distinct veining.

[Zigeuner]

I've used alcohol-based stain to darken Macassar ebony bridges when they are on the bench, before installation.

One danger when doing something like that after the finished bridge is installed on the instrument is the possibility that capillary action could draw some of the stain into the spruce under the bridge.

If there is the slightest possibility of that happening (and there is) I would scrap the project.

I'm not certain of what wood was used on that bridge, but it's gorgeous as is.

JMHO, YMMV and other suitable acronyms.

[redir]

Yes staining tends to want to run everywhere. You would have to be very very careful staining a bridge that's already attached to a top. Taping it off is not a foolproof solution. You would still want to go very carefully with a brush. I like the India ink that is Shellac based because it's essentially a finish.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by Zigeuner

I've used alcohol-based stain to darken Macassar ebony bridges when they are on the bench, before installation.

One danger when doing something like that after the finished bridge is installed on the instrument is the possibility that capillary action could draw some of the stain into the spruce under the bridge.

If there is the slightest possibility of that happening (and there is) I would scrap the project.

The Webber that I used to own had something like that happen (poor thing had clearly been in the hands of a hack, at some point). But, apparently, somebody had routed out the saddle slot to make it a bit deeper (presumably for an under saddle pickup) but had gone a bit too deep. And then a black dyed hardwood shim was added. The spruce picked up the dye and transported it a few centimeters outside the footprint of the bridge, so that there was a black splotch under the finish between the bridge and the soundhole.

[Zigeuner]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

The Webber that I used to own had something like that happen (poor thing had clearly been in the hands of a hack, at some point). But, apparently, somebody had routed out the saddle slot to make it a bit deeper (presumably for an under saddle pickup) but had gone a bit too deep. And then a black dyed hardwood shim was added. The spruce picked up the dye and transported it a few centimeters outside the footprint of the bridge, so that there was a black splotch under the finish between the bridge and the soundhole.

Oh dear.....Well, when there is the possibility of something like that happening, it's best to stop and reconsider.

I have guitars that I've owned for many years and I try never to modify them. I do maintenance, cleaning, strings and so on, but that's that.

[nikpearson]

This is apt to go wrong and may not even look very good when finished. Will also certainly make it harder to sell the instrument down the line.

Incidentally, I think George Lowden uses Indian rosewood or similar rather than ebony because the latter can dampen sound and is also about 15-20% more dense. Classical guitars seldom use ebony bridges for that reason.

Have to say, although Lowden usually have a wonderfully elegant aesthetic I really don’t like the look of their fan-fret bridge. It will be even more obvious dyed black!