Can this Wax Darken Your Fretboard?
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Do you wish your guitar's fretboard was darker? Well, Monty's Guitars Relic Wax could be the answer to your prayers.
Get the Relic Wax from Andertons here - bit.ly/3Woq8Fy
In this video, I'm testing out Monty's Relic Wax to see if it's the solution to darkening your fretboard.
We'll be testing the product on a Stratocaster and an Acoustic Guitar to see if it's effective in darkening the fretboard.
Let's see if Monty's Relic Wax is the answer to your fretboard darkening problems!
Atkin J Fourty Three Acoustic Guitar - bit.ly/3gL2rrN
Fender Vintage Hot Rod 62 Stratocaster - reverb.grsm.io/FenderHotRodStrat
►🤘 SUBSCRIBE here - ua-cam.com/channels/tps.html:...
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦
00:00 What is Monty's Relic Wax?
01:30 Applying the Relic Wax to my Atkin Acoustic Guitar
03:30 Applying the Relic Wax to my Fender Strat
04:20 Results of the Acoustic after 15 hours
06:39 Results of the Strat after 55 hours
09:31 My Experience with the Relic Wax
10:22 My Tips for using MontyPresso Relic Wax
𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗦
𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚, 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪!
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨.
#theguitargeek #Montysguitars #relicwax
I've used Montypresso on a few guitars and played around with a couple of different ways of applying. The first time I used it just like this and found that it really didn't darken the fretboard any more than just using a good conditioning oil. However, the next time I applied it heavily, then used a hair dryer to melt the wax on the fretboard a bit and got better results (this is a trick I learned for using shoe polish on boots when I was in the Army).
That’s a good shout. I’ll try that. I have some here. I’m the same as you I found it conditioned it fine but not much color changed. I also have the instrument food. I’m not sure where to use one vs the other
Did you use the hair dryer right away, right after you applied it, or did you let it sit for awhile and then use the hair dryer?
@@johnstephen7610 would like to know the answer to this as well
Now I'm wondering if shoe polish would work.
@@johnstephen7610 I only just got notified of this response. I use the hair dryer right after, but it doesn't really matter. By liquifying the product, it helps with penetration into the fretboard.
Wipe until the paper is clean enough to tab out your favourite riff! This was quite refreshing, and not just for the guitars. Monty seems like a really great chap!
Looks so much better. The wax revitalizes the wood which without lacquer will dry out somewhat over time. My father was a cabinetmaker and he used those type of products often rather than a stain to bring out the natural grain of the wood and to help preserve it to some degree. Great video. 👍☮️🌞🎸❤️
Really happy with my experience with Montypresso. I had a pretty light Pau Ferro board and it darkened quite well after 2 days. It's still slightly a reddish hue compared to my rosewood board, but I thought it actually paired pretty well with my seafoam green Jazzmaster and yellow headstock. Can't wait to apply a 2nd coat during the next string change!
I was just going to ask about Pau Ferro. My Vintera would look better a shade or two darker. Glad you posted and had good results!
Thanks for the before and after pictures. Very helpful. I have it slathered on my SRV sig right now.
I picked up one of new 1961 vintage ii strats in olympic white and I have the same issue with the fretboard! Love the guitar, wish it had a darker rosewood. I just ordered some for myself, thank you Andy. I'll have to be sure to wipe until the paper is clean.
I relic’d my Strat and used this stuff to make the newly exposed wood on the body and the back of the neck look like it had been exposed for years, worked a treat.
Excellent video, fun to watch 🤓🤘
I love Monty’s, I have used it, and because of this I am going to dig it out and go another round. It is magical stuff, and is great for Pau Ferro fretboards, to make them look a bit more Rosewoody. And of course…I wipe until the paper is clean
Just got my Montypresso wax today. Got a couple guitars with Pau Ferro finger boards I want to darken up considerably. Can't wait to get it caked on. Cheers for the video. I always wipe until the paper is clean 👌🏻
I really want to try this stuff. And for the record, wiping till the paper is clean is ALWAYS solid life advice!!!
LOL!!!
Interesting stuff as always. But that T-shirt is the winner for me. Loving Freddie Purrcury !! Plus, wipe until the paper is clean.
Wipe until the paper is clean! Both turned out beautifully!
Thanks. Gonna try this. I bought a Gretsch Jet this year and it has an Indian Laurel fretboard that’s a little too light for me. I’ll be sure to cake it on and “wipe until the paper is clean”. 😉👍🏻
Love how it really pulled the grain up out of that wood, very nice. I have a very light RW board on my ‘59 lp I’ll probably try it out on. Also have a dark RW board on my strat, I don’t know if it will darken it but I’d love to see what kind of grain I could get out of it. The only downside is in the States with shipping included it’s around 40 bucks for a tin but oh well. Great video!
Wipe until the paper is clean is indeed some of the best advice one can give. Quick question Andy, would multiple applications continue to darken the wood? Great video as always
I used 2 coats of this on my very pale Pau Ferro fretboard and it darkened & conditioned it beautiful. Either i didn't leave the 1st application on long enough (a few hours) or it was so pale it needed 2 coats! Brilliant stuff.
Def gonna ask for this as a stocking stuffer this Christmas!
Always wipe til the paper is clean....unless you're bleeding.
Ouch
I'm not saying that Andy. Vile.
Cool video! I spent a few days last week conditioning some fretboards and lamenting their overall lightness. I'll keep this in mind in future, looks like a great product!
Thanks you, I just ordered two types of this stuff here.
I didn't know about this kind of products. The fingerboard looks fantastic. Thx for the demo and I am curious about how long it gonna last. Wipe until the paper is clean.
I darken my boards with Raw Linseed oil twice a year. It takes years to change, but the result is stunning!
Watched it all the video,,great stuff and thanks for having me aboard,,as a new subscriber!
Hey Floyd! Welcome aboard 🤘
Good tips
Stuff it amazing!!! Used it on Pau Ferro MIM telecaster. Soooo goood
I believe the word you were looking for at 3:28 was "brevity."
_Always_ wipe until the paper is clean. You don’t want any lingering brown stuff.
Interesting product, I might have to get some.
I have a tin of Relic wax, I used it sparingly on my Epiphone Coronet and it had a good effect. But next time I change the strings I will slap it on as you did and then of course wipe until the paper is clean.
I have to say that I find this stuff great for conditioning but made little difference to darkening my fretboards (on two guitars) and multiple applications made no difference as far as I could see. I did however have great results from stripping any old oil out the fretboard with lighter fluid (just a little!), carefully painting with India Ink (dilute to taste) and letting it dry, using a cotton bud with a touch of bleach to take any excess ink off the clay dots and then using Montypresso to recondition and bring out the grain again. At first it looks like some of the extra darkness is around the frets but after a couple of weeks of playing, this disappears and the colour becomes much more even but much darker than it was originally. But like I say, as a conditioner, the Montypresso is great and needs less reapplication than just something like lemon oil.
Used this myself for the last year or so and it's bloody good stuff. Epiphones (with Laurel fretboards) looks especially good after a treatment. As with all things in life, wipe until the paper is clean...
😳😜
This seems really similar to shoe polish. Just formulated for wood instead of leather. Though for shoes you might buff the wax until it shines without wiping it off. In any case, it will leave some pigment in the leather.
On second thought, this isn't very much like shoe polish, since this also conditions the wood. You're supposed to condition leather before you use polish, since the wax won't penetrate very far or do a very good job of conditioning.
That stuff works well!! Wipe until the Paper is CLEAN!
🎵🎸
New subscriber! In the guidelines before posting this comment you say ‘It’s just guitars…’ I’m reminded of Bill Shankly’s quote about football! 😉 Anyway… just ordered some Montypresso for a LP Standard, an R0 and a pau ferro Tele neck - can’t wait to see the results! And what’s that? ‘Wipe until the paper’s clean?’ That line is the sh!t!
Good idea with the paper towel roll as a neck support.
Looks fantastic mate. Wiping until the paper is clean is always solid advice!
Might be a slightly out there thought buuuut how do you think the back of (or all) an unfinished maple neck would take it? 🤔 Say as a slightly simpler alternative using a tung oil finish or something similar? I've got an Iron Label project lined up that I'd like to do something different with on the neck after a good old sand. Cheers man!
Hey dude thanks. YES I think you should do it on the back of the neck but Matt at Monty’s will 100 confirm for you
@@TheGuitarGeek You’re a legend, thank you mate! That’s super kind of you to check 🤘 If he gives the go ahead I will let you know how it goes. Thanks again!
Fiebings leather dye also works for more radical darkening.
Don't forget the bridge on that acoustic. You can clean any board with 0000 steel wool, which also polishes the frets. Then oil or "Monty" as you will. Your board looks better!
My favorite method to _blacken_ a fretboard is India ink. It dries in minutes. The best part is to use 0000 steel wool and buff it to a low sheen. Makes the black a bit silvery. Looks like carbon. (not carbon fiber) Pencil lead is close color.
Looked so good i did a whole bass and it looks awesome. There is a video on my YT channel of the finished look.
Also, good idea to fix it with some polyurethane so it wont rub off with sweaty hands. Just a light coat.
Does the wax do as good a job as lemon oil in preventing problems with drying fretboards?
I darkened my pau ferro fb with dark stock oil for guns (instead of the usual lemon oil), works great!
Luthiers have been using Tru Oil for years. Excellent for classic firearm stocks and for darkening fretboards.
I’ve used this stuff on 3 guitars, 2 with pau ferro fretboards and 1 with Indian laurel. Here’s a summary of my experience with it.
First- every piece of wood, even if it’s the same type, behaves differently. I don’t know if it has to do with how played the guitar already is, how much oil is already in the wood, or if it’s just wood being wood.
2-both of the pau ferro boards were fenders. One of them I used steel wool to really clean the board and frets before I treated it, and it darkened significantly more than the other one. Again, don’t know if this was related to the steel wooling or if it was the wood pieces just being different (as stated in 1).
C-Indian Laurel absolutely 100% soaks this stuff up better than pau ferro and gets VERY dark. My epi classic worn now has a fretboard that is darker than rosewood but not quite ebony. I think the laurel is a more open grain, or a softer wood? But it got significantly darker. Very pleased with this specific guitar.
4- it’s lasted 3 years so far and hasn’t faded a bit, even with regular play and I have used lemon oil here and there. Can’t recommend this stuff enough.
But pro tip, this stuff will get messy. You have to wipe until the paper is clean, otherwise you’ll smear it on to your fingers and clothes and stain them.
I've used the wax for no more than 40 minutes and it darken my pau ferro boards easily. I love the darker look, but seriously: wipe until the paper is clean, especially around them frets. It's sneaky. It gets everywhere. Also, you should throw that paper away where it can't be seen cuz people will ask questions. That said, it is funny if you tell them to smell it.
Hahaha, it does smell quite pleasant
Big fan of a dark rosewood board & ebony. I'm not a fan of a heavily patterned rosewood board though, I see a lot of people saying how beautiful it looks & yes granted it does look nice but for some reason I prefer less of a grain pattern on my rosewood, I've recently purchased an Allparts JGRO Neck with the darkest rosewood board I've ever had its a beauty.
Have you ever used this on Indian Laurel? (Think that's how its spelt) or on a Pao Fauro board? I'd love to see the results on these cheaper alternatives as its the light boards that annoy me on say a Squire, I'd still buy the guitar but I'd be constantly moaning on the inside about the fretboard lol
I had no idea I wanted something like this. Now to order some, then wipe until the paper is clean.
Wipe until the paper is clean is great advice for so many situations. Question: does it smell better than linseed oil?
Yes, it smells very pleasant
It really brought out the grain on those fretboards, especially on the strat. Would be very interesting to see how it works on a pao ferro board as they're increasingly common but I find their reddish colour to clash with my personal tastes. Now if you'll excuse me, I must wipe until the paper is clean.
pau ferro is an oily wood. it needs a good clean with spirit / alcohol first. I use spirit wood dye (rosewood) for a permanent fix.
I saw Matt using it in one of his vids and the amount he slathered on was a wtf moment, lol. I think he's used it on the back of sanded necks too, to make white maple look grimey and aged.
Wipe until the papers clean!
Wipe until the paper's clean!
Well I'd always thought I was alone, but now I know I'm not the only person with an aversion to sticky fingers and hands!
I thought of starting a support group, but I had Mango chutney with my curry and you can guess the rest.
Also, if you don't want to darken, don't forget he has the same solution but without the 'espresso' darkening as well!
Wipe until the paper is clean. They do an instrument food which I presume is similar without the colouring. I might try that
For a really dark fingerboard india ink followed by ebony stain and then finished with a wax like this will get you there. Cheers.
wonder how it holds up to bends over time etc?
would this work to darken a maple fretboard?
Did you consider removing the "wax until the paper is clean" or using a buffer . Now I would have used a buffer using a tool similar to your string winder which I have because I get very sore fingers due to arthritis and old age Talking about age If you want to darken you control knobs leave them in a cup of coffee overnight . 2 sweetners in mine please ..I make my own electrics because it's fun and I'm a lefty and using the old brain I can shape the body to my desire.
Wipe until the paper is clean 👀 this was oddly satisfying to watch 🤣
Does shoe polisher work as well? Like kiwi?
I would have liked for you to leave it on for 1 minute for comparisons. Also maybe some side by side shots.
I’m not too convinced about this stuff. It seems like a temporary thing and the marketing to apply loads of the compound also seems like a great tactic for one to continually buy more.
Love the channel! Just an opinion.
there is a really thick poly finish under the nitro of the avri 62 (hot rod) strats, that's why it didn't darken the "wood"
Yep!
100% it can! But I would love an update after couple of months of playing the guitars. Will it hold or will you end up with ugly bleak spots where you play.
@_AndyFerris Wow, this is great! I have my credit card ready, you need those three numbers on the back and expiration date, right? Anything else? Thank you so much Fakeandy!
Just oiling the fretboard will make it darker for a while, so I'm curious how the Montypresso compares to simple lemon oil, or other fretboard conditioners. I'm planning on testing this myself, so we'll see.
I used lemon oil on my pale pau ferro board, it looked conditioned but still pale. Montypresso worked a treat though.
I had great fast results darkening my Les Paul and Tele with Lemon oil(Dunlop Fretboard 65). I applied it liberally and let it soak in for about five ten minutes then wiped it down real good. Waited about an hour or two and applied another coat. Looks awesome still after about a year now. Nice and dark but still can see the grain variations. Both my necks are rosewood, so they were not as light as these two to begin with, but now they are nice and dark.
Can’t wait to wipe until the paper is clean. That’s the best part of the process!
Was it a fender player strat?
Been wanting to try this stuff for a while now just nobody around me sales it. 😢WIPES tears😢
I might be crazy but couldn't see any difference regarding the fretboard darkness, the wood seems conditioned, what might be the reason the wood grain is popping out, however, it didn't make it darker. Also it would give us a better idea of effectiveness if you had shown both before and after pics in the same frame...
From what I saw you could get the same result using a fretboard conditioner having half of the job and way less messy.
Wipe until the paper is clean. The colour of both freatboards look great after the treatment.
Shoul have done the bridge of the acoustic also
Wish there was a US distributor. Shipping from Andertons makes is very expensive. Wipe until the paper is clean ....
Wipe it until paper clean 😂I live in Cheltenham where is this shop ?
It's also great if you want to relic the back of a neck, just remember to wipe until the paper is clean, otherwise you get brown montypresso all over everything.
How long does this last? Probably the same as a neck conditioner which makes it not worth it.
The difference is minimal. I tried all sorts of products to darken the anaemic looking pau ferro fret board on my MIM Precision Bass. Eventually I found the best solution was Old English Scratch Cover for dark woods---about 5 or 6 applications, followed by a couple of applications of Howard Feed-n-Wax the next day. Now it is darker than the "real" rosewood board on my 23 year old Strat.
Wipe until clean, always! I'm leaving the house right now as they are only 10 minutes away.
Isn't it bad to put waxy products on fretboard it does look good but every tech I've talked to always said not to use waxy products like cleaning your fretboard with pledge
Used this a few times, it does work well on extremely light pau ferro but needs to be caked and left a long time.
The downside to it though is longterm ive found it does change the feel of the wood, it leaves a strange residue like feel that isnt particularly nice
No side by side, really? You couldn't do a split screen comparison of the before and after?
Is your attention span so bad that you can’t handle the fade from one to the other?
@@TheGuitarGeek Yeah, not a good response to a valid criticism and not one that tends to engender a desire to continue frequenting your channel.
Visual comparisons tend to be done by placing objects together so they can be viewed at the same time, dodge that fact as you will.
Monty's deserves better and so do their products, which works very well as evidenced by the side-by-side comparison they themselves made. Easy. No ambiguity.
But please, feel free to do ten minute buildup videos with snakeoil saleman payoff endings and providing snarky responses to your viewers, I won't be one of them.
Does the fretboard subjectively feel more luxurious or premium to your hands now?
(It’s a good idea to wipe until the paper is clean ;) )
Yes it absolutely does. It’s much more pleasurable to play
That Atkin sounds stunning.
“Wipe until the paper is clean” needs a qualification - *NOT* the same piece you started with. (That would be potentially horrific).
I thought that was implied…. 😂
Yes this is a superb instrument as is the fender
You're meant to use more than one piece?!
Oooooops.
@@xneurianx
@AndyGuitarGeek
See. 🤷🏻♂️🤣
Implied schmimplied.
Clarity is the key - never assume. 😉
Doesn’t feel tacky or greasy at all once removed?? Does it cake up over time? Wipe until the paper is clean
Nope, it’s all good
So my first thought was, "that looks like a shoe polish container ... do people use shoe polish of fretboards? " 1 minute in google told me this trick was some what old (posts dating back to the beginning of public internet) with mixed results depending on brand. Presumably chemical make-up is important and maybe this product has taken the best-of from that experience. I don't know , of course, it's my instinct reaction typed as a comment.
it smells like beeswax because it is beeswax with dye in it
If someone is blind, how do they know when to stop wiping because the paper is clean? I really need an answer to this! Also, I loved how much the wax made the wood grain on those fretboards pop.
They go by feel. Don’t ask how I know
Eternal question!! I’ve asked myself this for years! 🤣
I wanna buy this stuff, but as a bidet user I know that wiping until the paper is clean can be quite tiresome .
I forgot, but it was something like, "Don't stop rubbing until it's clean"
Would this product just come off over time since it's a wax and not a stain? Just wondering.
It’s a question I hope to answer in a few months
Show shine brush
Just use frett board oil.. does the same thing.. quicker and way way less messy
I often use fretboard oil but it doesn’t do the same thing.
Wipe until the paper is clean. Does it work on Peo Ferro?
It certainly does!
Matt from Monties is a genius and seems like a lovely guy, don’t forget to A: follow Monties youtube channel & B: wipe until the paper is clean 😂
Wipe til the paper’s clean? I finish up with a moist tissue.
Fretboard looks shinier but not really darker. Certainly not like rosewood. Secret ingredient is snake oil?😉
It’s good to see you again Guitar Geek. I hope you’re doing well.❤❤
Thanks Johnny! Doing well and I hope the same for you
@@TheGuitarGeek You’re a sweet man, and we all love you. Doing very well… I am uploading a piece of music every day on my other channel… Either an instrumental or song. I’m just putting my latest video together now. So I’m having a wonderful time. Happy Holidays!🎁🎄❄️
Looks the same to my eyes- or at least so subtle that it is not worth the time nor money. I would have to stamp this as MYTH
Wipe until the paper is clean was the name of my last EP
If the paper is not clean when you start you will never be able to "Wipe until the paper is clean". If you manage this however reply with exactly how many wipes it took.
Not liking the cheap light brown "rosewood" fretboards they are using now. Prefer ebony or dark rosewood if possible.
Roasted maple is also great...
Just started to order but $25 to ship something this small is a bit hefty.
Hopefully they can get some more overseas stockists
I'd like to find some Relic Wax state-side. Not much luck so far with a quick search. Sometimes I wipe and I wipe until the paper's clean... but it's like there's a magic marker up there...
What if you wipe but the paper is never clean? Time to see your doctor....
Would you expect that to also work on Indian Laurel i.e.darken it.
If it doesn’t get clean, PLEASE see a professional.
I see no reason it wouldn’t work on Indian laurel
If you don’t wipe until the paper is clean picking and fingering would get very messy.
Has anyone tried shoe polish?