Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

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fullerplast
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Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by fullerplast » Sat Nov 04, 2006 2:59 pm

The clay dots on my JM are a brownish orange, from the oil in the rosewood. I cleaned the fretboard and it made the dots even darker. Anyone ever clean clay dots? If so.... how?

???
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by dinosaur » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:11 pm

I took my guitar in for a refret and of course the clay dots came back clean and white. I was crushed!!  I'd kill to keep them orange and worn.  :)

I don't have a clue as to how to clean them properly.

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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by fullerplast » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:28 pm

I noticed how clean yours looked, and I was envious...

I hate dot-envy...  >:(

;)
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by dinosaur » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:52 pm

That's too funny.  I really was envious of the dots in your pics too!

:D

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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by fullerplast » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:01 pm

We are all so nerdy...

;)  :D  ;D

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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by zhivago » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:53 pm

ok...we better get a few more opinions on what I'm about to suggest, but....I dunno...would lightly sanding them help?  ???

(disclaimer - I've never done this or know anyone who has!!!)


:)
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by fullerplast » Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:00 pm

Tried it today, John! I was afraid to get too aggressive, but lightly sanding the tops didn't help. The clay is so porous that the oil goes way down inside.

I love the neck of your '61... the rosewood is still light brown and grainy. Usually they turn almost black!
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by zhivago » Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:14 pm

fullerplast wrote: Tried it today, John! I was afraid to get too aggressive, but lightly sanding the tops didn't help. The clay is so porous that the oil goes way down inside.

I love the neck of your '61... the rosewood is still light brown and grainy. Usually they turn almost black!
weird! I thought that would do it....hmmmm....I guess another radical way to go is to colour match a paint or varnish of some sort and go over them...dunno what that would do the value of the guitar though!!

probably nothing too good!! :(


hmmm....there must be something that can be done...we can put a man on the moon...should be able to brighten up some clay dots!

:)
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by Orang Goreng » Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:10 am

Why would one want to do that though... White clay dots look so...re-issue... Three of the dots on my '64 have almost disappeared into the background. I love that look!
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by daydreamdelay » Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:45 am

step away from the bleach Doug 

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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by mezcalhead » Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:50 am

I love it when the rosewood goes almost black .. John, your old '64's board looks almost like ebony or like a huge block of 70% cocoa bitter chocolate .. yum. Same with my '61. So why anyone would want to unrelic their dots I have no idea.

Having said that, I still think bleach is a bad idea .. the effect on the surrounding rosewood could be disastrous, surely?
fullerplast wrote:The clay is so porous that the oil goes way down inside.
So the only way to change it is to re-dye it or paint over it .. bad karma for the resale I reckon.
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by zhivago » Sun Nov 05, 2006 9:04 am

heheh...indeed, the neck on misty is so chocolaty, it's really nice looking. :)

my only real comment on clay dots is that I love the aged look, but onstage, I can't see them very well...it is a bit of a problem, actualy, especialy as I do loads of octave chords up and down the neck quickly...it can sometimes get confusing :(
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by mezcalhead » Sun Nov 05, 2006 9:28 am

zhivago wrote: ...indeed, the neck on misty is so chocolaty, it's really nice looking. :)
Any excuse for a photo, and this one shows it quite well I think:

Image
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by zhivago » Sun Nov 05, 2006 9:35 am

mezcalhead wrote:
zhivago wrote: ...indeed, the neck on misty is so chocolaty, it's really nice looking. :)
Any excuse for a photo, and this one shows it quite well I think:

Image
whenever I see pics of the guitar, I remember the pickguard...one of the finest examples ever! :)

8)
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Re: Bleaching Clay Dots? Help!

Post by fullerplast » Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:54 am

whenever I see pics of the guitar, I remember the pickguard...one of the finest examples ever!


Isn't that the guard I flattened and filed? It spent a few days under glass on my dock....

:)
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