Aniline dye soaked into endgrain

[redking]

In one of my older Precision kits, I finished the guitar with aniline dye directly into the wood, and then a Tru Oil topcoat (I can't remember if I sealed the body first with shellac, but lets say I didn't). As you would imagine, the dye was soaked up really dark into the endgrain of the mahogany body - If I am contemplating a re-finish, is there any viable way to extract the dye from the dark end grain, or am I pretty much stuck with the options of the same colour, a darker colour, or a solid finish now on a refin? (I have heard of bleaching wood as part of the restoration of old furniture - but not sure if that is a smart idea given the impact it might have on glued joints, or might just make it a blotchy mess?)

 

[Brek]

I am curious if hydrogen peroxide could be used to lighten in such circumstances, obs needs testing on scrap wood first. What was the mix of the dye?

 

[Roxy13]

Is this a guitar with binding? I ask because I refaced my kitchen cabinets and just kept sanding until I had gotten to all bare wood to remove the previous stain. I did the same thing with the cabinet face frames. I realize this wasn't end grain though.

 

[cmjohnson]

I'm going to go with "Not a chance!". I say this because I've poured aniline dye into a 2" square piece of maple, on the end grain, and it went all the way through the piece and out the other end. Dyed the whole stick internally. (About six inches long.) I bandsawed it open to verify that it wasn't my error and I was interpreting what I saw wrong. Every slice had a red (dye color) center.

Black backs look SHARP.

 

[redking]

No binding - it's a doublecut jr. - but I don't want to start sanding away at it and lose the shape. It is dyed a nice cherry color, so don't mind keeping it cherry if I have to, but I want to make the neck a bit smaller and then put an actual nitro finish on it. It needs to be grain filled, etc. CMJ - that's what I was thinking - maybe it has gone in an inch deep into the end grain. I did find this video though that gives me some hope - if it can take the natural colour out of mahogany, I would think it could take the dye out?

 

[cmjohnson]

You could do an experimental drill in the affected area with a very small drill. See how deeply the chips are stained.

 

[jeff.longino]

stain/dye top with a solid burst to cover the end grain is not a bad compromise.