India ink - black only?

[swarfrat]

I know that india ink has been used for a number of black guitars with good results. But what about other colors? I found it in white as well, but is it a poor man's finish, or a decent viable one, and if you're thinking about white, would you still use white india ink followed by clear, or just shoot it in a more traditional paint. What's the benefit to using india ink over something else?  I picked up a quart of clear lacquer at home depot, but they had no other lacquer except in rattle cans.

 

[bagman67]

One advantage to India ink is very easy to apply with a brush or sponge, if you're not set up for spraying, and it goes on thin and opaque.  Part of its appeal is that it contains shellac, which seems to make it adhere pretty well and make it permanent.  I experienced no raising of the grain, but there is water in it, so your mileage may vary.  It's a totally viable finish, but because it's so thin I would expect it to wear pretty rapidly unless you put a clear topcoat on it. 

I have no experience with colors other than black. But here's an idea:  I found the India ink did a lovely job of blackening the grain on ash guitar that I then sanded back and dyed with General Finishes water-based dye stain and clearcoated with lacquer.

 

[swarfrat]

I'm (unless some other idea hits me I like better) planning this around a tort pickguard. That black grain fill is pretty, maybe it'd give a butterscotch a fighting chance at not washing it out. I have clear lacquer to go on top. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't barking up the wrong tree if I'm going to be shooting it anyway.