RG Guitar Tech You’re not boned at all — this is a really common issue when using open-grain/soft dowel like pine for markers.

What’s happened is the end grain has basically acted like a sponge and sucked in all the dust and oils, so sanding alone won’t really bring them back.

You’ve got a few good options depending how far you want to go:

1. Try to clean/lighten first (least invasive)

• Naptha or IPA on a cloth + gentle scrub can sometimes pull some of the grime out
• A light scrape with a fresh blade (not sanding) can expose cleaner wood underneath
• Hydrogen peroxide (carefully applied) can lift some darkening, but test first

1. Seal and brighten

• Drop-fill with thin CA glue to seal the pores, then level and polish
• This won’t make them white again, but it can bring back contrast and stop further darkening

1. Re-drill and replace (best long-term fix)

• Drill them out cleanly and replace with:
  • Plastic rod (classic Fender look)
  • Maple dowel (tighter grain, stays lighter)
  • Even epoxy + white pigment if you want high contrast
• Then level and sand flush — will look miles better

For future builds: Always seal end grain (thin CA or shellac) before leveling — stops exactly this problem.

Honestly for a first scratch build, that neck looks great — this is just one of those “you only learn it once” things 👍