Binding problem

[rusty999]

I have almost finished my dreadnought build and decided on Holly binding on the back and maple on the top--why?--because thats all I had to hand at the time and probably wasn't thinking clearly.Basically I didnt have enough of either wood left and it was Xmas rush so there was no chance of obtaining supplies until Jan.
What I didnt realise was that the holly is much whiter than the Maple so now I need to find a way to darken it down a little to match or closely match the maple. A friend suggested routing out the holly again and using maple all round but I couldn't stand the mess it would cause and trying to fill all the gaps etc etc.
I would be greatful for any tips from the experts on how I might achieve this match or even close enough to blend the two woods color.
Thanks for all your advice in the past
best
Rusty

[Kevin in California]

Rusty, for all the effort you've put into the whole guitar, I would be inclined to route off either the holly or maple, and replace so all the bindings are the same. That is pretty easy to do, and the cost of a couple of maple bindings will seem like nothing to the satisfaction you will feel for having it where they match.
Just my $.02. Good luck with it

Kevin

[ken cierp]

Seems it would be easy enough to tone down the Holly with some diluted brown stain -- just practice on some scrap.

I think I'd re-route and replace with a matching pair. $.02