I actually thought about painting it satin black like I did with the '65 I restored, but I'd really like to see the actual grain of the wood through the clear and not just the "shape" or "outline" of the grain like paint produces.
Here's what I mean when I say the "shape" or "outline" of the grain. The grain of the wood shows but its obviously got black paint on it. Correct for a "correct" restoration but not what I'm after:
I'd like it to look more like this; dark but showing the full grain of the wood (a little darker though, if possible) At first glance it would look somewhat original- being black, but a closer look would show the detail of the grain of the wood.