It’s pretty easy to ‘ebonize’ any wood. Black is easy to recreate. In fact, Martin dyes their ebony even on their high end models. I’m sure other makers do as well. I like ebony with streaks in it, so I don’t usually dye my ebony. I have ebonized rosewood and other wood fingerboards though.
Boxed away somewhere I have a book on guitar building from a classical builder who was around before Dan Erlewine was even close to puberty. ;-)
I don't care about the color. I want an ebony board if given the option. The rosewood is fine; I was commenting on someone asking if it was ebony due to the color.
One of the most amazing products I have used on fretboards is Old English dark furniture scratch repair. You can take those light anemic looking modern rosewood fretboards and take a q-tip, wipe it on, let it sit a while, and then wipe it off, and the results are stunning. All the grain nuances are still there but the fretboard is several shades darker. It dosen't end up coming off on your fingers from playing and it never wears off the fretboard. Also, it doesn't color anything that is not wood, like mother of pearl, Ivory, pearloid dots, or plastic inlays at all.
NGR stain will make it even darker.
Nah, everybody know that a pale rosewood board will sound bright. Staining it will bring out the warmth, and darken the sound. (I read it on the internet so I know it's true!)
The factories do it.
Nah, everybody know that a pale rosewood board will sound bright. Staining it will bring out the warmth, and darken the sound. (I read it on the internet so I know it's true!)
Sound doesn’t see color.
That's good to know!
I read on the internet that a darker board also makes you play much better and actually looks worth a sh!t to boot.
So that would mean all maple neck players suck?
That's good to know!
I read on the internet that a darker board also makes you play much better and actually looks worth a sh!t to boot.
Hey Scott, I got worried about the les paul I'm having shipped to me because I was mistaken about it being a 2012. Started reading stuff on the internet about the 2012 having sandwiched 2 piece rosewood fretboards because the feds confiscated gibson's rosewood in an August 2012 raid. I was reading an argument on a les paul forum about whether laminate fretboards would be suitable for refret.
I haven’t encountered any of these laminated fingerboards but I don’t think it would be an issue refretting one unless you were needing to sand the fingerboard straight and had problems with sanding through the top layer of veneer.
I've looked at pics of them, with the binding or the nut removed and the top layer is thicker than the bottom. I figured that was for more meat to sand if you needed to sand the board.
Yeah, I've got two G&Ls, a Fender and a Melancon, all with maple necks. They're all much brighter than my guitars with ebony fretboards. So that just PROVES the point that a light colored fretboard makes a guitar bright!!!!
Dang it! Just when I finally figured it all out, this guy goes and blows my theory out of the water! Back to the drawing board.
