Ever played a guitar with an ebony fretboard?

[ZeeBee]

Ebony fretboards are nice ... as are maple and rosewood. Each has a feel and mojo.

My Strat Ultra has an awesome ebony fret board that has been my favorite strat since the mid-90's. Plays so well ... feels so nice ... and is snappy ... but aren't all strats kinda snappy?

Enjoy it

[AmpliFIRE]

I dunno...every ebony board I've played didn't feel "right" to me, like rosewood or maple does.

[Tonefish]

I play at least two guitars with ebony fretboards.... a classical and a Les Paul. They feel great and they look great. The LP is bright which is a wonderful improvement for them.

[JSeth]

All of my guitars have ebony fretboards 'cept one - my '67 ES-175 has a rosewood 'board. Angus #35 (6 string) and #58 (12 string), '74 ES-345, Taylor T-5 all have ebony... love it! Wouldn't have it any other way...

[Jerryr]

I also love ebony fretboards. For me it gives the best tone and feel. I have a Yamaha AE-1200 jazz box (L5 clone) and Les Paul custom, both with ebony. The LP custom is absolute heaven to play. My main guitar is a Gibson ES-165 with rosewood and I wish it was ebony also.

[DC1]

Ebony is my favorite fingerboard wood and first choice.

I also like Pau Ferro a lot.


dc

[oldmanmetal]

Originally Posted by DC1

Ebony is my favorite fingerboard wood and first choice.

I also like Pau Ferro a lot.


dc

+1 Agreed. All great Jazz boxes use ebony, Vintage Martins, Ebony. Slick feel, bright tone, looks cool to boot.

[Boris Bubbanov]

Point One: The feel of the surface, the extent to which fret barbs get traction in a wood species, and the color can effect a player's receptivity towards a certain board wood. Relax, have a couple beers and just play the thing and the "foreign-ick" effect goes away and your signature sound as a player will mostly overwhelm the differences.

I do like a natural board surface, but one that won't burn my fingertips (rosewood) when I really step up and try to put more time and effort into my playing.

Point Two: While some players associate ebony with high end jazz boxes and fine vintage LPs and acoustics, many players "about 50" in age associate ebony with metalhead and shredding, Floyd Rose, all this type of thing (no offense intended) and they want to rebel from that and make a more organic, heritage (small H) sound and they want their guitar to look the part, to complete the image of the "return to 1963". Ebony doesn't do that for you, but I don't care. My ebony board hardtail G + L S-500 is one of my very most favorite guitars. Silky, unfinished board surface, very nice.

[crosse79]

It's not as bright a maple but has a very distinct snap to the attack.

[84Bravo]

Originally Posted by Boris Bubbanov

Point One: The feel of the surface, the extent to which fret barbs get traction in a wood species, and the color can effect a player's receptivity towards a certain board wood. Relax, have a couple beers and just play the thing and the "foreign-ick" effect goes away and your signature sound as a player will mostly overwhelm the differences.

I do like a natural board surface, but one that won't burn my fingertips (rosewood) when I really step up and try to put more time and effort into my playing.

Point Two: While some players associate ebony with high end jazz boxes and fine vintage LPs and acoustics, many players "about 50" in age associate ebony with metalhead and shredding, Floyd Rose, all this type of thing (no offense intended) and they want to rebel from that and make a more organic, heritage (small H) sound and they want their guitar to look the part, to complete the image of the "return to 1963". Ebony doesn't do that for you, but I don't care. My ebony board hardtail G + L S-500 is one of my very most favorite guitars. Silky, unfinished board surface, very nice.

Well said, Boris, from someone "about 60." Ebony does have a different feel and imparts a different tone on both acoustic and electric. Look at premier, top-end classical guitars of past vintage and present and you won't find it. Rosewood is usually the choice of bridge and board.

[KRosser]

Originally Posted by 84Bravo

Well said, Boris, from someone "about 60." Ebony does have a different feel and imparts a different tone on both acoustic and electric. Look at premier, top-end classical guitars of past vintage and present and you won't find it. Rosewood is usually the choice of bridge and board.

No - on the old Hausers like Segovia played? Ebony boards. A new $30,000 Thomas Humphrey? Ebony board.

In fact, I'm not sure I've seen any rosewood fingerboard classicals that come to mind...

[84Bravo]

Originally Posted by KRosser

No - on the old Hausers like Segovia played? Ebony boards. A new $30,000 Thomas Humphrey? Ebony board.

In fact, I'm not sure I've seen any rosewood fingerboard classicals that come to mind...

I stand corrected. Thanks for the input. The mind is the first thing to go....

[KRosser]

Originally Posted by 84Bravo

I stand corrected. Thanks for the input. The mind is the first thing to go....

No problem amigo!

[vintage66]

I have one on a Les Paul. Honestly, how do you tell if it's brighter than another wood, since there are so many other factors comparing 2 guitars. I will say, my LP is not a bright guitar, but how much of that is the pickups or whatever other factors. It is a nice, tight grained wood, but honestly, between that and rosewood, other than the visual difference, I don't know how much difference it makes. My Baby Taylor has ebony too. It actually has a very light streak on it which I wasn't aware some ebony has-on higher end guitars they select the dark pieces but on a $250 acoustic they're not so selective. I bought it because it was the best sounding one in the store and the top had a nice grain.

[HHB]

I love ebony, many of my keeper guitars have it so I guess it's a trend LOL