Ever played a guitar with an ebony fretboard?

[vintage66]

Originally Posted by DC1

Ebony is my favorite fingerboard wood and first choice.

I also like Pau Ferro a lot.


dc

Yeah, similar tight grain, plus Pau Ferro has nice streaking and is lighter colored, which I like a lot on a strat.

[tmaker]

I play a Martin 12 string and I built a fretless bass with an ebony board. It's my favorit. Feels silky smooth.

[Jerryr]

There's another type of fretboard that I really like. It's the glossy coated type, I'm not sure what they use (epoxy??). I've played three instruments that have had it. One was a pre Ernie Ball Stingray bass (70's), another was an Ibanez ATK300 bass (Stingray clone) and the third was a beautiful Fender Custom Shop 52 tele reissue. The Ibanez and Fender had clear coat over Maple. I can't remember what wood the Stingray had (probably Maple also). They have a nice feel and a slightly mellower (less bright) sound than unfinished maple. I imagine you would have to keep them wiped dry in a really sweaty situation though.

[Dexter.Sinister]

One favorite guitar, a long gone 1974 LP custom, had an ebony board and it was very great guitar. Later, I built some guitars (not from pieces...from boards up) and on one, I tried an ebony board first, then a rosewood board, then switched back to ebony because I liked it better on that guitar. On another I went with rosewood.

Feel is different for sure, as is how fluid my lines are (ebony wins). RW let's me "dig in", more and unlike ebony, I rarely "wipe out" like hitting an oil slick when sliding around on the neck (I like to slide notes alot).

I like maple, RW, ebony, pau ferro and ironwood. My favorites turn out to be RW lam on maple, RW slab on mahogany, Ebony on mahogany and ironwood on mahognay.

Looking forward to another LP custom from '74 with properties like my old missed one.

DS

[jtees4]

Originally Posted by Dexter.Sinister

One favorite guitar, a long gone 1974 LP custom, had an ebony board and it was very great guitar. Later, I built some guitars (not from pieces...from boards up) and on one, I tried an ebony board first, then a rosewood board, then switched back to ebony because I liked it better on that guitar. On another I went with rosewood.

Feel is different for sure, as is how fluid my lines are (ebony wins). RW let's me "dig in", more and unlike ebony, I rarely "wipe out" like hitting an oil slick when sliding around on the neck (I like to slide notes alot).

I like maple, RW, ebony, pau ferro and ironwood. My favorites turn out to be RW lam on maple, RW slab on mahogany, Ebony on mahogany and ironwood on mahognay.

Looking forward to another LP custom from '74 with properties like my old missed one.

DS

I've tried and owned them all...I agree with your assessments. You owe it to yourself to try graphite too...I've had three different Steinbergers with graphite and liked them too. No take that back...I never owned an ironwood one...gotta try one.

[muddyshoes]

makes em resist from finger gouging much better.

[Targ]

Maple and rosewood seem to offer a slight drag to bends, rosewood because it is slightly softer? and maple because it has a finish?
As for Ebony stripe vs solid, remember most of the guitar company's dye ebony to solid black for their fret boards. G&L doesn't dye for one...
I have 3 ebony fret board guitars and love them, but I'm not to picky.. I even like the Rickenbackers.
I think much of it is in your head when you play... case in point, how many don't like to play Rickenbackers with Bubinga fretboards? Bubinga is a type of rosewood... but wait, they say, it has a sprayed on finish that makes them sticky to bends, but those same people have no problem with maple, which ALSO has a finish. Can you feel through the finish to the wood?... doubt it.

[Targ]

This should be a poll

[Dexter.Sinister]

Originally Posted by jtees4

I've tried and owned them all...I agree with your assessments. You owe it to yourself to try graphite too...I've had three different Steinbergers with graphite and liked them too. No take that back...I never owned an ironwood one...gotta try one.

Had a Steinberger I liked alot, but gave to a former teacher for his world tour (he was poor and had much music in him to be heard). It was favorite travel guitar for me and the TransTrem was very cool. I like sound of other guitars better, but it was fun to play on and had much in common with ebony and ironwood and pau ferro board guitars. A little slippier than ebony.

DS

[g335]

I have a 335 with a ebony board, sounds good. Smooth and good

[Boris Bubbanov]

Originally Posted by muddyshoes

makes em resist from finger gouging much better.

Sometimes I think these voids that suddenly appear on rosewood boards is due to softness, but more due to the big pores. But they'll handle amazing neglect/abuse and if you do that to an ebony board it would surely split on you. I think a lot of better rosewood is selected for finer grain pore structure; certainly more important to me than color. Having said that:

I just laid a very thin coat of fine oil on a very black ebony board 12 stringer neck I had built for me this year at USACG. A little fine sanding/finishing dust onto the application rag but absolutely no dye whatsoever. I've done this treatment to other source ebony boards ( not my S-500 ), and rag comes back black.

[FFTT]

My Larrivee P-10 has a ebony fret board. Smooooth!

[Power Freak]

Personally I love the sound of an ebony board, adds a nice snap to the top end. However I hate the feel of it... Actually I lie; every ebony board I've tried seems to react with my sweat and gets very sticky and gummy. I can barely get through a song without having to wipe down the fretboard. I don't get this problem with my rosewood or maple boarded guitars (or my graphite boarded steinberger.)

Of course YMMV.

[GibsonBoy2]

Yes its my favourite.

[TDavis]

I used to own a '73 wine red LP Custom and I loved the ebony board on that guitar. I'm actually considering a maple neck w/ ebony board for my faithful old Strat that will be needing a refret in the near future, instead of a refret on the maple board.