#46
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I'm not a big fan of tons of inlay work that can confuse things either. Although I do love the beauty of many of them from an aesthetic point of view. |
#47
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I love the look of a lightly striped board. I think it adds some life, depth, and elegance to a guitar. Jet black, not for me.
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#48
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Here's what builder David Webber has to say about the ebony he uses:
"I select my ebony fingerboards, bridges and head plates for grain orientation first and colour second. Because the African ebony I use is commonly stripped on the quarter sawn face the best piece of wood is often the most colourful. I actually prefer the more variegated pieces and do not use dyes or oil on the fingerboards." David Webber makes all high end guitars IMO. |
#49
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2) I'm not so certain you can dye ebony with brown streaks that contrasting and get a pleasing end product that is consistently black. If the streak is slight - yes, I think that has been done forever. It's the stuff that can not be dyed well that Bob was talking about that just sits on the ground and rots. I think it is great he is using that stuff. 3) The price for ebony is high. I'm not questioning you but just wondering out loud.... How is it that Ibanez can offer a Iron series electric with solid black ebony for $1000? Same goes for many other manufacturers like a Schecter Blackjack for $1000 with all black fretboard. A Jackson SL7Q with solid black ebony fretboard for $1149. I mean if it was that rare and hard to find (which it may indeed be).... why is it on $1000 guitars? Just makes me wonder what is going on.... I don't understand this - it's an enigma to me. Maybe these are the last of the $1000 ebony guitars. |
#50
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#51
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#52
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FYI, after I first saw this thread this morning, I wend and got out my own Webber Small Jumbo, with it's hideous lightly-mottled black ebony fretboard, not to mention the brown skunk stripe on the headstock overlay, and I wondered why I ever brought it home. And then I pick the strings... Oh, yeah. That is why. Quote:
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I'd put money that if you feel this strongly about an Ebony fretboard with a bit of colour to it, you would really hate the Brazilian Rosewood fretboard on my '57 Martin. |
#53
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I'm STILL traumatized by seeing that.... ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Okay, I was totally lying there. I thought it looked great. But, you know, I might have been traumatized by it! whm |
#54
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I am so particular about ebony fretboardsI wont even buy a guitar with a perfectly good rosewood board.
That leaves most gibsons off my wishlist. |
#55
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I just dyed a maple fretboard, I am amazed at how good it looks. I have not bothered with a black fretboard before this but it is a white-ish guitar, top back and sides, and a maple fretboard seemed too much.
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Fred |
#56
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Sheesh...even my 200+ year old violin fingerboard has some figure to it. And no, in that time it has never shown cracks. I am probably the first person to even bother with wood conditioning on it, and only because I am in the habit of conditioning my ebony guitar fretboards.
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2010 Larrivee LSV-11e 2002 Jose Ramirez 4e 1998 Seagull S6+folk, Mi-Si LR Baggs acoustic trio 1986 Charvel Model 3A electric 2001 Fender Jazz standard bass 1935 A-00 Gibson mandolin 1815 JG Hamm violin Kelii soprano ukulele |
#57
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I'm not so sure that how "the rest of us" do it. When I'm playing, I can't really see the face of the fretboard. If I'm checking my location, I'm using the side dots on the side edge of the fretboard.
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Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#58
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If it is not up for discussion here, why did you bring it up, in the first place?
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(insert famous quote here) |
#59
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Ibanez likely uses the same quality ebony, but when streaks are there, they dye it. FWIW, my GS Mini, that cost $600, has an almost entirely black fretboard, except for a small bit on the side of the fretboard between the nut and 1st fret. I have no problem with that bit not having been dyed. If anything, over the years, it has become an endearing feature for me. I understand disliking streaky ebony aesthetically.. . but I'd say your argument about Taylor VS Ibanez et al, is based on a flawed premise.
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Martin 000-17SM Supro 2030 Hampton Taylor 562ce 12 X 12 Taylor GS Mini-e Spruce/Rosewood Waterloo WL-S Wechter TO-8418 Cordoba 24T tenor ukulele Kanile'a Islander MST-4 tenor ukulele Kiwaya KTC-1 concert ukulele Kolohe concert ukulele Mainland Mahogany soprano ukulele Ohana SK-28 soprano ukulele Brüko No. 6 soprano ukulele Last edited by Swamp Yankee; 12-31-2017 at 08:50 PM. |
#60
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Just speculating here:
Most of guitars in the $1000 range offering totally black ebony are built in China or Indonesia. I am speculating but it is very likely those countries have access to better stock due to less or no regulations vs the USA. I am getting on of these Ibanez guitars soon. I'll see if I can detect any dye. I'd like to see an experienced luthier here say light highly contrasting brown stripes in ebony can be dyed out imperceptibly. If this is so, why doesn't Taylor do this? Is it too labor intensive? Does it get worn off with fretboard play? Last edited by OMO; 12-31-2017 at 09:21 PM. |