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  #31  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:12 PM
Lacks Focus Lacks Focus is offline
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Manufactured materials are rehashed here every other week. I'm not sure I see the value in dredging up a 4-year old thread to do it again, unless it's just to stir the pot.
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  #32  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:16 PM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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my parker fly electric guitar, which isn't an inexpensive guitar, has a phenolic fretboard, and it feels great. super smooth. it also has glued on stainless steel frets. nice fretboard. for sure i would try one on an acoustic guitar.
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  #33  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lacks Focus View Post
Manufactured materials are rehashed here every other week. I'm not sure I see the value in dredging up a 4-year old thread to do it again, unless it's just to stir the pot.
This thread has actually been resurrected twice (see post 9) . But, really, so what? I think it's an interesting discussion. I guess those who don't can move on to the hundreds of other threads and not worry about what others' supposed motives are for replying to an old thread (usually, it turns out they found it in a search, and didn't even realize it was old because they were concentrating on the information, not the dates...plus, I'd rather have one thread than two or more duplicates).
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  #34  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:19 PM
ukejon ukejon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GraceGuitars View Post
This thread has actually been resurrected twice (see post 9) . But, really, so what? I think it's an interesting discussion. I guess those who don't can move on to the hundreds of other threads and not worry about what others' supposed motives are for replying to an old thread (usually, it turns out they found it in a search, and didn't even realize it was old because they were concentrating on the information, not the dates...plus, I'd rather have one thread than two or more duplicates).
This thread has a red "Thumbs Down" icon on the General Acoustic Guitar Discussion page. How does that happen? Just curious....
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  #35  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:22 PM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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Originally Posted by ukejon View Post
This thread has a red "Thumbs Down" icon on the General Acoustic Guitar Discussion page. How does that happen? Just curious....
when you post a thread you can choose an icon, just below your message. also when you post a message, like i did here (lightbulb).
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  #36  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:56 PM
ahorsewithnonam ahorsewithnonam is offline
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My Richlite is beautiful.


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  #37  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:57 PM
ahorsewithnonam ahorsewithnonam is offline
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Originally Posted by AmericanEagle View Post
it is fake ebony

no real wood at all

it does bother me a bit, as does HPL (another fake wood, basically formica)

and also stratabond, which is wood, but many thin layers, and a lot of glue (looks like a thin bowling alley)
You realize your 110 is fake wood too right?
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  #38  
Old 03-17-2015, 05:58 PM
NevadaPic NevadaPic is offline
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Originally Posted by Health Freak View Post
I like it better than ebony. Ebony is not very dimensionally stable. That means that while the hardwood neck won't really move much at all, the ebony fretboard will. I'd rather have a material that is not only stable, but doesn't dampen as much as ebony. Plus, it plays faster than ebony and rosewood.

I get the traditionalist thing, but I play my guitars and use them as a tool to make music and don't spend a lot of time thinking about what tradition says I should be using.
Well put. I can't agree more. When are folks going to start complaining about all that steel and other metals that are part of their guitars? Tuning machines, truss rods, etc.
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  #39  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:42 PM
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Kupuna50 Kupuna50 is offline
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Default Richlite

I have had several Martins with a richlite finger board. I could not tell the difference.
I asked a very reputable Authorized Martin Luthier about the richlite and he was glowing about it. He stated that it is easier to work with, does not shrink/expand (as with ebony, rosewood or any other natural wood), and it was easier to do fret replacements. The guy has been a professional luthier for over 40 years!
I'm not an environmentalist by ANY means, but if we can recycle and not chop trees down unnecessarily, good for us.
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  #40  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:48 PM
AmericanEagle AmericanEagle is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ahorsewithnonam View Post
You realize your 110 is fake wood too right?
no, it is not

HPL is formica, think plastic with a photo of wood grain
richlite is mainly resin and wood fibers, dyed black
stratabond is basically well-crafted plywood/wood layers

my 110 has a solid spruce top
laminated sapele back and sides
solid wood neck
real solid ebony fingerboard and bridge

this is not a knock on Martin, which some may think
this is just my opinion on those materials

I simply prefer real wood, or real laminated woods,
than artificial woods
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  #41  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:52 PM
piper_guitarist piper_guitarist is offline
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My OM-1 features stratabond but a rosewood fretboard and bridge. If it was richlite I'd have still bought it. I like the sound. Aesthetics take a back seat to tone IMO.
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  #42  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:53 PM
RustyZombie RustyZombie is offline
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The biggest disadvantage to richlite is that it isn't a traditional material. The real question is which is more important to you, tradition or practicality?

There is certainly nothing wrong with tradition, but certain traditionalists should recognize that traditional doesn't inherently mean better.
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  #43  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericanEagle View Post
no, it is not

HPL is formica, think plastic with a photo of wood grain
richlite is mainly resin and wood fibers, dyed black
stratabond is basically well-crafted plywood/wood layers

my 110 has a solid spruce top
laminated sapele back and sides
solid wood neck
real solid ebony fingerboard and bridge

this is not a knock on Martin, which some may think
this is just my opinion on those materials

I simply prefer real wood, or real laminated woods,
than artificial woods
I think the part he was getting at was the rosewood isn't actually solid rosewood, but laminate. Some folks have the same aversion to that (laminate vs. solid) as they do Richlite vs ebony, so thus the comparison.
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  #44  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:56 PM
markcrawford markcrawford is offline
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Uh huh hmmmm. You should play to frets not the board. Had to say it. Tall frets make the board some thING to look at and if course contribute to tone.
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  #45  
Old 03-17-2015, 06:57 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I own a Larrivee with an ebony fretboard and a Martin D-16GT with a richlite fretboard but I don't prefer the fretboard of one over the other. I'd go with the Larrivee for other reasons.
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