Why is ebony the wood of choice for acoustic fretboards and bridges?

[imc2111]

Is there a particular reason why ebony is so popular for fingerboards and bridges? Does it impact the guitar’s tone in a positive way when compared to something else? Wouldn’t a holy grail wood like Brazilian RW be better for fretboards and bridges?

[LeDave]

Originally Posted by imc2111

Is there a particular reason why ebony is so popular for fingerboards and bridges? Does it impact the guitar’s tone in a positive way when compared to something else? Wouldn’t a holy grail wood like Brazilian RW be better for fretboards and bridges?

It contrast s better with lighter wood. It looks better.

[macmanmatty]

Ebony is hard, dense , dark colored , and not CITES listed . The four main things you want in fretboard and bridge.

[Dotneck]

I like the way it feels and it looks great.

[Mike McLenison]

In addition to the above comments, I like the way it affects the tone, it's a little brighter, keeps the neck straighter for a longer period of time and forces more vibration into the top.

[Tannin]

It's not really "the wood of choice". It is one of the two best-known and most popular fretboard timbers (along with rosewood) and one of maybe 10 or 20 timbers in common use.

In acoustic guitars, the fretboard timber has a significant effect on tone. Ebony tends to accentuate the top end and roll off some of the bass. It's not a matter of ebony being "the best", its more a question of which fretboard timber is going to match up with the rest of the guitar to make a nice overall balance. Often, ebony is a good answer.

[Erithon]

In addition to its physical properties (very hard and dense as noted above), timbral properties (high damping), and aesthetics (strong contrast), it is also the traditional fingerboard wood for European stringed instruments. So sure, Maple and Rosewood (and, more recently, other exotics like Pau Ferro, Snakewood, etc.) are also employed, but Ebony is the centuried standard.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by macmanmatty

Ebony is hard, dense, dark colored....

And looks great. I love ebony fretboards.

[BillyMays]

Ebony is just plain beautiful and it's hardness lends to longevity. Plus, it's a great host to fancy pants inlay work.

[J Patrick]

...I always thought it was because it is a very closed grained hardwood and is resistant to gunking up over time...that and its density and hardness are more wear resistant than most other hardwoods...

[edcmat-l1]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

And looks great. I love ebony fretboards.

Yes it does. That's a beauty right there.

[mawmow]

Now that the African plant will produce ten times more Ebony, its price may decrease.

For those who would not know, Bob Taylor (with an European Ebony wood
importer for stringed instruments) grabbed that plant a few years ago and
discovered only one tree out of ten is uniformly black. And as an American
company, Bob's company is submitted to sustainable woods trends, which
means he cannot just discard trees he gets cut. That is why we now see
guitar epony fretboards that are not uniformly black.

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by mawmow

...That is why we now see
guitar epony fretboards that are not uniformly black.

I really like the mixture of browns in with the blacks on some Taylor guitars. The fretboard on my 522 is pure black but I had a GS Mini with some beautiful wisps of brown in it.

[J Patrick]

...I like streaked ebony as much as I like solid dark ebony.....both look classy to me....I prefer it over the nicest Brazilian and other fretboards I’ve seen...

[Bubbalou88]

I personally like the rich looks of Rosewood. Dark Ebony (no grain variety) just looks lifeless to me.