Ebony or Macassar fingerboard

[MacFever]

Hi you guys,
I am having a guitar commissioned and my luthier asks me if I want an Ebony or Macassar fingerboard
Apart from the color is there another difference between these two woods tonewise or a different feeling to it ?
Which do you guys prefer and why ?
Thanks a lot
Eric

[Tom West]

Mac: Macassar is also an Ebony. I use Macassar for boards because it is less likely to crack and I like it better to work on, not that it's a big problem with other Ebonies. They are mostly striped and so folks don't like that fact, but they can be colored with dye. They tent to darken with use. Ebonies tend to damp sound a bit so maybe a rosewood board would be more to your liking. In my mind the wood in the board does not have a big impact on sound.
Tom

[Bruce Sexauer]

There are over 30 species of ebony of which we use a half dozen or so in Lutherie, one of which is Macassar. I hope your luthier did not offer you a choice between ebony and Macassar and that it is your misunderstanding, but if he did, it is strike one . . . Unless it is strike 2. . .

[Steve Kinnaird]

Conferring with the Janka hardness scale, Macassar ebony and Gaboon ebony run neck and neck. Which surprised me. I would have assumed the black Gaboon (Gabon) ebony a bit harder, but the Macassar was a wee bit more resistant to denting. So it comes down to looks, and which one you think will compliment your guitar visually.
Of course, if you want hard, tell your luthier you want a Lignumvitae fretboard.

Steve

[mikealpine]

The luthiers here are very technically savvy, and give great advice. I am not a luthier, so all I can suggest is a visual guide; will the striping of Macassar compete with or compliment the fretboard design overall? What look do you like best? My fretboard is pretty wild, with inlays and stripes, and I love it. You may like the look of a clean, dark board with just some dots.

So, from an aesthetic perspective, what do you like the look of for your guitar?

[Rodger Knox]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Conferring with the Janka hardness scale, Macassar ebony and Gaboon ebony run neck and neck. Which surprised me. I would have assumed the black Gaboon (Gabon) ebony a bit harder, but the Macassar was a wee bit more resistant to denting. So it comes down to looks, and which one you think will compliment your guitar visually.
Of course, if you want hard, tell your luthier you want a Lignumvitae fretboard.

Steve

I've never been able to get Lignum vitae to hold frets. It does work well for bandsaw blade guides.

[colins]

I can see the aesthetic interest in a Macassar ebony fretboard, but is it likely to change colour over time with exposure to the atmosphere, sweat etc (the lighter parts, not the black parts!)?

Col