Richlite Fingerboards.....

Martin also uses richlite on some models. It generally gets good reviews. It is ecologically friendly. I have tried a Gibson and a Martin with richlite. Fretboard material doesn't make much difference to me. I couldn't tell it was richlite until the salesman told me. As long as it stands up over time I have no problem with it.
 
I like Richlite very much. It even got the Biddlin seal of approval, which counts for a lot in my book!

I do not like $ 3,000 LPs, regardless of the fingerboard material.
 
Sp8ctre said:
They should lower the price when using this
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Do you know what the production cost for Richlite is? I don't, but I can tell you that some manufacturing processes are pretty expensive. A 4′ x 8′ 1.25″ thick sheet (for construction use) retails @ about $1200, that ain't cheap.
I actually like the look and feel of my brother's Martin with a Richlite board.
 
Another fan. It is very reminiscent of the old super-dense ebony that Gibson used back in the day. The fingerboard on my '79 Custom doesn't even look like wood - there is no grain at all, just smooth dense black, and that's what the Richlite looks like. The Richlite fingerboards look and feel better than the current ebony supply and it's doubtful there is any difference in the sound of the finished guitar at all and if there is it would be a subjective difference.
 
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Richlite............................................................................................................................. Ebony
 
Before I bought my walnut SG, I bought a Midtown Custom that had the Richlite. I returned it not because of the board, but because I could buy the SG for $7-800 less than the Midtown.

Come to think of it, I got 2 of my SG's for the price of the Midtown.
That guitar was sweet though. I'd buy another one in a minute if I had unlimited funds.
 
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Hmmm...I suppose it would be a decent material...I mean they use Plexiglas for bodies too and that seems to work OK...I use only AAA grade ebony on my custom builds...not sure there is any tonal difference, but I like the quality and feel of real wood.
 
Intersting you get Ebony on a 200.00 Agile....but compressed crushed colored paper on a 3000.00 Gibson or 7000.00 martin......
or you can go the bargain basement route on a 149.00 Peavey USA Bass.......
look at that lovely rosewood
wood.jpg

I dont wanna speak outta class--- but I think SOMEONE is getting hornswaggled, bamboozled and flat out screwed........

...but ya'll enjoy your richlite.....


It does look nice.....and dark.....and I liked the baked maple.....none of it really effects tone anyway ----- BAZINGA---
feel free to start WWIII now.......oh and Henry G eats babies
 
eSGEe said:
Intersting you get Ebony on a 200.00 Agile....but compressed crushed colored paper on a 3000.00 Gibson or 7000.00 martin......
or you can go the bargain basement route on a 149.00 Peavey USA Bass.......
look at that lovely rosewood
View attachment 5722

I dont wanna speak outta class--- but I think SOMEONE is getting hornswaggled, bamboozled and flat out screwed........

...but ya'll enjoy your richlite.....


It does look nice.....and dark.....and I liked the baked maple.....none of it really effects tone anyway ----- BAZINGA---
feel free to start WWIII now.......oh and Henry G eats babies
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There is an element of the market that would buy anything with 'Gibson' on it...and try and convince others its the best idea ever.
 
Nothing wrong with Rosewood. I made a lot of money with a rosewood Schecter....I don't think I could have charged more per studio hour with a Richlite board. I like the look of AAA grade ebony, personally speaking....

IMG_20161006_16713.jpg IMG_20161210_45918.jpg
 
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Robert Herndon said:
There is an element of the market that would buy anything with 'Gibson' on it...and try and convince others its the best idea ever.
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It's not just Gibson using Richlite. Not sure if you personally have tried a guitar with a Richlite 'board but I have seen a lot of negative opinions offered by people that have not tried one, whereas the overwhelming majority of those who have seem to like it, myself included. Just because it hasn't historically been used for guitars does not mean it isn't a good material for building them. And as mentioned previously, it is not a price-point issue since the material is not exactly cheap. Part of the equation here is the CITES legislation and the fact that all guitar builders are going to have to look for alternative materials in the future - in that sense Gibson and Martin and a few others are ahead of the curve.
 
I like Rosewood and Ebony. I never was a fan of Maplewood fretboards. I like the way they look on some guitars though. Richlite and Blackwood fretboards are soon coming to our market. The new Monoprice Indigo line of guitars have Blackwood fretboards.
 
Robert, I just noticed the Schecter's have thru body stringing. Do the Hellraisers also have stop tail versions?
How have you liked the body thru one?
 
Robert Herndon said:
There is an element of the market that
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Is susceptible to all manner of voodoo and horse poop and is willing to pay excessive costs, even condone smuggling, for magic wood at any cost to the rest of us.
From a scientific, engineering point of view, Richlite is harder, denser material than ebony. I have some experience cutting larger dimension pieces for counter tops. It is very hard.
From a guitar builder's pov, other woods are available, like granadillo, coco bolo, sapele and maple.
 
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