[Poll] What is everyone favorite fretboard? Mine is Rosewood!
- Thread starter anna
- Start date
Love the feel and tone. There are the options in the below. Let the voting begin. 
Really dark ebony....
RVA
Ambassador
I agree except I think I may give richlight the edge based on availability, renewability, and durability. That goodness there is a good wood substitute for fretboards!
RVA
Ambassador
I think you did everything right on that guitar. The nut slots on the 6 string side look a bit deep though. If you get any pinging or sticking, you may want to consider sanding down the top of the nut to free them up
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
Anna Anna Anna, Banana Banana Banana.
You forgot Richlite and Pao Ferro, n prolly a few others I never heard of.
Oh yeah and a box for All of the above.
You forgot Richlite and Pao Ferro, n prolly a few others I never heard of.
Oh yeah and a box for All of the above.
Good eye. On my other two Gibson's, the strings are almost popping out of the nuts. In the double neck, I mimicked the nut configuration like the original 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom of my Mom's - very deep in the grooves.
I also paid very close attention to the published nut slot specs.
Zero issues on the double neck six string side.
On the 12 string side, I get an occasional 'ping' when tuning up the d/g but I think that's a product of the side loading those sttings see by virtue of the wider headstock.
Here's the factory Gibson nuts on my other guitars.
OP
anna
Well-Known Member
eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
TBTH -- depends on the guitar-- the mood-- the day-- I dont recall DISLIKING any particular fret board material-- ebony is nice---maple is nice-- its more a whole unit -- together -- Ive not ever NOT bought a guitar because of the FB material--- Ive never ONLY bought a guitar because of the FB material
As long as its not burlap --- or razor wire---- its STILL A GUITAR -- so Im in
As long as its not burlap --- or razor wire---- its STILL A GUITAR -- so Im in
bea
AmBASSador of the F Clef
Katalox is cool for fretboards. Hard and fine pores like ebony, color similar to dense rosewood. Or, if You like that, bi-colored.
Olive is also very cool, and also hard enough for fretless basses. But really expensive :-(
My primavera bass will probably get a fretboard of bi-colored apple.
Olive is also very cool, and also hard enough for fretless basses. But really expensive :-(
My primavera bass will probably get a fretboard of bi-colored apple.
RVA
Ambassador
It depends a lot on the guitar.
On bound fret boards I prefer ebony. On unbound fret boards, I prefer rosewood, or a lighter, brownish ebony.
In general, I don’t prefer maple fretboards. But I do like them on a Strat with a light-colored body, such as Malmsteen’s Strat.
I’ve never tried other types, so I can’t really comment on them.
On bound fret boards I prefer ebony. On unbound fret boards, I prefer rosewood, or a lighter, brownish ebony.
In general, I don’t prefer maple fretboards. But I do like them on a Strat with a light-colored body, such as Malmsteen’s Strat.
I’ve never tried other types, so I can’t really comment on them.
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
Rosewood for me. Ebony and maple are definitely smoother. No experience with pao ferro or richlite (that I can remember!). Impact of the tone because of the fretboard wood is insignificant to me.
Even though the rosewood is not as smooth as others, I still enjoy the feel of it. Especially after it has aged a bit. I also prefer the looks of a dark rosewood board.
Even though the rosewood is not as smooth as others, I still enjoy the feel of it. Especially after it has aged a bit. I also prefer the looks of a dark rosewood board.
Kerry Brown
Ambassador of the Great Northern Bar Jams
I picked ebony but that is just because my #1,2, & 3 guitars have ebony boards. #1 SG 3 knob special, #2 Yamaha LL16M, and #3 Larrivee L-42. I don't actually notice much of a difference when playing fretboards made of other material. It is mostly a looks thing with me. I prefer the look of ebony unless it's a strat or tele when I prefer the look of maple. My #4 is a Deluxe Player's Strat with a maple board.
On a couple of these Tele-esque guitars I built, the Rosewood was exceptionally dark, and on others, lighter with orange hues, almost like Granadillo.
Here's a very dark Rosewood on a Von Herndon Stagecrafter. Fretboard by B. Hefner
There is a very orange stripe in the fretboard on my Gibson SG
Rosewood on my 1987 Stratocaster
Rosewood on the VH I built for Marty Stuart has a much lighter appearance than the other VH in photo #1- another B. Hefner fretboard
A Musikraft neck with Rosewood for a VH prototype
The fretboard on my first-ever guitar - 1959 Sears Silvertone
Here's a very dark Rosewood on a Von Herndon Stagecrafter. Fretboard by B. Hefner
There is a very orange stripe in the fretboard on my Gibson SG
Rosewood on my 1987 Stratocaster
Rosewood on the VH I built for Marty Stuart has a much lighter appearance than the other VH in photo #1- another B. Hefner fretboard
A Musikraft neck with Rosewood for a VH prototype
The fretboard on my first-ever guitar - 1959 Sears Silvertone
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I love the look of ebony. I also tend to run very short frets so my fingers frequently hit the wood and I feel ebony has better wear characteristics too.
gball
Ambassador of Boogie
I really don't believe the fretboard material makes one bit of difference in the tone. I had two G&L Legacys (built the same year), identical but for color and one having a maple 'board and the other rosewood, and the two guitars sounded very different. Out of curiosity I switched the necks one day to see how they would sound the other way around and guess what? Yep, tone of the guitars didn't change one little bit, they both still had their own characteristic sound and the neck change didn't make any difference.
Small sample size, I know, but I've owned and played too many guitars to believe that the fretboard material makes any substantive difference to the tone. I like ebony and Richlite for the smoothness of the feel and the nice black look.