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Are most people here using ebony for fingerboards? Does anyone match the fingerboard with the back/side woods? Are there advantages or disadvantages to matching the fingerboard to the back/sides?

I'll chime in, despite having very limited experience here when it comes to acoustics: I use Ebony because I like the hardness and stiffness of the wood for fingerboards, and it's the most forgiving wood to inlay into. I'd like to find some Macassar Ebony boards at a 'right price' just to shake it up a little, and maybe to match my Macassar sets when I get around to building with them (ie, in a few years' time) but no luck quite yet.

I tend to match headstock overlays to the bridge, and the fingerboard can just 'be', particularly if it's black ebony. Black goes well with anything, after all.

I have also, in the past, matched headstock to back/side/topwood (mostly on electrics; flamed maple overlay for a flamed maple top), and I do like the 'tied in' look of matching headstock, fingerboard and bridge as well. I've got several 'full' sets of Madacascar Rosewood that I'll be using like that, and possibly some of the Brazillian I've got.

I, almost always use Rosewoods for the fingerboards and bridge. I particularly like Brazilian and the denser rosewoods they add a bightness and life to the sound and can beef up the problematic mid-range. Ebony has the lowest velocity of sound and can have a dampening effect on the top end particularly. I have actually replaced the ebony fingerboards on my earlier guitars with rosewoods and the sound definitely came alive. The effect is only marginal but it is there. And, I just think a nice old finger stained rosewood fretboard looks just great!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I like using Macassar Ebony as well as Madagasscar Rosewood, Cocobolo, and PAO Ferro. Sometimes "plain" old ebony is nice...I have been wanting to try Ziricote for a while. Brazilian anywhere on a guitar is nice.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I too use mostly Ebony for the hardness and inlay attributes. But I have done a couple of IRW and MRW to match Back and side. I have never used anything bur Ebony and Rosewood on acoustic guitars. You really need a very dense wood for a fretboard or the wear will be extreme.

I built one where fretboard, bridge, headstock overlay where all bloodwood. Havn't seen any wear problem yet.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
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1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Bloodwood finger board, now that would look cool! What's bloodwoods specific gravity? I'll have to hunt round the web and have a look.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=Colin S] Bloodwood finger board, now that would look cool! What's bloodwoods specific gravity? I'll have to hunt round the web and have a look.

Colin[/QUOTE]

Colin here are the spec's on bloowood.
Category Green Dry Units
Weight 59 40 lbs/cu.ft.
Density (air-dry)   40 lbs/cu.ft.
Specific Gravity 0.56 0.64   
Hardness   1220 lbs
Stiffness 1690 2000 1000 psi
Bending Strength 10903 15583 psi
Shearing Strength   1495 psi
Max. Crushing Strength 5096 8281 psi
Work to Maximum Load 11 13 in-lbs/in3
Radial Shrinkage (G->OD)   4 %
Tangential Shrink. (G->OD)   8 %
Volumetric Shrink (G->OD)   12 %

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

I like Gabon ebony best, but also I like Maccassar ebony, Brazilian RW, cocobolo, and ziricote. I have some really great ziricote fretboards. Yowza! I saw a guitar at the Newport show by Sergei DeJonge with a ziricote fretboard and bridge. Very cool.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I like macassar myself. Anyone think zebra wood would be hard enough, sure wood look cool.

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