Official Luthiers Forum!

I posted a new article today on fretboard woods. Let me know what you think!

http://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/acou ... ard-woods/

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Thanks Eric.
I mill my own Mesquite.
It makes a great fretboard.
Dan

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Ahh Mesquite! I think I failed to mention that one!

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Take a look at your caption that says ebony dust can be used to fill around position markers on a rosewood fingerboard...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I wrote exactly what I meant to write. Ebony dust on rosewood.
I assume you are thinking that I meant to write Rosewood dust on rosewood but Ebony dust blends in better as a filler on rosewood and really any dark colored wood.
I explained this recently in another article on finish prep. I'll quote directly from that:

"Counter-intuitively, walnut dust filler on a walnut guitar, or rosewood dust on a rosewood guitar is often a more noticeable repair than ebony dust on either one. The reason is because wood dust lacks grain lines and therefore appears lighter than the surrounding wood. The ebony dust will often blend in with the grain lines and the dark bands that rosewood and even walnut sometimes has."

...unless I'm missing it and you meant something else, sdsollod?

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YOU are not missing something. Apparently I was missing something. That is an interesting observation. I didn't see your other article. Not trying to find fault. I just thought you may not have meant that... Thanks for the information.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I will have to experiment with that Eric. That has not been my experience. Dust and glue has always been darker for me

Another free wood I get is Pecan.
It makes a great fretboard for a Maple look.

I bought a chunk of Bocote I'm itching to try. It kinda makes me dizzy looking at it.

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5 years or so back a friend gave me 5 logs 6"- 8" round AND 5-6' long of red tip photenia , the common hedge srub. I turned a few bowls and mallets, but still have a bit around cut into 2 1/2" slabs. It is very dense and has not developed a single crack. Wood is similar to hard maple and might be harder. I'm thinking up ways to measure density to see where it stands. Has anyone worked with it? I can't find any information about it.

In light of the apparent direction Ebony seems headed I have been experimenting with a wood called Massaranduba (sp?) or Brazilian Redwood. I read about it in a fairly recent issue of American Luthier. According to the article this stuff is actually harder than Ebony and significantly more stable. I bought a bunch of it from Lumber Liquidators in the form of flooring. So far I have used it on one guitar and seems to live up to the claims.

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Never heard of Red tip Photenia, Bob. I'll have to look that one up. I would also be interested to hear if anyone has worked with it.

I Never used Brazilian Redwood, either, but it sounds like you're on to something, Max. I believe that it's also called "bulletwood" but correct me if I'm looking at something entirely different. Either way, it seems like a good alternative. Here is the info on Wood Database: http://www.wood-database.com/bulletwood/

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One thing your article didn't mention was non wood fretboard materials being used these days.

Such as....? I'm unaware of these.

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That is definitely the stuff, Eric.

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

massaranduba, is another brazilan alternative , very hard wood used in flooring /decking . Bowmakers are using it for double bass bows

I measured the density of the Red tip Photina wood I have.

One sample measured 1.09kg/cubic m
A second measured .85kg/cub m

That places it between osage orange and eboney.

Red tip was a very common planting material for hedges around Atlanta through the 1980s. Then black spot hit it. It is a member of the apple/rose family and succumbed quickly. I cut down my hedge in 1992-94. But it was everywhere in large numbers. I'm sure a few are left growing.

My largest piece was a 8" log 6ft long. I have used most of it for other thing. It looks much apple wood. Turns well and shows no cracks or splits after 6 years.