one kickass example of rosewood

[charvelguy]

Older USA BCRich's definitely had some nice rosewood slabs.
That's a nice looking JE Lee style strat Sully.

[37fiat]

Why do an ebonizing (in general) ? I mean. If you choose rosewood then it means you kinda agree with the fact that it looks lighter than ebony right?

Or is it a "poor man's champagne" kinda thing?

I don't usually choose a guitar because of its fretboard. In some cases the fretboard is a weak (visually) piece of rosewood. That's the only time I'd consider darkening it.

Let's face it, most guitar bodies have had color or paint added to enhance their visual appeal, why not the fretboard? Of course I'm not saying it should ever be painted, but staining/ebonizing it is as valid as getting the most out of a beautiful flame top by using stains and dyes to "pop" the grain of the wood.

Yes, lemon oil and others will help slightly darken the rosewood, but there are some fretboards out there that need more than that. Check my example in my earlier post. The first picture was with it already oiled. Ugly!!

By the way, rosewood will turn much lighter in color if exposed to a lot of sunlight. That shouldn't be a problem for most, since hopefully no one keeps their guitars outside or in a solarium!

[Budman68]

Here's one of my reasons, this would look just downright stupid with a brown board, no?





Rosewood can look beautiful and I have a fondness for it (especially brazilian!!) but sometimes it just doesn't "fit".

[sully]

i'm with ya dave. and 37fiat, your after pics look quite nice.

sanctuary, that's a beauteous headstock, for sure. that has to be in my top 3 headstock shapes. i love, love, love that bcr headstock to death. i think it probably has to do with my first good electric (an 83 nj warlock) having that headstock. looks great with a firebird. hm. that gives me an idea.

thanks charvelguy! i'm not a h/s/s fan unless it's jake style.

doug, i have no idea if it's indian, brazilian, or african. i do know that it's older (mid 80s), and i dunno if indian rosewood was used as much back then. whatever it is, i love it to pieces. i also hope that you're feeling better, and i'm glad to see you posting!

sully

[delt]

> Nice warm sound.

Could someone explain to me how the type of fretboard wood changes the sound?

What about the color of the shirt you're wearing

[sully]

it most certainly impacts tone. i'd say that the tone of the guitar comes more from the neck than it does the body, for sure. rosewood does have a warmer tone, whereas ebony and maple are brighter.

neal moser had a great article/post on the whole idea and i have to say that it made a hell of a lot of sense.

sully

[charvelguy]

The type of fretboard wood will effect the tone much like the top wood on an acoustic effects the tone and response of the note being played.

http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm

[Budman68]

> Nice warm sound.

Could someone explain to me how the type of fretboard wood changes the sound?

Actually a good way to hear the difference in "tone" that a fretboard will give is to use a tap tuning fork and hold it up against the fretboard after you "ring" it.

[HuntinDoug]

Actually a good way to hear the difference in "tone" that a fretboard will give is to use a tap tuning fork and hold it up against the fretboard after you "ring" it.

AKA "Tap Tone"... I tap just about every board I use. I find that often times maple boards lack the resonance that some of the darker & denser woods have. Bloodwood boards seem to have a good tap.

[Budman68]

Exactly, Doug, it's also a good way to find those hidden cracks or defects that can lurk inside an otherwise beautiful piece of wood-

[ADR]

My Strat I traded in had a really dark RW board,and was told on the FDP that Fender stains them dark,and not really a better piece of RW like I had thought.