I would think it would somewhat brighter than the Wenge/Ebony. This puts a lot of pressure on the finish, and if the finish isnt top-grade, you may find yourself playing on a tacky or lagging fretboard. Maple! The Pau Ferro tree is typically grown in South America, endemic to Bolivia and Brazil. Guitar Fretboard Wood: The Ultimate Guide to Fingerboard Wood Interesting poll. Sound. Therefore, you might find rosewood materials, including, of course, a neck and fingerboard, to be a bit more on the pricey side compared to Pau Ferro. The fingerboard, or fretboard radius refers to the amount of curvature it has. I had a PJ project and tried several neck & pickups settled on Maple/Ebony and Once it is fully mature, it can stand up to 100 feet tall. Answer (1 of 3): They perform just fine. Other fingerboard radii are seen on current Fender electric instruments far less often. In this video you'll learn all about Richlite fretboards and why guitar manufacturers like Martin Guitar are choosing Richlite. Solely because of the Jatoba fretboard. The guitar fretboard may not play as large a role as the body wood in defining your sound, but it certainly will have a perceptible effect on it. And not just in terms of tone produced the fingerboard will also affect the feel of your guitar whilst playing, as well as changing its aesthetics. So lets compare the two options, Pau Ferro and rosewood do share some similarities. Mar 23, 2018. #9. Jatoba wood is a fretboard material that many may not have heard of, but that is quickly changing. There are plenty of finish options for its fretboards. Aside from implementing the right techniques, the choice of wood also matters. Their guitars were a hit, and maple became one of the new leaders in fretboard woods. So it was that ebony, rosewood, and maple were the primary choices of fretboard woods for the greater part of the 20th century. But it's a Deluxe Strat with S-1 Switching so I usually just engage the series settings to warm that particular strat up. Some bassists swear that maple fretboards sound brighter and more aggressive than rosewood, which tends to have a darker, more mellow, warmer sound they claim. Some materials outperform traditional woods in pretty much every objective measure. Definitely think of the fretboard (and neck) material as being a tone compliment to the body wood. This video is to see if the fretboard wood makes a difference? The species is officially called Machaerium spp.. I'm actually considering getting a rosewood neck for it to calm its ass down a bit. You guys be the judge! Just buff off the excess oil with a soft cloth, and presto, youre done! For some reason I tend to think of the fretboard as the like note-space so like the flat face of the neck, including the fret wire and the fingerboard as specifically the wooden slab that has been applied to a two piece neck, into which fret wire has been installed. In this Pau Ferro Fretboard Guide, I will detail one of my favorite tonewoods used in modern guitar building, primarily to replace rosewood. That being said, its versatile, and you can play nearly any genre. It compares most similarly to rosewood, which is a good thing. How much does the fretboard really change the sound? This wood can last years, but you can oil it for more protection. Im pretty hesitant to pull the trigger on the new AR 420. However, if the fretboard has absorbed most or all the oil, you may want to apply another thin, light coat of oil to the board. Ebony Vs. Answer: Maple fretboards tend to be more expensive, and are often sealed with a lacquer finish, meaning youre actually playing on the finish, not on the maplewood. Our fretboards are durable, and moisture acclimated, making them inherently stable. Finished Maple. Feb 29, 2008. Maple, they feel, sounds crisper and snappier, while rosewood can sound more woody and round. Richlites fretboards are an acoustically superior product and the perfect alternative ebony fretboard. The height of the strings above the fingerboard (or the action) is typically set at the bridge to match the curvature of the fingerboard radius more or less exactly, although players can easily adjust individual string height to personal preference. Ebony Vs. Given that a typical guitar lasts decades and a single rosewood logs can yield hundreds of fretboards I can imagine a lot more practical ways to save forest land than going after the guitar builders and resorting to crap wood. Rosewood is getting close to becoming endangered, and regulations are becoming more strict to protect it. Unlike other options such as ebony or rosewood fretboard, maple wood ones need some kind of sealant to help maintain the woods shape. Maple is dense which is known to provide brighter sound with more overtones compared to rosewood due to tighter grains and pores. Im more than happy with what is coming out of Korea and elsewhere. Rivaling much of the stuff coming from Gibson. The task at hand can be described as removing that worn-out old fretboard and replacing it with a new one. A higher fingerboard radius means that it feels flatter, whereas a lower fingerboard radius means that it will have a more dramatic curve. Another choice is Maple w/ebony fingerboard. This means, guitars with maple fretboard will have a good bite and tight low end. Its density and hardness are as apt as they can get for a guitar. You guys be the judge! Maple wood is light in color. However, the level of balance across the fingerboard is as good as Laurels. On instruments with compound-radius fingerboards, string height is typically set to match the fingerboard radius basically in the Just buff off the excess oil with a soft cloth, and presto, youre done! Feels kinda waxy and smooth under the fingers. This video is to see if the fretboard wood makes a difference? You can stain the Ferro fretboards with the color of your choice; there is no match to its natural color. How much does the fretboard really change the sound? Many will focus on the neck or body but will seldom look at the fingerboard despite its importance. This is true for guitars that have fingerboards made of a slab of wood glued on top of their necks. Finished maple wood is definitely a better raw material as compared to unfinished maple wood when it comes to fretboards. Replacing the fretboard of a guitar will surely take some expertise from the luthier or tech, but is something doable. For players who have a light hand, just touching the strings to the frets and never actually touching the surface of the fingerboard (many modern shredders fit The excellency of a fretboard tonewood like an Indian Laurel is clear through the tonal experience it gives. In practice, it is lighter in color - though the piece I got is pretty dark - and the porosity is slightly lower than rosewood. The relationship between the fingerboards curvature and radius measurement can be a little confusing at first. As nouns the difference between fingerboard and fretboard is that fingerboard is (music) a flat or roughly flat strip on the neck of a stringed instrument, against which the strings are pressed to shorten the vibrating length and produce notes of higher pitches while fretboard is (music) a fret or plate put over the neck of musical instruments, to create a different sound of notes. The fretboard is critical because it largely influences a guitars tone. Although Pau Ferro sounds like a designers name, it is actually a tree. They are all I can afford on my teacher salary. My a fore mentioned strat is ash + ebony. Bob Taylor noticed that only 5% of ebony lumber is uniformly black enough to be used for fingerboards. First discovered as an alternative After applying the second coat of oil, allow another 5 minutes to soak in and then wipe off the excess. The guitar fretboard may not play as large a role as the body wood in defining your sound, but it certainly will have a perceptible effect on it. Talking about the fingerboards of the Pau Ferro, some of them dont have a finish while others have a thin finish. However, it all comes down to the basic composition of the wood. Your guitar fretboard might have either a brighter or darker color than expected when ordering online. Pau Ferro stands right in between the warmth of rosewood and the attack of Ebony or Maple. There is just enough brightness to give some snap and articulation to the guitar tone of a very warm guitar. The harsh frequencies get smoothened out well by both Rosewood and Laurel. My Bottom Line Up Front: Pau Ferro Fretboards are resistant, smooth on the hand, and a good middle ground sonically between the bright Maple & warm Rosewood. Common thoughts about a maple vs rosewood fretboard bass. Both neck/fingerboards seen here in cross section are of the same width; note that the smaller vintage-style 7.25 radius on the left yields greater fingerboard curvature than the longer modern 9.5 radius on the right. Sharp looking too. After all, Pau Ferro took the place of rosewood when the latter was harder to come by. After applying the second coat of oil, allow another 5 minutes to soak in and then wipe off the excess. Maple! I have no problem with Asian guitars. However, if the fretboard has absorbed most or all the oil, you may want to apply another thin, light coat of oil to the board. Richlite has numerous advantages for the maker, manufacturer, or player of stringed instruments. Guitar fretboards (or fingerboards!) are more often that not made from 3 main types of wood ebony, rosewood and maple. But what are the differences between the 3 in terms of tone, feel and visual appeal? You might know it as Santos Rosewood, Bolivian Rosewood, or Morado.
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