Are Ebony finger boards better?

ROOG · August 2013

So, are ebony finger boards better? Just asking, because the chap in my local music emporium seemed to be making quite something of this feature.

I am not so sure that I could feel the difference between Rosewood and Ebony.

Hertz32 · August 2013

Not sure I can feel it either, to be frank its mostly stylistic. Ebony isnt typically pure black either, its mostly stained that black so the point is moot. I have only ever played rosewood and ebony boards and I have no preference. Ebony is typically smoother and shinier though.

Sporky · August 2013

I don't think that any one wood is better than any other (assuming they're all fit to be used). While there may well be a contribution to the sound of the guitar, I think the looks are by far the most important aspect.

Ebony boards do often look better than the alternatives on none-more-black guitars. Personally I like cocobolo and ziricote best though.

octatonic · August 2013

ROOG said:

So, are ebony finger boards better? Just asking, because the chap in my local music emporium seemed to be making quite something of this feature.

I am not so sure that I could feel the difference between Rosewood and Ebony.

Guitar shop mooks are generally to be laughed at/pitied, rather than have their opinion trusted.

Ebony is usually brighter but the difference is fairly minimal in an electric guitar- certainly less than pickup choice.

If you're building acoustic guitars then wood choice is more significant of course.

[Deleted User] · August 2013

Ebony is exceptionally hard-wearing and only usually features on higher-end models (eg: Les Paul Customs, 28 series and above Martins). This is due to how hard it is to 'work' as much as its intrinsic value. Tonally, many players consider it brighter than rosewood. Good quality, streak-free (the best stuff is pretty much pure black in appearance) ebony is getting very scarce-so what has always been considered an up-market feature is becoming more highly prized.

ICBM · August 2013

Not better, but definitely different in feel, tone and appearance.

I don't agree the difference is minimal in an electric guitar, although I do agree pickups are more important. It may be one of the most important factors after that and body and neck woods though, it gives a hardness and 'ring' to the tone that's quite distinctive if you like that sort of thing.

I actually think the difference is much bigger in tone terms than between rosewood and maple.

octatonic · August 2013

Can chip like a mutha when refretting an ebony board.

ROOG · August 2013

I had assumed that ebony was black, you know like all the little carved elephants you see in antiques shops.

I must admit it did look good on the black guitar body attached to it.

octatonic · August 2013

ROOG said:

I had assumed that ebony was black, you know like all the little carved elephants you see in antiques shops.
I must admit it did look good on the black guitar body attached to it.

Have a read of this: http://www.taylorguitars.com/about/sustainable-ebony

dindude · August 2013

I've wound up with ebony boards on two of my guitars, more by accident than insistance. It looks nice for sure, although it's hard for me to define the sound influence without comparing similar guitars with different boards.

btw, silly question time, is it still OK to use lemon oil to clean them?

octatonic · August 2013

dindude said:

btw, silly question time, is it still OK to use lemon oil to clean them?

Yes, fine.

dindude · August 2013

octatonic said:

dindude said:

btw, silly question time, is it still OK to use lemon oil to clean them?

Yes, fine.

Fanks

ICBM · August 2013

The best comparison to me is the modern (ie maple-cap) Les Paul Custom vs the Les Paul Standard. They're almost identical except that the Custom has an ebony board and a slightly larger headstock, gold-plated hardware and more binding. And they sound noticeably different...

Since I doubt the gold plating and the binding have much effect, that leaves the headstock - which definitely could affect the tone since more mass will change the resonance of the neck - and the fingerboard. My money is on the fingerboard as the more important though, since I hear that same 'ring' characteristic in almost all ebony-board guitars.

Bucket · August 2013

I would definitely prefer an ebony board on a black (or bright white) guitar, just for looks.

Tonally there's not a massive difference.

ChrisMusic · August 2013

Personally I love Ebony boards, tone issues aside they feel really nice under the fingers, very slick. That is unless your frets are so super jumbo that your fingers don't contact the board.

Good Rosewood can be pretty dense too.

But then I have Ebony, Rosewood and Maple boards and they are all nice.

Haven't tried the exotics yet, so that's something to look forward to.

OilCityPickups · August 2013

I love the feel of ebony boards ... even though at the moment I don't have a guitar fitted with one! Last one I had was my Jackson with the compound board .... it felt gorgeous ... but I couldn't justify keeping a one pickup superstrat ... I hardly ever got a chance to play it.

Sporky · August 2013

richardhomer said:

Ebony is exceptionally hard-wearing and only usually features on higher-end models (eg: Les Paul Customs, 28 series and above Martins). This is due to how hard it is to 'work' as much as its intrinsic value

More to do with the rarity and increasing cost of legal ebony, I'd say.

It is a bit harder to work but not enormously so. Wenge is much harder to work with, for instance, because it splinters at the slightest provocation.

GuitarMonkey · August 2013

Gibson have all but discontinued use of ebony in their guitars.

The Gibson Les Paul Custom now has a Richlite fretboard.

Dave_Mc · August 2013

ICBM said:

Not better, but definitely different in feel, tone and appearance.

+1

I can feel the difference between rosewood, maple and ebony too. Pretty easily, it's pretty obvious. Maybe that's just the way I play, though >:D<

[Deleted User] · August 2013

GuitarMonkey;16152" said:
Gibson have all but discontinued use of ebony in their guitars.

The Gibson Les Paul Custom now has a Richlite fretboard.

I've just followed your link; amazing!

I thought this was a temporary arrangement after Gibson's timber 'difficulties'.... Seems like they've used the raid as an opportunity to permanently cheapen an iconic guitar....

ESchap · August 2013

Got 3 Gibson ES's with Ebony boards and ICBM has it spot on .. they have "ring" to them in the attack of a note that isn't there with Rosewood. Doesn't matter if the ebony board is on a Mahogany or Maple neck either, the ring is there.

ddlooping · August 2013

Ebony boards are not better, Pau Ferro ones are. :P

Bucket · August 2013

richardhomer said:

I thought this was a temporary arrangement after Gibson's timber 'difficulties'.... Seems like they've used the raid as an opportunity to permanently cheapen an iconic guitar....

I think Richlite is a good idea.

Sooner or later the tropical hardwoods will run out and we'll all be playing stuff with synthetic boards anyway. I'm surprised it hasn't really caught on yet. I want to try a Richlite board actually.

Also, the use of man-made materials should allow for some really cool patterns to be used on fancier guitars.

[Deleted User] · August 2013

Bucket;16177" said:

I think Richlite is a good idea.

Sooner or later the tropical hardwoods will run out and we'll all be playing stuff with synthetic boards anyway. I'm surprised it hasn't really caught on yet. I want to try a Richlite board actually.

Also, the use of man-made materials should allow for some really cool patterns to be used on fancier guitars.

I agree man-made materials will play a bigger part in instrument manufacture in the future. Martin use them on lower end models for fingerboards and bridges. Taylor (see link which Octatonic has posted) are making positive moves to sustain supply.

In particular, bass players have embraced none-wood elements in their instruments for years (Status/Steinberger, et al).

My beef with Gibson is that the LPC represents the top of their range (outside of Historics). If Martin can produce guitars with ebony boards that retail at £1800 or so, I don't see why Gibson can't.

ROOG · August 2013

Interesting and rather sobering read your link Octatonic, thanks.

dindude · August 2013

ROOG said:

Interesting and rather sobering read your link Octatonic, thanks.

+1, and a very different approach to Gibsons moaning.

WezV · August 2013

ddlooping said:

Ebony boards are not better, Pau Ferro ones are. :P

nah, Pau Ferro is ok but its nothing special. to me Pau ferro is to Indian rosewood what Indian is to Brazilian... an acceptable alternative but you find yourself missing something of the more expensive rarer wood. of course i am all for alternatives and will happily use pau ferro - although i do often find the paler brickish colour a bit meh. Fender have been using pau ferro for quite a while though

Personally i love the feel of proper ebony, richlite seems to capture most of this but I am not sure about the tone yet - just doign my first richlite board at the moment. i dont care if ebony is perfectly black, it can always be dyed, but it has to feel totally smooth and sleek. "plays like butter" if you please

fretfinder · August 2013

"Plays like butter." Aaaargh....!!! :-S

WezV · August 2013

couldn't resist

[Deleted User] · August 2013

WezV;16210" said:
"plays like butter"

Because the rest of your post was good, I'll resist the temptation to facepalm you for this....

ddlooping · August 2013

WezV said:

ddlooping said:

Ebony boards are not better, Pau Ferro ones are. :P

nah, Pau Ferro is ok but its nothing special. to me Pau ferro is to Indian rosewood what Indian is to Brazilian... an acceptable alternative but you find yourself missing something of the more expensive rarer wood. of course i am all for alternatives and will happily use pau ferro - although i do often find the paler brickish colour a bit meh...

Would you describe this as a paler brickish colour? :-O
It does look better now, slightly oiled.

According to the tinternet, Pau Ferro is supposed to be in between Maple and Rosewood in terms of "tone".
Some figures related to density, weight and strength...

Janka (lb) (lb/cuft) Strength (psi)
Rosewood, Indian 3170    53    16,490
Pau ferro, Brazilian ebony 2713    57    22,460
Maple, hard-rock 1156    35    13,030

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Are Ebony finger boards better?

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