Members madrigal77 Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Saw this over on rig-talk and thought I'd share it here. Interesting stuff. Good on Taylor for taking this stance. Personally I wouldn't mind streaked ebony, and can't they just die it anyway? Don't they do that already? [video=youtube;anCGvfsBoFY] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HKSblade1 Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Guitars it might fly. For other stringed instruments, furniture, and flooring it won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knucklefux Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Guitars it might fly. For other stringed instruments, furniture, and flooring it won't. doesn't sound like there's a whole lot of choice on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeadNight Warrior Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Good on him. I've only ever owned one guitar with an ebony fretboard, and 90% of that fretboard was inlays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kenny Powers Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Hyperbole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ::fred:: Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 are there actual numbers on how specifically guitar production is detrimental to the rainforest? I'm willing to bet the majority of the damage is from furniture production and other {censored} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goosefartfan Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'm sure he's going to embrace the higher prices he's going to get for the pure black ebony! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HKSblade1 Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'm sure he's going to embrace the higher prices he's going to get for the pure black ebony! ding ding ding !That is exactly what he meant.They put all this bull{censored} on about protecting forests and guitar makers yada yada, but its the furniture and flooring companies that consume most of those trees IIRC.Think about it, one flooring board can be how many fretboards? I once saw a house with a 45x60 room of ebony flooring (not a laminate). First thought was damn.. and they go after guitar companies? WTFI think in today's market some composites and other abundant hardwood might be the next step. Those new boards from Gibson seem pretty durable. Guitarists will just have to get used to the looks of it.Glad my Lester has the real Mc Coy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aibric Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Bunch of cynics...ebony is a rare wood to find in flooring and furniture. It would be an exotic or luxury material in those applications. The vast majority of furniture sold to the masses is made with cheap, common wood and MDF. Oak, birch, maple, pine, hickory, etc are all common flooring woods, ebony is definitely not. I have heard of rosewood being used for flooring more than ebony, and it is definitely considered an exotic/luxury material. Point being that the guitar and stringed instrument industries probably do bear a large responsibility for the depletion of ebony. I also think ebony that is not totally black but has unique figuring could look pretty cool on an acoustic or an electric with a natural finish. It doesn't necessarily have to raise the price of a guitar with black ebony (although that is probably happening anyway) but it would be nice if it lowered the cost of one with the 'imperfect' ebony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ss454 Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 What I don't understand is why more companies haven't looked into Osage Orange as a fretboard material. It's BEAUTIFUL and harder than ebony. If you sand it fresh it is an amazing yellow color that darkens into a orange then brown over time. A massive Osage tree on my grandpas property in Louisiana was struck by lightning and killed so we had it milled into planks and have a whole truckload of it. When you sand it down and polish it with tung oil it feels like smooth marble in your hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ::fred:: Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 What I don't understand is why more companies haven't looked into Osage Orange as a fretboard material. It's BEAUTIFUL and harder than ebony. If you sand it fresh it is an amazing yellow color that darkens into a orange then brown over time. A massive Osage tree on my grandpas property in Louisiana was struck by lightning and killed so we had it milled into planks and have a whole truckload of it. When you sand it down and polish it with tung oil it feels like smooth marble in your hand. ok, but how does it sound? p.s. rwake kicks ass btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ss454 Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 ok, but how does it sound? p.s. rwake kicks ass btw From all the luthiers I've read about using it "It's as close to Brazillian Rosewood as you can get" sounds pretty sweet to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NixerX Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'm sure he's going to embrace the higher prices he's going to get for the pure black ebony! GOOD...because allowing people to hack down a 20:1 ratio and leave the 20 to rot because its not the right color is just {censored}ing STUPID. These hardwoods take a long time to grow and a few minutes to cut down. If you want to sustain the use of a resource that must be taken into consideration. Im willing to use the "B" grade Ebony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aibric Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 What I don't understand is why more companies haven't looked into Osage Orange as a fretboard material. It's BEAUTIFUL and harder than ebony. If you sand it fresh it is an amazing yellow color that darkens into a orange then brown over time. A massive Osage tree on my grandpas property in Louisiana was struck by lightning and killed so we had it milled into planks and have a whole truckload of it. When you sand it down and polish it with tung oil it feels like smooth marble in your hand. Because guitarists and musicians in general are notoriously resistant to new materials, and will say they sound horrible without ever even having used them. How long did it take basswood to be accepted as a decent tonewood? People still say it is a {censored}ty wood that sounds bad because it is less expensive and relatively new compared to alder or mahogany. There are {censored}ty cheap woods out there like pawlownia of course.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretless Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 ma Flamed Macassar Ebony Linc Luthier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NixerX Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 ma Flamed Macassar Ebony Linc Luthier To me that would make an AMAZING fretboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretless Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 To me that would make an AMAZING fretboard. it sure would , it actually does have a Macassar Ebony board also . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretless Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 this is also a Macassar Ebony fretboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretless Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Because guitarists and musicians in general are notoriously resistant to new materials, and will say they sound horrible without ever even having used them. How long did it take basswood to be accepted as a decent tonewood? People still say it is a {censored}ty wood that sounds bad because it is less expensive and relatively new compared to alder or mahogany. There are {censored}ty cheap woods out there like pawlownia of course....guitar players yes , bass players no :poke: My new to me Les Paul Studio smartwood arrived last night , wait 'til you guys see this thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Ebony is actually a "substitute wood" for African blackwood. "Ebony" is actually a loose term used to describe many different species of wood. It was once used to describe only African blackwood. The difference being that African blackwood is a true rosewood....What has taken the term "ebony" these days is not. African blackwood rings like a bell when you tap it. "Ebony" makes a thud sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mbarn3065 Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Below are some shots from the Taylor factory of some of their more unique ebony supplies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ENdtime Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 ding ding ding ! That is exactly what he meant. They put all this bull{censored} on about protecting forests and guitar makers yada yada, but its the furniture and flooring companies that consume most of those trees IIRC. Think about it, one flooring board can be how many fretboards? I once saw a house with a 45x60 room of ebony flooring (not a laminate). First thought was damn.. and they go after guitar companies? WTF I think in today's market some composites and other abundant hardwood might be the next step. Those new boards from Gibson seem pretty durable. Guitarists will just have to get used to the looks of it. Glad my Lester has the real Mc Coy I'm not gonna say you are wrong about the ebony flooring, but I've worked 15 years as a hardwood floor contractor.. And I've never seen an ebony floor.. That would weigh an immense amount of weight, to the point it may actually structurally require a reinforced subfloor. I think once I saw an engineered ebony floor, which is basically a plywood backing with approximately 3/16 of an inch on top of wood. This is typically how most exotic woods are done, because obviously it requires less wood. It can be sanded, and finished like a solid floor, but on the whole, ebony is extremely rare to find in flooring.. And solid, I seriously doubt.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ENdtime Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I don't have time to watch the video.. But just to throw out one of g the cheaper fretboard woods that I really like and has its own tone going on is Pau Ferro.. Same say its a sound between ebony and Rosewood.. I guess it is, but I just think it sounds great.. Not totally blown away with the color of it, but I usually dye it black, which actually turns it a dark brown becausE its such a dense wood it doesn't totally accept the stain.. After a little while the black wears off and instead of, I.E, a dirty maple fretboard, it does the reverse, where the areas with most wear look lighter,and the lighter used areas stay dark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ~Abstract~ Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'm not gonna say you are wrong about the ebony flooring, but I've worked 15 years as a hardwood floor contractor.. And I've never seen an ebony floor.. That would weigh an immense amount of weight, to the point it may actually structurally require a reinforced subfloor. I think once I saw an engineered ebony floor, which is basically a plywood backing with approximately 3/16 of an inch on top of wood. This is typically how most exotic woods are done, because obviously it requires less wood. It can be sanded, and finished like a solid floor, but on the whole, ebony is extremely rare to find in flooring.. And solid, I seriously doubt..The 3/16 on top is solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chrispsullivan Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 The ebony on my Taylor has a few light spots. I'm not really feminine enough to care about the aesthetics of my fret board. I like ebony because of the way it sounds and feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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