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Fingerboard woods other than Rosewood , Ebony, Maple i.e. alternatives in use..


fretless

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Granadillo, which I'm surprised hasn't been used more often except for the fact that it is a little pricier then rosewood (from my sources anyway). Looks fantastic, feels great.

 

This gorgeous wood runs the color spectrum from violet to dark red to brown with frequent streaking and pronounced figure. Very hard, heavy, and dense with a tight grain and a fine texture. Weight 56 to 75 lbs. per cu. ft. Occasional light blonde sapwood contrasts beautifully with the heartwood.

 

A medium-sized to large canopy tree, up to 100 feet in height in the natural rain forest, with trunk diameters of up to 3 feet, with a clear, straight, cylindrical bole to 60 feet above a buttress.

 

Takes a high natural polish works easily, finishes smoothly, and responds well to hand tools. It glues, nails and screws well, and is rated highly durable. Frequently used for fine furniture and cabinetry, decorative veneers, flooring, musical instruments, turnery, joinery and specialty items such as violin bows and billiard cues Granadillo is an excellent substitute for Rosewood or Cocobolo.

It smells like rosewood also.

 

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Paduk is pretty BUT IME it will turn black unless heavily UV blocked or only taken out in the dark, same with purple heart sadly...

 

some of my favorite fingerboard woods are highly figured:

 

snakewood

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and cocobola

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Yah, cocobola is the oft referenced toxic dust species although it doesn't bother me (an asthmatic) at all... Its also difficult to glue due to surface oils, but LMII sells gorgeous slotted radiused boards for cheap

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/Secondproducthead.asp?CategoryName=Fingerboards


and Gilmer sells snakewood ($$!!)

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~$160 each!

 

Nice !

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I'm a ziricote fan. From Warmoth...

 

This dark gray to brown to black wood is similar to ebony in weight and density. Some pieces have gorgeous striping and spider web grain patterns. The feel is buttery smooth and slick. The density translates to great sustain and the tone is considered to be much like Brazilian Rosewood. Limited availability and a bit expensive.

 

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Granadillo
, which I'm surprised hasn't been used more often except for the fact that it is a little pricier then rosewood (from my sources anyway). Looks fantastic, feels great...


Takes a high natural polish works easily, finishes smoothly, and responds well to hand tools. It glues, nails and screws well, and is rated highly durable. Frequently used for fine furniture and cabinetry, decorative veneers, flooring,
musical instruments
, turnery, joinery and specialty items such as violin bows and billiard cues...

 

 

Yep. Oboes, English horns and clarinets.

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Yeah, Rickenbacker has now made the switch from Bubinga to Caribbean Rosewood. Some stray Bubinga fretboards may still go out, but the new Rics will all be the Caribbean Rosewood.

 

There was a very hot thread on the switch over at a Ric forum. Ric buyers are not too kind to any changes in the Rickenbacker ways. One thing about the new Caribbean Rosewood boards is the color is a dark brown, and most prefer the orangey color of the Bubinga. One great plus about the new Caribbean boards is that they definitely have more figuring in the wood. Some of them are really wild.

 

I have a new Rickenbacker and it is one of the first with the new Caribbean Rosewood fretboard. It is definitely browner than my older Ric's board and it sure does have some wickedly nice wood figuring and detail. Not a great photo for the fretboard, but you can see some of the craziness in the wood:

 

New to Rickenbacker guitars:

Caribbean Rosewood fretboard

 

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