Members Mr Songwriter Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 One of the first guitars I bought had a rosewood neck (an Epiphone Casino about 20 years ago) and I remember it being a nice, even dark brown colour, but having recently got back into buying and playing guitars more I've noticed that a lot of the newer guitars with Rosewood necks (even the high end ones) have a much paler look to them which I don't really like, so I'm wondering if this is to do with the wood itself or the finish and whether it affects anything other than the look of the neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the_bleeding Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 because people dye it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Runn3r Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 because the darker rosewood are all gone and tht happened last week i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hshaitan Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 There are a few reasons... mainly the stock of rosewood currently available is dwindling in size compared to what it was 20 years ago. Most rosewood used for guitars these days is Indian Rosewood. With several species of trees (especially dark wooded ones) the closer you get to the heart wood (center of the tree) the lighter the color. If you chop down a young tree you are going to get more heartwood in it simply because it hasn't gotten too big. Most Brazilian rosewood these days has at least a little bit of this in it, but there isn't that much of any of it available. Also, it has not been uncommon for manufacturers to dye the wood darker. So uh, yeah... it's because humans love Rosewood, and now there ain't too many left, which is lame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 There are a few reasons... mainly the stock of rosewood currently available is dwindling in size compared to what it was 20 years ago. Most rosewood used for guitars these days is Indian Rosewood. With several species of trees (especially dark wooded ones) the closer you get to the heart wood (center of the tree) the lighter the color. If you chop down a young tree you are going to get more heartwood in it simply because it hasn't gotten too big. Most Brazilian rosewood these days has at least a little bit of this in it, but there isn't that much of any of it available. Also, it has not been uncommon for manufacturers to dye the wood darker. So uh, yeah... it's because humans love Rosewood, and now there ain't too many left, which is lame... Thanks for the informative reply, I had a feeling it would be something like that, bit of a shame really, the reason I asked *when* it happened was to get an idea of how old of a guitar you'd have to buy to get the older type of rosewood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteinbergerHack Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 Thanks for the informative reply, I had a feeling it would be something like that, bit of a shame really, the reason I asked *when* it happened was to get an idea of how old of a guitar you'd have to buy to get the older type of rosewood. Some high-end guitars still came with Brazilian Rosewood fretboards even just a few years ago, and a few of the custom builders can/will still build you a guitar with BR. However, it will cost you......and the supply gets smaller with every guitar that's built with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 Some high-end guitars still came with Brazilian Rosewood fretboards even just a few years ago, and a few of the custom builders can/will still build you a guitar with BR. However, it will cost you......and the supply gets smaller with every guitar that's built with it. Is the Brazilian Rosewood more resonant or is it just for cosmetic reasons that people prefer it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jim_Soloway Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 A lot of what people think is rosewood is actually pau ferro. Pau ferro is a much lighter color than older rosewoods but it's actually a great fingerboard wood. It's dry, stable, and easy to work. It has a good waxy feel, a nice warm tone and ages well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteinbergerHack Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 Is the Brazilian Rosewood more resonant or is it just for cosmetic reasons that people prefer it? Some say it sounds better, but if you can really hear the difference between two types of rosewood in the fretboard.......? Now, if you're talking about the sides/back of a classical guitar, sure, there's a difference. I think, however, that it's mostly a prestige thing where the fretboard is concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rock-lobster Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 i can't stand light rosewood. i like my rosewood to look close to ebony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gothic Metaller Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 I hear you on the rosewood. I can't stand light rosewood. Here's a trick, though, that I learned from some others on this forum: Fiebing's Saddle Dye. It'll dye your rosewood a nice dark colour, while preserving the wood grain. Be careful in applying it, though; it will stain your neck if you mess up. Buy a very small paintbrush (like the smallest one used for watercolour painting), and apply it slowly and carefully to the fretboard, so that it doesn't run down onto the neck. I've done this on a number of my guitars, and the results are great. What you really want, though, is an ebony fretboard. Ebony is where it's at: Ebony gives a brighter sound than rosewood. If you play a rosewood board, and an ebony board side by side, unplugged, you will notice that the ebony board seems louder, and clearer. The same thing happens if you've ever played an ebony recorder side by side with a rosewood recorder. The ebony one sounds more "silvery" as they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members V-Type Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 i can't stand light rosewood. i like my rosewood to look close to ebony Sadly its getting harder to find the Darker stuff. And I do like the feel and look of Rosewood over Maple and Ebony in most cases But some guitars need that Dark as well as Lighter fret woods to finish them off IMO. Theres quite a few ways too dye the Rosewood effectively so that it doesnt rub off too easy. There was a thread on here and The Amp forum awhile back that had a lot of detailed options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rock-lobster Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 good rosewood: no-so-good rosewood: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bce5150 Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 because we are completely raping mother earth :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brewski Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 Some high-end guitars still came with Brazilian Rosewood fretboards even just a few years ago, and a few of the custom builders can/will still build you a guitar with BR. However, it will cost you......and the supply gets smaller with every guitar that's built with it. PRS gets their Brazilian Rosewood from fallen trees only - in fact it's now illegal to cut down Brazilian Rosewood tree for the next 15 years. BTW - the lighter color can easily be remedied by using lineseed oil on the fretboard - darkens it right up. I'm going to buy every Rosewood SX guitar and in 5 years sell all the necks for 10 times I pay for them and replace the necks with Maple for a fraction of the cost. I'll make about a bazillion dollars....or is it brazillian dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rock-lobster Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 because we are completely raping mother earth :poke: oh noes! itz al gore! well, raping mother earth doesn't really make the rosewood any lighter? does it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lndianScout Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 on my new american strat it's very very dark almost black.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members V-Type Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 PRS gets their Brazilian Rosewood from fallen trees only - in fact it's not illegal to cut down Brazilian Rosewood tree for the next 15 years. BTW - the lighter color can easily be remedied by using lineseed oil on the fretboard - darkens it right up. I'm going to buy every Rosewood SX guitar and in 5 years sell all the necks for 10 times I pay for them and replace the necks with Maple for a fraction of the cost. I'll make about a bazillion dollars....or is it brazillian dollars. I almost spit my coffee out over that last sentence. Nice Work. Heres and idea along the same lines as hording the Rosewood necks. Apparently there is a bit of $$$ to be made in the Wood reclamation market. If you know your Woods(I know im laughing too) and thier species you can find lumber as simply as dumpster diving or even make a deal with a contractor to remove their scrap wood pieces. I know I have 3 acres up in Northern Michigan that is stocked with differing timbers and companies are paying good cash to let them remove some for you. Im not interested but thats what got me started on the wood reclamation gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted March 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 no-so-good rosewood: Yes, that's exactly the kind of Rosewood I was talking about, it might sound the same but it just looks rubbish, almost bad enough to make me convert to Maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rock-lobster Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 Yes, that's exactly the kind of Rosewood I was talking about, it might sound the same but it just looks rubbish, almost bad enough to make me convert to Maple. i know what you mean. some rosewood looks like it's made of bark. i can't stand that stuff. that's why my strat has an almost ebony complexity to it: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted March 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 i know what you mean. some rosewood looks like it's made of bark. i can't stand that stuff. that's why my strat has an almost ebony complexity to it: What model of Strat is that? I was looking at some American Deluxes the other day and all the Rosewood ones were of the not-so-good variety, the problem being that the best internet price for that type of Strat is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rock-lobster Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 What model of Strat is that? I was looking at some American Deluxes the other day and all the Rosewood ones were of the not-so-good variety, the problem being that the best internet price for that type of Strat is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asdfjkl semi Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 on my new american strat it's very very dark almost black.. Hate to burst your bubble, but it's probably dyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rock-lobster Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hate to burst your bubble, but it's probably dyed. does it matter? if it looks like great rosewood and it sounds decent (for the small amount of influence it has on sound), i wouldn't care if someone told me mine was dyed either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members go cat go Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 I don't mind the lighter stuff. Check out my fiesta red Warmoth: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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