Ebony Fretboards - Better Than Maple?

[Just Fred]

I probably won't get any resolution here, but I've been searching unsuccessfully for a nice guitar with an ebony fingerboard. A lot of reading, researching, looking, etc. But harder to find than hen's teeth.

The back story: My very first guitar was an acoustic 12-string I bought brand new in 1970. It was a Framus, had a zero fret, a narrow nut, and an ebony fretboard. Man, that guitar was (and is) a terrific player! So, now I have a pretty good guitar collection, but every other guitar has either a maple or rosewood fingerboard. I lean toward maple on Fenders; Gibsons all seem to come with rosewood. A few years ago, rosewood was put on the CITES list, and then there was some movement toward ebony, but that seems to have dissipated, and rosewood is everywhere again.

Okay, I get it -- ebony is more expensive, and real black ebony harder to come by than the "streaked" stuff one can occasionally find. Why? Even the custom shops don't promote this, and I'm not sure I want to spend CS dollars (I have a Fender CS Stratocaster, and it's worth every penny. In fact, that's why I never play it!).

I'm not a guitar builder, so even though I know I can buy a neck separately, that's just not in my wheelhouse. So, putting it out there for the rest of the community: What's your opinion of ebony? Should I keep questing, or give up and stick to the maples/rosewoods?

[jads57]

You would also like Richlite fingerboard as well. Don't let the name fool you, it feels and plays just like ebony. But because guitarists are strange creatures it gets a bad rap.
It actually is more expensi e to manufacture, but easier to refret without chipping
You will probably find used Gibson's with this fingerboard at a better price as well!

[dot75]

Don't some of the higher priced Eastmans have Ebony fingerboards?

[Tal_175]

Re the title of the post. It usually comes down to Ebony vs Rosewood. Maple fretboards are typically found on Fender solid bodies and their clones (which almost never come with ebony). So given a guitar model, the choice is almost never ebony vs maple but ebony vs rosewood or rosewood vs maple (Fender types).

[Cunamara]

Are you talking about solid body electric, semi hollow, archtop, classic, flattop guitars?

[marcwhy]

I probably won't get any resolution here, but I've been searching unsuccessfully for a nice guitar with an ebony fingerboard. A lot of reading, researching, looking, etc. But harder to find than hen's teeth.

Hey Fred,
There are plenty of nice guitars with ebony, and plenty of nice guitar makers who will build you a guitar with ebony. Where are you looking?? [Or maybe, what are your search parameters, i.e., cost, brand, style, etc.?]

Regarding whether ebony is "better than maple" is just another apples vs. oranges question. Maybe there's a particular sound or feel you like, and you're trying to see which wood(s) can get you there?

Happy hunting!

[EarlBrother]

i think some ibanez have ebony at ok price at sweetwater.maybe wrong

[sgosnell]

The black ebony seems to be largely extinct. The black you see is usually dyed to make it uniformly black. It's purely cosmetic, and the only difference is some dye, the other properties seem to be close to identical. It's easy enough to tell, by wiping the black fretboard with a cloth dampened with alcohol or guitar polish, and seeing if it takes off some black dye. I have several guitars with ebony fretboards and tailpieces, and all have been dyed. Doesn't bother me either way, but I suppose it might bother some others.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I have a G&L ASAT Special, a Tele-style guitar. Made in the US G&Ls are all custom orders and you can specify an ebony fretboard.

Again, what kind of guitar are you looking for?

[MaxTwang]

"But as Taylor learned, the bulk of harvested ebony—nine of every ten trees—is in fact streaky brown in coloring and has historically been discarded."

https://acousticguitar.com/the-ebony-project-taylor-guitars-plants-trees-in-cameroon-to-preserve-this-vulnerable-tonewood/

Bob Taylor of Taylor guitars purchased the Cameroon sawmill that processes ebony and in doing so has reversed the practice of throwing away 90% of the ebony trees cut down. Pure black ebony has always been rare and now it is nearly unobtainable and the entire species is at risk due to the past harvesting waste. Now we're seeing natural ebony with it's glorious streaks, warmth and personality. Do a search for "Bob Taylor ebony" and you'll find additional reading on what Taylor is doing to make ebony sustainable.

As noted above many manufacturers dye their ebony fretboards to make them darker than natural ebony. If you like the look then take a look at fingerboard stains sold by Stew Mac and other luthier suppliers.

https://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Finishing_Supplies/Colors_and_Tints_and_Stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html

[Just Fred]

Thanks for all the replies, folks! I wasn't sure if I was stirring up a hornet's nest or not. Let me try to answer most of your questions (I don't know if I have answers for them all).

My interest in ebony fretboards stems from my first new guitar, which has an ebony fretboard. I've had it 48 years, and I love the feel. I have quite a few other guitars, ranging from a handmade nylon string classical, to a carbon fiber travel guitar. I have a number of Gibsons (Les Pauls, SGs, ESes) and Fenders (Strats and Teles). Some I like better than others, some are (for me) collector's items (which means I rarely play them), and some are "working" guitars. Most of these have either rosewood or maple fingerboards (I have a G&L Tribute ASAT Junior II that has a Brazilian cherry fretboard). So, part of my interest is more theoretical than anything else. I think I have found that neck radius does more for my playing than fretboard material (a 12" seems to work well, 9.5" is OK, anything less is unmanageable).

Because I own more guitars than I can comfortably store and/or display, I'm not interested in paying a ton for a guitar that could wind up stored in a case. I'm also not into building my own (but with this coronavirus lockdown thing, maybe a project like this could kill some time?). So, in truth, the only way I'm going to buy one is if one crosses my path that I just can't resist.

(Having typed all that, I did find one that does strike a lot of the notes. The color isn't my favorite, but the rest is quite nice!)

[Gilpy]

Ebony makes a very nice feeling fingerboard, but it seems to be more prone to swelling, shrinking or cracking with changes in humidity. Certainly not in every case, but it does happen.

People claim that an ebony fingerboard sounds different from rosewood or maple. So many things affect the sound of a guitar that I don't think it matters much.

Bob Taylor has done a good thing in educating the public about ebony harvesting practices and promoting the use of streaked ebony so that, hopefully, we'll always have it available for our guitars.

[sgosnell]

I have guitars with both ebony and rosewood fingerboards. I can't tell any difference, other than the slight color difference, and that doesn't matter to me. I never bought a guitar based on the fingerboard material.

[Skip Ellis]

I prefer anything but rosewood. To me, ebony signifies quality. Teles, of course, should be maple. I wouldn't mind a 'jazz' type Tele with an ebony fretboard and may build one in the near future. Don't like the 'baked' maple stuff either. I have no experience with guitars affected by humidity, etc. as I've always lived in a climate where A/C and humidity control is a requirement for personal comfort. I have a Godin Multiac with a Richlite fingerboard and can't tell it from ebony.

[Hammertone]

...Don't like the 'baked' maple stuff either....

Any particular reason?

Heck, I like them all - ebony, blackwood, rosewood, ziricote, bubinga, pau ferro, kingwood, wenge, goncalo alves, cocobolo, maple, padauk, bloodwood, purpleheart, etceteras ... hmmmm ... seems like a good spot to show this one:

[Jimmy Mack]

Hi J.Fred, that is a beautiful looking Tele in the photo, makes me want to customize my Tele. But, what is going on at the end of the FB next to the neck p/up? Is it just the photo or is the FB cut irregularly?

[GNAPPI]

Funny... many or most ebony FB's have GINORMOUS markers. I could never understand how so many players feel such a difference on maybe 10 of the 20 some odd frets without markers?

If my fingers were that sensitive I'd go nuts going from ebony to plastic, or do they really prefer the plastic markers? Pea under the mattress anyone? :-)

Now if ALL Ebony FB's were like this one, or had diminutive dots I'd "get" the whole argument. As it is, I do not.

Oh, richlite and baked maple is just as good as anything my calloused fingers did NOT feel.

[MaxTwang]

How about some Pale Moon Ebony? I have a Forshage with Pale Moon Ebony and it's stunning in person and feels like dark ebony.



Or Macassar Ebony

[MaxTwang]

Funny... many or most ebony FB's have GINORMOUS markers. I could never understand how so many players feel such a difference on maybe 10 of the 20 some odd frets without markers?

If my fingers were that sensitive I'd go nuts going from ebony to plastic, or do they really prefer the plastic markers? Pea under the mattress anyone? :-)

Now if ALL Ebony FB's were like this one, or had diminutive dots I'd "get" the whole argument. As it is, I do not.

Oh, richlite and baked maple is just as good as anything my calloused fingers did NOT feel.

Chet got it right with the neoclassic 'thumbnail' inlays.

[wintermoon]

Who knows? Every guitar sounds different, so unless you're able to remove/switch a fingerboard on a particular guitar and listen to the difference how could you?
For example, most vintage Epiphone archtops have Brazilian rosewood boards, even top of the line Deluxe, Emperor models, so how to compare? Top line Gibsons are ebony but you can't compare apples to oranges.

[lukmanohnz]

The Eastman AR503CE has an ebony fretboard. Mine looks a lot like the one in the photo. These are modestly priced compared to similarly spec’d Gibsons or other higher profile brands, and I am quite pleased with my guitar. I too prefer ebony to maple, but I am happy with rosewood and walnut fingerboards as well. I prefer the feel and ‘bite’ of these to the slickness of most maple fretboards I’ve played.

[Mecena]

Love only Maple and Wenge.

Hate Rosewood and Ebony.

[Graicebara]

Both Maple and Ebony fretboards seem to be very bight sounding to me (Ebony board sometimes too bright especially when pair with a maple neck. They are more punchy than Rosewood.

Just go on youtube and listen to clips of a Heritage 353 vs 555, or a YamahaSA 2000 vs a Yamaha SA1000. Jazzwise most guitars I have seen have either Rosewood or Ebony boards. Maple always seems to be between the two. Rarely have I seen a maple board on a hollow or semi-hollow guitar but for Fender.

It is a matter of taste.

[Betz]

Stirring up some things for me here. Been keeping one eye open for a hollow or semi-hollow single-cut ES with an ebony finish and an ebony board. I am fine with Richlite and it would probably look better against the black body. Make me do something dumb, it would.

[rpjazzguitar]

My first good guitar was an L50 with rosewood and I've preferred rosewood ever since.

I've had guitars with maple (a mistake for me -- maybe I just couldn't get used to the look) and ebony (not sure why), but I just couldn't get comfortable.