I know this thread kinda goes along with the "Wenge sounding domestic woods" but, I am wondering,other than maple,what other domestic woods would be suitable for fingerboard use.I had thought maybe ash,but after a phone call to Mike Tobias he said,"I guess if you want to put that much time into it!":confused:
I hope there is something other than maple that is stable enough and has a different tone.

Being maple the softest wood Ive seen to be used as a fingerboard, I would look for local woods with a Janka value greater than maples. You could also use any acrilized wood like spalted maple, ash or whatever. PM Larry (he's a TBer) from http://www.galleryhardwoods.com for acrilized woods.

Thanks,I found the chart with a Google search.Doesn't seem to be any that are harder here in the US at first glance.By acrilized I assume you are talking about applying filling agent or a very hard penetrating finish to structurally strengthen the wood.I am looking to build my instruments with as many local materials as possible.

There must be some wood out there but not being form US I cant tell you much about that maybe you should ask Larry about an acrilized wood.

You might want to check out these guys:

http://www.rutply.com

They make stratabond and dymondwood, and other resin impregnated things. There was a craft store online that sold blocks of stratabond as long as 32" x 9" x 2 1/2" but I can't seem to find the link...

It seems good for fretless, and I've heard it a bit difficult to fret...

As long as it isn't fretless, I don't see why you couldn't use any wood for a fretboard. I have a project going (well stalled right now) that I going to use cherry for the fretboard.

lowsound

Persimmon and osage orange (bodark) are harder than maple, if you can find them. Possibly hickory also. A few guys have mentioned desert ironwood also when this came up before, and maybe mesquite.

Yep as mentioned in the other thread I've done 2 basses so far using Brown Mesquite, nice and dense with an interesting figure too.
Dirk

I think pecan will be hard and stiff enough as well. I have a board of it and I am going to give it a try.

As for being able to use anything for a fretted board, it needs to be able to hold a fret so it should be dense. It also needs not to compress under tension around the fret slots.

I think pecan will be hard and stiff enough as well. I have a board of it and I am going to give it a try.

As for being able to use anything for a fretted board, it needs to be able to hold a fret so it should be dense. It also needs not to compress under tension around the fret slots.

Thanks.This makes total sense to me.Wonder if I used the Tetor(sp?) method to fret the bass?Would the extra strength of the epoxy compensate for a wood that doesn't hold frets well?

I've done a refret this way and was very pleased with the results.......of course that was an ebony board:rolleyes:

I've used rek oak with great success...

Red oak is hard but has way to open a pore structure for my taste. You would most certainly want to fill it. White oak would be better, but still kind of soft by comparison to Persimmon or Osage Orange.

The relative large diameter of bass strings allows for the use of softer materials than guitars, banjos, mandolins and such. It's like having over sized tires on your car on a wet road. Not as much traction therefore not as much wear. I think this is why bass builders can even consider FB woods that make guitar builders like me cringe.

Greg N

I think persimmon is actually in the ebony family. I would recommend that or desert ironwood for a fretless. there is also a wood called texas ebony but I think that is a type of persimmon.

Persimmon is in the ebony genus.

I don't know what the tetor method is. There is a lot of room for experimentation but the fingerboard is one part of the bass that I don't believe it is wise to monkey around with. Choose materials whose janka and stiffness meet or exceed that of hard (sugar) maple and are properly seasoned and you will not regret it.

Tetor method is simply widening the fret slots,precutting the frets and glueing them in with slow dry epoxy.

One makes a cam clamp out of a 2x4 with three metal rods that taper like the neck and radiused a little.The frets are placed in the neck and the clamp is applied.

It makes IMHO for a better,stronger fret seat.When you need to remove a fret,just heat with a soldering iron and the glue joint comes free.

I could be spelling Tetor's name worng,so that may not help.It's been awhile here.

Locust is a very dense and hard domestic wood, but the colour may look too light, but then again..... sort of a salmon colour. Honey Locust anyway.

Tetor method is simply widening the fret slots,precutting the frets and glueing them in with slow dry epoxy.

...Didn't I recently read a post that several people people did this years ago, and then abandoned it because of bad results (including IIRC Sadowsky)?

Didn't I recently read a post that several people people did this years ago, and then abandoned it because of bad results (including IIRC Sadowsky)?

Hmmm....I will admit that I have been "out of it" for several years....but I am willing to listen to what others have said.Call me curious:hyper:

I can't remember exactly which thread it was. It would have been here in Luthier's Corner, maybe 2-5 months ago. The best search would probably be "fret epoxy sadowsky" but that might turn up quite a bit. Sorry.