Alternative materials for fretless fingerboard . Ideas ?

[Barticus]

Has anyone used Richlite material before?

 

[shodan]

I'd throw a vote for purpleheart. Janka is 2500. Not terribly expensive and works well with the usual tools. Or Katalox. Janka at 3600. Still works fairly well and isn't cost prohibitive.

 

[REV]

Mesquite wood is very hard and reasonably priced and is sustainable.

 

[WestyBassBob]

This would probably be a terrible idea for a fretless board, but I always thought it would be interesting to do one like Danny Gatton's black pearloid Telecaster. I've never found a very good picture, but it looks like the entire board is surfaced with blocks of black and white pearloid.

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Wow he created an acid washed guitar.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I have a spare neck that is going to be converted to a fretless , headless . Last fretless conversion that I posted on here I used a richlite board which was my choice for this latest neck , but before I pull the trigger , I thought I would open it up for any ideas .

I have considered english oak , ash or various other hardwoods . Also glass , polished aluminium , stainless or ceramic . I am open to any ideas , however off the wall .

Over to you , the hive minds of TB for some ideas .

Cubic boron nitride?

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Has anyone used Richlite material before?

Sure, I've machined a couple of Richlite fingerboards on necks for customers. Have you seen this thread?

Rocklite: The Latest Synthetic Ebony For Fingerboards

In there, we talk all about the various synthetic alternatives to ebony, including Rocklite, Richlite, Ebanol, and others. All the technical info you can stand. Somewhere in the middle of the thread, I machined up a Richlite fingerboard for a customer's neck, and commented about it.

My buddy Jeremy (Mr Freekmagnet) has cut a couple of Richlite fingerboards here recently too. We're familiar with it.

Did you have a particular question about Richlite?

 

[Barticus]

Sure, I've machined a couple of Richlite fingerboards on necks for customers. Have you seen this thread?

Rocklite: The Latest Synthetic Ebony For Fingerboards

In there, we talk all about the various synthetic alternatives to ebony, including Rocklite, Richlite, Ebanol, and others. All the technical info you can stand. Somewhere in the middle of the thread, I machined up a Richlite fingerboard for a customer's neck, and commented about it.

My buddy Jeremy (Mr Freekmagnet) has cut a couple of Richlite fingerboards here recently too. We're familiar with it.

Did you have a particular question about Richlite?

Thanks, I’ll read through the thread first to understand before asking questions thanks for pointing me to it.

 

[moon-bass]

I am in the process of getting my floors redone. The floor boards are engineered eucalyptus, and their Jaka rating is over 5,000. There's more information in this thread - Bamboo or eucalyptus basses or fingerboards | TalkBass.com

My wife and I put the boards through the wringer - I let a sample soak in a bucket of water for a day or so and have taken a metal hammer to the wood, and the wood seemed fine. We're currently using the samples as coasters.

 

[monti2889]

Use old circuit boards and resin to make your neck.

 

[Schlyder]

I'd throw a vote for purpleheart. Janka is 2500. Not terribly expensive and works well with the usual tools. Or Katalox. Janka at 3600. Still works fairly well and isn't cost prohibitive.

I built a bass recently, and used katalox for the fretboard. I really like the results. Like ebony, but with the color of wenge.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

How about quartersawn white oak? Ive always loved the look of it when higly figured, and its sure as hell hard enough.

 

[johnh89]

Has anyone used Richlite material before?

Fretless conversion , the hard way .

This was my last fretless conversion . Absolutely love it and still mighty tempted to use it for this one , but all your ideas have got me thinking ....

 

[NOVAX]

Corian

 

[Isaac_James]

Hear me out. Hard cheese, like a parmesan or aged Gouda.

Will it be durable? Will it sound at all good? Of course not. Will it ruin your strings almost immediately with grease? Darn tootin' it will. But put some fresh roundwounds on that bass and you'll be able to hold it over a plate of spaghetti and grate delicious cheese on it, while laying down some grooves. How many basses can you do that with?

(Sorry, but you DID say however off the wall and that's what I came up with)

 

[scuzzy]

I wouldn’t think aluminum would hold up to string wear long. It would have to be coated with something.
I think Bois d’arc would make a good fingerboard and look quite unique; sort of orange after being exposed for a while. It’s quite hard for North American woods at 2610 on the Janka Hardness scale. For comparison, here are a few other North American wood Janka hardness ratings;
Hickory, Pecan - 1,820
Hard Maple - 1,450
White Oak - 1,360
Beech - 1,300
Red Oak - 1,290
Yellow Birch - 1,260
Green Ash - 1,200
Black Walnut - 1,010

Here is a pic of sealed bois d’arc (Bow Wood when translated to English).View attachment 4741942

just call any farmer in south central MO, and you can probably have your pick of many Osage orange trees, iffin you do the cuttin.

 

[BassFalcon]

I am in the process of getting my floors redone. The floor boards are engineered eucalyptus, and their Jaka rating is over 5,000. There's more information in this thread - Bamboo or eucalyptus basses or fingerboards | TalkBass.com

My wife and I put the boards through the wringer - I let a sample soak in a bucket of water for a day or so and have taken a metal hammer to the wood, and the wood seemed fine. We're currently using the samples as coasters.

i came here to suggest Bamboo flooring, but it looks like you were a step ahead. Any flooring would do I think.

How about Granite?

 

[johnh89]

Hear me out. Hard cheese, like a parmesan or aged Gouda.

Will it be durable? Will it sound at all good? Of course not. Will it ruin your strings almost immediately with grease? Darn tootin' it will. But put some fresh roundwounds on that bass and you'll be able to hold it over a plate of spaghetti and grate delicious cheese on it, while laying down some grooves. How many basses can you do that with?

(Sorry, but you DID say however off the wall and that's what I came up with)

Great idea . I would do it in a flash . But I'm a flats sort of dude .

 

[Grinderman]

Has anyone used Richlite material before?

Yes... but it's in furniture I designed and built.

I still have a huge piece of it here. It ain't cheap.

 

[Grinderman]

I presume many here have seen this before?

 

[Grinderman]

I built a bass recently, and used katalox for the fretboard. I really like the results. Like ebony, but with the color of wenge.

Double take, for a split second I thought I saw Kleenex.