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Are Some Rosewoods Better Than Others?

N

nocontrols

Apr 2, 2011
915
31
#1
I'm not a "wood guy" so offer your opinion: Are all rosewood fretboards created equal or are there wildly differing grades of rosewood?

I notice some are more pale than others and some are more dark. I'm sure some will claim this has an effect on tone but the appearance is the bigger issue for me... I think pale rosewood looks bad but a nice, dark rosewood can reach an almost ebony shade of black and I love that. My new Epiphone EB-0 has a surprisingly dark and rich rosewood fretboard and I love it... it looks better than the stock photos. I also noticed that whenever I see an Ibanez bass for sale on eBay, the color of the rosewood is more like tan sometimes and I"m not a fan of that (Not to bash Ibanez, of course).

Any thoughts?
 
#2
I think Epiphone dye their boards darker.
I was cleaning up my Tbird with acetone and wiped some spray paint (previous owner did a re finish) off the fretboard and it made the wood there lighter.

My Ibby BTB has a nice dark fretboard.
I am with you on disliking pale rosewood fretboards.
 
#4
There are many different sub-species of Rosewood (Indian, Brazillian, also Cocobolo and Kingwood are Rosewoods) and like most woods many different grades within those species. It can vary massively from yellowy to rich purple, as you have noticed. However the really dark stuff you see (which appears like Ebony) is often dyed.
 
#5
I didn't know it was dyed... I've cleaned and conditioned rosewood boards and never had dye come off.

Is it weird that I didn't even realize this? I feel dumb for not knowing... lol Is it possible or probable that the dye will come out?

Anyway, like I said, it's more about appearance than tone when it comes to differences between similar fretboard materials so I can't say that I mind... it does help it look better.
 
#7
JxBass said:
Brazilian rosewood is the "holy grail of fingerboard tonewoods". This is from a premier builder well known on TalkBass for his expertise basses made with fine woods.
Click to expand...

Paul Reed Smith (yes the man himself) when showing off his wood stash at the yearly "party" he has at his shop will tell anyone point blank Indian Rosewood tonally sounds better on a guitar. He said he would put Brazilian on for anyone that really wanted it but doesn't recommended it.

But like Hostess vs. Tastykake, eye is of the beholder.
 
#11
The only rosewood board that I've ever had dye come off of was the board on my SX SJB-62---my fingers would be colored after playing it. Over time it's stopped doing that.

A couple of the lightest and darkest rosewood boards I've seen were on two MIM Strats, made a few years apart. Rickenbacker calls the wood used for their fingerboards "rosewood" but they are so light, and uniform in color, that I find that hard to believe. Rick fingerboard wood seems a lot redder than what's usually called rosewood.
 
#13
NECKS.jpg


The first neck in the picture was the best looking piece of Rosewood I have seen (not dyed) it had swirls of purple, reddish pink & dark brown in it. The guy from Lakland said the owner used a piece of exotic rosewood reclaimed from a piece of antique furniture. It is the illegal kind to harvest now I believe?
 

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