Does fretboard wood make a consistent difference in tone that you can hear?

[LiveToWin]

The woods we are discussing (aside from rosewood, now that it's been CITES protected) are not exotic.

They are what guitars have been made from for decades.

Various combinations of ash, alder, maple, mahogany and rosewood.

Aside from thin veneers used as figured tops (flame maple, etc), they are not premium woods.

It's a discussion about how these common woods interact with each other to create a desired tone.

I know, I'm just pointing that luthiers repeats about this tonewood. Tonewood does not exist. Tonewood is just created term to make more sales and that's all.



Here is a good video about it.

Does "tonewood" matters - NO. Does wood matters ? Yes. To some small extent. You want a stable piece resistant to warpage or twisting etc and that's all.

 

[tfer]

They don't charge more for some woods over others?

If you look at Sadowsky's available basses at a retail level (I went here, and compared a maple vs rosewood fretboard - Invalid Link Removed) and there's a $40 difference. Maple costs more - my guess is the labor to apply the lacquer on the neck.

 

[tfer]

Seriously? You see no other woods being used in high end instruments?

Those veneers are used for appearance. They are usually on an ash or alder body.

 

[MtManiac]

The only experience I have is when the truss rod on my Portamento broke, and the fingerboard was damaged when it was steamed off.

It got replaced with a new piece of Indian Rosewood that was slightly thicker (as a result, the original nut had to be replaced).

The tone changed - made the bass darker sounding, with a less prominent upper midrange.

Basically, it made it Rosewoodier...!

Or maybe... gluier!

 

[mapleglo]

Those veneers are used for appearance. They are usually on an ash or alder body.

On a fretboard?

 

[tfer]

I know, I'm just pointing that luthiers repeats about this tonewood. Tonewood does not exist. Tonewood is just created term to make more sales and that's all.



Here is a good video about it.

Does "tonewood" matters - NO. Does wood matters ? Yes. To some small extent. You want a stable piece resistant to warpage or twisting etc and that's all.

Watched that video. And laughed.

Zero expertise. He doesn't have the slightest grasp of basic physics.

 

[MtManiac]

Specialized luthiers don't make money from the wood combinations. They make it from craftsmanship.

You could buy your furniture from IKEA, or you could hire a craftsman to build it using the same pine.

The craftsman furniture won't be found in a garage sale in 3 years.

Does that mean their comments on tonewood are irrelevant?

 

[Sixgunn]

If it was really as simple at the strings on frets (or not) vibrating in a magnetic field, then why are dead spots audible? Why do the locations and frequencies of the dead spots change when mass is added?

I'm not convinced dead spots exist. I've never experienced one/them(?).

 

[Gorn]

If you look at Sadowsky's available basses at a retail level (I went here, and compared a maple vs rosewood fretboard - Invalid Link Removed) and there's a $40 difference. Maple costs more - my guess is the labor to apply the lacquer on the neck.

I was venturing outside the scope of this particular discussion and referring more to the whole idea of tone wood in general. You said they make money from craftsmanship not wood, and I'll fully admit I'm not familiar with the offerings of high end builders, but I've seen enough classifieds here that mention up charges that they paid for one wood over another. So maybe Sadowsky doesn't have that much of an up charge for rosewood vs maple but builders on that level definitely sell fancy wood for more money, wouldn't you say?

 

[tfer]

On a fretboard?

On the body.

Finger/fretboards are almost always maple, rosewood or ebony. Anything else used is either for an attractive grain or as a substitute for an unavailable wood.

 

[tfer]

I'm not convinced dead spots exist. I've never experienced one/them(?).

Play a Fender on the G string at the 7th fret.

 

[LiveToWin]

Watched that video. And laughed.

Zero expertise. He doesn't have the slightest grasp of basic physics.

I would argue that :

 

[MtManiac]

On the body.

Finger/fretboards are almost always maple, rosewood or ebony. Anything else used is either for an attractive grain or as a substitute for an unavailable wood.

Pau ferro, ebonol, heavy duty marine epoxy?

 

[mapleglo]

On the body.

Finger/fretboards are almost always maple, rosewood or ebony. Anything else used is either for an attractive grain or as a substitute for an unavailable wood.

And Rickenbackers with a solid maple or walnut body?

 

[Sixgunn]

Play a Fender on the G string at the 7th fret.

I have a Fender. My G string, 7th fret is fine. But it's a 1965. Maybe they weren't installing dead spots, then

 

[tfer]

Pau ferro, ebonol, heavy duty marine epoxy?

Pau Ferro to replace rosewood.

Ebanol to replace ebony.

Epoxy for maple.

 

[MtManiac]

And Rickenbackers with a solid maple or walnut body?

Which also interestingly have the rosewood finished, unlike any other instrument manufacturer I can think of. If tonewood mattered, why use rosewood at all, if you're gonna finish it? Unless it's just for looks...

 

[tfer]

I have a Fender. My G string, 7th fret is fine

You're one of the lucky ones.

 

[tfer]

Which also interestingly have the rosewood finished, unlike any other instrument manufacturer I can think of. If tonewood mattered, why use rosewood at all, if you're gonna finish it? Unless it's just for looks...

Yep. Appearance.

Now they'll use Pau Ferro (my guess).

 

[MtManiac]

Pau Ferro to replace rosewood.

Ebanol to replace ebony.

Epoxy for maple.

Jaco used marine epoxy to cover his deferred rosewood board. Not sure what you're trying to say - pao ferro and rosewood are not even close to each other in any way except "wood".