Fender no longer using rosewood ?

[songwriter21]

Ebony sucks, for the most part (Macassar an exception). It's so temperamental and stubborn compared to basically maintenance-free rosewood. I can already predict how many cracked/split boards will pop up (being mass-produced and all).

Bad choice, Fender.

 

[Axstar]

I don't care. There are far worse things to worry about. Their new substitute wood looks great and if you are an even half-decent musician then you shouldn't really care either way. I welcome any development in manufacturing materials. Leo Fender only chose Rosewood because he saw how quickly maple necks were wearing and getting dirty. If your bass playing is somehow thrown off-kilter by the 8 mm veneer of wood the frets on your bass are sunk into then you should maybe find another hobby. Worry less, practice more. Neither your fingers or your ears have eyes.

Literally all of my instruments have rosewood boards

Figuratively about half of mine do (the stuff above your quote isn't directed at you! Sorry, I realise this looks accusatory).

 

[bucephylus]

Ebony sucks, for the most part (Macassar an exception). It's so temperamental and stubborn compared to basically maintenance-free rosewood. I can already predict how many cracked/split boards will pop up (being mass-produced and all).

Bad choice, Fender.

I'm assuming this is sarcasm? You are aware that nearly every single high end orchestral string instrument uses ebony?

 

[Fender_Bender]

It's been about 5 years since I was totally on top of the wood prices, but PF was about 20% cheaper than typical Indian RW. Macassar ebony was the cheapest ebony but still 300+% the price of the Indian RW. Darker African ebonies were often twice the price of the Macassar.
I suspect that these price differences are actually a large part of the way people feel about the subject and taint people's opinions. Ie, more expensive =better.
I don't have any experience with ebony boards but a common belief was that it actually had a dampening effect to some degree despite its reputation as the king of fretboard materials.
It will be interesting to see if Fender does indeed incorporate ebony into their line and if there is a consensus reached over whether that is a positive or a negative.

 

[Rib 13]

If ANY fretboard wood feels spongy, you're fretting way too hard

I mean SERIOUSLY. I wish that teacher in junior high that gave me those whacks had one of those spongy paddles

I play with a moderate to very light touch --- I swear, I cant say anything on TB and use a word like "spongy" as an adjective to illustrate a characteristic difference reference between rosewood and maple without somebody taking everything printed here grandiose literally

 

[Bass Viking]

Once, in high school, a couple of us went out and drank a bunch of Boone's Farm wine and got pretty hammered. I had a hangover like no other the next day. For a long time after that the smell of wine made me physically ill. Not quite the same thing but sort of.

That's kind of like what hearing Kenny G did to me. It ruined the sound of the soprano sax for me. Luckily only temporarily!

 

[gln1955]

I play with a moderate to very light touch --- I swear, I cant say anything on TB and use a word like "spongy" as an adjective to illustrate a characteristic difference reference between rosewood and maple without somebody taking everything printed here grandiose literally

Just having' a bit o' fun with it. I agree that rosewood feels different and since it's actually harder and stiffer than maple, it must be the finish. You can feel the grain of rosewood, but maple is under a layer of finish of some kind, often a thick slick one.

 

[George Himmel]

Ebony will be great on the higher end models, but pau ferro on the Mexi's will just make them look cheap.

Maybe for some, but some pau ferro looks great. I've seen it get dark chocolate dark and I've seen it get nice and red with nice, streaked grain. Just beautiful wood. Of course, for every one of those I've seen I've definitely seen the washed out stripey yellow wood too.

 

[howlin]

They'll claim you forged the docs!

Could happen . . .

 

[Garret Graves]

the link shows that pau ferro is nicknamed rosewood, but true rosewood is from the dalbergia family.
Rosewood - Wikipedia

True, good point. Pyrite is called fools gold- maybe morado should be called fools rosewood . I kid, love the Pau Ferro aka Morado fingerboard in my Avatar pic, and it was not cheap

 

[Charlzm]

Ebony sucks, for the most part (Macassar an exception). It's so temperamental and stubborn compared to basically maintenance-free rosewood. I can already predict how many cracked/split boards will pop up (being mass-produced and all).

Bad choice, Fender.

Really?

I have ebony boards on two of my 10 year-old basses and have never had a moment's issue with them.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Really?

I have ebony boards on two of my 10 year-old basses and have never had a moment's issue with them.

Most haven't had any issues. It's a fine wood for fretboards.

 

[JimmyM]

the point being

I wouldn't probably be able to tell the difference without reading the specs either

Well it does look different.

 

[troy mcclure]

Not sure why more people don't like maple boards?

 

[Fender_Bender]

Could happen . . .

Possibly, but a very sensible precaution nonetheless. I once took a camera to the airport and got it "certified " because I knew I was going to be taking it out of the country in the future. Maybe this is doable with an instrument?.

 

[Hounddog409]

Ebony sucks, for the most part (Macassar an exception). It's so temperamental and stubborn compared to basically maintenance-free rosewood. I can already predict how many cracked/split boards will pop up (being mass-produced and all).

Bad choice, Fender.

Yes, ebony sucks. That's why so many use it....

I have an Ebony neck on my 25 year old LB70. Nothing wrong with it.

Why would you make a blanket statement like that when it is a commonly used material? I have never heard of any issues with ebony.

If it was low quality, temperamental, etc, instrument manufacturers would not use it. You make it sound like this in a new wood they are trying out. It is proven.

 

[RBrownBass]

I play with a moderate to very light touch --- I swear, I cant say anything on TB and use a word like "spongy" as an adjective to illustrate a characteristic difference reference between rosewood and maple without somebody taking everything printed here grandiose literally

"Spongy" does lead most readers to think something's giving (and bouncing back/restoring itself to its normal shape) beneath your fingers.

 

[MoeTown1986]

Dang! I wouldn't mind an Olympic white jazz with an ebony board and black pickguard at all.

 

[bucephylus]

Here are two basses of mine with Pau Ferro fretboards. Neither one is too shabby.

 

[birminghambass]

I'll take Pau Ferro over ebony any day. The two ebony-board basses I owned both had shrinkage causing very sharp fret ends. The Pau necks I owned were great. But, I'd still rather have a dark rosewood board over either.