Pau Ferro it is a tonewood, right? I'm buying a Fender Player Jazz Fretless Bass. What can I expect from this fretboard? The only thing I've found is that it is harder than rosewood. I have a MusicMan with ebony would that be close.
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Fret Board ?
- Thread starter bogie1519
- Start date
Stop fretting because you're bored.
There was just another thread on tonewoods. Moving the tonepot 3* will have a greater difference than the fretboard wood.
There was just another thread on tonewoods. Moving the tonepot 3* will have a greater difference than the fretboard wood.
It’s a pretty common fingerboard material. Many Fender guitars use it now. It’s closer to rosewood then ebony in my experience. It’s standard on lots of basses.
Pao Ferro was considered a premium wood and was available for an up charge until the rosewood scare. For sure the SRV Strat had it. And there were other models.
When 7ender started using it on a regular basis the interwebz loudly cried “foul”, and couldn’t believe their beloved 7ender could betray them by offering such garbage as standard.
I have several different fingerboard woods. I WAS going to have one of my necks made with a pao ferro fingerboard, but due to more interwebz experts complaining about soft as butter rosewood I had it made with rosewood... it still hasn’t melted, caught fire, or caused male pattern baldness. And still no marks with a steady diet of roundwounds..
in short pao ferro is an awesome fingerboard wood, and is usually a bit lighter in color than rosewood.
When 7ender started using it on a regular basis the interwebz loudly cried “foul”, and couldn’t believe their beloved 7ender could betray them by offering such garbage as standard.
I have several different fingerboard woods. I WAS going to have one of my necks made with a pao ferro fingerboard, but due to more interwebz experts complaining about soft as butter rosewood I had it made with rosewood... it still hasn’t melted, caught fire, or caused male pattern baldness. And still no marks with a steady diet of roundwounds..
in short pao ferro is an awesome fingerboard wood, and is usually a bit lighter in color than rosewood.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Tone from a solid-body fretboard seriously doesn't matter, regardless of what the experts say. Words from an "expert" and/or popular person can easily and too quickly sway the masses, so experience and experiment for yourself if possible. Feel is different among woods, though. I LOVE the smooth feel of ebony compared to the more textured nature rosewood, but there's not a tone difference. Pau ferro is a nice fretboard wood, btw...pretty and stable, with no shrinking of the wood to have sharp fret ends, like maple and ebony can exhibit (only con to the latter, imo).
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There was a video from an acoustic guitar maker on the latest tonewood thread explaining this.
And show me the audibly significant tonal difference at the output jack.
I have no idea of the provenance of that pic (I'd appreciate a link if you do), the measurement system or what's actually being measured. I'm an engineer, this stuff is really important and I can conjure measurements for all sorts of systems that present the results desired if I wanted to.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
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- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I think you'll find it in the same ballpark as rosewood in terms of fretless *fingerboard* (not fretboard). I have an original Dingwall Voodoo Prima with a Pau Ferro board and it's comparable in many ways to rosewood.
Indeed it was considered a premium wood option on instruments a few years back, more exotic than rosewood...only recently since rosewood became an import liability as environmental issues and trade in restricted types of rosewood (like the classic Brazilian type) have people sort of acted like its a second class luthiery wood.
Indeed it was considered a premium wood option on instruments a few years back, more exotic than rosewood...only recently since rosewood became an import liability as environmental issues and trade in restricted types of rosewood (like the classic Brazilian type) have people sort of acted like its a second class luthiery wood.
The output of the jack is ALL that matters for a solid body electrical instrument; that's what we actually hear, eventually. We can argue on what potentially affects it, but if you can't see that fact, you are not using your brain. I've designed and built vibration measuring apparatus before so not inexperienced at this.
Still also seeing zero evidence that a pau ferro is going to have a different tone to a rosewood FB.
Just read it. The position of the shaker used on the neck to generate that will have a profound effect on the results. Useless as evidence for your point.
Pau Ferro is an excellent fretboard wood. I have it on my trusty Sterling fretless with no complaints.
Simmer down kids, it's a guitar, make music and be happy
Tonally I don't find it any different but that is up for debate I guess.
I will say I am not a fan. It has a certain feel that is actually very different from rosewood and other fretboard woods. You'll have to try it for yourself.
I will say I am not a fan. It has a certain feel that is actually very different from rosewood and other fretboard woods. You'll have to try it for yourself.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
We can forget the fancy diagrams, charts, graphs, pictures, etc, and just...listen. Imagine that.
Does it ever really sound any different? No. Now, the pickups, electronics, and strings, they make all the difference in the world.
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No, it's tradition. You can make a fretboard from any hardwood.
The thinner one.
You're the one making the claim that different FBs make an audibly significant difference at the output jack, so it's your job to back it up, not mine to disprove it. All you've presented is a very flawed non repeated test that doesn't actually make your case at all because you don't understand it.
I have one bass with a fretted Warmoth pau ferro fret board. I like it and it is beautiful. It is hard and I find it a little bit "tappy" when I fret notes. I roll down the highs a little bit.
Isn't ebony even harder than pau ferro?
Both are excellent for fretless.
Isn't ebony even harder than pau ferro?
Both are excellent for fretless.
