Ebony is used more on the top of line models and other upper end range of a companies imports etc. With rosewood being the more common on the lower end to midline models. Properly curing ebony is a more expensive process then rosewood and cheaply done ebony boards can tend to crack. A big reason why its generally not a plus to have ebony on cheaper basses.
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Fretted ebony board
- Thread starter xk49w
- Start date
Hopkins
Commercial User
Have the guys who are saying that ebony is hard to work with actually ever worked with it? I'm just curious.
A maple jazz neck from Warmoth with an Indian rosewood board is $180, Ebony is $225 the price difference isn't that dramatic.
A maple jazz neck from Warmoth with an Indian rosewood board is $180, Ebony is $225 the price difference isn't that dramatic.
I have. It took me about 2 solid hours of sanding on my ebony fingerboard to give it a 10" radius, compared to about 15 minutes for the same radius on a maple fingerboard of the same dimension. Ebony is definitely more labor intensive to work with using hand tools.
If I had had a router radiusing jig, it might have been a different story.
Hopkins
Commercial User
The Mac ebony board only took me about 30 mins for a 12 inch radius. I guess I got lucky.
I have 6 basses. Three have ebony boards, so obviously, I like ebony. I also like maple (the other three) but the ebony basses have more presence. Then again, the ebony boards are on two Alembics and a Roscoe fretless, so there's more to the tone differences than just the boards.
I was using madagascar ebony. Perhaps it is more dense than macassar? Or perhaps I had crap sandpaper.
Hopkins
Commercial User
HaMMerHeD said:
Cheap sand paper may have very well been the problem. The stuff I use was about $70 at an auto body supply.
Yes it's hard wood (that's why it's used so often on fretless instruments), but "hard to work on"? I strongly disagree. A well seasoned, quality piece of ebony is EASY to work. Want hard to work? Try highly figured tiger maple.
Figured maple can be very problematic because of all the tearout issues, but it's very easy to sand. Ebony is much harder but takes sanding well. However, it's also very brittle, so a small chip or tear can snap off a much larger piece than it would on most other woods.
Thanks so much for that link. I'll gladly take my ebony with streaks and coloration in the future.
Ebony may be my favorite fingerboard wood. I know it is great on TL-5, and back in the day, it was great on my BB2000, and I think a few other basses I owned (maybe my old Alembics) had it too.
Hopkins
Commercial User
Wow, I have always been a huge fan of Taylor guitars. Now even more so. Bob Taylor is a hero.
Just George
Fingers on 4 Flatwounds
- Dec 29, 2008
- 412
- 413
- Disclosures
- Artist Relationship: Wilkins-Ampeg-La Bella
I've had ebony fretboards on the last 5 basses I've had built, 4 fretted and one fretless and on my current Wilkins Custom P/J. I love the feel, look and tone, just oil them once in a while with somthing like coconut oil and they hold up just fine. I use Dr. Duck's on mine. The attached Pictures are of my favorite with an ebony board and truss rod cover.
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