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Is this rosewood?

jazzman64

Commercial User
Apr 16, 2021
373
809
North Jersey
Is this rosewood? I’m having trouble finding out!
5C4725DA-7DE7-453E-BB79-99914CC7C2A5.jpeg
 
I'm far from being an authority on the topic, but don't believe you can tell (like that). What I mean is I have three bass that have "rosewood" fretboards. But they all look different.....I also have Cherry Wood flooring..... but all the boards don't look the same. Some are quite different.
 
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There are several species of "Rosewood" They aren't even all in the same family. That said yours looks like Indian Rosewood which is what most people assume when something is just called "Rosewood".
Interesting note: at least initially people called them rosewoods because they thought they smelled like roses when they were cut. Now there's a scientific naming system.
 
There are many species of "rosewood", and they come from different origins and countries. Some have a kind of strip design, like the Brazilian Jacarandá. Photos 1, 2 (J) and (3) are according to Fender, rosewood. Photos a, b and c is indian rosewood. Photo x, on the left Strato with pau ferro and on the right Precision Performer with rosewood. The Jazz AM PRO I looks like ebony, the Jazz ANNI 75 looks like pau ferro, the Strato looks like Brazilian Jacarandá and the Performer looks like rosewood. The Marleaux really looks like indian rosewood. it's a mess these grains of these woods. I think your board is rosewood. I would say from the strips that a type of rosewood is close to the Brazilian Jacarandá.

1.jpg 2.JPG 3.JPG a.JPG b.JPG c.JPG x.JPG
 
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Pau ferro is technically a species of rosewood.

Technically they're not even the same genus. Per Wikipedia, "All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus Dalbergia. ", whereas Pau Ferro is genus Libidibia (genus/species Libidibia ferrea). The term "Rosewood" is used loosely to refer to both.
 
Indian Rosewood is my opinion. I'm sure the taxonomy is fairly fleshed out, but when some dude in Indonesia etc. goes out and steals trees and sends them off to dodgy mills etc., which happens more than we think in my opinion, who knows whether they correctly identify it? It looks just like what warmoth labels indian rosewood. It looks nothing like what fender sells as Pau Ferro, which actually looks nothing like what Peavey calls Pau Ferro. I doubt anyone actually employs botanists to ID any of it. It's not as bad as "Mahogany" where pretty much any dark red wood has been called such, but still...
 
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Looks like rosewood to me. I've owned plenty of instruments with East Indian boards that look extremely similar to that one.

I don't believe it's pau ferro/morado as your board is too dark. Yup, if I were a bettin' man, I'd say it's East Indian rosewood.

Is this rosewood? I’m having trouble finding out!
 
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