Persimmon...??

[FBB Custom]

Nice, pics will be good. I don't think anyone mentioned but it is also referred to as Virginia Ebony. It does not have a wide native range, IIRC.

As far as the others you mention, I have talked with a sawyer who thought dogwood and black locust might be suitable for fingerboards. My references indicate that dogwood (cornus) is pretty tough stuff, ~2200 janka. Black Locust (robinia) also in the conversation ~1800.

I think dogwood is harder to get in well-behaved, quartered pieces. Black locust is kind of dull in general, coarse grained and sort of tan-brown but I think the trees are generally bigger. Dogwood might be worth tracking down....

 

[tjclem]

The idea of a thread and possibly some trading of domestic woods hard enough to use for fingerboards sounds interesting to me just not sure how to start a good thread on it..t

 

[FBB Custom]

I have been away for a few days so I'm not sure if a thread has been started. I'm going to try to put together a short list of woods with the right properties then maybe we can start a thread on domestic fingerboards and all-domestic basses. I'm hoping that the next "competition" (I prefer "challenge") will end up being all-domestic, but I haven't seen much in the way of a new one coalescing.

 

[tjclem]

Would love to know more about domestic fingerboard woods. But one of the major challenges, the way I see it at least, is having customers not only accept them but want them....t

 

[TapyTap]

Would love to know more about domestic fingerboard woods. But one of the major challenges, the way I see it at least, is having customers not only accept them but want them....t

...I want them.

 

[LightGroove]

Also posted in another thread but I may have located some 30yrd old air dried walnut in excellent shape...

What about sweet gum? I was reading about Virginia natives and if I read it right they used to use the bigger stuff as a mahogany alternative. perked my interest...

 

[FBB Custom]

Mahogany alternative is a bad sign. There is potential for some common name confusion here again: the name "gum" is used to refer to most of the Eucalyptus genus, which contains many hard, durable woods, but "Sweetgum" is in the genus Liquidambar.

Janka for sweetgum is < 1000, it would probably make a nice body wood.

 

[LightGroove]

Thanks...body wood was what I was after.. Ive located a few 50-60 footers with solid diamter...perhaps 16-18" or more... wonder what the crotch would be like on these....its also weird b/c I bushhog the crap out of the little sweetgums but when i find an older one I stare in awe... Oh also 2 solid black walnut and I think a HUGE cherry I hope to lay tom. weather permitting... they are dying for those that are concerned...

 

[FBB Custom]

Ah, I thought we were still talking fingerboards. Anything in the vicinity of mahogany in terms of density is fair game for a body, IMHO.

I'm not sure what american sweetgum looks like, but I am sure I speak for most here when I say that we look forward to seeing pictures.

 

[kkaarrll]

anyone have a persimmon fretless fingerboard?

 

[abarson]

Wishnevsky has been providing basses with persimmon fingerboards on his Wishbass for years. He also strives to build with domestic-only woods.