Why so few ebony fb Fender necks?

[Chasarms]

Why would an ebony fb be overkill when a phenolic fb isn't

Overkill because of the expense of ebony. Phenolic is also probably more durable than a fretted fb reasonanly needs to be, but it is cheap, so it is less of an issue.

There really is a tonal characteristic factor to ebony

I don't disagree. But, I do believe that the tonal character of any fretted fingerboard is minimal. In the case of ebony, I might argue that the overall tone effect caused by ebony is somewhat greater only because it adds more overall rigidity to the neck than other woods might. Still, you could create the same rigidity with more cost-effective methods.

I don't mean to argue that ebony is a poor choice for a fingerboard. It is an excellent choice. I am just offering possible reasons why it is not commonly offered.

 

[Marcury]

I imagine that it has to do with the combo of expense and production (cnc limitations)

+1

Fenders were always meant to be inexpensive mass-production instruments (current pricing on certain models and CS production, notwithstanding), and the special care and feeding ebony requires makes little sense in that environment.

 

[butchblack]

I seem to remember a product called ebonol (sic) a synthetic with the characteristics of ebony. Jimmy Mouradian used it on his semi custom basses he made in the 80's. Don't know if the stuff is still around or how good it is on the long run

 

[gfried84]

I believe that fender uses a hydraulic fret press to install the frets in their necks. Ebony is very prone to chipping when install frets and it makes fret work more time consuming and therefore makes the instrument more expensive. I personally love ebony even though it can be troublesome to work with. PRS doesn't offer ebony fingerboards and their guitars are at least $2,000.

 

[wahman]

Fender does make the Aerodyne which as a rosewood fretboard dyed black...

 

[82Daion]

Because it scares the traditionalists.

 

[eots]

Fender does make the Aerodyne which as a rosewood fretboard dyed black...

I've considered the Candy Red Aerodyne since it already has matching headstock and a somewhat dark fretboard.
I'd add black hardware and go from there. I was just looking to bulid a parts bass for a few hundred but the dark colored necks are hard to find.

 

[stedtale]

Because it scares the traditionalists.

This, and the cost aspects are the best bet....Occam's razor

 

[Jostein]

I suspect that there is not enough ebony on the world market for a mass producer like Fender to have it on their standard models. And that if they tried, the prices of ebony would skyrocket. Or at least increase slightly.

But I see that pau ferro, which is more readily available is gaining popularity both at Fender and at other makers. It's excellent for fretless fingerboards and even though it's not black, it looks really nice in its own way.

 

[Mike Shevlin]

I'm right there with you EOTS. Builders like Roger Sadowsky have made a lot of business by offering ebony fingerboards on Fender-style basses when others would not. The jet black smooth ebony that you are referring to is African Gaboon Ebony. Their are other species of ebony that are black also, but I believe that this is the best. I played a Les Paul costom guitar for the first time when I was 12 & the first thing I asked was -"what is this fretboard made out of???". After that, I was an ebony fan & have been just as baffled that it was not more widely used on otherwise higher end instruments. As for tonal difference, you would need Jauqo III-X's advanced ear to hear the difference. I just like the look and smooth texture of the wood. It DOES shrink a little and react to humidity factors over time, requiring some sanding of the fret edges. PM me if you need more info or [email protected]. Good Luck

 

[JAUQO III-X]

In the real world,Maple is brighter than Gaboon Ebony and both are brighter than Rosewood.