Cracked ebony fretboard SL2H

[68stang]

I have a 2003 model and it has many hairline gaps and voids in the ebony. I don't think it was properly cared for and looks very dried out from low humidity. The fretboard was like a piece of driftwood when I received it. Has anyone seen this before on a Jackson? I have a 70's Les Paul that has no voids or gaps after 40 years.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108676936037601029410/WhiteSL2?authkey=Gv1sRgCMvCkJDUuNLgnAE#

[SATCH1967]

that almost looks like rosewood with those gaps from a import series,, oil her up and play her

[Grim]

Your ebony will dry out eventually. Those gaps are fully repairable with an oiling and a big of humidity.

I have seem my boards get like that and they are simple fixes. You'll be fine.

[Jayster]

Wow, that needs some bore oil badly.

[DonP]

I think you guys are crazy. Doesn't look that bad to me.

And I've seen Gibson's with worse.

Each piece of wood is different.

And here's a tip for you. All the good shit is gone. There's only crap wood for regular production. Get an older guitar if you want the good stuff. I have a 77 LP Custom with the good stuff.

[sully]

I've also seen way worse. Oil it and some of that may fill in. The stuff that doesn't fill in can be sealed.

Sully

[Kisonen]

Fretboard on your guitar looks dry but otherwise perfectly normal for natural ebony that Jackson uses these days. Lot of older Jacksons have dyed fretboards. The dye also fills the grain so they look and feel smoother. Oil the fretboard and it should be fine.

[ralph]

Fretboard on your guitar looks dry but otherwise perfectly normal for natural ebony that Jackson uses these days. Lot of older Jacksons have dyed fretboards. The dye also fills the grain so they look and feel smoother. Oil the fretboard and it should be fine.

New Jackson Ebony Fretboards can be dyed too, after i got my RR1 my fingers were black from playing it, took a while for the excess dye to wear away

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I think you guys are crazy. Doesn't look that bad to me.

I've also seen way worse. Oil it and some of that may fill in. The stuff that doesn't fill in can be sealed.

+1, or +2. Whatever.

Looks perfectly normal to me - I've seen better pieces of Ebony but that looks like a perfectly normal piece of "non-premium" Ebony, looks just like all of my Ebony fingerboards that don't have any filler in the grain.

Light coat of mineral oil and buff it and keep it somewhere with a decent relative humidity and stop worrying about it.

[DonP]

I've seen guys post cracks that were serious splits right down the middle of the fretboard. I was on a couple of those thin body neck thru imports, I think with pirahna teeth. SLSMG or something like that.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Yes, those are not cracks, they're just grain lines.

[68stang]

Sully,

Are recommending to seal the larger cracks so they don't get bigger? Is it worth the time or effort to fill with ebony or will that eventually fail with changes in humidity?

[Hellbat]

I think it's just grain lines. If I shine a powerful light on my fretboard it looks somewhat like that too. Under regular lighting conditions it looks perfectly smooth. I think regular TLC sessions with oil will help minimize some of it.

[68stang]

Thanks for the input everyone.

[shreddermon]

That fingerboard needs to be oiled & conditioned for dryness. Otherwise, though, that looks perfectly normal. Those are normal grainlines (albiet, looking worse because of severe dryness), not actual cracks in wood.