Custom Shop ebony fretboard quality/grain...?

[pianoguyy]

the suggestion that they are keeping all the black stuff to themselves is wrong.

TODAY, it may be wrong. But 5 years down the road, when black is so limited in supply...
Then what?


Besides, sometimes a strategist will tell you to create the problem so that you can create the solution.
Think about it ---- start telling people that black is going to run out. Start using multi-color stuff on high end stuff so that people don't assume that it is cheap discolored throwaway wood. Everyone starts to use the multi-color stuff too.
Meanwhile, you store up the black stuff so that as supplies dwindle. You have your very own black ebony, which no one else has, no one else uses, and no one else can get.

Just because I am a paranoid conspiracy nut with a fear of bunnies, does not mean that there are not a group of people plotting to use rabbits to kill me.

[Tetsuo]

Streaky ebony is fine as long as the grain is tight.

[xenophobe]

Besides, sometimes a strategist will tell you to create the problem so that you can create the solution.

Except, ebony trees grow really really slowly, the best ebony is old growth from higher altitudes, where trees grow much more slowly... so a slow growing tree in a region where trees grow slowly isn't a good foundation for renewable growth. Brazilian rosewood is endangered too, not because of overharvesting, but because of deforestation too. It's not renewable because the habitat is mostly gone now.

[Dave Rocks]

I really had to push to get a nice tight, dark piece. This video explains a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCGvfsBoFY

I am pleased with mine but one of my older guitars has a piece that looks like plastic - super dark and almost no grain.

[xenophobe]

Dude.... that is freking sweet.

[Nightbat]

That almost looks like the quality of my rosewood FB on my Ibanez

[kmanick]

DAMN!!!! that's killer

I really had to push to get a nice tight, dark piece. This video explains a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCGvfsBoFY

I am pleased with mine but one of my older guitars has a piece that looks like plastic - super dark and almost no grain.

[sharpjimbo]

I really had to push to get a nice tight, dark piece. This video explains a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCGvfsBoFY

I am pleased with mine but one of my older guitars has a piece that looks like plastic - super dark and almost no grain.

Blloooodddy hell, that's nice - when you said you say you had to push hard, who were you pushing? Your dealer, or did you have contact directly with the custom shop?

I've really been digging this nitro Charvel that's been in TMZ for a couple of months now. Absolutely love the Dakota red and double cream scheme... Again, the ebony really lets it down. Shame.

http://www.themusiczoo.com/product/19935/Charvel-Custom-San-Dimas-Nitro-Aged-Electric-Guitar-Dakota-Red/#

[Dave Rocks]

I ordered thru Tim at The Music Zoo who Ian connected me with. TMZ was absolutely fantastic to work with. I also went to the factory and met with Mike Shannon who built these. Kurt Walton at Jackson was a big help too.

IIRC, there was one minor mistake but the rest went really well and these took 18 months from order to my door.

If I did it again, TMZ would be the only place I would consider.

[toejam]

I've really been digging this nitro Charvel that's been in TMZ for a couple of months now. Absolutely love the Dakota red and double cream scheme... Again, the ebony really lets it down. Shame.

http://www.themusiczoo.com/product/19935/Charvel-Custom-San-Dimas-Nitro-Aged-Electric-Guitar-Dakota-Red/#

I'm thinking a little bit of oil on that board will make it look much better. I've seen some ebony, as well as rosewood, that looked really pale, but then they got a lot darker after a nice drink of lemon oil (or whatever oil you prefer). Hell, my 2001 USA Fender's rosewood board looked so pale, but after some oil, it almost looked like ebony.

[Nimitz]

1990 Pro

[Zedder]

1992 Soloist Pro (before and after fingerboard crack fix):



Ebony is not a the best choice for fingerboard material if you live in northern Europe..

[Iceberg794]

This might be off topic but I prefer rosewood over ebony. But only if the rosewood is dark.
I've noticed lots of custom shops with really light rosewood.
Anybody know if you can special request the darkest piece of rosewood availble on a custom shop?

[Anders]

Ebony is not a the best choice for fingerboard material if you live in northern Europe..

Yeah... I've seen several ebony boards with cracks like that (and worse) in Sweden as well. I've seen two brand new USA Jackson's come with cracks as well.

I haven't had it happen to any of my ebony boards yet (knock on wood...). I keep the guitars in their cases, and oil the boards a couple of times a year on most of them. I don't know if that's the reason why they're still good... but it feels better at least. :p