Ebonized rosewood

[DR5Guy]

Can someone explain what ebonized rosewood means? Is it some sort of composite material or wood?

Thanks!

[Grandturk]

Rosewood that's been dyed black.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Yeah, it's "ebonized" with some black dye. Because the only difference between ebony and rosewood is the color...

[DonP]

Ever hear of a sharpie?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Ever hear of a sharpie?

You can fix anything with the right color Sharpie.

[ulijdavid]

www.stewmac.com sells some dye for doing this. They state it is the same stuff that Gibson and PRS use. I think it is actually black shoe polish.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Fretting_tools:_Fret_dressing,_polishing/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html?tab=Pictures#details

[Hellbat]

The funny part about the stew-mac pictures is that in all cases I though the non-ebonized wood looked way cooler hehe.

[wilkinsi]

BC Rich have been known to "ebonize" their rosewood fretboards too.

[Jacksonguy666]

The jackson neck on my mutt firebird looks like it may have that. I can tell its still rosewood, but it looks way to dark to be "normal rosewood", like on my RR3 or DK2.

[Zerberus]

The jackson neck on my mutt firebird looks like it may have that. I can tell its still rosewood, but it looks way to dark to be "normal rosewood", like on my RR3 or DK2.

Rosewood can also get pretty dark, but not pitch black.

The only way to tell a real ebony fretboard from a properly dyed one is by looking at the pores. Real ebony will be 99.99% free of any visible pores, all other woods will have their usual grain structure but still be pitch black.

Luthiers have been using black leather dyes to make ebony fretboards perfectly uniform for literally hundreds of years (most ebony has streaks). Only in recent decades have manufacturers started "ebonizing" fretboards of rosewood or other cheaper woods to get the same color for less price /easier workability.

[Jacksonguy666]

Rosewood can also get pretty dark, but not pitch black.

The only way to tell a real ebony fretboard from a properly dyed one is by looking at the pores. Real ebony will be 99.99% free of any visible pores, all other woods will have their usual grain structure but still be pitch black.

Luthiers have been using black leather dyes to make ebony fretboards perfectly uniform for literally hundreds of years (most ebony has streaks). Only in recent decades have manufacturers started "ebonizing" fretboards of rosewood or other cheaper woods to get the same color for less price /easier workability.

I understand that. Lol. I can see the pores thats why I am sure its rosewood. It's just dark rosewood.

[Ben...]

I understand that. Lol. I can see the pores thats why I am sure its rosewood. It's just dark rosewood.

The rosewood board on my DK2 looks nearly black as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq9KUuzwaZM

This old video of a guitar Sully was selling shows a dyed rosewood fretboard with a couple spots on the side where it didn't dye. It's a dramatic difference.

[Jacksonguy666]

That vid confirmed it. I have a dyed rosewood board. It's bound, which is why I couldn't compare it to the side like that.

[sully]

....trying to think about what was going on with the sides of that fretboard! forgot about that one.

[Jacksonguy666]

....trying to think about what was going on with the sides of that fretboard! forgot about that one.

Just watch the vid. Lol :idea: