pale looking ebony

[NextInLine]

-1

When I was in LA last week, I found several black pearl soloist at several GC's and each one had a really weak looking fretboard. Brownish streaks, not black. I'm staying away from new stuff.

Dry? Maybe, but I have an ESP that I bought in 1989 and never oiled it (the guitar wasn't finished) and the ebony looks awesome compared to those. Also, when I did give it a drink, it was mucho thirsty LOL!

My point in starting this thread was this. I think issues like this can make people stay away from Jacksons. Because it's not something like "the guitar has collected some dust" it's the fretboard you play on I really started to see much of these.

What I expect from Jackson is a nice black, I mean BLACK , fretboard. I see lots of old Jackson's with such, really nice black fretboards And they rule!

Edit: Btw I saw this picture on evilbay. And on the auction the seller says this is a 2006 guitar...

[markD]

my new soloist, completed 10/14/05, was at the dealer 3 days when i bought it on saturday last week. the ebony board looks more brown than black.

[GodOfRhythm]

Just to add the relative argument here.

Ebony can be insanely beautiful while streaked, look at Macassar Ebony for example. In fact, I strongly prefer the heavily streaked, lushly brown and black streaked ebony varieties over the black and often 'synthetic feeling' black ebony in both looks and playability.

[XSSIVE]

GoR: oh i agree Macassar Ebony can look amazing. but "regular" ebony i like 100% black.

Macassar is some sexy stuff...check this out for example. this guitar is built by my friend/luthier Cris Mirabella of www.MirabellaGuitars.com using Macassar for all the hand made tail, bridge, pickguard and headstock, it even has a Macassar stinger on the back of the headstock...not shown.

i do all the photography and grapic design work for him from magazine ads to catalogs etc so i get to spend a few days with each of his guitars and they are nothing short of mind blowing!!

here's some pics of his new Jazz Moderne Acoustic that i shot a few days ago for an up coming magazine ad and catalog...






that shows how amazing Macassar can look on a guitar. however on a jackson it has to be 100% black or nothing for me!!

-Mike

[shreddermon]

my new soloist, completed 10/14/05, was at the dealer 3 days when i bought it on saturday last week. the ebony board looks more brown than black.

Just lemon oil it already, and it will go naturally black. A 10 minute effort, at worst.

[Bengal65]

This will take care of it. As black as you can get!

[GodOfRhythm]

Incredible job on that guitar there! Astonishing quality from the looks of it! If it sounds even half as good as it sounds...!

[jimjones]

If I wanted to spend time staining a fretboard, dressing frets and setting up a guitar, I would buy used. Its tacky as hell on a new $1500 guitar IMO.

[DonP]

My point in starting this thread was this. I think issues like this can make people stay away from Jacksons. Because it's not something like "the guitar has collected some dust" it's the fretboard you play on I really started to see much of these.

What I expect from Jackson is a nice black, I mean BLACK , fretboard. I see lots of old Jackson's with such, really nice black fretboards And they rule!

Edit: Btw I saw this picture on evilbay. And on the auction the seller says this is a 2006 guitar...

I'm curious if it's Jackson or everyone. The good black stuff might be all gone. I've heard other big names dye their ebony. I guess Jackson should join the crowd.

[xenophobe]

I started seeing many Jacksons with fretboards like this one



It doesn't even look "black"

Is this a kind of ebony or does the fretboard need oiling?

Thanks

And it looks as if it's been played a bit... notice the fingeroil between the frets without inlays?

Perhaps the factory didn't oil the fretboard, or the factory or someone used mineral spirits, acetone, something ammonia based, etc... to remove any residue...

Either way, a little lemon oil soaking in for a few minutes, then wiped off, will do wonders to a fretboard.