Brazilian Rosewood. Better than, um, ordinary

[danastas]

rosewood? Why is the Brazilian stuff so prized for fretboards?

I bought a Jackson archtop a few months ago and just recently the dealer found a portfolio from the JCS with pics of my guitar being made, plus all the specs, etc. I didn't know until I received the portfolio that it was made of Brazilian Rosewood. Which is a plus, I guess. But I don't know why.

[slash-ed]

I think cos of the unusual grain, and the rarity?

[Joe_Steeler]

Some guitar snobs will claim the tone is sublime.... whatever.
I've seen Braz RW fretboards that have an average grain pattern, nothing out of the ordinary and some others looks amazing. It is hit or miss.

At the end of the day it comes down to a rare and scarce piece of wood on your guitar for you to show off.
I have a PRS BRW Ltd edition run and it is pretty but not out of this world and it has a bit of a different smell to it. That is about it. Isn't the Brz wood treaty deal coming to an end as far a manufacturers able to even use the old stock? from what I recall nobody would be able to use left over stocks after a certain date.

[shelby22]

It seems to have a smoother feel to it also. Some non braz rosewood can feel pretty gritty when you bend a string.

[Special-K]

I agree to shelby 22

[zeegler]

To be honest. I can't tell the difference. Whatever type of rosewood you have, it varies wildly from piece to piece. I've owned some higher end guitars with very dark, even grained rosewood, and it's pretty damn boring to look at. One of the nicest fretboards I've seen, is on my Xaviere. I assume that for the price I paid, that it's not Brazilian rosewood, but it looks gorgeous. It has some nice color with some lighter streaks, and it's very smooth and dense. The really important thing for me, is that it feels good. I hate dry rosewood. If I get a guitar with a dry fretboard, I will condition the shit out of it with lemon oil. Sometimes it takes 3 applications to get it to soak in properly.

[danastas]

Some good information here. It seems the guitar snobs are paying through the nose for this stuff. Average price of Used LP-R7 on EBAY $2k. Used LP-R7 w/ Brazilian RW $3k.

[npacheco]

A thread about Brazilian Rosewood and no comments about how it is shaved? :ROTF: :ROTF:

Although shelby22 came the closest.

[shreddermon]

Warmoth does a pretty good explanation. Compare the Brazilian and Indian (more common) Rosewood descriptions.

They're both cool, but I'd prefer Brazilian. And, personally, I like Pao Ferro better than both.

[Rupe]

It is based primarily on the lack of availability. The "exclusiveness" has led many to assume that there is something better about it which is simply not true. Can it look better than Indian and others? Absolutely, but not necessarily. Is it better tonally? Same answer.
When I managed a music store, we did a "rosewood shootout", comparing similar guitars with rosewood fretboards and bodies (acoustics) and found littel to no difference. Two of the test guitars were identical SRV Strats, one with Brazilian. None of the participants could tell the difference live or recorded. As for acoustics, an old D-28 (brazilian) that was considered the "holy grail" of tone was bested by a newer one as unanimously voted on by everyone involved.
As for feel, there was no significant difference on the models tested. To each their own but I would never pay a premium for a guitar simply because it contained Brazilian rosewood.

[Newc]

Brazilian rosewood was being clearcut to the point of extinction back in the mid-late 80s, so when it was finally put on the "endangered species list" (or whatever trees get), all that was left was whatever had already been cut.
Old stock instantly became more valuable, and more desireable.

I fail to see how anyone can pass a law against using up existing stock (it's possible to pass such a law, but not feasible and certainly it won't help the trees to grow back). As the remaining stock is used up, the price goes up (which still won't help it grow back).

The ones who pay for it will claim it's "better" for one reason or another without providing scientific evidence - "but I can hear it, so that's all that matters" will be their most common argument.

IMO it's now an investment option more than anything else.

If someone wanted to pass a "wood law", I'd prefer it was one that reserved tonewoods for musical instruments where the wood actually made a noticeable difference in the tone (as opposed to Xylophones or steel guitars or some such), and could not be used for furniture or some such. A solid Honduran mahogany desk will not sound any better than an oak or pine desk, and your girlfriend can bang her head on a hickory headboard just as well as one made of korina.

[slash-ed]

I hear PRS gets their Braz from stumps... some people source em from recycled furniture. Not too flash eh.

[JACKSONFREAK]

The apeal to Brazilian is its tone and clearity over Indian Rosewood. Some preffer it some don't. I can hear a differance but thats just me and maybe a few others here. The draw to its collectability is. The brazilian government made the exporting and harvesting of Brazilian rosewwod illegal due to its devistation on the rain forest in brazil. The demand was so high for it they ended up practicaly destroying the rain forest and nearly completely eliminating Brazilian rosewood trees completely. After the law change all the BR that was here in the states was all we were ever gonna get from Brazil direct. there has been some transfering of the wood form country to country but it was already the previously harvested wood. So everytime a guitar or a piece of furniture or whatever is made. The supply is that much less.Making the remaining pieces more valuable do to its increasing demand and its decreasing supply. It's a viscious cycle. With fires and other natural disasters such as what happened to Larrive a few years ago up in canada when they lost 80% of thier wood including some choice Brazilian rosewood to a fire.
I've heard some amaizing Brazilian rosewood acoustics and i can understand the draw. But i think the facination with it is more because of its decreasing supply and increasing demand as an investment stand point.
Gil

[Otränad]

I don't really understand how u can hear the difference.. maybe feel it.. but hear it? I mean.. have u compared exactly the same guitar except the other one has a braz board and the other has ebony or regular rosewood.

I mean.. when u try out two guitars.. there are just too much things that play in.. so can u really hear the differecen between two board materials? just a thought..

[veemagic]

I'm not sure you will notice too much difference on a electric fret board, but as for the back and sides on an acoustic. You not only hear a huge difference you can feel it. Braz just rumbles in your gut like no other wood. imho. I have a limited Taylor with Braz back and sides and wouldn't trade it for anything. The complexity in the tones is amazing. As for the rareity. There has been an embargo since the late 60's.('67 I think) So the only wood being used is whats been on hand since then. Luthiers have to go through a long process to make sure the wood they are aquiring has been checked out.
my two cents