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I wonder if anyone knows of a good source for Gabon ebony fretboards. I'm hoping for maybe a small supplier who can hand-pick some boards according to my criteria (quartersawn, straight-grained, colorful - NOT plain black). Any suggestions?

Thanks!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I would call Walter Lipton at Euphonon (no website but phone is 1 603 353 4882) or Gulab Gidwani of exoticwoodsExoticWoods.

They have both been supplying fingerboards for the 30+ years I have been building and will know just what you are looking for. Both offer thickness sanded and radiused fingerboards as well. Walter is the only supplier that I know that offers Ebony fingerboards for classical builders that are tapered for bass string relief. Everytime I have needed an extra wide or long ebony fingerboard for a 8 or 10 string classical or for an acoustic bass, Gulab has had it.

I am sure that a number of our sponsors also supply fingerboards, I am just mentioning the two sources above because of my experiences with them in which I have called them and asked for a specific type of fingerboard and they supplied exactly what I asked for.

Check out Gilmer:
http://www.gilmerwood.com/instrument_wood-fingerboards.htm
Great folks & excellent wood.
-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Todd I can look thru my stash for you.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Todd, I'd think Macasser ebony would have those desired aesthetic properties better than Gabon. Mac comes in some neat stripes and swirls bathed in contrast. Wide stripes to pin stripes and everything inbetween. Gabon "color" is generally limited to gray mineral spots/streaks. The mineral color follows the tangent growth plane and can be one indicator of grain orientation. Quartersawn face will have the gray mineral streaks as thin "pin" stripes (but erratic) while flatsawn will show them as spots/elongations following the run out.

Thanks, Shawn, Chas, Bob, and Larry for your replies.

Larry, I've thought about Macassar. My first thought was that it would be TOO colorful, too attention-getting, for the guitars I'm envisioning - I'll already be using highly figured woods for backs and sides, and bear-claw spruce for the tops, so I'm looking for fretboards with some streaking, a bit of character, but nothing too wild. However, Macassar might be just the ticket if someone were willing to pick some out for me that are more subtly colored/striped.

Is Macassar about the same as Gabon in density and hardness?

Thanks also, Larry, for the education on coloring in Gabon with regard to grain orientation.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Grant Goltz, a new member here, has a rather large stash of ebony. I've bought several fb's from him, and most of it was nice and black, but I'll bet he'll have some with streaks too.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Thanks Todd.....The mineral can be used to help determine grain orientation when it can be viewed on end grain because it follows the tangent plane layers.

True Macasser ebony is about equal to Gabon in working properties and weight and density. Mac ebony can be a bit more brittle when it's mostly all black heart, but it doesn't affect it's use for fingerboards. It can be more difficult to bend for sides when nearly black as opposed to good streaking however. YMMV of course.

I would agree aesthetically that a too wild ebony board could cause eye ball havic upsetting a nice flow of lines and angles. Perhaps each board should be specially matched to the back/side/top set by photos and photo shop?

I feel very awkward "courting" potential "sales" in public, but am always happy to work one on one with a luthier to help achieve a vision.

Don't be shy, Larry! I just got some very nice macassar fretboard blanks from Larry a while back by the way...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin