Official Luthiers Forum!

In your opinion, does the fingerboard and bridge have to match? I have an IRW fingerboard that is kinda purpley and bridge blank that is more brown. Perhaps it's older... or just a different color. Would that look odd? What about the fingerboard and bridge being different woods entirely... like one being IRW, ebony, or ziricote? Normally, I like these things to be consistent. ...just thought I'd ask...

Thanks,
Steve

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Use what you like, it's your guitar...
But I like things to match as well...

I like them to match as well.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Never! Use the best wood for sound and response for the bridge, regardless of your fingerboard wood.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I say, find the best wood for the sound and response for the bridge and find a matching fretboard!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

On my classicals (mostly what I build) I nearly always use ebony for the FB and a relatively low density rosewood (nothing denser than EIR) for the bridge. So, on those guitars I've literally never built one where they match.
For the couple of ss I've done, I've matched them. However, I'd have no qualms about going a similar route as I do with my classicals. As a matter of fact, for the next ss I build (whenever that will be-I've got a couple of classicals going now) I plan to use an ebony FB and PRW bridge.
I'll just add that if they don't match I think it's best to go with a plain (not heavily figured), dark FB. Dark, homogeneous ebony never looks out of place imho.

That depends, are you building classical or steel string? I'd say Waddy's absolutely correct for classicals, maybe not quite so much for steel string. Classicals are more sensitive to differences in bridge material, so you don't have quite as much freedom.
They don't need to match, but if you're going to make them match, selecting the appropriate material for the bridge is more important than the material for the fingerboard. I've done a couple of laminated bridges on steel string dreds, one was maple over walnut and the other was cocobola over ebony. Both worked fine, but I have no idea if there was any effect on the tone, since I didn't do any kind of comparisons.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Here's my approche.

When looking a guitar up front, you see three main colored components: The headstock, the fretboard, and the bridge (and sometimes the rosette makes a fourth item, depending on its overall presence). Two out of three should match. And whatever item doesn't match should at least match with something else on the guitar, like the back & sides, or the bindings (or the rosette, depending on its overall presence...).

My 2 cents...

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I don't think it's that rigid, I agree with Waddy for steel strings too. If your trying to make a good sounding guitar, why sacrifice tone for minor aesthetics? Think of some of the really olde Martins with Ivory bridges.
In my own builds if I use a rosewood bridge, I'll use a rosewood peghead overlay, that helps tie it together. I always (almost) use ebony for a fingerboard since it wears so much better.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

+1 what Waddy said.

Joe

Many spirited responces.
To me sound (tone)playability is all important.
Not looks!
I'm not into the dipped in plastic look.
Nor side purfs.
"different strokes for different folks"



Mike

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Mike Collins

My bridges and FBs don't match, AND I use side purfs!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

There's just no way I'm dying my $76.85 Ebay Brazilian Rosewood bridge black to match my ebony FB!!!!!!!

Seriously though, I hate to dye a Brazilian bridge black. I have done it to Indian though.

I'm currently building an OM with headplate, bridge, fretboard, and b&s all from the same board of BRW. Yeah, it may sound boring, but it's anything but...
I just hope it sounds good.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I don't think it matters - build it how you (or the client) want it built, and screw the matching tonewood police.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Yep. Some match, some don't, depends on the overall look and tone/durability desires, as well as how "mobile" you want the instrument to be... Brazilian is great, but usually locks the instrument to the country it was built in.

My current guitar has matching nutmeg colored Honduran rosewood. My other on-hiatus guitar will have a lavender colored Indian rosewood fingerboard, and either African blackwood or dark Brazilian bridge, depending on whether I decide to curse it with CITES, or curse it with weight

I haven't read the entire thread, but I'll toss-in my 2 cents...

I never match them up. I use what's best for each, and they both have different "needs". Ain't never had a client complain or actually notice(at least, nobody's ever even asked), and I have 'em lined-up for another decade hoping to get one of these mismatched guit'n tars...

Honestly, it never occurred to me that they should match. Ebony and rosewood both make great bridges and fingerboards, so I guess there's no real harm if the DO match, so maybe ascetically it makes sense if they match because it doesn't really matter that much? Just musing...

Whoa! BRW bridge blanks are $76.85 now?!

I paid a LOT less than that for my stash....and no, I don't want to sell any, sorry!

OT - I like the woods to match up to a point (where it affects tone) so I'm not adverse to having different woods for the f/b and bridge.

Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

Yep, inflation kills.
Hopefully the buyer isn't searching for a matching fingerboard for that bridge.
I wonder if it was mistaken for a piece of gold? That's gotta be better than $1800/BF.

Truly a healthy return on investment for the seller. If I were the seller, I would be pulling every single marketing trick of which I knew.

Dear sir/ma'am,

Congratulations on winning the auction! Your item will be packaged with utmost loving care in fine tissue and velvet, and will be shipped first thing Monday morning.
At this time, we would like to offer you a matching fingerboard blank from the same board. Commensurate with the final price of your bridge blank, this fingerboard blank would normally retail for $259.95. Since you are such a valued customer, your price would be a mere $249.95 if you act now. Additionally, we would be willing to cover the additional shipping cost.
But wait! We also have a very limited supply of headplate blanks from this same board! If you act now, one of these treasures can be yours for the unbelievably low price of $28.95 each! Just pay additional processing.
Please act now, as supplies are extremely limited.

Sincerely,
One very happy seller

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Always have plenty of sandpaper; it's rough out there!

Wasn't really me Dave, but someone posted here an Ebay auction that someone payed stupid money for a couple of bridges. Honest, it wasn't me. I have a tidy stash myself. I do wish more of them were that nice dark stuff though.

I'm with Mario on this in general; use the best wood for the purpose. I do like to match the bridge and head plate, but the fingerboard is normally ebony unless I'm making a 'green' one, in which case it's usually persimmon. I made one classical with an ebony bridge, and don't think I'll do _that_ again...

Alan, that does my heart good. I made that same mistake--once--but not again.
Back to topic, once you start waxing or oiling (or whatever you do) the f/b and bridge, they will probably move toward each other in color.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

once you start waxing or oiling (or whatever you do) the f/b and bridge, they will probably move toward each other in color

That, and time. In the case of BRW, cocobolo, and other dense rosewoods, they will darken to near-black once oiled and given a bit of time to oxidize.