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It seems that most, if not all of the guitars I look at either have ebony fretboard and ebony bridge or rosewood fretboard and rosewood bridge. I am planning a build and am wondering is there any reason not to mix up the two? Is there a reason not to have an ebony fretboard and rosewood bridge or vice versa? Or is that just a traditional way of matching woods?

Jim

Tradition is more the reason to match the fretboard, bridge and headstock veneer, but that's about it I think.

An ebony fretboard may wear better than a rosewood board, but a rosewood bridge may allow for less dampening than an ebony bridge would. You can always dye the rosewood darker if you want it to match the ebony more closely.

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Unless specified by the buyer I use Ebony F.B & Brazilian bridges.

But you can mix it anyway you want .
I like the looks & weight of a Rosewood bridge;and I thickness the top & brace acccordingly !
Mike

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Mike Collins

Truth from my point of view is that Ebony is the wrong wood to use in both cases due to weight. But to answer your question ebony is popular with players for its wearability and feel on fretboards. Rosewoods wear a tad quicker. It is common to match woods i.e. if the fretboard is rosewood for esthetics match the bridge to the fretboard. Nothing in the functionality says you have to do this.

I agree with Mike on the weight issue !
But I have some OLD Braz. F.B.s that are almost all black and weigh
as much or more than a Ebony piece of the same demensions !
Indian is so nice weight wise !!
BUT harder woods hold frets better -unless your gluing them in anyway!!

Mike

P.S. M.D.P.-ever thought of doing a book of your stuff??

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Mike Collins

As in my guitars?

Yes !!
Plus all the info you can add from guitarmaking experience !

mc

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Mike Collins

anyone ever use bocote for bridge or fretboard?
Walter

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Walter Lay
"It's taken me so long, but now that I know
I can see. All that I do or say, is all I ever will be"
- Billy Joe Shaver

The Bocote I've worked with was heavy & oily !!
It will work -but you may have to find lithe in weight pieces-for the bridges especially!!


Mike

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Mike Collins

My dear god, me a technical writer that is a scary thought. I got three more years till I hit ten years selling my work. I reach that mile stone without killing myself first I just may think about doing that. If all goes as planed I have Five years or less till I say good by to the oil field and Weatherford and build full time (when I am not flying my planes or fishing ) so maybe then.

Michael-it's a good time to put written notes down !!

Mike

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Mike Collins

Only if we get him a "Ghost Typist"!

Sorry, Michael, I couldn't resist!

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Waddy

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Waddy -your so right !!!!

Mike

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Mike Collins

I can type this right THHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBBBBBB

You're a good sport, Michael!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Just picken !!
It's a Drambuie night here !

Mc

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Mike Collins

Meh.. I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with this statement just because I don't believe building lighter is some holy grail that everyone should be trying to reach in every instance. I think choosing your wood really comes down to what exactly you're trying to achieve. It's not just wear and tear that needs to be taken into account, but each wood's affect on the tone of the instrument. An ebony bridge just produces a different sound from a rosewood bridge. I don't think you can say one sound is right and other is wrong.

As for mixing and matching woods, I certainly agree that there's no functional purpose preventing you from doing so, although I do think that the guitar may look a little awkward if one did..

I'll second that! And a heck of a great guy too!

Regarding using ebony for bridges it's not my first choice either but..... it can still make a great guitar if the weight of the bridge compliments how the specific top needs to be driven - IMHO. My point is that I think that bridge discussions would benefit from considering the context of the application and specific guitar as a system.

And of course it's often used because that is what a builder has or simply to match the color of an ebony fret board.

In a perfect world I would always use BRW like my friend Mike Collins but the world is not perfect.

Thanks for the responses. I prefer rosewood bridges but also prefer ebony fretboards. I was just wondering if there was a practical reason not to mix them. Of course, I can always give it a try and see what happens.

Jim

That's funny because I usually like it the other way around. I tend to like rosewood FB's and ebony bridges.

I've been using Madagascar Rosewood fretboards, and bridges with an ebony headcap. I love it. Really wish I could get some nice Braz for fretboards.....

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Todd (or anyone else),

Have you come up with a good method for sealing the lighter coloring (striping) in a macassar fretboard? I remember a thread a while back...I think Hesh complained that the light striping in macassar often discolors.

- Flori

So why not use a matching Honduran RW FB? Makes great bridge plates too but I know you knew that.

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Flori my friend I don't think it was me that complained about discoloration of Mac ebony - I like the stuff too and have used it on fret boards and will be using it for a bridge too on an upcoming guitar.

Check out this bridge that John Watkins made for me - I think that it will look killer with a Mac ebony fret board:



I have yet to micro-mesh or buff out unfinished Mac ebony and I am wondering if anyone else has and has any pics to post please?

Uncle Bob is right that Honduran Rosewood makes a great fret board and I have done that too but that guitar is long gone now. I have used HRW for bridge plates many times and think that it is a drop in replacement for BRW in terms of the glassy ping tone. HRW is also available...... unlike BRW at least in a reliable manner and with civilized pricing and it is not hard to find well quartered HRW either also unlike BRW where much of what is available is not well quartered unless you wanna drop a couple K.

This may seem like a strange post, but I wonder if anyone has tried using Teak for guitars. It's extreme durability comes to mind, and perhaps those natural oils could help keep things lubricated in a way. Just a thought.

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