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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:02 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:15 pm
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First name: Ed
Last Name: Bond
City: Vancouver
Country: Canada
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Status: Professional
That would be awesome!


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 1:24 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:27 pm
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First name: john
Last Name: shelton
City: Alsea
State: Oregon
Zip/Postal Code: 97324
Country: usa
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meddlingfool wrote:
I've been curious about the TEK.

Shame shipping is so damned high from Spain.

Me too. One thing I don't like about TEK, judging by the photos on Madinter's site, is that it really doesn't look like ebony; whereas the Rocklite Ebano product is pretty much a dead ringer for high grade ebony, if there's any tip-off that it's synthetic it would be that it's too perfect.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 2:12 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 1:45 pm
Posts: 1445
First name: Michael
Last Name: Colbert
City: Anacortes
State: WA
Focus: Build
jshelton wrote:
meddlingfool wrote:
I've been curious about the TEK.

Shame shipping is so damned high from Spain.

Me too. One thing I don't like about TEK, judging by the photos on Madinter's site, is that it really doesn't look like ebony; whereas the Rocklite Ebano product is pretty much a dead ringer for high grade ebony, if there's any tip-off that it's synthetic it would be that it's too perfect.


It’s hard saying what the Blackwood looks like given the quality of the photos I’ve seen. The Richlite would be too homogeneous for my taste plus it’s really hard on tools. The Rocklite is too expensive IMO.

Ill post decent pictures when it arrives


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:34 pm 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:15 pm
Posts: 1041
First name: Gil
Last Name: Draper
City: Knoxville
State: Tennessee
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
I'll have several pics and impressions of Blackwood Tek in use soon. Probably by mid-next week.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:53 pm 
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Koa
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First name: Michael
Last Name: Colbert
City: Anacortes
State: WA
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Goodin wrote:
I'll have several pics and impressions of Blackwood Tek in use soon. Probably by mid-next week.


I look forward to your opinion on the stuff. Will you be able to compare the Blackwood with the other two offerings?

Best, M


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:58 pm 
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Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:20 am
Posts: 2593
Location: Powell River BC Canada
First name: Danny
Last Name: Vincent
Michaeldc wrote:
DannyV wrote:
My 2 pennies. I have used it for head plates and like it a lot. No pores and it doesn't fuzz up when cutting an inlay pocket. It's well priced.

I've recently used it as binding. Much prefer the behaviour of wood. Working and finishing. I will only use it in the future as a last resort. It does bend well.

I have a FB but will likely not use it. I have heard that it crumbles pulling frets. And after working with it it feels like high grade particle board.

I believe I've heard a higher end builder mention he liked it a lot as a bridge material. I have a blank and I may test it out on the next one I do for myself.


Howdy sir, Are you using Richlite or Rocklite?



M


It would appear to be Rocklite. https://www.macphersonwoodcrafts.com/st ... 8d115eb4b3

Is that good or bad :?


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:48 pm 
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First name: Gil
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Michaeldc wrote:
Goodin wrote:
I'll have several pics and impressions of Blackwood Tek in use soon. Probably by mid-next week.


I look forward to your opinion on the stuff. Will you be able to compare the Blackwood with the other two offerings?

Best, M



No, unfortunately. I only have Blackwood Tek and haven't tried the other two alternatives. I can compare it to ebony though.



These users thanked the author Goodin for the post: Michaeldc (Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:55 am)
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 4:14 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:37 am
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First name: Murray
Last Name: MacLeod
City: Edinburgh
Country: UK
FWIW I opened a thread 3 years ago , which I believe was the first time Rocklite was mentioned on the OLF.

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=45826


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 10:57 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:20 am
Posts: 5924
It is interesting to see how peoples thinking has changed over the past three years - from a general non acceptance of synthetic materials to one of "what are the qualities and which is the best substitute". Although I don't think there will be an immediate change to synthetics, as resources dwindle and they improve in quality, they may become more accepted.
Having used laminated backs and sides for the past 20 years I am not averse to engineered materials but considering the price point they are presently marketed at I will stick with ebony and dark tropical hardwoods for the time being.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 5:14 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:34 am
Posts: 3081
I guess that all this makes me sort of glad that I have been done for years. All my instruments were solid wood. Pretty happy that I decided to make so many out of white oak, but also happy that they all were made with ebony fingerboards and pegheads except for a few BRW and one tortoise shell celluloid. Mandolins used ebony bridges, but guitars mostly used AFB.
As far as guilt over the shortage of said woods, I really don't feel too bad about all that as I used a few board feet compared to millions of board feet of the Korporations in the US, Mexico and Pac-Rim, etc. Martin made a million guitars, that's a million ebony fingerboards...
Things will change in the future, of course, and some miraculously inventive "human ants" will develop materials that they will claim to be the next best thing on the planet. Till said planet will no longer support the "human condition", I guess I can be satisfied that my instruments were made entirely of wood. That's good enough for me...


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:37 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:15 pm
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First name: Gil
Last Name: Draper
City: Knoxville
State: Tennessee
Country: USA
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Status: Professional
I just put up a review of Blackwood Tek in another thread.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:52 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:14 am
Posts: 1011
Location: Newland, North Carolina
Back in the 70's, I attended Charles Fox's "Earthworks" guitar making class. A great experience, but back on topic. Charles was, at the time, using phenolic fingerboards exclusively. The guitar I built in class is still holding up fine with that fingerboard. I have used a similar, if not the same, material on and off for a long time. Garolite XX. I get it from McMaster Carr. It's inexpensive and works great as a fingerboard material (although I've used it for other purposes too). I know it won't apply to many here, but it's the best fretless fingerboard material I've ever used.

It re-frets fine. It looks pretty much like really black ebony (cutting through the layers of paper leaves a grain pattern when the fingerboard is domed). Glues well. Wears like iron. Works well with woodworking tools. Stinks like the devil when you work it, and is probably pretty toxic stuff, so use a dust mask.

At any rate, I have instruments from 40 years back with Garolite fingerboards that are still holding up fine.

Daver



These users thanked the author ballbanjos for the post (total 2): Clinchriver (Thu Jul 26, 2018 5:01 pm) • Michaeldc (Sun Jul 22, 2018 8:22 pm)
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