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I have someone who is asking me where to find a phenolic fingerboard for an electric guitar. I can find big manufacturers that use it, but none of them list the fingerboards for sale. Does anybody know where to find just the phenolic fingerboards?

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Reguards,

Ken H

I haven't seen anyone selling them, but you've got a CNC so you could make one! You can often get some pretty big offcuts of stuff if you call around to plastics suppliers. Just be careful to get a relatively machinable grade of phenolic; the term phenolic is almost as generic as 'plastic' in my mind...G10 is not your friend.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Ken,

Larry Davis at Gallery Hardwoods has stabilized fretboards; not sure if this is the same as phenolic.

2c,

Thanks.
The person I am asking for is not internet savy, but they are building an electric and want to put a phenolic fingerboard on it similar to what you will find on violins and doghouse bass'

I dont understand why they want it, but I'm interested in what they end up with. A sheet of the stuff would be acceptable to them but the one company they called had a minimum order of 7500 pounds of it, so they are just looking for a fingerboard or at most a sheet of it.

Thanks again,
Ken

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Reguards,

Ken H

Hi Andrew....drove thru your town early October, but not during your open hours...next time

My fingerboards and custom knife handles are not phenolic, but natural solid wood infused with a mix of acrylic resins which are polymerized into solid form. I do a lot of this for fretless electric bass use...imagine a spalted maple fretless board It's being used now by several builders for inlay and rosette work because I can also dye the wood thru and thru. Had a good display of it at GAL this year and will have it at ASIA next year.

They don't want a sheet; a sheet of phenolic is still a few hundred bucks for the cheap stuff! JJ Orly is one supplier that'll sell smaller pieces sometimes.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Ken,

McMaster Carr has phenolic in their catalog. Can't say if it's in the size or grade that you want.

Kirt

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Horton, MI

Thanks Kirt!

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Reguards,

Ken H