Official Luthiers Forum!

Of the woods on the list, I prefer kingwood.
Nearly all of the fingerboards I use on new builds are ebony. In spite of the so-called problems, I still think it is the best.

I have never known anyone to have a reaction to contacting the wood itself. It is the dust that is the problem. Even if solid wood contact could elicit a reaction, the chance of it happening to callused fingertips is remote.
I have had contact dermatitis to cocobolo dust, but it has been limited to the more sensitive areas.

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John

I've heard you make that argument before John, but again I ask, is it worth the risk? Oils can and do leach out of wood, and they're not going to be any less of an issue than the dust.

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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."

What no suggestions for richlite?

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Another day, another dollar.

It all depends on which indigenous people of the rain forest you want to kill off first.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

i cant stand working with gloves on so I just put up with it & wash w/ cold water. Dust collector, long sleeves & a mask do the job for me.

As far as an allergic reaction from playing? Never seen calused fingers beak out in hives. Plus I finish the board w/ tru oil so i dont think theres enough contact to cause a problem. Could be a diffrent story if you played with your teeth alot!

Same with Micarta... your not going to get a rise out of these folks. I tried.

Mike (who would prefer ebony any time of the day over anything else... I buy up chunks of the stuff whenever I can find it)

So which is your preference, Joe?

I like macassar ebony the most.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Charlie, used to be I'd kill anyone for a good piece of wood. Nowadays, I'm lucky to have access to recycled wood so choice is a bit random. I'd use paduak for FB at the moment. I'm not trying to compete with others to sell my instruments so it's easier for me to make those choices and easier still for me to write- my conscience is more important than my guitars (mostly!)

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

If you can produce one confirmed case of rash on the hands from handling cocobolo, then I will stand corrected.
I have had about as severe an allergic reaction to the dust that I have seen anywhere, yet I have had no problems at all handling the wood...even with bare, sweaty hands.

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John

Chess pieces, bowls and even duck calls are made from cocobolo. It's not a rare wood by any means and I must say I've only ever heard of a reaction from actually working with the wood.

I prefer ebony and Indian rosewood and my conscience is quite clear (always!), but whatever works for you......

Wenge is pretty porous stuff; do you use some kind of pore fill or just use it au naturale?

Sand to 600 and teak oiled. I don't find the pores to be a big deal.

+1

Although for fretless banjos, you really can't beat phenolic. It's good for fretted fingerboards too--Charles Fox was using it when I was up at Earthworks years ago. Stinks like the devil when you cut it, and it will dull your tools quickly. Lasts forever though.

Dave

Thanks Mike...I may have to give it a try.

Todd, I presume your talking about me. I spent 3 years in Indonesia and visited the rainforest many times.
I'm not actually the only person in the world who believes that the type of logging carried out in rainforests at the moment doesn't benefit the indigenous people, it's quite a well held view.
Ignorance... isn't that a term for people who don't listen to others and see themselves as superior?
I have to admit I regret my original post. This forum should only be about things related to guitar making. I'll not be posting my environmentalist views here ever again.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Thank you.

My favorite to look at is ziricote. Ebony and rosewood seems to be the most used though. I like hard maple on electrics the most.

My question is how padauk (a tropical hardwood) fits in with that philosophy.

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John

[quote]My question is how padauk (a tropical hardwood) fits in with that philosophy.
[quote]

John, if you read my post properly I write that I use recycled woods wherever I can which makes my choice of FB a bit random, at the moment I have access to padauk, if I could use recycled ebony- fantastic. I think ebony is the best wood for FB I have ever used. I love the way it works under plane and scraper. It would be my first coice of FB material.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I use mostly Indian and macassar ebony, occasionally various rosewoods, ziricote, or local stuff like maple, or pear. I made a pair of dreads for the same guy last year, which had African blackwood 'boards, and the customer is convinced that this choice of wood has an important impact on their sound (which he loves). The other woods are red spruce and BRW, red spruce and pernambuco, so... But maybe, who knows, and why not? ABW should be pretty resistant to wear, it taps like a bell, its not that hard to find in FB size, and it sure looks good ("traditional", even); what's not to like?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Where can I get African blackwood fretboards? LMI used to have it but not anymore.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

You have a reasonable view, but it is one not often held by the 'save the planet' crowd. They (not me) contend that any use of a questionable material just encourages more exploitation.

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John

@TaiFu:

http://www.prosono.co.za/

John, as I wrote before, I make guitars as a hobby so I can be more flexible in my wood choice. If i were a professional luthier I would use all the tropical hardwoods available but I would put some research into how the wood was obtained (I'm sure most reputable companies already do this). The "save the planet crowd" have their hearts in the right place if not their minds, oops, a environmentalist view slipped out there, sorry Charlie!

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.