Hogeye Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Is that true? Looking at the Gibson website and going through the specs it says they use Rosewood or Walnut, no mention of Richlite. Is that new, or the website is wrong (which would be not new to Gibson)? Sorry J-45fan. I was just trying to me clever. It seems Gibson has a new model J-45 progressive. It has quite a few interesting features. The use of Richlite is one of them. I also find it a bit ironic that a J-45 Rosewood has an ebony board and bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J45fan Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Sorry J-45fan. I was just trying to me clever. It seems Gibson has a new model J-45 progressive. It has quite a few interesting features. The use of Richlite is one of them. I also find it a bit ironic that a J-45 Rosewood has an ebony board and bridge. Wow, I just checked the j-45 Progressive, it's for sure way to progressive for me. I really wonder who they targeting as potential customers? I like Ebony on Martin's, it's part of the sound, just like Rosewood on my favorite Gibson models. Hogeye, maybe you and I are just too conservative and old school. But that's fine with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Ebony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Wow, I just checked the j-45 Progressive, it's for sure way to progressive for me. I really wonder who they targeting as potential customers? I like Ebony on Martin's, it's part of the sound, just like Rosewood on my favorite Gibson models. Hogeye, maybe you and I are just too conservative and old school. But that's fine with me. Me also. Heck, I even prefer acoustics that are just that ..... acoustic! steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyboy Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Richlite isn't that bad.Love it on my Martin D-16GT.Will have to see in the future if it hold up with the real wood.But if I'm Gibson.I would not put it on J-45.Maybe other models just to tryout the market first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I dropped an e-mail to Willi Henkes of Antique Acoustics asking about the wood species of fingerboards and bridges on Gibsons from the 30’s and 40’s. He said that he only had wood for back and sides tested and confirmed as Indian rosewood (from a 1938 and 1941 SJ-200). However, he says there has never been any doubt that fingerboard and bridges where made of Brazilian rosewood up until the 70’s, Ebony was also used, and in 1943 and 1944 Gum Wood was used as a replacement for Brazilian. So traditionally the specs for Gibson has been Indian rosewood back and sides with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridges. I asked Willi what he thinks is the reason for the use of two species. It will be interesting to hear what he says. Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie King Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 I like ebony but rosewood is fine. As far as Brazilian rosewood goes, Martin uses Morado, a rosewood from Bolivia, on the other side of the river from Brazil. It is hard as far as rosewoods go. As a banjo builder once told me, your dog can hear the difference between rosewood and ebony on the fingerboard. On the bridge it may be a bit more pronounced. I love my Gibsons just as they are. Richlite may be better than the Micarta that Martin was using a decade ago. Don't care much for that kind of thing in a guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 As far as Brazilian rosewood goes, Martin uses Morado, a rosewood from Bolivia, on the other side of the river from Brazil. Gibson has used morado as well. I had a couple of Workingman series guitars that featured morado fingerboards & bridges. A very acceptable substitute, imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I like both rosewood and ebony, most of my acoustics have rosewood but the Songwriters ebony fingerboard & bridge does look nice (and feel nice too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J45fan Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 As a banjo builder once told me, your dog can hear the difference between rosewood and ebony on the fingerboard. I guess that's why he builds banjo's and not guitars. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I love ebony. My J-45 has an ebony board and bridge. Rosewood back and sides. I also have a 79 SG with an ebony board. Murf. Is that Entertainment Center walnut veneer with tubes? We had one like it (Zenith) from our grandfather who worked there. Our daughter has it now. Had shortwave, pre-set buttons. Could supposedly get Europe. The antenna inside was as big as a bread box, and could be rotated. Turntable on the other half. But - back to the actual discussion - as the 97% of you here who know more than I about specs - the J45 Custom specs included an ebony fb and bridge up until 3 or 4 years ago, when it switched to rw. I believe it was the only 'outlier' , so I'm guessing it was just to 'standardize' the process of ordering raw materials and inventory. Shortly thereafter, relying on memory, I think Bozeman also stopped their program of allowing individuals to order real Custom guitars, one-offs. Maybe they got tired of feedback from people asking why there was so much unpredictability and variation in their guitars. Now, it is the 5 Star Dealers that order 'customs' which are actually "Limited Edition" runs of 50 of so. All of which flies in the face of their new "Progressive J45"! Murf, do you also remember The Edsel? Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I am fime with Rosewood. Heck, I'd probably be ok with "Richlite" too. I have no experience with ebony, so I'm ignorant about any difference in tone and feel. I do like the look of an ebony board though. My Martin Performing Artist has a richlite board, which looks fantastic - like the darkest ebony. I believe it's also said to be harder than rosewood or ebony. I totally understand a preference for natural wood, and I'd prefer an ebony board, but when a man-made material exceeds nature's specs, well, it can't be too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Becoming more conscious of environmental factors, my preferences now lean towards wood that is sustainable and environmentally responsible to use. Many woods make fantastic fretboards and bridges, from walnut to cherry to morado to katalox to..........! (Baked maple is pretty cool, too.) Even richlite makes a fine board/bridge, but that said... it is not the "same" to me (although if I didn't know it was richlite, I doubt I'd notice or care)--again, I think richlite works just fine. I believe it is compressed wood fiber. That said, I am like you guys--certain woods just look wrong on certain guitars. I remember Martin was using striped ebony on their D-28s for a while, and people did not like it (even though it was quite beautiful). For a D-28 I/we just sort of expect really dark ebony. On the other hand, for my Hummingbird, I would have been very disappointed with anything except rosewood. I guess personally, and maybe I'm just a contrarian, I prefer non-ebony. I like the look of rosewood fingerboards and bridges a lot. My Hummingbird's are fantastic! But if rosewood was no longer environmentally feasible, I'm fine with a lot of stuff. Just... maybe not on my Hummingbird... I think a lot of the preference for ebony is because of its density. But even if I were to play nothing but my Hummingbird for the next 40 years, it would need a refret anyway, and even if the fretboard had divots, it would probably be fine, and if not, it could be leveled. If we are going to complain that non-ebony isn't hard enough and wears too easily, we might as well complain about our frets being inferior to stainless steel frets, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitedrifter Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I have to say that I want wood and it can be either ebony, rosewood, maple or even another wood but no plastic (richlite) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I have to say that I want wood and it can be either ebony, rosewood, maple or even another wood but no plastic (richlite) Actually, richlite is a paper-based, fiber composite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitedrifter Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Actually, richlite is a paper-based, fiber composite. I know what richlite is and it is not wood in the normal sense and in the spirit of this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I know what richlite is and it is not wood in the normal sense and in the spirit of this thread. It's not plastic in the normal sense either, though, right? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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