Gibson SG Standard 1966

[thepartyprogram]

Dear all, 

I see alot of sellers stating that 1966 SG's were still made with Brazilian Rosewood fingerboards, while claiming '66 is the last year they were being made with said boards.  Because i'm on the lookout for a sixties sg, and the prices are considerable, i would like to check if there's any experts here with facts about this?  What is the safest way to "recognize" Brazilian boards on Gibson guitars? Any tips?

Thanks all! cheers,Filip

[daverepair]

If you're not familiar with the difference between Brazilian and Indian rosewood, it will be a challenge. Brazilian is often redder, Indian is more purple-ish. But both will be quite dark on a fingerboard from the '60's. Brazilian often is reddish, with dark lines or stripes running through it. My favorite test(if I'm uncertain) is to sand a small patch of the wood in question: BR will smell sweet, like roses(surprise!), but IR does not, more just an earthy wood smell. But the sanding test is probably not possible on a seller's vintage guitar. Good luck!