matiac Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 But what exactly is it about a guitar with a fretboard made out of "Brazilian Rosewood" that makes it so much more desirable than a guitar with "plain" Rosewood? Is Brazilian more resonant? Is it because it's rare or better, protected? Is it Dense like Ebony? Whats all the hooplah? Not knockin' people that have them, just curious is all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I have no idea - I' m just posting to compliment you on your new sig line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydayisgood Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 probably the marketing angle - this isn't like the old one - no, not at all, so buy two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Forbidden Fruit Factor. I had a '96 ES-165 that had the roughest, ill-feeling board in the world. At first I tried to blame it on the fact it was Indian Rosewood but that was b.s.; that may have been a poor piece of wood but it wasn't fair of me to pass judgement, as other Indian boards are great. People are convinced Braz is better because that's what was used years ago, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share Posted October 25, 2009 So it has nothing to do with tonality, just aesthetics. And thanks Surfpup, I don't Surf, but I DO Surfcast, and I've seen some people try to whip a plug, and they'd just be better off Golfing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Well it does look very nice, thats why it almost got all used up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 No, it does have to do with tone. I asked a luthier about it and he said if you're having a guitar built and you want "the best" possible combination of woods, Brazilian rosewood (BZ) would be your choice for rosewood. It does make a difference but not all BZ is good/great wood. As for value - that's where it gets tricky. BZ was used on the original '50s Les Pauls. It was chosen because of it's superior tonal characteristics. It later became an endangered species and illegal to cut any new wood after sometime in the mid-70s. It is not expensive to buy but VERY expensive if it comes on a guitar directly from the factory. You can buy a 2003 Gibson R9 for around $3,500. A 2009 R9 with BZ could run you $7,500. If I wanted to put BZ on one of my Les Pauls, it would cost me about $1,000 - $1,200 in labour (because the entire neck needs to be refinished) and around $40 - $60 for the BZ. PRS discusses BZ in this video. [YOUTUBE] - PAUL REED SMITH 02 | BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD - The HOLY GRAIL - Private Stock[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 My guess is that it is a very hard wood...also a very old wood. Does it impact tone. No idea. I bet, though, that acoustic guitar makers would say it would. Old growth woods has to have very different tonal qualities than new growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillybilly Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 it can impact tone, at least if the whole instrument were made out of it. on a Les Paul, its mostly a nostalgia issues- wanting to be as close to original as possible. and with its endangered status, the price has skyrocketed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I cannot give you numbers of how dense BZ may be as compared to "regular" rosewood but my strat with it feels dense like ebony and the grain looks tighter than on my lp and other rosewood guitars. This gives it a smoother feel when playing much the same as ebony would. I cannot hear a difference in tones, but I don't have the exact same guitar with other rose wood - my other strat is my home made job and has different pups and different size neck and those effect tone more than just wood type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbtop Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I think it's because they smuggle cocaine in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I could not exactly figure the difference of brazilian going by pics. Rosewood has so many shades and patterns as it is, the fingerboard on my Explorer is so different from any other rosewood that I have ever seen that leaves me scratching my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Whats all the hooplah? Not knockin' people that have them' date=' just curious is all...[/quote']I never got it either, and I have it on my 12 string SG. You're not alone in the wonder of it all. I mean, I understand it was once thought of as the stuff to have but how much of that was simply due to availability? Before the internet, there was a time when much of the world communicated only thru telegraph and spotty mail service that took several weeks. What if Indian Rosewood had been the stuff that was first imported into the United States and was used on all those early electric guitars? Might we all be looking at our boring Brazilian boards wishing we could still get our hands on the endangered ($$$$$) Indian Rosewood? Structurally, tonally, I think the difference is lost on 95% of the guitar buying public. Of the 5% who get it, I think the majority of them are simply playing the $$$$ game and can't tell the difference. Me? I'm not gonna spend thousands of dollars for $40 worth of wood, as Are Nine points out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 But what exactly is it about a guitar with a fretboard made out of "Brazilian Rosewood" that makes it so much more desirable than a guitar with "plain" Rosewood? Is Brazilian more resonant? Is it because it's rare or better' date=' protected? Is it Dense like Ebony? Whats all the hooplah? Not knockin' people that have them, just curious is all...[/quote'] I'm with KSDADDY. If it weren't on the 'dont cut no more' list, it wouldn't be so 'sought after'. Back when I was in high school, Coors beer was not, could not, be sold in Illinois. Countless Illinoisans would trundle off to Colorado in their campers and return, campers loaded with 'boog leg' Coors. "Ooooh," the neighbors would say, "Can I have some?" Eventually, Coors obtained the proper permits to market in Illinois. Guess what? Coors execs decided they were better off on the 'boot leg' list. Sales to Illinois tanked. Rose wood body affects tone? Yup. Rosewood fingerboard? I don't believe it. If the sound board made a difference, then why not the entire neck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzboy Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 http://reviews.ebay.com/Brazilian-rosewood-guitar-wood-in-todays-market-place_W0QQugidZ10000000001231206 http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/15644-what-woods-gibson-using-today.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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