Advanced Jumbo Ebony Fretboard?

[Folkestone]

Hi Everyone:

 

Last year, I purchased an Advanced Jumbo (2008) from a member of this board.

 

When the guitar arrived and I opened-up the box, I was surprised. It had an ebony fretboard, but rosewood bridge. I was happy to receive an ebony fretboard which I've always been partial to. The lable simply indicates, "Advanced Jumbo - Historic Collection".

 

I'm overjoyed with the guitar, but would like to find-out how it ended-up with an ebony fretboard.

 

Your insight please,

 

Jeff

[Xylophile]

Picture?

 

 

 

 

X

[modoc_333]

you sure it's not just an awesome piece of RW? i've seen some that are super smooth and solid black. odd that they would do an ebony board and a RW bridge.

[Murph]

odd that they would do an ebony board and a RW bridge.

 

Seems very odd to me.......

 

[ajsc]

Taylor Player, has a Historic collection AJ. Maybe he will be along, or you could pm, him!

[modoc_333]

i've played plenty Historic edition AJs and have never seen this. the spec sheets for the historic models all showed RW as well.

[Taylor Player]

Taylor Player' date=' has a Historic collection AJ. Maybe he will be along, or you could pm, him![/quote']

 

 

The fretboard on my 2005 AJ is most definatly Rosewood.... nice and dark but Rosewood for sure. My Taylor has an Ebony board and there is a noticable difference. I would be surprised if Gibson put an Ebony board on a standard AJ (The Historic Collection designation is not really anything special... they just used the stickers until they ran out.) Is it possible that someone swapped out the neck? Or it could be a custom order of some kind but you would think that it would be designated as such.

 

I too would love to see photos....

 

Here is mine.. you can see the fretboard is very dark rosewood.... (Not as dark as the Brazillian board on my LG1 though)

 

 

[tpbiii]

Well, we are into vintage guitars, and I would point out a few issues with your approach when buying higher $$ instruments.

 

First, you seem to be really focusing on setup -- neck pitch, saddle height, fretboard geometry, fret condition, etc. It may well be important to know what is required to set up the guitar for cost purposes, but these are all basically just maintenance issues, and on a high end guitar, are just part of the cost of owning one.

 

Comparing guitars is indeed good, but you must also consider the environment in which you test the guitar. The room acoustics is always an issue. Another issue depends on how you personally use the guitar itself. If you are a solo instrumental player, then you have the easiest task -- what you hear is pretty much what you get. If you play with others in acoustic bands or to accompany singing, your task is more complex. In that case, the issues are functional rather than subjective, and you must contrive to test the instrument in a truly appropriate context. (This is all because of the convolved way the human ear works --- what can be heard and not heard in complex acoustic sound fields.) The best bluegrass guitars we own are prewar herringbones and our prewar AJ, but these are not generally judged to have the "best" tone when played solo.

 

Of course, the cost of the instrument does matter -- when the cost is five figures, setup (and even a neck set) is a detail. This is not so for inexpensive instruments.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Best,

 

-Tom

[BigKahune]

... Last year' date=' I purchased an Advanced Jumbo (2008) ... ebony fretboard {?} ...[/quote']

 

 

Well' date=' we are into vintage guitars, and I would point out a few issues with your approach when buying higher $$ instruments. ... Just some thoughts. ...[/quote']

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Folkestone -

 

We're talkin' about the fretboard on yer 2008 AJ - right?

 

How about a pic or two?

 

Pic posting help - http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=21335

 

 

 

Taylor Player - That's some dark rosewood, and damn, yer AJ sure is a beauty! :-

[ajsc]

Well' date=' we are into vintage guitars, and I would point out a few issues with your approach when buying higher $$ instruments.

 

First, you seem to be really focusing on setup -- neck pitch, saddle height, fretboard geometry, fret condition, etc. It may well be important to know what is required to set up the guitar for cost purposes, but these are all basically just maintenance issues, and on a high end guitar, are just part of the cost of owning one.

 

Comparing guitars is indeed good, but you must also consider the environment in which you test the guitar. The room acoustics is always an issue. Another issue depends on how you personally use the guitar itself. If you are a solo instrumental player, then you have the easiest task -- what you hear is pretty much what you get. If you play with others in acoustic bands or to accompany singing, your task is more complex. In that case, the issues are functional rather than subjective, and you must contrive to test the instrument in a truly appropriate context. (This is all because of the convolved way the human ear works --- what can be heard and not heard in complex acoustic sound fields.) The best bluegrass guitars we own are prewar herringbones and our prewar AJ, but these are not generally judged to have the "best" tone when played solo.

 

Of course, the cost of the instrument does matter -- when the cost is five figures, setup (and even a neck set) is a detail. This is not so for inexpensive instruments.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Best,

 

-Tom[/quote']

 

 

 

 

What????

[tpbiii]

What????

 

Wrong thread -- sorry.

 

-Tom

[NevadaPic]

Hi Everyone:

 

Last year' date=' I purchased an Advanced Jumbo (2008) from a member of this board.

 

When the guitar arrived and I opened-up the box, I was surprised. It had an ebony fretboard, but rosewood bridge. I was happy to receive an ebony fretboard which I've always been partial to. The lable simply indicates, "Advanced Jumbo - Historic Collection".

 

I'm overjoyed with the guitar, but would like to find-out how it ended-up with an ebony fretboard.

 

Your insight please,

 

Jeff[/quote']

Hey Jeff,

 

Glad you are liking that guitar. It's a great one. My luthier told me that the fretboard is rosewood. I too thought it was ebony. It's by far the darkest rosewood I have ever seen.

 

Dave

[Xylophile]

Rosewood can be black. But the pores are bigger than in ebony and clearly visible.

 

 

 

X