Sara Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 When I bought my new Les Paul custom a couple of weeks ago, in the product description, it said that the fretboard was ebony. However, I've since learned that since the start of last year, Gibson have been using Richlite for their custom shop guitars. Seeing as I bought my guitar very recently, I can only imagine that the fretboard is Richlite, but it was sold as being ebony. Is there any way I can find out for sure what my fretboard is made from? Thanks in advance for any help. :)
Gary Moore Tribute Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 When I bought my new Les Paul custom a couple of weeks ago, in the product description, it said that the fretboard was ebony. However, I've since learned that since the start of last year, Gibson have been using Richlite for their custom shop guitars. Seeing as I bought my guitar very recently, I can only imagine that the fretboard is Richlite, but it was sold as being ebony. Is there any way I can find out for sure what my fretboard is made from? Thanks in advance for any help. :) Depends Year it was made, pre August 2011 Gibson made Customs with ebony, this was confiscated in the raid (and since August 2012 they have permission to use Indian woods again and the 2nd raid items where returned not sure if ebony was brought back tho)
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 I think Gibson are deserting ebony because basically Martin own the rights to all the viable ebony in the world and, well, it seems Gibson don't like their terms or just the monopoly in general. They did have some bother over Madagascan ebony in 2009, nothing to do with the 2011 raids afaik. Martin's policy is to use all ebony trees, not just dark ones and they will not accept orders for dark ebony, it's what comes or not at all. I can't answer the OP, other than to say it depends on date of manufacture, as stated above.
Sara Posted January 10, 2013 Author Posted January 10, 2013 My guitar's serial number is CS 203399 if that's any help...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 My guitar's serial number is CS 203399 if that's any help... Yes, email that, along with the usual photos of the front and back of the guitar, and the same for the headsock, to service@Gibson.com.
Ryan H Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 I think Gibson are deserting ebony because basically Martin own the rights to all the viable ebony in the world and, well, it seems Gibson don't like their terms or just the monopoly in general. They did have some bother over Madagascan ebony in 2009, nothing to do with the 2011 raids afaik. Martin's policy is to use all ebony trees, not just dark ones and they will not accept orders for dark ebony, it's what comes or not at all. I can't answer the OP, other than to say it depends on date of manufacture, as stated above. I'm pretty sure you're talking about Taylor. There was a video with Bob Taylor awhile back where he stated that he's bought the last stronghold of Ebony in the world, and that they're using all ebony, not just pure black ebony. Obviously they supply other companies, but it's Bob Taylor who owns it.
rct Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 I think Gibson are deserting ebony because basically Martin own the rights to all the viable ebony in the world That just isn't true, you can buy ebony blanks of all grades all day long, nobody owns it all. rct
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 I'm pretty sure you're talking about Taylor. There was a video with Bob Taylor awhile back where he stated that he's bought the last stronghold of Ebony in the world, and that they're using all ebony, not just pure black ebony. Obviously they supply other companies, but it's Bob Taylor who owns it. You're quite right, my mistake, it was taylor. That just isn't true, you can buy ebony blanks of all grades all day long, nobody owns it all. rct Yes, that's right, Taylor (Thanks Caroline64) sell it wholesale to lots of different manufacturers, distributors and retailers. What I was saying is they they own the rights to all the ebony. They are the only people logging it legally. The only viable source for ebony is Cameroon and they have all the logging rights. It is also correct that they will not differentiate between dark and light ebony, the retailers, manufacturers, etc can only order ebony without specifying colour and will get what comes. Of course, the retailers and manufacturers may choose to sort it after receiving it and sell it as dark or light.
pippy Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 I'm no expert but have a really good close look at the surface of the 'board. In my limited experience of Richlite it has no texture/grain to speak of. It's a man made product and has a constant, unvarying appearance over the whole slab. Even the smoothest/finest/densest of ebony 'boards should have some suggestion of it looking like it is made of wood with very slight variations visible in the surface. P.
btoth76 Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 ... In my limited experience of Richlite it has no texture/grain to speak of. It's a man made product and has a constant, unvarying appearance over the whole slab. Even the smoothest/finest/densest of ebony 'boards should have some suggestion of it looking like it is made of wood with very slight variations visible in the surface. P. You're right to the point again, Sir! That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw the thread. Richlite is resin mixed with cellulose, so - as of the nature of the resin - it should have an absolutely smooth surface. Meanwhile ebony, - even tough it has a dense structure - has very small "scratch-like" grain-lines on the surface. Cheers... Bence
JM2112 Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 Look closely at the fret board while reflecting light off of it. Can you see if there are any pores in the wood? Ebony is very dense, but there are visable pores that can bee seen. Richlite on the other hand has no pores at all.
Pin Posted January 11, 2013 Posted January 11, 2013 Interesting this issue of ebony and who owns it. Personally, I prefer ebony fretboards not just for aesthetics but also ebony is better re midi accuracy than rosewood or maple. But a question that occurs to me is what about other instruments and their manufacturers? I can't imagine violins or cellos going without their ebony fingerboards.
rct Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 You're quite right, my mistake, it was taylor. Yes, that's right, Taylor (Thanks Caroline64) sell it wholesale to lots of different manufacturers, distributors and retailers. What I was saying is they they own the rights to all the ebony. They are the only people logging it legally. The only viable source for ebony is Cameroon and they have all the logging rights. It is also correct that they will not differentiate between dark and light ebony, the retailers, manufacturers, etc can only order ebony without specifying colour and will get what comes. Of course, the retailers and manufacturers may choose to sort it after receiving it and sell it as dark or light. By this time in human history, nearly all the ebony used for anything, including guitars, including Taylor and Collings and every other booteek maker, that ebony is on the red side of ebony, and all of it is dyed to make it black. That's why there isn't much differentiation anymore between dark and light. rct
stein Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 The only time I have heard of Taylor "owning" all the ebony is in the vid and PR by Mr. Taylor himself, claiming he has bought the rights to the "last sustainable supply" That doesn't make it true. And I don't recall that he said he "owns" all the available ebony, either.
Sara Posted January 12, 2013 Author Posted January 12, 2013 You're right to the point again, Sir! That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw the thread. Richlite is resin mixed with cellulose, so - as of the nature of the resin - it should have an absolutely smooth surface. Meanwhile ebony, - even tough it has a dense structure - has very small "scratch-like" grain-lines on the surface. Cheers... Bence Look closely at the fret board while reflecting light off of it. Can you see if there are any pores in the wood? Ebony is very dense, but there are visable pores that can bee seen. Richlite on the other hand has no pores at all. Thanks for the advice guys! :) Looking closely at the fretboard, it does look more like an artificial material, than any type of wood. There are marks on it, but that's just probably from my fingers playing it for several hours. I'll have a better idea once I replace the strings, and give the fretboard a clean. Can anyone give me advice of what is the best thing to use for cleaning fretboards? I realise this may be a difficult question to answer, with me being unsure of exactly what material the fretboard is made out of...
Victory Pete Posted January 12, 2013 Posted January 12, 2013 Thanks for the advice guys! :) Looking closely at the fretboard, it does look more like an artificial material, than any type of wood. There are marks on it, but that's just probably from my fingers playing it for several hours. I'll have a better idea once I replace the strings, and give the fretboard a clean. Can anyone give me advice of what is the best thing to use for cleaning fretboards? I realise this may be a difficult question to answer, with me being unsure of exactly what material the fretboard is made out of... I have been wondering about Richlite for some time now, apparently it is the future. It will be interesting to see how it holds up to wear and how the tone will be regarded. As far as cleaning fretboards, I have tried every know oil or concoction around. They all affect the clarity of the strings and leave some residue. For the last decade I have been using nothing but a cotton rag and some body powder. It absorbs all the built up gunk. Every time I play I powder my hands and it prevents any build up at all. My boards on all 12 of my guitars are always spotless and shiny. I have just switched to this talc free kind http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=139173&catid=183877&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler talc isnt so good for you. VP
JM2112 Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Thanks for the advice guys! :) Looking closely at the fretboard, it does look more like an artificial material, than any type of wood. There are marks on it, but that's just probably from my fingers playing it for several hours. I'll have a better idea once I replace the strings, and give the fretboard a clean. Can anyone give me advice of what is the best thing to use for cleaning fretboards? I realise this may be a difficult question to answer, with me being unsure of exactly what material the fretboard is made out of... Richlite needs nothing more than just a dusting off with a soft dry cloth. Do not use any oil or fret board conditioner on richlite, it won't absorb it. Ebony can be conditioned with fret board conditioner.
Sara Posted January 13, 2013 Author Posted January 13, 2013 Richlite needs nothing more than just a dusting off with a soft dry cloth. Do not use any oil or fret board conditioner on richlite, it won't absorb it. Ebony can be conditioned with fret board conditioner. Although the shop I bought the guitar from had in the product description that the fretboard is made of ebony, I now strongly suspect it is actually made from Richlite. However, to make absolutely sure, I'm going to email Gibson customer support, and see if I can find out exactly when my guitar was made, and the specs/materials that make it up. No point in wasting money on fret board conditioner if the fret board is made of Richlite.
Victory Pete Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Although the shop I bought the guitar from had in the product description that the fretboard is made of ebony, I now strongly suspect it is actually made from Richlite. However, to make absolutely sure, I'm going to email Gibson customer support, and see if I can find out exactly when my guitar was made, and the specs/materials that make it up. No point in wasting money on fret board conditioner if the fret board is made of Richlite. Try calling 1-800-GIBSON, they can tell you everything you want to know. VP
JM2112 Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 Although the shop I bought the guitar from had in the product description that the fretboard is made of ebony, I now strongly suspect it is actually made from Richlite. However, to make absolutely sure, I'm going to email Gibson customer support, and see if I can find out exactly when my guitar was made, and the specs/materials that make it up. No point in wasting money on fret board conditioner if the fret board is made of Richlite. Smart move...
Victory Pete Posted January 13, 2013 Posted January 13, 2013 I was just chuckling to myself thinking that if you can't tell the difference, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe it does. VP
Sara Posted January 14, 2013 Author Posted January 14, 2013 Geez, there's always one smartass isn't there? lol I've never played a Richlite, or an ebony fretboard before, so of course I'm not going to be able to tell the difference, am I? There's at least two very good reasons why it matters. One is potentially being given false information in a product description on an expensive guitar, which all debates about Ebony vs Richlite aside, is a matter of concern. And of course, as has been previously highlighted in this thread, if the fretboard is ebony, I will need to treat it every so often with fretboard conditioner to keep it in good condition. If it's Richlite, I will not need to do this, and so I will save myself money by not purchasing a product that will have no effect on the fretboard. So yes, knowing the difference does matter. ;)
stein Posted January 14, 2013 Posted January 14, 2013 OK, truth is, we don't know if it matters. We're all still trying to decide.
Victory Pete Posted January 14, 2013 Posted January 14, 2013 Geez, there's always one smartass isn't there? lol I've never played a Richlite, or an ebony fretboard before, so of course I'm not going to be able to tell the difference, am I? There's at least two very good reasons why it matters. One is potentially being given false information in a product description on an expensive guitar, which all debates about Ebony vs Richlite aside, is a matter of concern. And of course, as has been previously highlighted in this thread, if the fretboard is ebony, I will need to treat it every so often with fretboard conditioner to keep it in good condition. If it's Richlite, I will not need to do this, and so I will save myself money by not purchasing a product that will have no effect on the fretboard. So yes, knowing the difference does matter. ;) My 2 Martins have ebony boards and they only get the powder treatment, they both are very clean and shiny. VP
rct Posted January 14, 2013 Posted January 14, 2013 Geez, there's always one smartass isn't there? lol I've never played a Richlite, or an ebony fretboard before, so of course I'm not going to be able to tell the difference, am I? There's at least two very good reasons why it matters. One is potentially being given false information in a product description on an expensive guitar, which all debates about Ebony vs Richlite aside, is a matter of concern. And of course, as has been previously highlighted in this thread, if the fretboard is ebony, I will need to treat it every so often with fretboard conditioner to keep it in good condition. If it's Richlite, I will not need to do this, and so I will save myself money by not purchasing a product that will have no effect on the fretboard. So yes, knowing the difference does matter. ;) Since 1971 I have never oiled any kind of fingerboard at all. Ever. rct
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