Is Ebony good for fretboard?

Probably the most popular fretboard wood for heavier music because it is fast to play on, sounds great with plenty of attack, and most appropriately fits the darker aesthetic of a lot of metal guitars. Ebony is a fantastic fretboard wood choice but it definitely requires more maintenance than rosewood or maple.

Does Ebony fretboard crack?

Yeah, unless kept well oiled, Ebony seems to crack more than other neck woods. But as Jim said, the cracks are generally harmless.

Are Ebony fretboards finished?

You don’t finish Ebony. Oil it every once in a blue moon if you feel like it. Some guys use lemon oil, others like linseed oil, still others use mineral oil. I’ve always left mine dry for years on end, and haven’t suffered for it.

What is better Ebony or rosewood fretboard?

In short, Ebony is a much harder wood compared to Rosewood and feels slicker to touch. It produces brighter and snappier tones, while Rosewood produces a more balanced overall tone.

Is ebony more expensive than rosewood?

Ebony is more costly than rosewood and so an ebony fretboard is typically going to be found on more expensive acoustic guitars while rosewood fretboards are going to be typically found on entry level acoustic guitars.

Is ebony the same as rosewood?

Rosewood is best known for its dark brownish and/or reddish hue with darker veining. The rose wood has close, dense grain, which makes it strong and durable Ebony is a type of evergreen hardwood. Ebony is a dense wood that is famous for its black color. Ebony is a very dense wood, dense enough to sink in water.

Why do ebony fretboards crack?

Chances are they were caused by a fretboard that was very dry for a very long time. If that board is in fact dry (it’s difficult to tell from the picture alone but my guess is it’s dry as hell) my recommendation is to first oil the fretboard for a while with lemon oil.

How do you fix a cracked ebony fretboard?

Repairing chips in your ebony or rosewood fretboard is really easy. Simply, take some ebony or rosewood dust that approximately matches the color of your fretboard and spread the dust in the chip. Next, cover the dust in super glue. I suggest using Satellite City red super glue for this job.

Can you use linseed oil on ebony fretboard?

“What happens if raw or boiled linseed oil is used on your ebony fretboard is that at some time sooner or later you will open your case to find a sticky mess exuding from the fretboard. The oil is actually leaching out of the wood. This can happen with a few other oils but linseed oils is by far the worst.

Can you oil an ebony fretboard?

There are two primary finishes that a guitar fretboard will usually come in; varnished and unvarnished. Most maple fretboards will be varnished, whereas rosewood and ebony are typically raw, or unvarnished, wood. If your fretboard is varnished, then good news – you never need to worry about oiling your fretboard.

Why is ebony so expensive?

Ebony trees are generally slow-growing and small and the demand for Ebony wood is high. The low supply and high demand for this type of wood makes it more expensive than any other type of wood. The older and darker ebony wood is, the more valuable it will be.