Domestic Woods for Fingerboards

[Craig Bumgarner]

Thanks for all these great suggestions and observations. Looks like there are lots of woods to choose from and that my concern about hardness might be over wrought.

CB

[Steve Rolig]

If Mexico or Central America isn't too far away from North America for you (at least its form this side of the globe), you could use Katalox or Mexican Royal Ebony.
Its a dark purple/brown color sometimes with figure. I've used it for fret boards and binding, works well.
Steve

[Patrick Kirkham]

This thread ties into some thoughts I've been having about using various non traditonal woods by saturating them with CA, epoxy, urethane or whatever's appropriate in a vacuum bag. It came from a line of thought about toughening the lighter of materials selected for a "melted" fretboard ala Conklin, to match the tougher material. My reservation is the unknown tonal properties as I believe it would knock a mate for ebony down to an attack envelope like rosewood or softer.
But if one liked the results one could probably use most any wood that responded to this fortification.
Any experiences out there?

[Jared Burrows]

I had some plum wood that was as hard as any ebony I've used. Beautiful pink/brown/purple/orange swirls. It was too short for fingerboards and so has ended up as bridges and headplates etc. Perhaps this really hard wood was just a particular tree?

[Michael Lewis]

Larry Davis has been offering "acrylized" woods for use as fingerboards etc. The wood is subjected to a liquid acrylic under significant pressure and heat, which the acrylic penetrates through the wood and becomes hard. I have used spalted maple with this treatment for fingerboards and bridges and the soft areas became as hard as the rest of the wood. I'm sure it would work with softer woods much the same.

[Tom Harper]

I am very impressed with katalox, which is a Mexican wood, so it meets the North American continent requirement. It has a Janka hardness of 3690, is dark brown and very dense, and very smooth. I have made one fingerboard with it about 6 years ago. I happened to see the guitar a few days ago and the fingerboard is doing well. Dave Maize was selling it, but alas, no longer. I did see some in the local Woodcraft, so it must be around.

EDIT: Woops, I somehow missed Steve Rolig's post, so this is not news, except for the Janka number and a short geography correction .

[Steve Rolig]

I was able to get Katalox boards from Cook Woods, on e-bay, or from their on line store, large enough to cut up into fret boards which I still have a few of in my stash. I haven't shopped for it recently so I don't know what is currently available.
Steve

[Robert Eason]

Persimmon has to be very hard and also stable as the heads of the old wooden drivers and fairway woods were made from it. I have a couple of fretboards that are persimmon and have not seen any movement in them while in storage. I agree that Osage left to its own devices will turn a dark nut brown.

[Dave Haddon]

I bought some american Holly,a few years ago,for fingerboards,couldn't find anything over here,that was as white.
I've never used it,but it looks like white ebony and hasn't checked or moved at all.Can't remember where I got it from,but may have been the cue guy in Florida.Lovely wood.Unless american Holly is vastly different from british,would seem like an obvious choice.

[Ed Haney]

It has been proven that fingerboards do not need to be so awfully hard to work well. The wear on fingerboards I see most often is due to long fingernails and dirty hands. Keep your nails trimmed and hands fairly clean and your fingerboards, frets, and strings will all last longer.

I certainly agree with Mike.

The divits seen in hard rosewood & ebony fretboards must come mainly from long fingernails, or pressing so hard that the string wears it (as it plays sharp out of tune). In 40 years I've never seen any wear on my fretboards. The key is the player moreso than the fretboard wood. Even the hardest wood will not stop poor player techniques from wearing a fretboard.

Ed

[Jon Waller]

Any thoughts on red oak? Maybe white oak?

[Ken Franklin]

Maybe live oak would work. It's quite hard. Don't know any janka numbers.

[Alan Carruth]

Oak seems a bit coarse grained to me, as, indeed, does Osage orange. People do use Osage, though, and I suppose oak could work as well. Sometimes you see very slow growing trees that have really fine grain, and the ray pattern would be interesting.

[Jason Rodgers]

I did a CA fill/seal on my Osage fretboard. Put your radius on the board, coat with water-thin CA, and sand back just to the wood. It can polish up very nicely. I'm going to do this with some maple and walnut fretboards soon, as well.