electric violin ebony substitute
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:02 am
I found this posts about the topic, but I ain't sure http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2221
I know I can ebonize almost any wood, but for an electric violin I know I need an everlasting dye and a high janka hardness wood as there are no frets and strings are in direct contact with the wood, skeptical about finished fingerboards as it would look odd to have some sort of finish on the fingerboard, anyway, I'm not well versed on how to finish a fingerboard, just know the mirror like nitrocellulose laquer.
The reasons I don't want to use ebony if possible it's for an environmental friendly perspective, I know ebony is endangered and for an electric violin it might matter less the material of the fingerboard than an acoustic, so I might get away with ebonizing a piece of purpleheart for example, but tonally wise I know ebony is kinda "reflective" by nature, since its pore is so close and hard it "reflects" higher overtones (bright in short terms) while rosewood oily content pronounce the mids and damper a bit the highs(realized this after hearing a fender 100%rosewood tele guitar), the rest of the body/neck I can probably get my hands on maple, it will all be painted black.
note: I need the wood to be able to carve the fingerboard, pegheads, chinrest and tailpiece.
note 2: I'm from Chile, if I travel to the capital of here, I can get my hands on purpleheart and maple possibly, Importing wood is another topic, which is extremely expensive.
I know I can ebonize almost any wood, but for an electric violin I know I need an everlasting dye and a high janka hardness wood as there are no frets and strings are in direct contact with the wood, skeptical about finished fingerboards as it would look odd to have some sort of finish on the fingerboard, anyway, I'm not well versed on how to finish a fingerboard, just know the mirror like nitrocellulose laquer.
The reasons I don't want to use ebony if possible it's for an environmental friendly perspective, I know ebony is endangered and for an electric violin it might matter less the material of the fingerboard than an acoustic, so I might get away with ebonizing a piece of purpleheart for example, but tonally wise I know ebony is kinda "reflective" by nature, since its pore is so close and hard it "reflects" higher overtones (bright in short terms) while rosewood oily content pronounce the mids and damper a bit the highs(realized this after hearing a fender 100%rosewood tele guitar), the rest of the body/neck I can probably get my hands on maple, it will all be painted black.
note: I need the wood to be able to carve the fingerboard, pegheads, chinrest and tailpiece.
note 2: I'm from Chile, if I travel to the capital of here, I can get my hands on purpleheart and maple possibly, Importing wood is another topic, which is extremely expensive.