If at all?

 

Most of my builds have been made using red oak neck and red oak fretboard, mainly because of easy availability. On two recent builds though, I've experimented with Walnut and Cocobolo fretboards. I've noticed the sound on these two builds is a little different and seemingly more responsive (though it may just be me). 

 

I've tried a couple of other different things on these builds as well, so I'm trying to narrow it down as to what exactly it is I've done to create this change. Any thoughts on the fretboard wood?

 

Thanks, David

Views: 2083

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

oops misspelt it.... "Cu$tom $hop"

I found this artical on luthier woods some time ago. Someone else had also posted it on another thread. The long and the short of it is the tone depends more on the luthier than on the wood. The fee received may depend more on the wood than on the luthier.
http://www.guitarnation.com/articles/calkin.htm

The best tonewood comes from the rare  "singing ringing tree"  only found on the higher slopes of a particular Nepalese mountain range, the branches must only be cut in the light of a full moon, and must be used with a nut made from the horn of a rare breed of Yak found on the same slopes...it's expensive!  (-8

๏_๏ Me want it!

...you can have it if you travel there and pay a guide to locate the right slope, tree and Yak...(-:

It is a brilliant wood to work, I like the erotic graining!  The big downside is the smell when working it. And of course you must use female Yak pee to seal and bring out the graining. Happy treking. ;-)

'fingers'

Hi

I have tried many things and the neck does play a part in the sound, try ash

I also have 2 aluminium fretboard guitars and like they way they play as they are dead flat.

Tiny minute differences affect the sound. I have the same strings and tuners on many things and they all sound different.

Facinates me..But I wood (pun) imagine the neck is doing more than the fretboard. Neck material, Nut and Bridge and Pickups tone pots and cap are all Key..

But strangely sometimes you find unexpected goodness from new materials...

It would be an interesting experiment to build 2 the same and have each with different fretboards but everthing else the same.

Most of the frequency resonate from the sound board and people have build paper backed guitars to prove this.

The neck material is good for sustain.. mahogany is good or ash.

I have a full mahogany guitar and its trebbly

A spruce top one is warmer.

Louder and warmer with a rosewood back (hardwood bounces the sound back forward)

I quite like the sound of steel and tin as the resonator materials.

Wood or bone or aluminium nut

A bridge a hardwood bridge with a fret on it better than a bolt bridge for sound..

But it's all personal I am sure...

I prefer a rosewood strat fret board to a maple one, but each is personal I am sure.

Try new things thats what I say and keep us posted..

 

 

 

I can't tell you why it makesa difference but I can definately hear a difference between a strat with a rosewood finger board and a maple fingerboard.

What these guys said...

 

"Once you start agonising over the tone benefits of one fretboard material against another for a cigar box guitar...then you've taken a wrong turn. It's a stick in a box..that's a STICK and a BOX, good people...a stick and a box."

ChickenboneJohn

 

"It's the player that makes all the difference."

Ed (Bad Finger)

 

"custom shop mumbo jumbo"

jabes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since many aspects of a CBG define its sound, unless you made a number of  CBGs identical, except for the kind of wood the fretboard is made of--and that might not even be reliable, it'd be almost impossible to tell any difference.

I think the closest you would get to the "Identical" part would be to make a CBG with a bolt on neck and then change necks. I don't know about you, but if I make two identically, they still are not identical. And that is not a bad thing.

Would it be worth the trouble. I don't think so.

Fretboard wood is where you put your fingers. It should ideally be incredibly greasy, so that you can play faster. You can make even the cheapest fretboard wood extremely greasy by rubbing it with salami or summer sausage. The differences in tone will only be apparent after many sausages are tried, which is likely to make you hungry. All that fatty goodness will however soak into your fretboard, and lubricate your playing. If you play slide, you will feel like you are on ice. Any fretboard wood will do, because it just doesn't matter; the key to great tone is selecting the right type of sausage. Wieners, Vienna sausages, and especially Kosher franks have a detrimental effect on your tone. Boiling them does not help. Many people pay lots of money for special deli sausages, but these too are a simple waste of time, unless you are having a picnic.

Strings, however...now that's where things can get interesting...>:-E

RSS

The Essential Pages

New to Cigar Box Nation? How to Play Cigar Box GuitarsFree Plans & How to Build Cigar Box GuitarsCigar Box Guitar Building Basics

Site Sponsor

Recommended Links & Resources


Forum

crossover guitar.

Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 21. 11 Replies

Tune up songs

Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies

Duel output jacks

Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies

How to Get Your Own Music on Spotify

Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 21. 2 Replies

CB Bass Guitar

Started by Mi Rankin in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Justin Stanchfield Jan 27. 5 Replies

Latest Activity

A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video
Thumbnail

Im Troubled (Tribute) Mc K Morganfield by BCB - A.D .Eker 2024.

"Thank you Poorness ! for loving it ! appreciated!"
13 hours ago
Southern Ray replied to Timothy Hunter's discussion just came accross this pickup idea on youtube.
" Very interesting. Thank you Timothy!"
13 hours ago
Kent Thurston updated their profile
13 hours ago
Southern Ray posted a photo

Punch Project!

She now sports gold metal CBGitty knobs, speaker and an Artec 2.5 watt speaker. Finished this in…
14 hours ago
Southern Ray posted a photo

Project Punch!

Gonna finally get back on this long-delayed project that is more than half complete. (The matching…
14 hours ago
Poorness Studios liked A.D.EKER's video
16 hours ago
BrianQ. left a comment for Rob (Uker) Porras
"Hope this helps?"
16 hours ago
Doug Thorsvik commented on Doug Thorsvik's photo
Thumbnail

Dueling Flatheads

"I appreciate the kind words Papa D! I have always loved the look of these cigar boxes. Glad to have…"
19 hours ago
A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video
22 hours ago
A.D.EKER posted a video

Im Troubled (Tribute) Mc K Morganfield by BCB - A.D .Eker 2024.

The recorded History By Alan Lomax for the library of Congres of the Blues, from Mc Kinley Morganfield (Aka Muddy Waters) the in this take recorded Tribute ...
22 hours ago
Papa D commented on Doug Thorsvik's photo
Thumbnail

Dueling Flatheads

"Beautiful..Nice work Doug.."
yesterday
Papa D commented on Papa D's photo
Thumbnail

american1 Sun Glo

"Thanx AGP & Doug..  4 more coming soon"
yesterday

Music

© 2024   Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

\uastyle>\ud/** Scrollup **/\ud.scrollup {\ud background: url("https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/963882636?profile=original") no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;\ud bottom: 25px;\ud display: inline !important;\ud height: 40px;\ud opacity: 0.3 !important;\ud position: fixed;\ud right: 30px;\ud text-indent: -9999px;\ud width: 40px;\ud z-index: 999;\ud}\ud.scrollup:hover {\ud opacity:0.99!important;\ud}\ud \uascript type="text/javascript">\ud x$(document).ready(function(){\ud x$(window).scroll(function(){\ud if (x$(this).scrollTop() > 100) {\ud x$('.scrollup').fadeIn();\ud } else {\ud x$('.scrollup').fadeOut();\ud }\ud });\ud x$('.scrollup').click(function(){\ud x$("html, body").animate({ scrollTop: 0 }, 600);\ud return false;\ud });\ud });\ud \ua!-- End Scroll Up -->