Can anyone identify this fretbaord wood for me?

[umcoo]

I made a parts bass last year of this guy's backup bass, but I finally found some of the pickups he uses (took me a couple of years, but I found them eventually) so was thinking of making a 'replica' of this bass...hence the fretboard question. I'm normally not that anal about things, but it would seem there is a lot of debate about the differences between rosewood and ebony as a fretboard wood.

I'm in two minds about the state of the bass...half of me thinks 'give it a clean', half of me thinks it's a true road warrior! If I were to make a replica of the bass, I probably wouldn't get it 'reliced', I'd just have it as new and let myself get some true wear into it.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, very much appreciated.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Tait' post='997100' date='Oct 22 2010, 02:31 PM']Ebony I'd say. I can't see a grain at all on there, and rosewood normally has a more noticeable grain than ebony. Its also quite dark, although in terms of colour it could be rosewood. But the lack of real grain is my reasoning for saying ebony.[/quote]
+1 for all the reasons stated here, ebony varies from brown to black depending on how deep into the baulk it's taken from, & the seasoning & area too.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Lorne' post='998254' date='Oct 23 2010, 05:10 PM']If that is Brazilian Rosewood, then they must've searched high and low for the shitiest piece they could find

I have basses with Brazilian Rosewood fretboards, and they are a reddish/brown colour with dark grain patterns on them[/quote]

It looks like they've worked hard to source all the shittiest parts possible!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='997153' date='Oct 22 2010, 03:02 PM']Yeah totally. Look how cool gaffer tape makes this Mondeo.

[/quote]
That tow bar is never original.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1000324' date='Oct 25 2010, 07:07 PM']That tow bar is never original.[/quote]

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='simon1964' post='997421' date='Oct 22 2010, 10:49 AM']Accidental - although I like to think of it as "evidence of a hard life" rather than damage [/quote]

It could also be the first line of defense in previous bar fights too.

[Twigman]

What's it sound like?

I'm no expert but I've been led to believe that you get more top end off an ebony board than a rosewood board.

Shame really as I was seriously considering ebony on the neck of my proposed bitsa - for the look - but I want deep warm tone and am not sure if ebony will cut it.

[Wil]

Well, that particular bass would sound like this, I think it would have been used on this record anyway. My favourite song off what is perhaps my favourite album.

[umcoo]

Wil - thanks for posting that. Unfortunately, being the obsessive fan I am, they had a different bassist in for that session, and I believe it's a Precision used on that video. The bass in question is used on the album version of Pink Triangle, but not the single version.

Here's a video where you can hear the bass...excuse the artsy video

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBWRxp6l7Uo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBWRxp6l7Uo[/url]

Edited October 26, 2010 by umcoo

[Wil]

You learn something new every day

[umcoo]

For the sake of closure, I thought I'd update this thread as the man himself emailed me this morning....

Congratulations to all those who said.....Ebony!! You can be proud you have good fretboard ID skills!

[Doctor J]

I'm not one to gloat, but thanks anyway

Very sound of him to mail you with the answer, it must be said.