Changing Fretboard Wood?

pete · #1 02-13-2007, 09:57 AM

Has anyone here sent their guitar out to change the wood on the fretboard? Rosewood's not my favorite choice for wood, so would like to swap it out for ebony. If anyone's had this done, let me know how it turned out (any horror stories out there?). Also what do the rest of you guys think about doing this? I know some of you are gonna say just get the 7vwh, but just bought a 7bsb and I think a blank ebony fretboard would make this one a very sweet player, and would look classier without the inlays. I never really like the looks and flashyness of the 7vwh.

crevis · #2 02-13-2007, 10:23 AM

I don't like the bsb inlays either, I'd send it to a pro to do it.

Dazza1004 · #3 02-13-2007, 10:35 AM

maybe consider a full neck swap, that way you can easily go back to the original if you need to sell etc. There's plenty of people making good replacement necks (see the banners above)

Jonny Friday · #4 02-13-2007, 12:15 PM

For 225 or so you can get a whole new neck from legacy exactaly the 3ay you want it, im sure it would cost more to send the original neck out and have them rip it apart. i'd hold onto the old neck for resale if you ever decide to get rid of it, but for the money i'd grab a new custom neck made for you with the wood, inlays and thickness you want for less money.

pete · #5 02-13-2007, 12:28 PM

I wouldn't want a replacement neck because I would like to keep this guitar, so really don't care about resale. I bought the bsb because I really love how the 7vwh neck felt when I tried one out in a guitar store, the shape of the neck just felt better than my dbk (personal preferance here)...and the bsb and 7vwh have the same necks. So if the neck is comfortable, there is no way that I'd want to replace the whole neck, maybe just the fretboard. I know it'll be more expensive to rip the fretboard off and replace it vs. a replacement neck, but I'm willing to spend the extra cash if I have to. Ebony fretboards to me just play smoother and sliding notes are easier than a rosewood fretboard, seems like the rosewood fretboard has more "drag" to it if that makes any sense. Just seems to me that a bsb with an ebony board would play just as good as a 7vwh, maybe even better due to the raw neck so it definitely has me thinking now.

Satchriossi · #6 02-13-2007, 05:07 PM

The wood the fretboard is made of doesn't affect 'drag' or the feel of sliding from note to note - you shouldn't touch the wood when playing - if you are you're pressing down too hard on your strings. The fret wire is the only thing the strings should contact when playing.

As far as i understand the fret board wood is there for tonal and aesthetic reasons, nothing friction related. If the strings touched the wood we'd all have wear marks on our fret boards.

Jemwielder · #7 02-13-2007, 05:52 PM

Trust me, replacement neck is the way to go. It's just cheaper and easier. They can make it to the exact specs as your bsb. Aside from fretboard wood of course.

pete · #8 02-13-2007, 06:38 PM

I also have a gibson sg and les paul custom....my les paul custom plays smoother due to the ebony. I hear what you're saying about not touching the wood as you're playing, but somehow there does feel like a difference playing on rosewood and ebony necks. I recently played a brand new 7vwh in sam ash and I could definitely tell the difference between the newer rosewood model and the older ebony model....anyone else notice this?

Ranz 777 · #9 02-13-2007, 06:58 PM

Hey Bro...........

Obviously you have an idea in your head..........and youre gonna do what you wanna do. But these guys tellin ya to just have a custom neck built is a good idea. The neck would be spec'd off your neck anyway.......so it would feel the same as it does now. But what you "may" not be considering.........you have no idea how you will feel in the future. That guitar may be worth major bucks down the road. You never know when it may hit you "DOH!" that you should have kept the original neck to return the instrument back to original condition. It may not even be to sell it, but when you get older, you may want to restore the "Hotrod" back to mint "stock". Just sayin............its a good idea

Cheaper one too

Just my own goofy *ssed opinion...............

Laterz!..............~Ranz~

ryanb · #10 02-13-2007, 07:09 PM

I say go ahead and have the board changed. It's not that big of a deal, and lots of people have done it. Any good luthier should have no problem with it -- shouldn't cost a lot more then the obligatory fret job you will need. (Just be aware of the impact on resale value, as already mentioned.)

newbieguitarmaker · #11 02-13-2007, 07:15 PM

replacement neck... its not like you can't get a jem neck....

pete · #12 02-13-2007, 07:29 PM

You guys think I'd take a hit resale wise replacing the fretboard? I figured ebony is more sought after...didn't think I'd take a big hit resale wise as long as I replaced the original screw inlays. Guess I'll leave it stock for a while and see how I like it...

newbieguitarmaker · #13 02-13-2007, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete

You guys think I'd take a hit resale wise replacing the fretboard? I figured ebony is more sought after...didn't think I'd take a big hit resale wise as long as I replaced the original screw inlays. Guess I'll leave it stock for a while and see how I like it...

original guitars are usually worth more than butchered ones even though ebony is a lot nicer in my opinion i think its worth more stock, i think replacement neck dude

luvuvibanez · #14 02-13-2007, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satchriossi

The wood the fretboard is made of doesn't affect 'drag' or the feel of sliding from note to note - you shouldn't touch the wood when playing - if you are you're pressing down too hard on your strings. The fret wire is the only thing the strings should contact when playing.

As far as i understand the fret board wood is there for tonal and aesthetic reasons, nothing friction related. If the strings touched the wood we'd all have wear marks on our fret boards.

Ther are wear marks on all of our fretboards, they just arent very apparent. Your fingers do touch the fretboard while you play.

Satchriossi · #15 02-14-2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvuvibanez

Ther are wear marks on all of our fretboards, they just arent very apparent. Your fingers do touch the fretboard while you play.

There aren't marks where the strings have rubbed against the wood during vibrato. The skin of finger tips maybe lightly touch the wood - but don't drag against it ever. Any wear marks are not made by string contact. Any friction issues are to do with the fret wire - this is what you grind the string against during vibrato - hence the fret wire which is metal (hard) gets flat spots worn into it where vibrato happens most, while the rosewood (soft) has no 'apparent' wear for years.