Anyone have a guitar with a Pau Ferro fretboard?

[toneboy]

I'm working out the details for my next custom build and I've decided to branch out and look at different fretboard woods. I've had guitars with maple, rosewood and ebony fretboards. Out of those 3, maple is my favorite but based upon the paint scheme I'm going with, pau ferro appears to be the best color match and from what I've read, is the closest match to maple tone-wise.

So, if you've got guitars with maple and pau ferro, I'd love to hear what you think of the 2 compared to each other. Thanks in advance.

[Rachmaninoff]

Handmade guitars with pau ferro fretboard are pretty common here in Brazil (obviously, the wood is from here).
Tagima used to make some guitars with it, but I don't know if they still do.
From what I've heard and seen, the tone is much like ebony.
It's an extremely stable wood, and Fender often come here to buy this wood to their fretless basses.

(Out of curiosity, "pau ferro" means "iron wood" in Portuguese.)

[markg5150]

Check out Reb Beach's Suhr signature model

There's some comparison info on John Suhr's site http://www.suhrguitars.com/wood.aspx

[rastachild]

i have a custom with a pau ferro fretboard and have owned a srv fender strat, which also featured a pau ferro fretboard. it does feel a lot like ebony in the fact that it has a very smooth feel although i don't think the high end is as pronounced as much as ebony or maple.

[gu1tar]

I have two Warmoth necks: one maple with maple fingerboard, one maple with pau ferro fingerboard. The maple/maple is a little brighter. I like the feel and look of the pau ferro much better though, and the fact that it's not that common (and looks much cooler than maple, ebony, or rosewood) is just a little bonus. And you can add brightness with your amp/preamp tone controls anyway.

[toneboy]

Thanks for all the replies folks. I'm going to play it safe and stick with the tried and true maple fretboard.

BTW, I don't subscribe to the school that add brightness via electronics is the same as having a brighter sounding guitar. It's not the same to me at all but YMMV of course.