Ibanez JEM Forum banner

HELP!!! Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry) Wood for JEM Jr. Fretboard??

36K views 33 replies 21 participants last post by  Michael_LIS 
#1 ·
I live in Australia and ordered a JEM Jr. White at a local guitar store in February. They said it would arrive by early April, so when it got to around the 10th of April I called them up and asked if my Jr. was available to be picked up.
They said it had been delayed because of the new CITES Law about endangered rosewood, and it was probably being stopped at every port it went to around the world and getting checked, and would arrive early June.
I just picked it up yesterday and didn't open it until I got home. I opened it and was confused, as the fretboard looked a lot lighter and redder than what I had seen on videos/websites etc.
After some googling I read on the Ibanez website that all Jr.s are now being made with Jatoba instead of Rosewood, to avoid holdups in transit I'm guessing.
My problem is that I really hate the look of the guitar with the lighter/redder Jatoba wood rather than the darker rosewood. It still sounds fine, but I hate the look.
I was not notified by the guitar store about the wood change.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I could do about it?? (pic included)
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
Is this a trick question?

You can permanently stain it darker if it's that important to you, just get some dark wood stain and follow the instructions on the bottle. Wear gloves and use a cloth to apply it rather than a brush.

I think it looks fine but I have many guitars, all with Rosewood fretboards and some are really light and some really dark, but most are somewhere in between.
 
#7 ·
The ink/dyes only effect the unsealed wood. The inlay can be wiped off or cleaned with mineral spirits, etc. as needed.

Yes that is a "penetrating stain", same applies as posted above.

Local HomeDepot sells tons of the brand linked below, their website is a good reference with "DIRECTIONS" section :)
https://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains/minwax-wood-finish
 
#9 ·
No notice of spec changes is sent out, I found out they changed VWH fretboard to rosewood when the first one came in. I realized they changed the specs on the Woody JEM by looking at it at the show, then forgot to change them on my site till the first ones just came in.
 
#10 ·
I had the same sort of encounter yesterday. Have been after the RGAT62 which looks great with the dark fretboard. However, after buying it online and going to the store to collect, I was greeted with a garish looking guitar. In fact, the wood actually resembled something more like cheap plywood. It could have been anything (probably was). I'm scooting around trying to find someone who does have a dark one.

One of the shops I rang, (U.K), went as far as to say that they are sure Ibanez will soon be replacing the jatoba wood with some sort of ebony once current stocks have gone. I don't know if anyone can confirm or deny this? I did wonder about staining it, but in all honesty....the wood looked nasty......not something I was interested in owning!

What i want....

What I was offered....
 
#11 · (Edited)
Just wait, Jatoba darkens A LOT when exposed to sunlight. My Jatoba fretboard has darkened nicely and is now darker than my rosewood fretboards. Compared to rosewood it will be less brown but more of a reddish, almost blood-like tone though. So yeah, new Jatoba looks like ****, aged though it looks awesome.
You can probably fasten this process with the good old vinegar/steel wool stain, last resort: dye it with india ink.
I also think it's quite missleading to use pictures with fresh jatoba while in reality it will look very different from that within a few days. Maybe the should put the guitars into the light for a few days before shipping them or at least inform the customer about that .
 
#17 ·
Wow, thank you very much for mentioning this. You're the first person that's told me that. Very interesting! I agree....they should either inform you that it will change, or let them air for a few days. At very least, the online shops should put their own pictures up. One store that I rang were completely unaware until they opened a box while I was on the phone to them. His reaction was..."Oh my god, what's this??" lol

This is what dry, untreated jatoba looks like in broad daylight after about 2 weeks of aging under room light.
I've read somewhere that it'll get the final color after about 4-6 months but don't quote me on that.

EDIT: and another one under room light.
Again, thank you for posting that. That does indeed look much nicer.

I have now bought the jatoba one, and got then to knock £20 off of the price due to the incorrect photo. I have a friend who owns a guitar repair shop and they are going to do it for that price. I much prefer the colour your guitar has turned, but in all honesty, I still don't think it's dark enough for my own preference. It's just the wrong shade to go with a reddish brown imo.

Thanks again!
 
#21 ·
Hi Guys,
I am from Brazil and the wood "Jatobá" darkens with time, any attempt to dye the wood only worsens the result, it tends to get the color similar to chocolate. It's patience and waiting to get dark over time. Incidentally, this species is also at risk of extinction. I have in my house a log of this kind, but I will use it to make an acoustic guitar. For the fretboard I would use a wood called "Ypê" that is similar to Maple, hard as rock and suitable for typing.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I live in Australia and ordered a JEM Jr. White at a local guitar store in February. They said it would arrive by early April, so when it got to around the 10th of April I called them up and asked if my Jr. was available to be picked up.
They said it had been delayed because of the new CITES Law about endangered rosewood, and it was probably being stopped at every port it went to around the world and getting checked, and would arrive early June.
I just picked it up yesterday and didn't open it until I got home. I opened it and was confused, as the fretboard looked a lot lighter and redder than what I had seen on videos/websites etc.
After some googling I read on the Ibanez website that all Jr.s are now being made with Jatoba instead of Rosewood, to avoid holdups in transit I'm guessing.
My problem is that I really hate the look of the guitar with the lighter/redder Jatoba wood rather than the darker rosewood. It still sounds fine, but I hate the look.
I was not notified by the guitar store about the wood change. Tutuapp 9apps Showbox
Does anyone have any ideas on what I could do about it?? (pic included)
hi friend
if i speak on myself : I live with guitar from 15 years prior on the off chance that you don't care for the light shade of your jatoba fretboards put some lineum oil each day on it the fretboard turned out to be most solid the wood turned out to be most darker and more beutifull
best regards bro
 
#23 ·
I've just got an S670QM Dragon Eye Burst with a Jatoba fingerboard. Yes it actually feels hard and it's a bit light in colour, but I've oiled it and it's taken a slightly darker sheen and now feels smoother to play. Interesting what you people have said about it getting naturally darker in daylight. Aesthetically, it looks fine with the quilted maple top of the Dragon, picking up the lighter shades of the top
 
#24 ·
I just bought a JEM Jr a couple of days ago, and saw after the fact that it used Meranti (body) and Jatoba (fretboard). The thing plays and sounds awesome though, and honestly I didn't notice the fretboard at all.

My big critique of it (and it's minor) is that the trem is very minimalistic and I'm not a big fan of it. Having said that, I'm still happy with it. I'm swapping the humbuckers out and already capped the single coil and swapped the knobs in green.

I also ordered the pink JR too...
 
#26 ·
I just bought a JEM Jr a couple of days ago, and saw after the fact that it used Meranti (body) and Jatoba (fretboard). The thing plays and sounds awesome though, and honestly I didn't notice the fretboard at all.

My big critique of it (and it's minor) is that the trem is very minimalistic and I'm not a big fan of it. Having said that, I'm still happy with it. I'm swapping the humbuckers out and already capped the single coil and swapped the knobs in green.

I also ordered the pink JR too...
The trems in them are garbage... Luckily, a Floyd Rose fits in them perfectly. Much better with a FR. They're fantastic guitars for the price...
 
#29 ·
My Jr just arrived with Jatoba.

Thirstiest grainest fretboard I've ever had.

I oiled it once a day all last week and it took about 5 days before the fretboard oil didn't immediately just disappear into the board.

It went from a brightish pink to a normal ish looking red rosewood.

The surface is still pretty rough, but I'm hoping it will smooth out and was just a result of being dry.

Since it's a lefty who knows how long it just sat in a box in a warehouse.

Also interesting enough, the DL trem in there works better then my Floyd equiped 450.
 
#33 ·
It becomes reddish because the wood is still new, over time and exposure to light will darken. I have this wood at home, but I don't like the color, even dark.
I live in Brazil and I know this wood well, we don't like its color and there are other, much more beautiful woods for instruments, however it is suitable for instruments, I just don't consider it beautiful, it is the wood for second line guitars.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top