Gaboon ebony or not?

[Erik]

So alot of prsi with ebony boards are not labeled as "gaboon ebony" but simply "ebony". How come? Do prs use different species or are only 100% jet black boards called gaboon, as alot of boards have small hints of gray stripes?

 

[shinksma]

There are a few species of "ebony". according to Wikipedia:

Species of ebony include Diospyros ebenum (Ceylon ebony), native to southern India and Sri Lanka; Diospyros crassiflora (Gabon ebony), native to western Africa; and Diospyros celebica(Makassar ebony), native to Indonesia and prized for its luxuriant, multi-colored wood grain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony

There is also "Mexican ebony", which is really Katalox.

I'm not sure whether PRS distinguishes any of their "run of the mill" ebony species for the SE line - the Gaboon Ebony seems to be mentioned on the Artist Package Cores and up.

Gaboon (or Gabon) Ebony is capable of having gray-ish streaking:

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is usually jet-black, with little to no variation or visible grain. Occasionally dark brown or grayish-brown streaks may be present.

http://www.wood-database.com/gaboon-ebony/

 

[toothace]

Interesting video from Bob Taylor about this topic. It's pretty informative...give it all 13 minutes!

 

[Erik]

Interesting video from Bob Taylor about this topic. It's pretty informative...give it all 13 minutes!

Wow. Very insightful indeed. It's nice to see that someone who gives a crap is in charge of most of the ebony.

 

[László]

Wow. Very insightful indeed. It's nice to see that someone who gives a crap is in charge of most of the ebony.

The bad news, of course, is that one person is in charge of most of the ebony.