SinSir
Mad Scientist
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2020
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- 4,514
Wait!?! The internet has wisdom? Is this 1999?
Brazilian Rosewood vs Standard Rosewood
- Thread starter barnabas_
- Start date
ViperDoc
Plugged In.
Brazilian boards always sound good and feel great. Haystack and needles notwithstanding, you can’t go wrong with BRAZ, but EIRW is damned good too.
andy474x
Knows the Drill
Heard something interesting, maybe controversial, about BRW the other day - David Grissom was on an episode of "5 Watt World," and they talked about RW varieties for a hot second. DG's take was, in general terms BRW may be preferable, but you also have to consider the quality of remaining BRW, since anything used now is essentially what's left of an older stock of it, due to CITES restrictions on new imports (or something like that). I'd venture that PRS probably still has one of the best supplies of BRW around, but is it all a standout vs a nice piece of IRW? His take was, no, not always. I'll put the disclaimer on, that's his opinion - personally, I've not tried BRW. I'm just putting it out there, because he's a guy who would know!
A fretboard wood I've been seeing more and more of on WL PRS, and one that I do have personal experience with, is African Blackwood. Consider it, if you see a model with it, and your other specs come up. @veinbuster turned me on to it, and it's phenomenal stuff. Kind of like a lovechild of rosewood and ebony. Maybe a step past BRW on the way to ebony, as far as feel, but has the note bloom and general sound of RW more so than ebony.
A fretboard wood I've been seeing more and more of on WL PRS, and one that I do have personal experience with, is African Blackwood. Consider it, if you see a model with it, and your other specs come up. @veinbuster turned me on to it, and it's phenomenal stuff. Kind of like a lovechild of rosewood and ebony. Maybe a step past BRW on the way to ebony, as far as feel, but has the note bloom and general sound of RW more so than ebony.
Brad Lawson
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2019
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Agree 100% on the African Blackwood. My favorite for fretboards. Something special about both the feel and tone of it.
alantig
Zombie Four, DFZ
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 14,949
I think what DG said there about quality is true of all wood, not just BRW. PRSh is fond of tapping various woods to show how they ring out, and he showed it at Experience numerous times. At one such demo, he asked people which blank sounded more musical, then identified them, and said, "But you won't buy guitars made with this because it's not mahogany or rosewood or ebony." Something I kept in mind when I did my PS build, which is how I ended up with a Honduran Rosewood neck instead of the IRW I assumed would be pretty much set in stone.
I actually find Brazilian RW to be a little snappier. I've had BRW and IRW fretboards on several McCartys and 594s, as well as earlier models.
It's been consistently snappier, and by that I mean there's a bit more note attack.
I think it makes a tonal difference that's worth knowing about. The solution is to play the guitar and see for yourself before buying.
In fact, my PS electrics have Madagascar RW, that I find a bit creamier sounding. I'm one of those who thinks fretboard material makes a difference. But I'm into details and don't play with lots of distortion.
I think there's a tone difference, and have had both types on the same models.
It may not matter if you play with tons of distortion. For me, it matters. I'm pretty picky.
This isn't to say I don't like other types of RW, because I do. 'Different' doesn't mean better, it simply means it's something to think about as an alternative.
I'm a relatively new owner of a PRS guitar with BRW and I have the same experience (I can feel the vibration and sustain in my hands). Just playing open chords - it's visceral.
dogrocketp
I drank the PRS kool aid, and it was tasty!
I’m going to throw a monkey wrench in. Try a guitar with a mahogany neck and a katalox fingerboard. The treble response and snap are out of this world.
I'm late to this party but I'll throw in here. I can hear a difference between maple fretboards and rosewood fretboards on mahogany necks. I can hear a difference between either of them and a solid rosewood neck of either type. But IRW and BRW fretboards aren't tonally different enough to worry about. Solid BRW necks are tonally different enough to hear (for me) but not enough to make a big deal of it. The feel and smell are more noticeable. Overall, I actually prefer the tone of rosewood on mahogany necks over the solid BRW neck, and yes it pains me to say it, but it's true.
I'm nutty about rosewood. It's just durned handsome, and has wonderful texture. The depth of the grain seems to draw me into its ancient treeness. I prefer it over ebony for fingerboards (and definitely over maple: it seems downright apostasy that PRS puts maple boards on some guitars). But I really think that's more about feel and look than tone.
With both maple and ebony, I'm always feeling (and thinking) that they may as well be aluminum or hard plastic. I have fingerboards of aluminum, "ebonol" bowling-ball plastic, and Hagstrom's Resinator composite, and my fingers throw them all in the same category with ebony and maple: it's just a hard surface. We feel like we're playing on formica. (Not that I'd have anything against a formica fingerboard.)
So it's all OK - but I like the texture of rosewood and other more open grains under the fingers. I know, I shouldn't even be touching the fingerboard while playing, and if I didn't have the technique of a Neanderthal (or a robot without pressure sensitive claws), I wouldn't feel it at all. So maybe it's just my eyes lying to my fingers. But rosewood is my strong preference. (Will I die muttering Rosewood...rosewood?)
I've gotten equally nutty about other rosewood guitar parts. Bridge bases, of course. (I have learned, though it took me 50 years, that the classic rosewood acoustic guitar body is not my tonal favorite; there I go for mahogany.)
But I just had to have last year's Gretsch all-rosewood (top, back, sides) Tennessee Rose (what else), and rosewood turns out to be a magnificent body wood for that enclosed thin hollow construction. Is it tonally much different from the usual maple or maple-over-hog combo? I don't know - but it's fantastically and notably even and consistent through all registers when wiggling under the TV Jones Filter'Trons in the guitar, making it uncannily and unexpectedly one of the best live guitars I have. It's just so well-behaved and responsive under all conditions, with a clear woody voice that can be tweaked in myriad directions with the supplied knobs (not always the case on a Gretsch), and which is remarkably dynamically sensitive. (Sorta like a PRS in that regard.)
Plus it's stupidly gorgeous. (Gretsch catalog pics can be underwhelming, but see it here.). Rosewood top, back, sides, fingerboard, and headstock overlay. Pretty thorough - but DAMMIT, why did Gretsch then lose their noive and put a MAPLE neck on the thing? It could have been all rosewood, all day and all night, forever and ever...
OK, what were we talking about?
Ah. Whether it's worth tonally worrying about what species of rosewood is used for a fingerboard. Like the other fellers, I don't think so. But as I've never had otherwise identical guitars with varying rosewood boards, I can't say for sure. I do know that I would choose a guitar on the basis of other factors rather than get hung up on the national identity of the rosewood board.
But a whole rosewood neck? Yep, that's worth paying up for. Again, since my one rosewood-necked guitar is unique in my harem and I don't have an otherwise identical model with a maple or hog neck to compare it to...I guess I can't be sure it's tonally significant. But I sure like feeling the rosewood in the palm of my hand as well as under the fingers. (Which makes it nice that it's a fat neck.)
Also, for what it's worth, it occurs to me that a thoroughly committed neck - where both shaft and fingerboard are of the same species - has been a good thing every time I've experienced it. There's nothing like an all-maple Tele neck, my all-aluminum Strat neck is killer (on a hollow aluminum body), the rosewood-over-rosewood works well, and I ordered up a wenge-over-wenge neck for a Tele baritone project last year. That combination (with P90s in a soft catalpa body) sounds like nothing else I've ever owned.
So if you can get an all-rosewood semi-hollow or hollowbody PRS, do that. Or if you can find a guitar of the model you want with a rosewood neck...that's worth pursuing. Otherwise get whatever rosewood board comes on the guitar that most lights your fire.
With both maple and ebony, I'm always feeling (and thinking) that they may as well be aluminum or hard plastic. I have fingerboards of aluminum, "ebonol" bowling-ball plastic, and Hagstrom's Resinator composite, and my fingers throw them all in the same category with ebony and maple: it's just a hard surface. We feel like we're playing on formica. (Not that I'd have anything against a formica fingerboard.)
So it's all OK - but I like the texture of rosewood and other more open grains under the fingers. I know, I shouldn't even be touching the fingerboard while playing, and if I didn't have the technique of a Neanderthal (or a robot without pressure sensitive claws), I wouldn't feel it at all. So maybe it's just my eyes lying to my fingers. But rosewood is my strong preference. (Will I die muttering Rosewood...rosewood?)
I've gotten equally nutty about other rosewood guitar parts. Bridge bases, of course. (I have learned, though it took me 50 years, that the classic rosewood acoustic guitar body is not my tonal favorite; there I go for mahogany.)
But I just had to have last year's Gretsch all-rosewood (top, back, sides) Tennessee Rose (what else), and rosewood turns out to be a magnificent body wood for that enclosed thin hollow construction. Is it tonally much different from the usual maple or maple-over-hog combo? I don't know - but it's fantastically and notably even and consistent through all registers when wiggling under the TV Jones Filter'Trons in the guitar, making it uncannily and unexpectedly one of the best live guitars I have. It's just so well-behaved and responsive under all conditions, with a clear woody voice that can be tweaked in myriad directions with the supplied knobs (not always the case on a Gretsch), and which is remarkably dynamically sensitive. (Sorta like a PRS in that regard.)
Plus it's stupidly gorgeous. (Gretsch catalog pics can be underwhelming, but see it here.). Rosewood top, back, sides, fingerboard, and headstock overlay. Pretty thorough - but DAMMIT, why did Gretsch then lose their noive and put a MAPLE neck on the thing? It could have been all rosewood, all day and all night, forever and ever...
OK, what were we talking about?
Ah. Whether it's worth tonally worrying about what species of rosewood is used for a fingerboard. Like the other fellers, I don't think so. But as I've never had otherwise identical guitars with varying rosewood boards, I can't say for sure. I do know that I would choose a guitar on the basis of other factors rather than get hung up on the national identity of the rosewood board.
But a whole rosewood neck? Yep, that's worth paying up for. Again, since my one rosewood-necked guitar is unique in my harem and I don't have an otherwise identical model with a maple or hog neck to compare it to...I guess I can't be sure it's tonally significant. But I sure like feeling the rosewood in the palm of my hand as well as under the fingers. (Which makes it nice that it's a fat neck.)
Also, for what it's worth, it occurs to me that a thoroughly committed neck - where both shaft and fingerboard are of the same species - has been a good thing every time I've experienced it. There's nothing like an all-maple Tele neck, my all-aluminum Strat neck is killer (on a hollow aluminum body), the rosewood-over-rosewood works well, and I ordered up a wenge-over-wenge neck for a Tele baritone project last year. That combination (with P90s in a soft catalpa body) sounds like nothing else I've ever owned.
So if you can get an all-rosewood semi-hollow or hollowbody PRS, do that. Or if you can find a guitar of the model you want with a rosewood neck...that's worth pursuing. Otherwise get whatever rosewood board comes on the guitar that most lights your fire.
dmatthews
Dave's not here
Never tried Braz, but 3 of my 9 are EIRW neck, and I love them to bits. Awesome feel.
This! I’m lucky to have Honduran, Indian, Brazilian rosewood…plus haven owned Ebony, maple, roasted maple Fretboards. While there is a subtle difference in fretboards amongst rosewoods I honestly don’t feel it’s worth the price increase.
I still wish PRS did more roasted frets. Love that neck stability. And slight warmth compared to a standard maple neck
ViperDoc
Plugged In.
Brazilian Rosewood is the shiznit.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
The difference here is that everyone has an opinion, not everyone agrees with everyone else’s, but hey we don’t need to fall out over it. After all we’re all here because we love music and guitars.
I’m in the camp of:
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it.
I’ve learnt a lot here and I haven’t even broken the surface.
The more you hang here, the more you’re realise how unique it is.
Happy twanging.
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Brazilian rosewood definitely gives a different sound to an acoustic guitar compared to Indian rosewood.
Why wouldn't it also give a different sound to an electric guitar?
I think it does!
The whole guitar generates sound and resonance.
Even the neck and fingerboard.
That said, I've been thrown off of a guitar forum for saying that.
It's a great way to bring out the trolls and 14 year olds.
The guys who say wood type makes no difference in the sound of an electric guitar, because they can't hear it or don't know what to listen for.
Why wouldn't it also give a different sound to an electric guitar?
I think it does!
The whole guitar generates sound and resonance.
Even the neck and fingerboard.
That said, I've been thrown off of a guitar forum for saying that.
It's a great way to bring out the trolls and 14 year olds.
The guys who say wood type makes no difference in the sound of an electric guitar, because they can't hear it or don't know what to listen for.
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
I wasn't referring to this board. I was referring to another board.
Everyone's been great here.
Haven't seen any rude behavior here even when members disagree.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
As I said it’s unique here.
A little piece of nirvana, in the madness that is the world today.
Long may it continue.
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
So let me ask: did PRS use Brazilian for fingerboards on production instruments at one time, and if so when did they stop?
Guess I'm wondering about my '95 Custom 22.
For whatever reason, it's my best sounding electric guitar, both unplugged and plugged in.
It's just more lively.
Guess I'm wondering about my '95 Custom 22.
For whatever reason, it's my best sounding electric guitar, both unplugged and plugged in.
It's just more lively.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Yes.
@sergiodeblanc would answer that question easily.
From memory it was the early 90’s, I believe.
@sergiodeblanc would answer that question easily.
From memory it was the early 90’s, I believe.
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