Ebony Fretboards on 594's

Skeeter

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So I really like ebony fretboards on two of the PRSi that I have, an AV, and Cu24.

But now that I'm looking at 594's, with many of the artist and WL runs having ebony boards, I'm wondering how much it takes away from that certain "classic" tone.

Feel wise, I love the ebony boards and like the fast response, etc.. But I've never a-b'ed a guitar model with rosewood vs ebony. And I've never played a LP with ebony.

So to those that may have tried both on the 594, what are your thoughts?
 
I am more and more a fan of ebony. And lately loving the "low wind" type pickups.

I, too, would like tone reports from actual experience. In my MIND I am thinking the perfect one would be a DC 594 with korina body and neck, chambered and ebony board. But I am pretty sure that configuration will only exist in a PS version for some time.....
 
Django... I have the exact spec guitar you've mentioned and the tone is excellent!
 
I'm betting if someone played each behind your back they'd probably sound the same.
 
FWIW, I have had the chance to play virtually identical guitars with a "vintage specification", as well as with various combinations with korina, with a rosewood neck, with a maple neck, with an ebony board, etc. To me, there are very noticeable differences. Not everyone will feel the same. And there is an argument to be made that, if you play with enough gain or other tone shaping, the difference gets muted. But it makes a difference I am willing to pay for.
BTW, the picture to the left has the shorter scale, rosewood neck and Brazilian board. REALLY a great sounding instrument!
 
I still don't know how to post pics, but I did figure out how to add my guitars to my avatar. One is a korina neck and body with an ebony board and one is all hog with Rosewood. I tell myself I can hear a difference, but that's just to justify having 2 so similar. They are killer guitars though!
 
I've got a WL with an ebony board, but it has a 59/09 in the neck, and a WL with a Brazzy board and both LTs. I would say the Ebony board is a little snappier. Depends on what type of music you're playing though. The 59/09 just begs for some good classic metal, Ozzy, Priest, Maiden, et al. The LTs just beg for that classic 70s sound. Can't go wrong, either way, in my opinion.
 
I've got a WL with an ebony board, but it has a 59/09 in the neck, and a WL with a Brazzy board and both LTs. I would say the Ebony board is a little snappier. Depends on what type of music you're playing though. The 59/09 just begs for some good classic metal, Ozzy, Priest, Maiden, et al. The LTs just beg for that classic 70s sound. Can't go wrong, either way, in my opinion.

Do you have the 59/09 in the bridge? I just picked up a 594 and I'm not crazy about the bridge LT pickup...I play mostly metal and I can get by fine with it, but I think a regular 58/15 would have been much better for my purposes while still being super versatile.
 
Do you have the 59/09 in the bridge? I just picked up a 594 and I'm not crazy about the bridge LT pickup...I play mostly metal and I can get by fine with it, but I think a regular 58/15 would have been much better for my purposes while still being super versatile.

Yes, the 59/09 is in the bridge. If your metal is in the vein of Priest, Maiden, etc, the 59/09 is perfect. I just want to hit that thing on 10 all day!
 
I'm betting if someone played each behind your back they'd probably sound the same.

Having had two SC58s, one with a rosewood fretboard, and the other with an ebony fretboard, and quite a few CU22s with each, they responded to my hands and picking in quite different ways. They sounded different. But it wasn't just the sound!

My technique, and the tone I went for, was different with each guitar.

I felt the rosewood fretboard was better suited to roots-oriented, classic rock, and bluesy stuff. The ebony fretboard worked better for me for jazzy tones, while harder rock was a bit of a tossup. I vastly preferred the rosewood fretboard on the SC58, however, I preferred the ebony board on the CU22. Go figure!

No question in my mind that I could tell the difference between the guitars I owned, blindfolded. But I'd have to play them because that's the important variable. We all sound different on the very same instrument.

It's pointless to take the player out of the equation and ask whether someone could tell the difference behind their back, since it's the players hands that control how the guitar responds, and everyone plays differently. No two players make a guitar sound exactly the same.

Substituting one player for another is a variable that negates the test.
 
Having had two SC58s, one with a rosewood fretboard, and the other with an ebony fretboard, and quite a few CU22s with each, they responded to my hands and picking in quite different ways. They sounded different. But it wasn't just the sound!

My technique, and the tone I went for, was different with each guitar.

I felt the rosewood fretboard was better suited to roots-oriented, classic rock, and bluesy stuff. The ebony fretboard worked better for me for jazzy tones, while harder rock was a bit of a tossup. I vastly preferred the rosewood fretboard on the SC58, however, I preferred the ebony board on the CU22. Go figure!

No question in my mind that I could tell the difference between the guitars I owned, blindfolded. But I'd have to play them because that's the important variable. We all sound different on the very same instrument.

It's pointless to take the player out of the equation and ask whether someone could tell the difference behind their back, since it's the players hands that control how the guitar responds, and everyone plays differently. No two players make a guitar sound exactly the same.

Substituting one player for another is a variable that negates the test.

Exactly, When one of those tin ear'd TGP'ers tells me there is no way to tell the difference on a recording between rosewood and ebony, my first response is that I can tell the difference between those two in my hands. I have found that I almost always prefer a rosewood tonally even though I love the way ebony looks.
 
I love mahogany neck + ebony board. It sparkles nicely, especially when you play clean.
After owning 30 + guitars, I found two wood combinations that work for me, one of them being mahogany body and neck + maple top + ebony or rosewood board.
 
Exactly, When one of those tin ear'd TGP'ers tells me there is no way to tell the difference on a recording between rosewood and ebony, my first response is that I can tell the difference between those two in my hands.

Exactly. You find that they respond to your playing differently. That's the key thing.

I love both fretboard woods, and it depends on the guitar which I'd prefer. In my hands, rosewood is a little warmer because the note attack is more gradual and that gives it a certain character that works with some guitars. Other guitars work better for me with ebony, and its faster attack.

For me, fretboard wood is like the first ADSR knob on a synth.

Do I care whether I can listen to someone else play and guess the wood types? Not unless I win something if I guess right.

"Tell him what he wins, Don Pardo!"

"An all expenses paid vacation on the internet!! Yes, Les, you'll travel the virtual world via Comcast Cable, the Internet service of the stars, and travel to...TGP! Where you'll virtually feast on sumptuous pics of guitars with your virtual hosts Scott and Brian, and each night in your room you'll watch...virtual movies of guitars and pedals on That Pedal Show!"

[Les tears up] Omigod I've never won anything in my life, I'm thrilled! Thank you Strings of Fortune!

"And that's not all, Les! We've got first row tickets for you and your wife to see Spinal Tap on Netflix!"

[Les breaks down and sobs for sheer joy] Nothing like this has ever happened to me before...:)
 
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Yea I think I could almost always tell the difference by feel - ebony has a faster attack and is a little brighter. Moreover, played straight clean it definitely has a certain sparkle to it that I think could be distinguished from rosewood by ear. In that regard it's closer to maple - I think that would be harder to differentiate.

In my head, I associate it more with guitars geared towards more aggressive, punchy music - ebony is slick, fast and has a certain high end sizzle.

So that being said, I don't know why so many of the 594 builds have ebony, as I think of that as a warmer, vintage-style guitar that would tend to have a rosewood board. Maybe it's simply a matter of supply vs using brazzy boards in WL and Artist specs.

Then again, maybe the feel of ebony is ultimately the more important characteristic and its tonal differences can compensated for in different pickups, or eq settings. I don't think I would keep the 58/15 LT in the bridge - would definitely prefer something along the lines of a 59/09.
 
My LP, that I played/gigged with for over 20 years had (and still has) an ebony board.
Even though I don't gig with it, my favourite PRS is my Artist V, which has an ebony board.
When I have my druthers, I go ebony.
 
My LP, that I played/gigged with for over 20 years had (and still has) an ebony board.
Even though I don't gig with it, my favourite PRS is my Artist V, which has an ebony board.
When I have my druthers, I go ebony.

My Artist V was a great, phenomenal guitar.
 
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