McCarty ebony board
- Thread starter Lumi71
- Start date
It makes a difference. The attack of the note is a little snappier, and the tone balance is just a tiny bit brighter overall. I've had ebony fretboards on several PRS models. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I want the more searing (slower attack), warmer sound of rosewood, though Brazilian rosewood is somewhere between ebony and Indian rosewood.
veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
I feel this is the case. I have essentially the same guitar with an ebony board on one and rosewood on the other.
With a pick, the note on the ebony articulates quicker - its there right now.
I fell the ebony favours high and mid harmonics a bit more. Both are what I think Les said.
aphantomvaper
Bend it to the Owl!
Concur! The HB II pz Ebony board is one me this. I've only just two others...Martin JB-something and Alembic Further. Ebony boards are stellar! I'm eyeing a CU 24 with an Ebony board...hard to resist.
Good luck! If you find one you'll be pleased!
There were plenty of electric guitars made back in the day with ebony boards. I spent some quality time with a Les Paul with an ebony board in 1969 or '70, and of course there were always tons of jazz boxes with ebony boards, not to mention acoustics and other stringed instruments going back to the 17th Century.
Will it be a little snappier? Yes. Is that inherently more modern? I dunno. In any case, what are the tradeoffs?
It seems to me, on a solid body guitar the note seems to decay a little faster with ebony. Often players like the warmer tone of rosewood for soloing with an overdriven amp on a solid body instrument. Playing clean, or with very articulate rhythm parts, ebony's fantastic.
I'll concede that it's possible that ebony's greater amplitude/faster rise time of the ADSR curve on the attack portion of the note is merely an impression that the note decays more quickly, and perhaps there's a psychoacoustic phenomenon at work. Doesn't matter either way, it's all about perception.
With a hollow or semi-hollow body, you have the extra resonance caused by the body cavity that does a different thing. So for that, ebony and a hollow or semi-hollow is a great match.
WEDGE
Zombie five, DFZ
My Knaggs has an ebony board and I love the feel. So slick and hard. Sound wise it is probably snappier but I don’t have the same model in Rosewood to compare it to.
11top
Cousin Eddie's cousin
Noticable? Some, but I’d be more concerned about pickups and amps.
There's a lot to be said for this approach.
dogrocketp
I drank the PRS kool aid, and it was tasty!
If you’re leaning towards an ebony board, don’t rule out Katalox. There are a number of PRS in the wild with them. I have one. There is more brightness than rosewood, and more sustain than ebony to my ears. This is in an S2 Custom 24.
ViggoP
New Member
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- Apr 13, 2020
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The difference is there but it’s not huge. It’s only one of all the parameters that will influence the sound of the guitar. It will still have the same hardware, electronics, pickups, pickups, and body and neck woods (I assume) for example and all those things will still make it sound like a McCarty (or whatever model), just a tad snappier. It would be extremely difficult to tell in a blind test and amplified with gain the difference would be even smaller.
I would go for ebony for looks and feel primarily.
I would go for ebony for looks and feel primarily.
11top
Cousin Eddie's cousin
10-4
Ebony's great for both, but there are times when rosewood, or even maple, can be better to achieve certain tones. Everything is personal preference, and lots of factors can affect one's choices. All factors are legit, of course, and I don't exclude the fact that people want to look at their guitars and like what they see!
I just bought a PRS Special Semi Hollow with an ebony board. I wanted that snappy sound on it, and like the feel. I'm six of one, half dozen of the other on whether it looks better than rosewood, because I like rosewood, too.
Hard to make a bad choice with a PRS. The worst that can happen is that you find the model isn't for you, and you pick something different.
Slowhands
New Member
Intersting anecdote: I once bought a special edition Les Paul Standard with an ebony board. I'd owned other guitars with ebony boards and this one sounded extra snappy. I liked it, nice and crisp. Since then I sold it off and I've seen it come up for sale at least three times since them (it was a limited edition and numbered so I can tell). Hmmmm. Wonder what that's about?
Well recently I was diagnosed as having moderate to severe hearing loss in the high frequency ranges. I always knew my ears were bad but I sort of assumed that they would just get bad across the whole frequency spectrum. Not so. Now looking back I am starting to think that the Les Paul that had that snappy crisp sound I loved so much actually maybe sounded harsh and shrill and I just couldn't hear it. Maybe I was the perfect guy for that guitar, like the guy who dedicated his life to studying skunks and had no sense of smell. Synergy!
Well recently I was diagnosed as having moderate to severe hearing loss in the high frequency ranges. I always knew my ears were bad but I sort of assumed that they would just get bad across the whole frequency spectrum. Not so. Now looking back I am starting to think that the Les Paul that had that snappy crisp sound I loved so much actually maybe sounded harsh and shrill and I just couldn't hear it. Maybe I was the perfect guy for that guitar, like the guy who dedicated his life to studying skunks and had no sense of smell. Synergy!
Hilarious analogy!
Thanks guys for comments and sorry for answering late. I am busy at the moment..
Problem is that I am only looking for 1 PRS...and I am a bit tired of buying and selling...
Have many other classical style guitars..Want one now with a classic sound, but a tad more "modern" and with Humbucker and Single coil sounds.
Playing Pop, Rock, Hardrock, Blues... most classic styles, but not too classic
The one I have in mind is the same model like this
https://imgur.com/gallery/hdmAH
Problem is that I am only looking for 1 PRS...and I am a bit tired of buying and selling...
Have many other classical style guitars..Want one now with a classic sound, but a tad more "modern" and with Humbucker and Single coil sounds.
Playing Pop, Rock, Hardrock, Blues... most classic styles, but not too classic
The one I have in mind is the same model like this
https://imgur.com/gallery/hdmAH
Excellent post Les. What I HEAR is that with Ebony, the note attacks quick and loud, and then gradually and evenly decays. Very similar to Maple neck/board Telecasters. (The springs in a strats trem dampens the attack and its less noticeable, same on a prs with trem) On rosewood, the attack of the note builds slower before decaying, giving an aural illusion of more sustain, but checking side by side, there is little if any difference in sustain time. On vintage and most new archtops, the Spruce top absorbs a LOT of the pick attack, and you get a warm round tone.
At least that's my findings! Interesting topic!
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Thanks guys for comments and sorry for answering late. I am busy at the moment..
Problem is that I am only looking for 1 PRS...and I am a bit tired of buying and selling...
Have many other classical style guitars..Want one now with a classic sound, but a tad more "modern" and with Humbucker and Single coil sounds.
Playing Pop, Rock, Hardrock, Blues... most classic styles, but not too classic
The one I have in mind is the same model like this
https://imgur.com/gallery/hdmAH
Congratulations, beautiful guitar.
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