Neck and fretboard wood suggestions for a PS build?

[Isaac cruz]

I have been thinking for a while about ordering a PS Paul’s Guitar. I was thinking about going for a mahogany neck with brazilian fretboard, but maybe there are more interesting options? I heard that African Blackwood was a great option for fretboards. I’m not sure about going for a full rosewood neck though. Seems like it might steer away too much from a classic formula. Those with PRSi with different neck wood combos, what do are some of your thoughts on this topic?

 

[Going Modal]

It's only occasionally found in non-PS guitars, but I keep hearing such amazing comments about Ziricote fretboards. You might want to add this into consideration.

 

[ViperDoc]

I've gone for exotics for the look and been disappointed in the tone. Not to say you wouldn't like it, but the wood recipes have been proven over time. A Paul's guitar is an interesting model based on the very P90-sounding 408 pickups. The best upgrade I've ever made is exactly what you asked about: the legendary mahogany neck with the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. That knocks it out of the park *every time* for me. Full rosewood necks need hotter pickups to really bite; rosewood will warm up the high end considerably. A maple neck and BRZ board is also sensational with a little more snap.

 

[21Hemispheres12]

It’s really hard for me to say for sure what effect fretboard has on tone as each one is on a different guitar. But out of my maple, Ziricote, African Blackwood and Brauna Preto, I’d say the African Blackwood is my favorite feeling wood and the Ziricote is my favorite looking wood.

The African Blackwood is a deep glassy black and very slick, I think it’s pretty close to ebony like that. The Ziricote is just crazy to look at the way it’s figured and plays great too. In my personal opinion if I was building a PS, I’d go based off looks for the fretboard. Also it’s pretty easy to get a Brazilian board on production guitars but the African Blackwood and Ziricote are much harder to come by.

 

[veinbuster]

Ziricote and Cocobolo look really good and are similar to Rosewood soundwise.

I’m a big fan of African Blackwood. It feels great and is highly articulate. If you vary your attack a lot, you hear all those variations. I have it over both maple and mahogany.

 

[Brad Lawson]

My favorite for my PS builds has been rosewood necks with African Blackwood boards. Something about the feel and to me they just put out an incredible tone.

 

[Isaac cruz]

I've gone for exotics for the look and been disappointed in the tone. Not to say you wouldn't like it, but the wood recipes have been proven over time. A Paul's guitar is an interesting model based on the very P90-sounding 408 pickups. The best upgrade I've ever made is exactly what you asked about: the legendary mahogany neck with the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. That knocks it out of the park *every time* for me. Full rosewood necks need hotter pickups to really bite; rosewood will warm up the high end considerably. A maple neck and BRZ board is also sensational with a little more snap.

Great suggestions. I’ve been reading recently about some that didn’t love the results from the necks that steered too far away from the formula, so I think I will stick with mahogany, but haven’t decided ln the fretboard wood yet,

 

[ViperDoc]

Great suggestions. I’ve been reading recently about some that didn’t love the results from the necks that steered too far away from the formula, so I think I will stick with mahogany, but haven’t decided ln the fretboard wood yet,

I feel like the mahogany neck also makes for less neck dive and, therefore, a more comfortable cockpit.

 

[WA Paul]

If you go with a mahogany neck, check out Dark Peruvian Mahogany. I have it on a DC594 and a PS Tony McManus and it has tremendous tone and sustain,

Other ones possibly in the vault to check out are Cuban Mahogany and what they simply used to call South American Mahogany (Honduran?).

For fretboard Brazilian is awesome. But if you like ebony as well, African Blackwood is a nice in-between RW and Ebony. Madagascar RW pairs very well with Dark Peruvian Mahogany as well.

For your second PS you can go full Brazilian RW neck

 

[11top]

Nobody’s mentioned ebony:



And sapwood is a cool look:

 

[11top]

Great suggestions. I’ve been reading recently about some that didn’t love the results from the necks that steered too far away from the formula, so I think I will stick with mahogany, but haven’t decided ln the fretboard wood yet,

Stick with ebony if you like a non-busy, classy look (and want the inlays to “pop”). Otherwise, I’d choose BRW.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Stick with ebony if you like a non-busy, classy look (and want the inlays to “pop”). Otherwise, I’d choose BRW.

This right here.

 

[andy474x]

Another +1 for African Blackwood. Incredibly dense, so it feels very smooth, like ebony. But also doesn’t give the note too sharp of an attack, mine is over mahogany and it still has a great bloom to the note, like rosewood.