Is pau ferro harder than rosewood?

Tonally, pau ferro is like the mid-way point between Ebony and rosewood. Slightly brighter than rosewood but with the same depth and warmth. Pau ferro is a harder wood than rosewood which is what leads to these tonal differences. Generally, pau ferro is lighter in colour than rosewood.

Which is better pau ferro or rosewood?

Pau Ferro has a tighter density than rosewood, meaning slightly less frequencies are absorbed into the fretboard. This results in a brighter, snappier tone, while still retaining the depth of rosewood designs. The feel of pau ferro is comparable to that of ebony, meaning an effortless, smooth playing experience.

Is pau ferro a good fretboard wood?

A great wood for instrument fingerboards, pau ferro is a South American tonewood with a smooth feel and sonic characteristics similar to rosewood, but lighter in color and harder.

Is pau ferro neck good?

These days, some Fenders, Rickenbackers, and Gibsons come with a Pau Ferro neck. First and foremost, Pau Ferro has a brighter, snappier tone. It's a bit harder, with a crisp sound and faster attack, thanks to the tighter grain. It offers similar levels of sustain to rosewood.

Which is better maple or pau ferro?

In short, maple is brighter sounding and cuts through the mix easier, while pau ferro sounds warmer and 'fuller'. Maple has a much lighter color, while pau ferro is darker and looks similar to Rosewood with a reddish vibe.

Rosewood vs Pau Ferro - Can You Tell The Difference?

What is the best wood for a fretboard?

Is pau ferro endangered?

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and many of the species within the Machaerium genus are reported by the IUCN as being of least concern.

Why did fender stop using rosewood?

Fender Musical Instruments is officially moving away from using rosewood fingerboards in the manufacturing of its Mexican made instruments due to the recent CITES regulations (see our previous post on CITES here).

When did Fender switch from rosewood to pau ferro?

In 2017 when CITES imposed restrictions on instruments featuring rosewood, Fender made a few changes. Now that those restrictions have been lifted, Fender use a combination of rosewood, pau ferro and ebony. So how do these tonewoods compare?

Is pau ferro good for guitars?

Pau ferro is a good electric guitar tonewood but only for the fretboard. It's rarely even considered for bodies or necks.

Is Ebony fretboard better than rosewood?

In short, Ebony is a much harder wood compared to Rosewood and feels slicker to touch. It produces brighter and snappier tones, while Rosewood produces a more balanced overall tone.

What type of rosewood does fender use?

Indian rosewood was first introduced by Leo Fender in place of maple and from then on has become the standard, and is nowadays the most common wood used for fretboard construction. Indian rosewood tends to darken the tone a bit, adding warmth to the neck and generally to the whole instrument's tone.

Which is better maple or rosewood fretboards?

Compared to maple the difference is notable, as rosewood will soften the sound, even for guitars with maple necks. This is one of the reasons some guitar players prefer Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters with the option of a rosewood fretboard. The rosewood takes a bright guitar and mellows it out a bit.

Do they still make rosewood fretboards?

Rosewood won't be disappearing anytime soon, but expect to gradually see it disappear from all but high end models. Original statement from Fender: Fender is committed to the continued use of Rosewood in American-made solid body guitars, such as our American Professional Series.

What kind of fretboard did SRV use?

It had a curved rosewood fingerboard and was refretted so often that, after a while, it could not be refretted anymore. Martinez replaced it with the neck from "Red" (see below). This neck was destroyed when a piece of stage rigging fell on it.

When did fender stop using Brazilian rosewood?

Brazilian rosewood was a common wood for fingerboards and partly also for bodies and bridges of high quality instruments, produced especially in the U.S. until about 1965 (Fender,Gibson) sometimes until 1969 (Martin) .

Where is pau ferro wood from?

Pau Ferro Wood Characteristics

Libidibia ferrea, formerly Caesalpinia ferrea, and commonly known as Pau Ferro, Brazilian ironwood, Morado, or leopard tree, is a tree found in Brazil and Bolivia.

Did Gibson stop using rosewood?

Since 1991, Brazilian Rosewood has been listed as an endangered species and has therefore been used sparingly by guitar makers. However, there have been some small runs here and there of Gibson guitars that do have Brazilian fingerboards, particularly during 2001-2003.

Does Fender use real rosewood?

Fender is committed to the continued use of Rosewood in American-made solid body guitars, such as our American Professional Series.

What is a laurel fingerboard?

Indian Laurel Wood is a medium brown wood with occasional dark brown streaks and a straight grain that takes a nice high gloss finish. It's ever so slightly more evenly colored than Rosewood throughout the fretboard.

Is Pau Ferro an oily wood?

It presents some challenges when it comes to gluing due to its oily nature, very much like rosewood. The Pau Ferro we have seen on fingerboards as of lately is smooth, has very few open pores, and there is plenty of great looking stuff available!

Is Indian rosewood hard?

Janka Hardness is 2,440 pounds of force. Drying and Shrinkage: Indian Rosewood dries well but it is recommended to dry the wood slowly to avoid checking and end splitting. Average reported shrinkage values are 2.7% radial, 5.9% tangential, 8.5% volumetric.