What kind of rosewood does Gibson use?

North American rosewood is also used by Gibson — it's a trustworthy source and sustainable. Madagascan and Amazonian Rosewood is also widely used. * Brazilian Rosewood is unusual these days, because of rarity and exorbitant cost.

Where does Gibson get its rosewood?

Gibson Guitar has settled with federal authorities for illegally importing ebony and rosewood from India and Madagascar. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Gibson Guitar Corp. has agreed to pay a fine for illegally importing exotic wood from Madagascar and India, the U.S. government said Monday.

Does Gibson use Brazilian rosewood?

Almost all Fender and Gibson instruments until 1965 are equipped with Brazilian rosewood fretboards, unless they have one-piece maple necks (Fender until mid-1959 ) or were equipped with fingerboard and bridge of ebony , such as the Gibson Les Paul Custom or Super 400.

What kind of wood is Gibson?

There are of course exceptions, but mahogany is the primary wood used for making Gibson electric guitar bodies.

Where does Gibson get their wood?

These woods come from Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the U.S. Some of these woods are harvested illegally or come from regions that are being heavily deforested. So Gibson is working with the Rainforest Alliance to be sure that the wood in its guitars is sustainably sourced.

Gibson Fretboard Tone Wood Guide

Why are Gibson guitars so expensive?

The main reason why Gibson guitars are expensive is that they are made in the USA. All their three factories are located in cities where the workers have relativity high wages. As the result, the guitars must be sold at a higher price.

When 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.

Why do Gibson guitars smell good?

Well-known member

Gibson is using TKL cases for their USA lines. TKL uses a vanilla-scented glue in their cases that gets caught in the lacquer.

What kind 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.

Is Brazilian rosewood better?

It makes a warm rich sounding guitar with great resonance and volume. However, Brazilian rosewood is no longer available in commercial quality or quantity. As a result it now sells for sizeable prices. To most, Brazilian has better clarity in the bottom and a almost bell like tone in the trebles.

Can you still buy Brazilian rosewood?

Though we've worked our way through some of that cache, we still have the largest collection of legal Brazilian Rosewood in the world sitting in our little shop in Bend, Oregon—and we're still using it. These amazing one-of-a-kind sets are available to dealers and players who want a unique and special guitar.

How do I know if my guitar is Brazilian rosewood?

Bring the container under the blacklight and observe the results: true Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) will not fluoresce or show any appreciable change of color under the blacklight, while most other rosewoods will glow a pale blue/green color.

Is it illegal to use rosewood?

No, it is not illegal to buy or ship rosewood across international borders. However, specific regulations and laws must be followed to purchase or ship rosewood. To successfully import rosewood into the U.S., you will need an export certificate from the exporting country's CITES management authority.

Does Fender use Brazilian rosewood?

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.

What guitar wood is illegal?

An international crackdown on illegal logging in tropical forests has ensnared the makers of some guitars and other musical instruments, whose top-end products require small amounts of rosewood, a material prized for its rich, multicolored grain and resonant sound.

Does Gibson use nitrocellulose lacquer?

Gibson instruments are finished with several coats of a high-quality nitro-cellulose lacquer. This finish is hand-buffed to a high-gloss, mirror-like surface. Unlike other less expensive finishes, nitro-cellulose does not detract from the tone of the instrument and ages beautifully.

Why does my guitar smell like vanilla?

The sweet, vanilla-like smell is the case. The lacquer picks it up and it seems like it's coming from the guitar but if you leave it out of the case for a while the smell with go away.

What is the new guitar smell?

Just like a new car, a new acoustic guitar can have a great smell. The tonewoods chosen to make up a brand new instrument can give it some great smells. From western red cedar, Honduran mahogany, walnut, cocobolo, etc.

What is the best wood for a fretboard?

Did Gibson use ivory?

Please note: Gibson does not use, or endorse, the use of ivory in guitar building.

When did PRS stop using Brazilian rosewood?

The definitive original PRS, figured maple top, mahogany back and neck, rosewood fretboard, volume and 5 way rotary offered until 2010, 5 way blade switch 2011 – present. Brazilian rosewood fretboard until 1991, PRS Tremolo and locking tuners, stoptail offered from 1993 (or so).

Is Gibson overrated?

Gibson guitars are overpriced. Most of them are not much better than epiphones. The problems with Gibson isn't that they don't use nice materials and what not, because they do.

What is Gibson's best selling guitar?

1961 Gibson SG Standard Reissue

It was released in 1961 and is actually Gibson's best-selling model of all time.

Is Epiphone as good as Gibson?

If you picked up a US-made Gibson and compared it to an Epiphone then you would probably notice a difference. The quality, setup and finish on a Gibson will almost always be superior. However, today's mass-produced guitars are far better than those made a few decades ago.