Rosewood: Indian vs Brazilian vs Malagasy

[Doughboy]

I'd like to get a rosewood fingerboard for my flame maple neck & was wondering what the tonal difference is between the 3 rosewoods available?

This will be for a solidbody Ash tele w/ a flame maple cap.

 

[Cagey]

According to the guys at Martin Guitar, who most would consider to be pretty knowledgeable about tone woods, there's no difference in sound between Brazilian and Indian Rosewood. There can be a difference in appearance, though. The Brazilian is often more attractive. I know nothing about Malagasy Rosewood, but it should be pointed out that there are a lot of woods that are technically "Rosewood", but aren't referred to that way except for commercial purposes. Also, Malagasy Rosewood is no longer available for export due to over-harvesting.

You might also want to consider "Kingwood" for a fingerboard. It's smoother than Rosewood, although not quite as dark, and has more interesting grain figuring/color to it, while having a similar tonal performance. Everybody and their brother has a Rosewood neck somewhere - who's got Kingwood?

 

[line6man]

Everybody and their brother has a Rosewood neck somewhere - who's got Kingwood?

+1.

I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Rosewood, because it's the most common wood out there.
90% of guitars and basses have Rosewood boards, totally boring and unoriginal wood choice.

 

[tfarny]

Kingwood fretboard: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13310.0

Feel is the same as Pao Ferro / Ebony - rock hard. Looks like it might as well be Pao Ferro, light and stripey.
Tone - how should I know? Haven't swapped just the fingerboard in order to compare, have I.

Rosewood is a great wood, dissing it makes no sense, that's like saying shoes are lame, everybody wears shoes, why would I wear shoes too. Rosewood is popular because it is a great wood to work with for all kinds of musical instruments.

 

[Cagey]

Everybody and their brother has a Rosewood neck somewhere - who's got Kingwood?

+1.

I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Rosewood, because it's the most common wood out there.
90% of guitars and basses have Rosewood boards, totally boring and unoriginal wood choice.

Right. Imagine gold frets on kingwood over a pau ferro neck. It would be the smoothest, silkiest thing on the planet and play like a dream, be an extremely attractive and unusual neck construction, sound very much like rosewood over maple, but cost $120-$150 less because it wouldn't need a finish. Plus, you'd get it 4 weeks or so earlier. What could possibly be wrong with that?

 

[Cagey]

Rosewood is a great wood, dissing it makes no sense...

I don't think anyone is "dissing" it. You're right - it is a great fingerboard wood - that's why it's used so extensively. But, it is common as dirt, and there are nice woods that sound the same without being so pedestrian. If you're going to spend the time and money to put together a custom guitar, why build a plain vanilla thing you can buy anywhere off the shelf for next to nothing? Kinda defeats the purpose. Besides, I notice you used kingwood instead of rosewood on your neck. What's up with that? <grin>

 

[tfarny]

It was on sale, and looked right for the project. But I wouldn't say it's better than rosewood. The "point" for me is to have a great guitar, not to use crazy looking woods, I'm not building a yacht interior.

 

[Cagey]

Who's talking about "crazy-looking" or "building yachts"? I tend to doubt anyone here is heading in that direction. But, you can get rosewood on a $69 starter guitar. If you're going to pay premium money to put together a custom piece, why end up with something everybody else has? May as well save your money and buy the WalMart cookie cutter guitar.

 

[Wyliee]

To my ears, Brazilian has just a bit more top end than Indian or Malagasy.  My $0.02 is there is a minor difference.  I do agree Kingwood makes a great substitute for Brazilian.  Pau ferro is pretty close too and is a little tighter grained, IMO.

 

[Paul-less]

To my ears, Brazilian has just a bit more top end than Indian or Malagasy.  My $0.02 is there is a minor difference.  I do agree Kingwood makes a great substitute for Brazilian.  Pau ferro is pretty close too and is a little tighter grained, IMO.

$0.02, $200.00, I'd prefer $0.02 for some Brazilian Rosewood.

Personally, I think Indian Rosewood looks nicer. Especially the lighter pieces. But that could be my inner cheapness shining through, altering my judgement....

 

[SkuttleFunk]

that's Brazilian on the left and Indian on the right

i certainly don't hear a difference between the two

all the best,

R

 

[Doughboy]

To my ears, Brazilian has just a bit more top end than Indian or Malagasy.  My $0.02 is there is a minor difference.  I do agree Kingwood makes a great substitute for Brazilian.  Pau ferro is pretty close too and is a little tighter grained, IMO.

$0.02, $200.00, I'd prefer $0.02 for some Brazilian Rosewood.

Personally, I think Indian Rosewood looks nicer. Especially the lighter pieces. But that could be my inner cheapness shining through, altering my judgement....

mmmmmmmmmmmm.................inner cheapnessssss

I doubt that there will be a HUGE difference between the 3 woods, so I picked out a SUPER DUPER piece of malagasy rosewood to go with a SUPER DUPER flame maple neck. If it doesn't sound good, it will definitely LOOK good & really, isn't that the most important thing about a guitar?

 

[OzziePete]

To my ears, Brazilian has just a bit more top end than Indian or Malagasy.  My $0.02 is there is a minor difference.  I do agree Kingwood makes a great substitute for Brazilian.  Pau ferro is pretty close too and is a little tighter grained, IMO.

Hey Wyliee, this might be something for the Suggestion Box, but maybe someone at Warmoth could do a tap test on video, like PRS did with his son on a neck slab of Brazilian Rosewood, to show the tonal differences between the 3 Rosewoods? You guys have all the wood and cut up into easily comparable pieces...but obvioulsy one Indian mioght be more toppy than a Brazilian, and a good Malagasy might sound better than both!

 

[-CB-]

that's Brazilian on the left and Indian on the right

i certainly don't hear a difference between the two

all the best,

R

I think brazillian has a finer grain (usually) more color variation (usually), but you can get a great piece of indian, and a crap piece of brazillion.  Genes dont always make the wood.

 

[OzziePete]

I think brazillian has a finer grain (usually) more color variation (usually), but you can get a great piece of indian, and a crap piece of brazillion.  Genes dont always make the wood.

Kinda like humans eh? Genes of the great Hilton empire builder might be with Paris, but would you trust her with a million$? :icon_tongue:

 

[Alfang]

Can I get a brazillion fretboard?

What are you gonna do with so many fretboards?

 

[harsan]

malagasy is a madagascar rosewood?

 

[AutoBat]

2 year necropost!
Malagasy rosewood does come from Madagascar, often from illegal logging if this wiki pages is to be trusted. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_logging_in_Madagascar

 

[Great Ape]

Rosewood is a great wood, dissing it makes no sense...

I don't think anyone is "dissing" it. You're right - it is a great fingerboard wood - that's why it's used so extensively. But, it is common as dirt, and there are nice woods that sound the same without being so pedestrian. If you're going to spend the time and money to put together a custom guitar, why build a plain vanilla thing you can buy anywhere off the shelf for next to nothing? Kinda defeats the purpose. Besides, I notice you used kingwood instead of rosewood on your neck. What's up with that? <grin>

OK, that's it--For my next project I'm goin' to the neck-builder for a figured Vanilla-Dirt fingerboard!! :icon_biggrin: