Questions: Nontropical Fingerboard Materials

by Tom Theil

Originally published in American Lutherie #96, 2008



See also,
Questions: North American Wood by Mark French, Ned Steinberger, and Alan Carruth



Tom Theil from Northwind Tonewood in Upper Sandwich, New Hampshire responds to Larry L.’s question in AL#94 about nontropical materials for fingerboards:

As high quality exotic woods are becoming more precious, domestic alternatives become more viable. Fingerboard/bridge material must be hard, abrasion resistant, stable, and of similar pore structure, density, and (usually) color to traditional materials. Since every element of the instrument imparts its sonic signature, and the fingerboard and bridge are close to the vibrating string, their structural and resonance characteristics are quite important. These characteristics are measurable, but very subtle and include stiffness in all three grain directions, mass, and damping factor, plus stability and machinability for frets and inlay.

You can select materials which mimic ebony, rosewood, or maple, the traditional woods of preference. Tests might include weight, feel under sandpaper, and the sound when knuckled, scratched, and bounced on its endgrain. Although only marginally scientific, these tests are amazingly accurate due to the ear-brain system’s ability to differentiate subtle information contained in the early onset transient of the sound. If it rings cleanly, it is clean. If it knocks like papier mâché, it’s dead. These characteristics become part of the instrument’s tone.