Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi folks, I haven't posted in a long while.

Does anyone have any experience using Blackwood Tek as an ebony substitute for fingerboards? This material seems promising and very well priced. From those who have used it, I would appreciate any thoughts on how it works, fretting, inlaying, stability, gluing, and how it may respond when being heated for removal.

http://corporate.madinter.com/blackwood-tek/

I checked out the link and it does look like an interesting product. I don't think it is available State side but my guess is the way things are going with tropical lumber, all lumber actually, it will be the norm in 15-20 years.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Yes, weird that they are a Chinese company but they don't have a US distributor. Price is good though, I hope the product is too. Will be keeping my eyes open for this.

On similar. I recently met this guy. http://www.macphersonguitars.com/about.html

He's a dealer for a cool product, Rocklite Ebano. It may have been mentioned here. I purchased samples of binding, fb, head plate and bridge blank. It is blacker than black. I haven calculated the density but feels pretty similar to ebony and is hard. Without a question I will try the former 3 and see know reason for them to be an excellent alternative to solid wood.(this is a wood product). Even though it would probably be fine or better, I would be reluctant to use it on a bridge. Although I do have a test mule shop guitar that I was thinking of refinishing, when I have free time, ha, that I would use it on.

Pricing is good and you folks South of 49, you'll save 25%.

For Rocklite Ebano, see rctonewoods.com, one of the sponsors of this site.

I'm using it on two guitars I'm building at the moment. They're not finished yet so I can't comment on how well the Tekwood stands up to actual use, but first impressions are positive. It has a slightly 'burny' smell when sanded or planed but otherwise handles very similarly to real ebony - even down to being a bit chippy if you're not careful. It certainly seems very stable. I haven't detected any movement through some fairly wide humidity swings. Good product.

Thanks all for your replies. A luthier friend in Portugal is going to send me some samples to test out. Ian perhaps you can reply back with your impressions when you get your two guitars strung up. Thanks.