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Anybody know where I can buy these? I can't find a supplier in the USA.

I don't use it but it looks like you can get them one state over in WA.

https://www.richlite.com/product-page/guitar-fretboard-blank-black-diamond

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

I appreciate your response but I don't think this is the same as Richlite. Richlite is laminated maple dyed black and it's made in England.

Rocklite

Getting hard to keep up with the substitutes.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

if you are looking for the stuff made in England, its called "Rocklite" and is no longer imported to the US thus no one really supplies it anymore.

Richlite, if i recall correctly, is a highly compressed paper product.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

The mnemonic is ‘I’ll never be rich, but I’ll always wanna rock’.

You want nothing to do with richlite but rocklite is ok…in it’s way.

Sorry about the misnomer. I guess Rocklite is what I want and can't get anymore. Thanks for the correction, that compressed paper (Richlite) product is just too heavy. I guess I'll have to go back to Ebony.

Have you considered Royal Blackwood? The bridge, headplate and FB on this one are all Royal Blackwood.

https://alliedlutherie.com/products/royal-blackwood

You can find Rocklite products in Canada

https://edcofinewoods.com/en-us/search? ... ix%5D=last

Also, you can contact the Rocklite web site in England. The web site says no shipping outside the UK but I have an email response from a while back which says they can ship. Don’t know if this is still valid n

You could also consider this product - https://thermalwoodcanada.com/music-com ... collection

I’m trying it out on the next build. I have some hesitation about it being thermally modified, especially as a bridge, but going to try…

Brad


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looking at pictures of the actual product for sale at rctonewoods I'm not in any way impressed with the stuff...and at the thermal wood website the picture associated with the product says ebony...???...sure, I'm thinking conspiracy theory like, but....either way the pictures at uncle bob's site make it look like a rather ugly product.

I ordered two of the fingerboards recommended by Michaeldc. When they arrive I'll compare them to the two Rocklite fingerboards I still have. I do appreciate all the replies and helpful suggestions.

I don’t think those are representative of what I’m seeing them advertising in videos on instagram. I’m going to order a sampler pack and check it out. Will share pics when I get it.


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Michael, do you know if Allied is sourcing this from the same supplier as LMI or are they selling off a bulk of stock from LMI when they closed?

Brad


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This thread got me thinking about fretboards and my preferences. I don't really care for perfectly black boards. Of course I don't have clients to tell me otherwise. I was just looking at Allied's 2A boards and when I need some, that's what I'll get. I actually love the browns and light brown streaks.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I've always used just pieces of wood I find for fingerboards/fretboards. I have bought a couple violin fingerboard blanks when I started, but I usually find something that I can make all of the fittings from too. On guitars, I just find some cool 1/4" thick, 3" wide, 24" long board at Woodcraft!

I do like Katalox. It is black, but it seems like it is woven with white. Sometimes when planing, you will find pure cream colored shavings. I found some at Rockler that was labeled Royal Ebony, that was cream on one half, and black on the other half. I have enough of the black side to get a 3rd instrument out of it.

Even though I started in violins, I'm not obsessed with black fittings. Sometimes they look like they could be plastic. I like wood that looks like wood. If they want to make some woods hard to get, or restricted, I'm more than happy to use something else. That said, NO ONE looked at my violin with the cream Katalox fittings. I think it looks good, but I'm weird, and not normal.

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Why be normal?

No idea, Brad.

I bought 30 sets when LMI was closing. Glad I did cuz the price went up a bit.

M

What's with all this poor mouthing of Richlite? I have clients with Gibsons and Martins that are equipped with Richlite fingerboards, and to a man - they love them. They like the look, the way it feels, and the sound is equal to if not slightly better than ebony (to their ears). I am quite familiar with composites of all kinds in the aircraft industry, and it doesn't surprise me at all that a high quality composite such as Richlite would be a successful choice for musical instrument makers and repairmen.

A material that is impervious to humidity, and dimensionally consistent with a high density seems like a very good choice. While I've only seen the Diamond Black fingerboards, they make other colors that would work on guitars or basses. Surely some of our more experienced repair guys and adventuresome builders have used it with success? if you've had good or bad experiences with Richlite, sing out here. I'd like your opinions.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Did I miss something? I read exactly 1 user express their preference in not using it, but no other discussion about or "poor mouthing" richlite

I see a lot of people chiming in with alternatives to ebony...

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

I see it hated on elsewhere a lot, and don't find a lot of preference for it here - that's all.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Ah, I understand now. In that case I share your sentiment.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

If you want to buy Rocklite from the UK but the manufacturer won’t ship it you can go through a parcel forwarding company such as MyUKmailbox.com or Forward2me.com.

I spoke to the owner of the company that makes Rocklite (in the UK). They're not making it any more. The bindings yes, the fretboards no. Shame because I liked it.

My one issue with Richlite surfaced when I was slotting a bridge on a Martin. The saw I use is fitted with a jig saw blade, which lasts a very long time, even considering that more than half the bridges I slot are ebony. But after slotting one Richlite bridge, the blade was completely toasted.

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John

Was it a carbide tipped blade, or high speed steel?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince