Quote:
Originally Posted by Telemarkman
The Janka Hardness Scale: The Janka hardness test is a measurement of the force necessary to embed a .444-inch steel ball to half its diameter in wood. It is the industry standard for gauging the ability of various species to tolerate denting and normal wear, as well as being a good indication of the effort required to either nail or saw the particular wood.
According to this test, ebony has a hardness value of 3220, rosewood 1780 and hard maple 1450 - which means that both rosewood and especially ebony, are considerably harder than maple.
However, the often thick finish on a maple fretboard makes it seem/feel harder, but this is not the case if we look at the wood itself.
|
Hmmm....didn't know that! Yeah, i've always felt that people's preferences between maple fretboards or darker woods (rosewood, ebony, etc.) was because of finish...the fact that maple often has a slick hard finish that feels more slippery for bends, and rosewood and ebony typically aren't finished at all, so they "grip" the strings and your fingers a bit more.
But I also assumed that maple, since it is so preferred for necks (along with Mahogany), was harder.
But regardless, we agree: it's about the finish affecting the feel, not the wood actually changing the tone.