Dark fretboard.

And Gibson uses "Richlite" as a substitute because of ebony shortages.

I think Gibson is using Richlite because it is being requested more and more. Many of the high-end and custom shop Gibsons are being made with Richlite instead of ebony. It simply feels better; if I were given the option, I would opt for Richlite every time.
 
I think Gibson is using Richlite because it is being requested more and more. Many of the high-end and custom shop Gibsons are being made with Richlite instead of ebony. It simply feels better; if I were given the option, I would opt for Richlite every time.

They still use ebony just not as much and at a premium.
I hear the richlite is pretty decent but i prefer the real thing.
 
I hear the richlite is pretty decent but i prefer the real thing.

I felt the same way until I bought a guitar with a richlite board. My SG I love, but it is a bit grainy in a couple of spots. I would love to swap out that fingerboard. I would suggest hitting GC and checking out a guitar or two with the richlite, I think you will be impressed.
 
I also have an acoustic where the fingerboard is carbon fiber. It is fantastic, and looks great, too.

I think we use rosewood, maple, and ebony out of tradition. My manufactured wood and carbon fiber fretboards seem to be my best for bends and vibrato. As we see more high-end guitars with the option, and more guitar heroes using these guitars, I think people's attitudes towards the materials will shift. Ken Parker was on to something.
 
I felt the same way until I bought a guitar with a richlite board. My SG I love, but it is a bit grainy in a couple of spots. I would love to swap out that fingerboard. I would suggest hitting GC and checking out a guitar or two with the richlite, I think you will be impressed.

I hear its very smooth and has excellent anti-wear properties.
Having richlite is not a deal breaker for me.
 
I think Godin is a company that regularly uses Richlite. But there are other guitar companies which use the generic 'phenolic'. It is all essentially paper and glue cut in sheets.
 
I don't know what the darkest is, but I don't care either. I only care what it feels like under my fingers. For me, the best feeling is rosewood, but I'll play anything.
Man, I remember the days when we took Rosewood for granted and just about any cheap guitar came with Rosewood.

I've always preferred Rosewood over Ebony, honestly. At least in the mid-tier guitars I've had. I've never owned an actual "good" guitar with an Ebony board, but I've had LTD Deluxes, Chapmans, PRS SE's, and all have had this brittle/thin quality that Rosewood fretboards don't seem to have.
 
These are all labeled as ebony (except the one in the middle, it's rosewood)

s2os5Lp.jpeg


I like ebony over all the other fretboard woods.... Seems harder and smoother to me.

But if someone were to tell me that one of these is actually richlite I'd be just fine with that.
 
The phenolic fretboard on my Grote
feels smooth like a finished maple board while looking dark like an ebony one

Like Securb says smooth as glass
Hard
No grain
 
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