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Double Stacked Fretboard?

Joe Ganzler

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Jul 18, 2001
Messages
6,911
I agree with everything said, but it would be far worse if the backs were made of two glued pieces of mahogany so the seam showed than this. In my opinion of course.

That's NEXT year...:lol
 

Gold Tone

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2002
Messages
6,825
yes, and I had hopes Gibson might use this wood, which Gibson is calling "Floridian Rosewood" internally, for their historics

but it is not to be

Gibson does intend to use it, but not sure for what.

Acoustics no doubt...fretboards are one thing but acoustics will suffer with no rosewood.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
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Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
And why can't Gibson get rosewood from the same source that Martin, PRS, Fender, Taylor and other US manufacturers use?
:bigal
 

jbzoso2002

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May 10, 2009
Messages
1,089
Im glad I got my historic when I did.

If things keep going like this it might be a
collectors item some day.

Jimmy:wah
 

LPCollector

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Mar 30, 2007
Messages
1,338
And why can't Gibson get rosewood from the same source that Martin, PRS, Fender, Taylor and other US manufacturers use?
:bigal

I have been asking this same question since the problem has arrived.......
I think it is posturing, on Gibson's part, for some other purpose.

BTW, the Indian rule reads that if the thickness of a board is a given dimention, the finished product MUST me made by the hands of Indians....but, it is legal to buy and make things from the thinner thickness (vaneer) without having to be made by people in India.
 

MeHereNow

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
677
Yeah man, laminated wood sucks, you know.
So let's get rid of our ES-335,355 etc with laminated tops and backs and that crap piece of a guitar they call the Les Paul with it's laminated body of maple and mahogany..

sjeez..
 

Tommy Tourbus

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Jan 1, 2005
Messages
871
OK, so are 2011's definately safe? Or did they really start this strictly w/2012 models?
 

tdarian

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Jun 25, 2008
Messages
3,575
OK, so are 2011's definately safe? Or did they really start this strictly w/2012 models?

The symtoms of asbestos exposure did not come to the surface for 20 or 30 years in many cases. We really do not know how safe these things are, which opens up some new concerns.:wah
 

Zoomer

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Feb 1, 2005
Messages
2,357
And why can't Gibson get rosewood from the same source that Martin, PRS, Fender, Taylor and other US manufacturers use?
:bigal

Not sure this info is true Tom but the rumors circulating around people I spoke with at NAMM is that Gibson uses thicker cut rosewood for the fingerboards than the other manufacturers which would explain why they are stacking it - like i said not sure if this is true.
 

LPCollector

New member
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
1,338
Yeah man, laminated wood sucks, you know.
So let's get rid of our ES-335,355 etc with laminated tops and backs and that crap piece of a guitar they call the Les Paul with it's laminated body of maple and mahogany..

sjeez..

Not the same..........
Now, if you are ok with TWO laminated pieces of maple on TOP of your mahogany body...then, I might have agreed.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
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Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Not sure this info is true Tom but the rumors circulating around people I spoke with at NAMM is that Gibson uses thicker cut rosewood for the fingerboards than the other manufacturers which would explain why they are stacking it - like i said not sure if this is true.

That answer would explain it.

Perhaps thicker rosewood is the true key? :wow :ganz
 

Gold Tone

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Apr 2, 2002
Messages
6,825
Didn't the boards get thinner in 2009? Wasn't that one of the vintage specs that was new to the Historic line?

How thick are the boards, maybe 1/8"
 
B

bigsby'd

Guest
The symtoms of asbestos exposure did not come to the surface for 20 or 30 years in many cases. We really do not know how safe these things are, which opens up some new concerns.:wah
Beer came out of my nose on this one. Well played.
 

Garincha

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Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Messages
385
I find it very hard to believe that any form of rosewood is being grown in any part of Germany, much less northern Germany.
The only tropical forest I have seen in Germany is in the chocolate museum in Cologne. :ganz

Wasn't a german wood supplier part of what led to the first raid? I think they were supplying Gibson with rosewood of questionable origin and Gibson knew that and ordered from them intentionally.

Could it be capitalbear is referring to that incident?
 

slammintone

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
Well, we've been paying more and more for better historically appointed guitars from Gibson. Probably too much even but it is what it is. Or was. Accepting lesser woods or scrap woods where tradionally solid pieces of higher grade wood have been used (and are still used on Korean made clones) is gonna bite us in the rear eventually. When good ol' Gibson *reintroduces* Solid Indian/Madagasgar Rosewood/Ebony fretboards we're going to be paying a similar premium over the scrap/baked maple fretboarded guitars that we currently pay for flamed vs. plain maple tops.

So yeah, it annoys me to hear guys cheerleading this new move by Gibson to use scraps and alternative woods. I am sick of hearing about how this is a wonderful move to make sure we have a Gibson product on the shelves. Why make it easy for Gibson to slip further and further away from the type of products that made them the great company the were?
 

Garincha

Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Messages
385
And why can't Gibson get rosewood from the same source that Martin, PRS, Fender, Taylor and other US manufacturers use?
:bigal

Because you need to pay that source every once in a while ;)

Seriously, this is a really long standing question for me since the very first raid. It was very obvious that Gibson was not willing to go the extra mile when it came to source the harder to obtain woods for their range. They were trying to get away with cheaper sources ignoring the possibility of them being illegal. The aforementioned german supplier is a good example for that policy.

But literally any other maker can legally source rosewood in any quantity and thickness he/she wants. Gibson should be able to do as well if they want to or if money allows. It looks like it is more a question of what they are willing to pay for their wood.

There are currently many luthiers, replica makers and makeover artists who can even legally source brazilian rosewood and true honduran mahogany with all the required paperwork. So why can't Gibson?

I have no problem with them cutting costs for their USA Standard lines but a Custom Shop instrument should really be at least remotely in the line with other high-end manufacturers - at least for those prices...
 

hank

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Jul 16, 2001
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1,828
Not an original idea, but perhaps a New Improved Line of Supremely Correct Historics is in the wings .... with Supreme Pricing?
 

MikeSlub

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Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,166
And why can't Gibson get rosewood from the same source that Martin, PRS, Fender, Taylor and other US manufacturers use?
:bigal

They can, but whoever is after them from the Feds is flyspecking everything they do and would probably declare this as "illegal" wood also. They don't want any more raids with guys in flak jackets and assault weapons. :tri

No one is going to see or hear a difference with double stacked fretboards anyway. Anyone who insists otherwise is subject to a blindfolded A/B test to pick out the guitar with the double stacked fretboard. :hank
 
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