Wood Experts!!! Test your skills!!!

[Brentrocks]

I'm thinking about having a custom Heritage built and a friend of mine has these rosewood blanks that he is offering to me to use if I want.

They came from a Luther in Kalamazoo who has since retired. The boards came in plastic bags from a supplier in Canada....

We are not sure how old they are? The label on each bag says "old rosewood fretboards for guitar"

Here are all 4 together...

What I am trying to determine is if one or all of these might be Brazilian rosewood? So wood experts, time to test your skills.....

HERE IS #1

this one is the second darkest and second heaviest of the 4

[Brentrocks]

HERE IS #2

this is the darkest and heaviest of the 4

[Brentrocks]

THIS IS #3

a little lighter in color and weight than 1 & 2

[Brentrocks]

AND #4

lightest of the 4 in color and weight

[cmatthes]

Honestly?

You can't tell the difference between Brazilian and Indian or any other kind of rosewood by pictures.

[Brentrocks]

Honestly?

You can't tell the difference between Brazilian and Indian or any other kind of rosewood by pictures.

oh really?

I thought you could?

tells ya how much I know

[django49]

If not otherwise authenticated, I think you need to test how fast they burn.

[cynic]

scratch & sniff

[Brentrocks]

A buddy on the HOC just sent me this...I had no idea???

For suspected samples of Brazilian Rosewood, take a small test tube or other small transparent container and fill it with some shavings, (a handplane works great for this), and then fill the remainder of the container with water and shake it up for a few seconds. Bring the container under the blacklight and observe the results: true Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) will not fluoresce or show any appreciable change of color under the blacklight, while most other rosewoods will glow a pale blue/green color

[carfish7]

They look cool. Why does it matter if they are Brazilian or otherwise, especially if they are already in hand?

Oh wait, I guess I know why.......

[sixesandsevens]

If not otherwise authenticated, I think you need to test how fast they burn.

That's some funny stuff right there.

A buddy on the HOC just sent me this...I had no idea???

For suspected samples of Brazilian Rosewood, take a small test tube or other small transparent container and fill it with some shavings, (a handplane works great for this), and then fill the remainder of the container with water and shake it up for a few seconds. Bring the container under the blacklight and observe the results: true Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) will not fluoresce or show any appreciable change of color under the blacklight, while most other rosewoods will glow a pale blue/green color

That's really cool if true. Great info. Now, which guitar do I start shaving down to make glow-stick juice...

[mirrorimij]

scratch & sniff

Yup. It has a distinct smell.

[Bobby Marshall]

All I see is four new guitars. Look nice.

[veatch]

scratch & sniff

Yup. It has a distinct smell.

This.

[Brentrocks]

the water turned a pale green for all 4 of them under a blacklight, so I guess they are all Indian rosewood.

[crunchee]

The boards you've got there in the photos look nice to me. On top of that, they don't look like roasted maple like some do nowadays. Stay away from the cork sniffers and enjoy what you've got.

[cmatthes]

scratch & sniff

Yup. It has a distinct smell.

Exactly.

[Brentrocks]

what is that "scent"?

[veatch]

Try it on that 56 les Paul. I'm pretty sure that would have a braz board.

[coolfeel]

what is that "scent"?

[veatch]

With Cites, you may be better off that it is Indian. I think to have someone actually build something with it, you would have to show a paper trail of how it went from tree to "in your possession". Could be very hard to do unless the friend you got them from has that information...

Like I said, I could be wrong, but that's what I remember from when i read this stuff in the past...

[ghamerinfrance]

If not otherwise authenticated, I think you need to test how fast they burn.

Burning with Coconut, without coconut and if burning, do they sink afterwards...Its very important....

[ptm1diver]

Then if they are Indian you could be in real trouble. To avoid a possible raid by the Feds (like Gibson) send them all my way.

[Citrus]

I remember either PRS or another builder showing the difference on a youtube video, just by the tone when the wood was tapped with his knuckle.

The rosewood had more of a "bell-like" tone rather than just a woody klunk

for what its worth

[mc2]

HERE IS #2

this is the darkest and heaviest of the 4

Hard to tell by color.....usually, the one with the biggest boobs and nicest ass is the Brazilian

[cmatthes]

I remember either PRS or another builder showing the difference on a youtube video, just by the tone when the wood was tapped with his knuckle.

The rosewood had more of a "bell-like" tone rather than just a woody klunk

for what its worth

It was probably Paul. I remember going to an open house at the PRS factory about a dozen years ago and Paul demonstrating the knock test. He explained the similarity to the wood used for marimbas having a more musical quality, etc. For the rest of the afternoon, I watched the goofiest shit, as a bunch of non-players knocked every piece of wood in the joint, declaring one more "musical" than the previous.

What a bunch of asshole dipshits...