4 posts
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Post by lofty on Jun 7, 2017 20:42:21 GMT
I've been researching Harley Benton intensively as of late as I am plunging into buying my first one this month.
I heard that due to the rosewood export situation, HB are actually going to mess up some perfectly fine maple to make it look like (bleurgh) Rosewood?
Why on earth would you take a nicer wood and make it look like an uglier wood? Political statement? Please just make all the guitars with maple fretboards and be done with it, that's my 2 cents. Or at least provide the option to buy maple that looks like maple if it's maple anyway.
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cerb
Harley Benton Club Member
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Post by cerb on Jun 7, 2017 20:58:37 GMT
I've been researching Harley Benton intensively as of late as I am plunging into buying my first one this month. I heard that due to the rosewood export situation, HB are actually going to mess up some perfectly fine maple to make it look like (bleurgh) Rosewood? Why on earth would you take a nicer wood and make it look like an uglier wood? Political statement? Please just make all the guitars with maple fretboards and be done with it, that's my 2 cents. Or at least provide the option to buy maple that looks like maple if it's maple anyway. Well, nice or ugly is a point of view and fortunately we all have our own. There's a place for both of them and I'm glad there's a choice. How about we debate something important instead, like colors. By now it should be clear to everyone that blue guitars soundnd best, surely. Something about the blue pigmentation that resonates beautifully, especially when played around the 10th fret in open G tuning.
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325 posts
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Post by wildturkey on Jun 7, 2017 21:36:45 GMT
How about we debate something important instead, like colors. By now it should be clear to everyone that blue guitars soundnd best, surely. Something about the blue pigmentation that resonates beautifully, especially when played around the 10th fret in open G tuning. Theres a lot of debate about this . Thats only true if the plastic is left on the pickguard, Take it off & it sounds like any other colour.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Jun 7, 2017 22:48:53 GMT
I've been researching Harley Benton intensively as of late as I am plunging into buying my first one this month. I heard that due to the rosewood export situation, HB are actually going to mess up some perfectly fine maple to make it look like (bleurgh) Rosewood?
Why on earth would you take a nicer wood and make it look like an uglier wood? Political statement? Please just make all the guitars with maple fretboards and be done with it, that's my 2 cents. Or at least provide the option to buy maple that looks like maple if it's maple anyway. I believe the baking process is done to make the maple behave more like rosewood. It then doesn't need finishing like maple does and folks can feed it with lemon oil to their heart's content. I'm mostly with you on the aesthetics of maple fretboards but just can't seem to gel with one on a Jazzmaster.
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4 posts
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Post by lofty on Jun 8, 2017 6:01:37 GMT
I've been researching Harley Benton intensively as of late as I am plunging into buying my first one this month. I heard that due to the rosewood export situation, HB are actually going to mess up some perfectly fine maple to make it look like (bleurgh) Rosewood?
Why on earth would you take a nicer wood and make it look like an uglier wood? Political statement? Please just make all the guitars with maple fretboards and be done with it, that's my 2 cents. Or at least provide the option to buy maple that looks like maple if it's maple anyway. I believe the baking process is done to make the maple behave more like rosewood. It then doesn't need finishing like maple does and folks can feed it with lemon oil to their heart's content. I'm mostly with you on the aesthetics of maple fretboards but just can't seem to gel with one on a Jazzmaster. To me, maple is less grippy and thus more conducive to slide and bends, so to me it feels better. And it doesn't sound like "baking" a bunch of maple is any less extra effort than finishing it? As for Jazzmasters and Jaguars (of which I am a big fan of the latter) - I WISH there was a maple option somewhere if you know something I don't, I'd love to know. (If you mean Fender's not-actually-a-real-Jaguar with humbuckers then I can control my enthusiasm )
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Jun 8, 2017 7:14:36 GMT
That's an interesting observation, lofty , about the 'grippiness' of maple. I guess that will depend on what it's finished with. Folks often loathe that high gloss lacquer on a fingerboard and certainly end up sanding the backs of necks with that stuff, but my favourite tele-alike has a hard-as-glass like maple neck and board. My second favourite is a Pacifica with a matte finished maple one. One of the arguments for rosewood has always been that it is harder than unfinished maple and contains natural oils which should make it less grippy, which is why I then hate it when a row of mother-of-plastic blocks are inserted along it. It is also easier to maintain and finish. I have seen plenty of chewed up rosewood boards though. I also realise that I am very insensitive to many of these things though and am pretty sure that, if blindfolded and handed a variety of unfamiliar guitars, I wouldn't necessarily know - by feel or sound - whether I was playing rosewood or maple. I have a hunch I may know if I was playing mother-of-plastic blocks though.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Jun 8, 2017 7:56:05 GMT
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Post by marit on Jun 8, 2017 9:47:54 GMT
To me, maple is less grippy and thus more conducive to slide and bends, so to me it feels better. And it doesn't sound like "baking" a bunch of maple is any less extra effort than finishing it? You touch the fret board doing slides and bends? Does the string not get in the way?
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Jun 8, 2017 10:11:45 GMT
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cerb
Harley Benton Club Member
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Post by cerb on Jun 8, 2017 16:45:53 GMT
Then you'll just have to cough up for a selection of these instead cerb . Cheaper too. And a suitable victim for modification
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2017 17:59:03 GMT
Oh gawd! Spare me from these images defjef, I was eating ! Is there no decency on this forum?!
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