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Post by PaulKay on May 27, 2018 10:08:16 GMT -5
Godin makes the Multiacs using Richlite for the fretboard. So what is it exactly? “Is Richlite really paper?” It’s actually a very smooth evenly colored surface and feels every bit like any hardwood fretboard.  |
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Post by drlj on May 27, 2018 10:43:21 GMT -5
It looks and feels very nice. People are leery of it because it isn’t wood. Obviously, wood bias is real.
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Post by PaulKay on May 27, 2018 11:09:25 GMT -5
It looks and feels very nice. People are leery of it because it isn’t wood. Obviously, wood bias is real. I can see a wood bias for the soundboard or even back/ sides. But the fretboard has no effect on tone other than the precision of fret placement which is a manufacture detail. |
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Post by TKennedy on May 27, 2018 11:10:46 GMT -5
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Post by drlj on May 27, 2018 11:53:24 GMT -5
It looks and feels very nice. People are leery of it because it isn’t wood. Obviously, wood bias is real. I can see a wood bias for the soundboard or even back/ sides. But the fretboard has no effect on tone other than the precision of fret placement which is a manufacture detail. I am not saying it is bad. I liked it. I have just heard people make comments about it because it isn’t wood. Probably people who have not seen or played it, of course. It looks very nice. I wondered if it would be more prone to chipping if the guitar needed a refret but that is just a bit of curiosity on my part. |
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on May 27, 2018 13:14:12 GMT -5
Martin is using it on a lot of its "not quite real" Martins. (That's a Martin purist joke, son.)
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Post by brucemacneill on May 27, 2018 13:20:43 GMT -5
Paper is made of wood pulp generally so it's partially wood isn't it?
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on May 27, 2018 14:51:46 GMT -5
35% resin. Plastic. Pass.
Mike
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Post by Marshall on May 27, 2018 15:12:38 GMT -5
I'd be OK with it. And the plywood necks are probably a better more stable engineered material. Though the resonant vibrations of the plywood neck might affect acoustic sound slightly.
But the top and bracing and sides play a much bigger role.
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Post by millring on May 27, 2018 15:25:28 GMT -5
Rob beat me to the punch. I remember back when Martin started using it by another name. It was quite the controversy on the old AG forum.
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Post by millring on May 27, 2018 15:26:14 GMT -5
LJ told me he saw Richlite Fretboard in concert right before their lead singer died.
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Post by RickW on May 27, 2018 15:30:26 GMT -5
I've played some. They're great. I still love ebony, but to be honest I'm not sure if I'd know the difference. Carbon fibre fret boards are great, it's just a surface. I would assume it would be less likely to tear out on fret replacement
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Post by PaulKay on May 27, 2018 16:58:38 GMT -5
I've played some. They're great. I still love ebony, but to be honest I'm not sure if I'd know the difference. Carbon fibre fret boards are great, it's just a surface. I would assume it would be less likely to tear out on fret replacement So far I have no issues with it on the Godin either. But off to a gig now, so we’ll try it in action. |
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on May 27, 2018 17:09:29 GMT -5
I had Richlite fretboard and bridge on a black HPL Little Martin. I am pretty sure the only thing holding that guitar back was the lack of Brazilian rosewood fretboard and bridge.
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Post by drlj on May 27, 2018 18:33:49 GMT -5
LJ told me he saw Richlite Fretboard in concert right before their lead singer died. It was their drummer and he died on stage after a 27 minute drum solo. |
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Post by Marshall on May 27, 2018 18:46:38 GMT -5
Rob beat me to the punch. I remember back when Martin started using it by another name. It was quite the controversy on the old AG forum. Micarta? |
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Post by drlj on May 27, 2018 19:18:44 GMT -5
Martin calls it Richlite now and, I think, always did. The UMGF has threads about it that date back to 2010. Maybe they had a different name before 2010, but I do not recall that.
Micarta is a different substance. It is an artificial bone, man-made substance used for saddles and nuts. It has been around a long time. Martin used it but they did not originate it. It is still readily available and it works well. It is no different than using Tusq or one of the other bone substitutes.
Martin did make some guitars using micarta for the fingerboard many years back but it was mostly used for saddles and nuts.
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Post by Marty on May 27, 2018 20:02:20 GMT -5
Martin is using it on a lot of its "not quite real" Martins. (That's a Martin purist joke, son.) Are they using Richlite now or are they still using Micarta? Micarta works, somewhat, for fingerboards but IMO sucks for bridges. Martin does use Micarta for saddles but they use Corian for nuts. |
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Post by jdd2 on May 27, 2018 20:14:50 GMT -5
... But the fretboard has no effect on tone other than ... Don't get me wrong, I'd accept this stuff as a fingerboard. But that statement could raise some hackles in certain circles. Tone-wise, there are folks who swear by one or another wood for neck/board (esp. on electrics), think a slothead makes a difference, or even the weight of the tuners. |
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on May 27, 2018 21:09:59 GMT -5
Martin is using it on a lot of its "not quite real" Martins. (That's a Martin purist joke, son.) Are they using Richlite now or are they still using Micarta? Micarta works, somewhat, for fingerboards but IMO sucks for bridges. Martin does use Micarta for saddles but they use Corian for nuts. When I go to Martin's site and search for Richlite, I get this: www.martinguitar.com/search?q=Richlite |
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