Enter pau ferro. The wood that has been the fretboard for the Stevie Ray Vaughn Strat for many years will see wider incorporation into instruments made in Fender’s Ensenada, Mexico, factory. Pau ferro’s warm tone is tempered by its snappy attack, creating a crisp, clear sound ideal for fingerboards.
Similarly one may ask, can you darken pau ferro fretboard?
Simply so, do you need to oil a pau ferro fretboard? Oiling the fretboard
Ebony, pau ferro, Indian rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, wenge and padauk all enjoy lemon oil but if super dry, cracked or thirsty then almond oil will provide a more nourishing boost.
Keeping this in consideration, how do you clean a pau ferro fretboard?
Clean the fretboard – Use fine steel wool to remove stubborn gunk from Rosewood/Ebony/Pau Ferro fretboards, and apply Lemon Oil to re-hydrate. Use a damp cloth to clean Maple fretboards. Polish the guitar body – For Poly-finished (gloss) guitars, spray guitar polish onto a soft cloth and wipe down.
Is a pau ferro fingerboard good?
Pau Ferro has a tighter density than rosewood, meaning slightly less frequencies are absorbed into the fretboard. This results in a brighter, snappier tone, while still retaining the depth of rosewood designs. The feel of pau ferro is comparable to that of ebony, meaning an effortless, smooth playing experience.
Is pau ferro a good tone wood?
Pau ferro is a good electric guitar tonewood but only for the fretboard. It’s rarely even considered for bodies or necks.
Is pau ferro endangered?
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and many of the species within the Machaerium genus are reported by the IUCN as being of least concern.
Is pau ferro worse than rosewood?
In short, pau ferro is a lighter colored sustainable wood that’s harder than rosewood with a tighter grain. This results in a slightly brighter and sharper tone. Tonally, it sits between rosewood and ebony (which is even harder), while retaining the warmth that rosewood is known for.
Where is pau ferro from?
Libidibia ferrea, formerly Caesalpinia ferrea, and commonly known as pau ferro, Jucá, Brazilian ironwood, morado, or leopard tree, is a tree found in Brazil and Bolivia.
Which is better pau ferro or maple fretboard?
In short, maple is brighter sounding and cuts through the mix easier, while pau ferro sounds warmer and ‘fuller’. Maple has a much lighter color, while pau ferro is darker and looks similar to Rosewood with a reddish vibe.
Why is Fender using pau ferro?
These guitars were built with either Brazilian Rosewood or Pau Ferro fingerboards. So with that in mind, Fender found Pau Ferro to be the perfect alternative for Brazilian Rosewood both in terms of looks and tonal performance.
Will Fender stop using pau ferro?
Fender Musical Instruments is officially moving away from using rosewood fingerboards in the manufacturing of its Mexican made instruments due to the recent CITES regulations (see our previous post on CITES here).