Why Martin Guitar Chooses Richlite Fretboards Over Ebony
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- In this video you'll learn all about Richlite fretboards and why guitar manufacturers like Martin Guitar are choosing Richlite. For Martin Guitar, Richlite fretboard and bridges are a sustainable addition to their instruments. Richlite has become the top ebony alternative in the musical instrument industry for a variety of reasons. The most predominant reason is that companies have been searching for an eco-friendly alternative to the endangered wood species known as ebony. Our Black Diamond Richlite has become the perfect alternative because not only is it FSC and Greenguard certified, making it sustainable, but also the durability and consistency of the material has caught guitar companies attention. The best part is that it performs (acoustically) just as well as natural ebony. Richlite also has the same density has ebony wood.
My only issue with richlite is that if you're gonna put it on a high end guitar, it shouldn't cost as much as one with real Ebony wood. Personally I'd rather pay a little more for the same model with real ebony wood than the same price with richlite, and vice versa paying a little less for a richlite board as apposed to real Ebony. Ebony is a very beautiful wood.
Richlite is very similar in price to Ebony. It is on high end because it PERFORMS better, especially long term and for maintenance (less expansion contraction, no oiling required, and easier refretting. Not to mention that it’s consistently jet black in color which makes inlay work pop more than a B grade ebony that has streaks of color in it.
We are confident that our product is of utmost quality. A lot of energy goes into manufacturing a consistent industrial material from recycled paper that performs well on instruments. We balance the use of recycled pulp in a highly engineered paper, resin saturation, panel density and press times, among many other factors to create Richlite.
I have a Custom shop Les Paul with Richlite because it will never crack or get funky, requires almost no maintenance, and feels wicked slick.
Just my 2c but this material is fantastic
@@RichliteCompany Aside from your touted "performance" aspect, what else justifies the price similarity to Ebony?
I'm no expert on Richlite, but from what I've read, all it is is recycled paper (cheap and plentiful) infused with a resin, allowed to harden, and cut into lengths. Not quite as time/money/labor-intensive as growing Ebony trees (1/2" per year!) and paying to have them harvested, cut, and shipped over here.
I'm afraid that if the high price justification is solely based on "performance", then you'd better lower your price as soon as possible, lest the Chinese enter your market and produce a Richlite knock-off for pennies on the dollar for what you're charging.
@@gardnerberry113 Our product may be made of paper but that doesn't necessarily mean it’s cheaper. We use advanced technology to make our material and a highly refined process that contributes to this price point.
I like Richlite for different reasons than I like Ebony. For one it reminds me of many strange primitive composite materials we used before modern durable poly plastics - these were often more 'wood like' and organic in composition.
And yes its pore-less, impervious, dimensionally stable - as we can argue are carbon fiber or aluminum.
I'm sure the instruments also sound good, although nobody seems to be arguing for sound, or claiming that replacing natural wood sounds better. For comparison, Fender players are paying quite a cost premium for now-elusive Brazilian rosewood - and that's just in the world of electrics. It's partly an emotional debate yet people believe they notice differences in Fender neck construction.
Ultimately Richlite is a good thing in many ways, and not much stranger than a bakelite or cellulose pickguard. Maybe if you bond with the guitar, you just buy it regardless & appreciate what it is. Martin isn't fooling around here. Would I still be reluctant to trade qualities & quirks of traditional acoustic guitar woods for Richlite advantages, I'm sure in some cases I would be so biased.
Thanks for the discussion!
I think the only way to convince some of the knuckle heads that Richlite is a viable alternative to Ebony is a simple demonstration.
Machine, finish and fret 2 identical fretboards, one from Ebony the other from Richlite. Put them both in a 5 gal bucket of water for 10 days. Remove, measure, compare.
Ebony is beautiful and traditional. I love it. If it could be grown like Hybrid Poplar things would be dandy.
That said, there is no reason Ebony and Richlite should have comparable price points. Richlite is pricing like a pharmaceutical company. A demand model rather than a cost of production model. Nice things cannot be said about that.
Hi! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! We understand where you're coming from, however, we cannot lower our prices simply for consumer demand if we wanted to stay in business. Our product requires R&D, industrial machines, raw materials, sustainable Waste-to-Energy technology, marketing, staffing, administration, etc. Comparing us to a pharmaceutical company is inaccurate. We are a family owned company that has operated since 1943. We encourage you to take a tour of our process as we believe it would change your outlook on our pricing model. We are located in Tacoma, WA. If you're in the area stop in for a tour, email us at info@richlite.com.
Hey GZ maybe us knuckle heads would just like to have an all wood guitar
@@richardgreen9393 - I don't disagree.
I have a Martin acoustic and Gibson Les Paul with a Richlite fretboard. I love it. Sounds great, feels great, looks great. You don't need scarce wood to make a great instrument.
Richlite is the best fretboard. It’s literally bulletproof……well not really but it’s good
I agree with you. I bought my first Martin D-35 when I was 16 years old. Since then I have bought two more Martin guitars. The second guitar was another D-35. My oldest brother had two D-35's also. When he was in his 70's he bought a new Martin D-45. He loved it. Sadly he passed away a few years later. It's sad that he didn't have time to enjoy it. Martin guitars are the one thing my brother and I shared and loved. We had that in common for most of his life. We visited the Martin factory together also. I wish we could have visited it once more before he passed away. Thanks for sharing your video. I enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing your story, on the whole, it still sounds wonderful that two brothers could enjoy these great guitars over a lifetime. I wish I could get my brother to pick up a guitar and find the enjoyment that I do.
Peace to us all.
Sorry for your lost. I believe he's still playing guitar with you in your heart and heaven. Even his time was short, but he was happy because he had a brother right here!
Thank you all for posting a response to my post. God bless you and your family always.
Tommy TY for your story
I picked up a Martin GPC 13e last year, which has the Richlite fingerboard, and can attest to how smooth it plays. I play 2-3 live solo acoustic shows a week and it's held up nicely!
Also, love that you mentioned Thailand (my wife is Thai)
This was not only a great showcase for your product, but theirs as well. I truly think guitarists are a little too "closed-minded" when it comes to adopting new materials/technologies (the Floyd rose comes to mind, followed by anything other than hardwood for the fingerboard), but making a product that a company like Martin will stand behind, I think it might open up some eyes finally.
Now, if only I could find richlite in Canada....
Lloyd Pittonet I'm all for innovation. My next guitar is a Martin that has a stratabond neck and richlite board. I tried one and loved it! couldn't really tell the difference as such.
It is available in Canada from our distributors in sheet form and we also now have multiple online retailers of single blanks that will ship anywhere. Check out LMI / Luthier Mercantile International, Dylan Talks Tone, Australian Luthiers Supplies. Stay tuned, we will be selling single blanks on our website very soon!
Now, some Seagull use richlite and Godin acoustic line too. I'll like to try them.
That moment you want to learn about Richlite fretboards on your guitar and end up hearing Chuck Ragan, one of your favorite artists.
I've always owned guitars with ebony and rosewood fretboards, but I recently played a guitar with Richlite and it was really great! Looking to get one for myself now.
I just bought a Martin HPL with Richlite and I am in love! Sweetest playing fretboard ever! Love it!
Which model did you buy?
Jorge Valles oooxce
Cites and all of the other certification troubles make moving wood difficult - also North America has many varied woods but not the usual suspects used in old school acoustics. That is why Leo started with ash/alder/maple all easily sourced in the US for electrics. I'd play a cherry and maple acoustic guitar with Richlite - oh wait, I do!!
I have Richlite on one of my Martins (a 000XCE) and from what I've observed and experienced so far is that it's tough and durable but it feels and looks great. I think the reason why Martin doesn't use it on more of their higher end models is that those models are still favored by cranky and closed-minded old men who complain about any change.
Thanks for the positive feedback!
Richlite is a durable, sustainable, and versatile material made from paper and thermosetting resin. Nothing like paying 6K+ for a guitar with a paper and resin fingerboard and bridge. Drop the price by 2-3K and we might be able to have a conversation.
it's distracting to have a vocal song in the background while you are talking - instrumental would be better
I own a Martin DRS-1, with a Richlite FB and Bridge, and it is my Favourite guitar, bar none.
Also, I am PROUD to contribute towards sustainability when choosing my guitars.
Sapele is FSC Certified and so is Richlite.
Thank you for putting in the hard work to keep our world sustainable for future generations.
...Something that many people seem to have forgotten about.
To skip the Pepperidge Farm intro, the richlite part starts at 2:08
My NS Design CR5 cello which has this fingerboard so knowing it’s made from sustainable materials truly warms my heart.
I have a Martin CPCPA1 Plus Grand Concert that is a dream to play. I paid Around $3,200 for it new from Sweetwater. The build is excellent, with a richlite finger board. I have no complaints. I record with it and use it live. It’s a keeper! I’m not a purest-meaning my guitars don’t have to fit a rigid formula. I’m all for innovation and evolution when it comes to finding new or alternative ways to build quality guitars. If Martin is willing to put their name on it, and I literally cannot tell the difference between ebony and richlite. I’m happy.
Adding simulated wood pores to the black (Ebony) and brown (Rosewood) fingerboard blank tops would help guitarists adopt guitars manufactured with Richlite.
Keep an eye on us in regards to the rosewood… More to come soon!
@@RichliteCompany please dont and take a long walk off a long bridge
Conversely, I'd love to see them "lean into" more on a contemporary/modern acoustic guitar. Dimensionally stable and resonant composites with an out of this world sound.
that's my only problem with Richlite, it has no character.
Do these fretboards act as a "second" truss rod?
Aka, do they make the neck stronger and more resilient to temperature/humidity change while STILL allowing the truss rod to do what it needs to WITHOUT diminishing the sound or feel of the instrument?
And on a side note, how do these fretboards age? With rosewood, you can dig into the fretboard over time adding character. It also ages with the rest of the guitar.
Do these stay factory new even on a beat-up guitar? Would it look artificial and "too new" after 20 years?
Would really love to hear a response here! Thanks!
I just bought a Martin with the richlite. Didn’t even know it was fake wood till I watched this video!
It’s great. I love mine.
Honestly I applaud them for cutting down use of real wood in favor of synthetic materials. I’m by no means a tree hugger but I started to think about how many guitars are in a guitar store. Then I thought about how many stores there are across the world. And how many millions upon millions of guitars there are in the world and that’s just new. Then think of most trees planted 20 30 years ago aren’t even totally suitable yet for guitar wood so even more old trees get cut down. That’s a lot of trees that we get beautiful wood for guitars from that have been cut down for that. I appreciate guitar wood to the point that I would rather see more use of synthetic materials that are a useful alternative or sustainable woods from downed trees or something like that more often to preserve the trees these guitars are made from for other more expensive guitars. If it doesn’t grow quickly use it less preserve it. Anyways that’s my two cents.
Guitars are actually a very small percentage when it comes to deforestation. Exotic woods are are almost always used for furniture - thats where the problem really starts. Sitka and other traditional "American" woods are used for general lumber and construction as well and take up the majority of the logging industry's business.
Im no tree hugger as well and Im glad some acoustic makers are trying to do their part, but the problem is way beyond them.
They're just a drop in a big bucket of water when it comes to the worlds deforestation problems.
@@sc12100 What is a tree hugger?
@@allend3127 you got a computer - look it up!
I asked because you act like it’s a bad thing to care about nature, or to act with good stewardship towards creation. That didn’t come across in your message, though.
It’s no secret that animal agriculture is the largest contributor to deforestry. But like you, I think it’s cool acoustic guitar manufacturers are doing their part. It’s all any of us can do!
@@allend3127
That was a "gotcha" question and I already knew what your response was going to be. And I don't know how you came to that assumption from my comment. I also care about nature as well and 'MY" definition of a tree hugger is someone who will protest cutting down the tree thats been planted in the middle of a parking lot. There are those who truly care about nature and who are productive in trying to limit the significant damage that we have created. And then there are those who are extreme, lack common sense, and are not at all educated on the issue as a whole.
Have you seen the documentary "Music Wood"? It's pretty good and I think you'd enjoy it.
It almost saddens me to say, but I had exactly the OPPOSITE feeling of what he is explaining the first 54 seconds of this video whilst trying a Richlite fretboard today...
For the past 20 years I have been playing on an old beat down and discontinued Condor guitar, whose fretboard should have been renewed twice (no joke, there are literaly divits in the darned thing) making it nearly uplayable. The guitar itself still has a warm and vibrant tone to it so I've been hesitant to replace it.. until today. Today I went to my local music center with a couple of guitar models in mind that I wanted to try out. Two of them were from Martin. A new Road series and an X series. Shamefully, I didn't leave with either of those guitars even though their sound were superb!
The feeling of their fretboards was a real letdown. It felt like I was pushing the strings down onto a combination of hardened plastic and rubber and my eco-friendly fingers and mind rejected that feeling. I can't invest 1000 euros into a product that feels like rubber, no matter the technical and environmental benefits.
So it almost saddens me to say it, but I'd rather stay with my 30+ year old pothole ridden Condor fretboard, than use a Richlite.
Always. only real woods For Guitars.. Real Guitars
@Illegalshadow I felt nearly ashamed to say it, because I would really like to stay eco friendly and save having to chop down more trees, but my hands simply rejected the Martin's fretboard.
The solution is reduce industrial productions. For All woods used in guitars Now .Not only for ebony Fretboards..
@@fernandovilanueva9373 I love my real guitar made out of a Richlite fretboard. Thank you Richlite. Please ignore such people.
In case anyone’s wondering, song in the background
Chuck Ragan - Gathering Wood
the irony!
So awesome!!
I'd rather have Richlite over Ebony any day of the week. My fingers just don't move on Edony. Keep doing what you're doing!
I love my Martin Dread, an amazing instrument!
They seem to be using richlite on there cheaper guitars and still using ebony on there higher end model , so maybe saving money is more in line with the change then restrictions, and they have a ebony tree growing program in Africa, so they are not ruling out ebony.
Never played a Martin I liked. I hate the feel of Richlite. I like my Taylor. It has Ebony but it has brown streaks in it. They use all the cuts now instead of only the blackest ones. It’s beautiful, feels good, and I have no stability issues.
Ebony is purely cosmetic and weaker. The reason why you hate the feel of Richlite is because it’s in your head. If Richlite was on your Taylor and you thought it was ebony you would be falling madly in love with it.
ebony guitars aren't as cool as everyone says they are slower n softer maybe or something sound less poinky i guess but you can always address that by putting the right metal strings
If Richlite is “superior” and even “More expensive than ebony”, why does Martin only put it on the low end/budget models? Shouldn’t it be going on their top of the line guitars? And the “cheap,inferior” ebony used on the rest?
They are boiling the frogs slowly, getting people used to paying premium prices for cheap paper crap.
I have the omcpa4 and the road series 11 dread. Richlite all day. All I care about is sound
That looks like wood glue. I was under the impression that only epoxy should be used with richlite. Thats what the manufacturer's website says. Is woodglue okay to use then?
I think I would prefer blond ebony over resin paper.
Have you tried a Richlite fingerboard before? Many luthiers and guitarists say they actually prefer it over ebony.
Have not tried a Richlite fret board, I plan on looking for one this weekend while visiting the guitar shop. I want to see this stuff closeup. Sorry, it just feels wrong in my mind. My experience is natural wood just cannot be replaced, even if the material is "better" from an engineering standpoint..
@@2000SkyView cheap real wood is pretty bad and susceptible to weather changes. Look at all the cheap electric guitars with low quality rosewood fretboards. You feel like the wood grains are going to enter your skin. I own a Sigma with Micarta fretboard. I bought it used and didn't pay a lot of attention. It felt a little bit weird in my hands from the 1st time and indeed felt a little synthetic and cheap, so I searched to find out what material it was. When I read that micarta was synthetic I was furious. Now, I don't think that it's that bad at all. I would prefer to have a solid mahogany neck(my guitar has laminate or sth else that feels cheap) to have an ebony fretboard.
It's only Martin's lower priced models that use Richlite, the 16 series and below. The 17 series uses rosewood for their bridges and fretboards, and 18 and up still all use ebony.
I have a 2001 Martin DC-16RGTE did they use richlite in 2001?
I’ve heard it gets oily and gummy in the sun during an hour and a half or longer set as opposed to wood. True?
Richlite
• 1 second ago
Hi there! This is simply NOT true. Richlite is weather resistant and in the architectural world it's installed on the exterior siding of buildings and homes. Richlite will not warp, shrink or chip making it an excellent material for fretboards. This also makes the re-fretting process a breeze compared to wood. Please let us know if you have any more questions!
I have owned Martins with Ebony and Richlite. I dont think the fretboard material adds much to the guitar tone. Especially if you are playing live with multiple band members or mic'd or using a pickup. I think the richlite stuff is just as good as the ebony. By yourself in bedroom volumes, you probably think the ebony sounds better but I would suspect this is due to the actual fact that the richlite is just on a lesser quality guitar than the guitars that come with ebony. Its not the richlite making that weaker sound. I think we are just preconditioned to want the organic mother nature grown piece and not something made from recycled paper. i would wonder if they have ever tested the sound theory by putting the richlite fretboard and tailpiece on a d28 just to see if there is really a difference. Maybe they have and we wont know because I am wrong and they do sound terribly different.
Martin Guitar tested Richlite in their sound chamber and found the tone to be superior to ebony.
Richlite That’s total bullshit...the fretboard has absolutely nothing to do with the sound of a guitar
Can we sand down the bridge (for setup purpose) with this material? Will it react like the real wood / ebony?
Yes, you can sand it down for set up purposes. Working with Richlite feel similar to working with a hardwood.
What's with the huge PUNK sign all about? And that background lead vocal is so distracting I can't focus to see if they are using enough glue on the neck truss rod richlite finger board and frets
I have a Martin d-35 and a d28 both have ebony fret boards beautiful guitars I also have a mmv with richlite by the way very good guitar I cannot tell the difference only difference about once a year oil d-28 and d-35 fretboard basically do nothing to the richlite maybe wipe it off
What year did Martin start using richlite finger board's? Can you tell me?
Martin started using Richlite in 2009 when they introduced a FSC certified line of products.
Stick with the ebony guys, natural wood gives an earthy feel and if you source it from commercial plantations its a carbon sink.
What's the name of the song in the background? I love it
Chuck Ragan - Gathering Wood
I don't think this be the best title, Martin hasn't chosen Richlite over Ebony, they just use it on their Cheaper models, as the X Series, the Road Series, and some of this type, the high end model use ebony fingerboards , like the d-28, OM-42, and other ones like thi. All of this appears on Martinguitars Website : )
Anyway, Richlite is pretty good, I have a Martin DX1RAE that has Richlite fingerboard.
What is the difference between Richlite and black Micarta?
Micarta is pressed at high pressure. Richlite and micarta also feel different, Richlite has a paper-like texture to it.
both belong in ikea
Richlite.... never.
So what is Richlite made of?
It's basically paper and glue.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_composite_panels
Hi! Richlite is made of resin infused layered paper. Our paper is recycled, FSC and Greenguard certified. Let us know if you have any more questions.
honestly its made of mostly Garbage. Doesnt matter what they choose to call it . Richlite Is "recycled paper" and resin.
Thanks for noticing! We've spent decades engineering a very high performance product from garbage. ;)
@@diegom.1510 Wood is made from mud and air.
Compost is also a very environmentally friendly product.
Saving trees aye?...... what's paper made from.....
I have no problem with richlite. I think it’s awesome. What I can’t understand is why people don’t have ebony and rosewood tree farms? Maybe it will disturb the eco system if it’s non indigenous? I wouldn’t think so. But just seems like a no brainer to plant ebony and rosewood?
Of course Ebony and RW tree farms exist, the problem is the yield. It doesn’t grow overnight.
Ebony is slow growing and takes anywhere between 60-200 years to mature properly, so a tree planted in 1920 might just about be ready to cut down today. Talk about planning for future market needs.How many guitars have been made with Ebony fretboards in the last 100 years? Millions.
We’re simply cutting it down faster than it can grow bud....
We brought japanese cherry to america, a tree blight came with them. American cherry and walnut were severly damaged for many years
I got a used made in mexico martin dx10 I think it's called? Can't remember the exact name but it kinda sucks lol. It's all black and super kool looking. The neck on the back looks really super kool. But I dunno mannn I didn't like it very much. But then again I'm more of a electric guitar guy. Not acoustic. It cost 400. I'm sure I could get it to sound and play better one day. I hope. I got a cheap af 125 dollar washburn that sounds and plays better if you ask me. And I had to fix that guitar up with new tuners because the last ones were trash that started like breaking apart. I guess the tuning pegs were made of a cheapo plastic materal? Wtf washburn??? But I got new ones on there and the guitar is great lol. Much better than the martin. But that's just my experience.
But yeah. So far I didn't care for it much lolz. I still think rose wood is the way to go. Specifically rose wood that's pretty fine looking and deep into the wood of the tree.
Good luck when you.need a re-fret
I should have moved to Nazareth 45 years ago but I wasn't thinking.
Prefer Rosewood every time - just looks better - more organic and interesting in appearance as opposed to Ebony.
"It has to be cost effective?" Why? It's not like you don't charge a TON for your guitars! Don't get me wrong, I love Martins, currently owning two upscale vintage examples, but for what Martin charges, such scrimping shouldn't be taking place.
You're assuming it's what you call "scrimping". I love my Richlite fretboard. I prefer it over my ebony fretboards. I hope other manufactures pick it up as an option. An amazing playing fretboard is an amazing playing fretboard.
@@allend3127 OK, since I have not played a Martin with a Richlite fretboard, let's say I accept your review. HOWEVER, it's still a lower cost option, so why doesn't Martin show a little loyalty to it's customers by reducing the price of so-equipped guitars by a few hundred dollars? It's like insurance companies, loyalty only seems to go one way.
@The Flash Hi Flash. Thanks for the polite response. You and I certainly agree that insurance companies are vehement liars and offenders in their lack of any type of customer loyalty. That’s one of my greatest pet peeves. It occurs almost everyone at renewel.
I understand and what you are saying about the guitar cost, and passing on the savings. If a Richlite fretboard is cheaper to produce and make a guitar with, shouldn’t the savings be passed onto the customer. Totally hear you. For me, it comes down to two things: I’m paying for the entire guitar, and with that, I’m paying for the playability, feel and tone of that guitar (some may, however, specifically desire ebony, im not that person). So whether it’s an ebony board or a magical popsicle stick board, I’m not paying for that particular material. I’m willing to buy that guitar for what service it provides me. If it provides the same service, playability, and tone, than I’m willing be to pay a certain amount for those things, and not necessarily the material.
Second, I think it’s a human nature issue. If two guitars that are equally comparable. Say a Taylor and a Martin. They both play, sound and cost the same. They are comparable. If Martin then switched the fretboard to Richlite and cut the cost by $200 (let’s just say), and now that guitar is $200 less than the Taylor, but plays the same as before. I believe the majority of the population will believe the Taylor will be a better sounding and playing guitar, just because it cost more. Even if they didn’t know one had richlite and the other had ebony.
I hope that made sense. I would like to pay less, too. At the same time, I think Martin is saying this material equals, at least, the same if not better guitar experience.
I’m also just thankful they are making an environmentally friendlier guitar without compromise to tone and playability. I want to support and encourage that decision and behavior.
@@allend3127 Sadly, I understand exactly what you're talking about when it comes to price vs. value. There's a lot of "label snobs" out there who assume price = value, which is not always the case. You know, the ones who insist on adding the name, Martin, every time they describe their Sigmas, or Gibson every time they describe their Epiphones. However, I'm not a subscriber. I guess I'm one of those pragmatists that goes strictly on performance. If the guitar only costs $400, but sounds amazing, then I'm a fan. Although I love my two Martins (a 1968 D28 and a 1974 D35), my favorite guitar to practice with is a 1990 Yamaha LL35, Yamaha's handmade, custom shop take on the D35 (at half the price). The neck is more comfortable, even for my big, fat hands! The acoustic sound is very articulate, perhaps even more so than the D35, though admittedly, not as loud. I have another Yamaha, an LD10, which only cost around $400 new that would chase a D18 into the bush and beat it to death!
Get yourself a Taylor
I despise the blond colors on my fret board. A just ugly. Can you not make it black?
Connors. Let's get to the truth. Richlite is probably much much cheaper too. Alo plant more trees . 3 to 1 lol
but neeeeeeaaahhhh
because its cheaper and more profit margin. Anything else is BS
They stink of a chemical smell couldn’t stand it STINKS 😷
Both thumbs down to richlite!! maybe a good material for kitchen counters but not high end guitars..i had a Gibson zoot suit Les Paul with a richlite fret board..CHEEZY!!! Oh well..nothing is being made with the quality that it used to be and getting worse all the time.
you forgot to say what was bad about it
Exactly...
The name for starters
Richlite.. No way I would buy a high end Martin with this crap... I'd just buy a used Martin with ebony
Did you ever try this 'crap'?
Get a Taylor
Who would want a Martin D-45 with a RichLite board? LMFAO.
The name 'Black Diamond' has a fairly negative reputation among guitarists. Just sayin.
Fake finger boards on plywood guitars.. WHY are they more than 300 dollars for the low end Martins.
Richlite is an alternative material that renowned guitar manufacturers are using due to the environmental impact of ebony. It's not real ebony but it does, in fact, perform better. Little Martins are a great deal and huge value for $300. :)
How are they fake? Because they're not wood? They never pretended they were. They're very real, quality fretboards, that dont shrink or shift with moisture and are more consistent than wood
Richlite Bullshit...what you claim is strictly opinion...I’ve played on many different fretboards, maple, rosewood, ebony and richlite and there is no difference in feel or sound...come on are you claiming to be superhuman and you can actually tell the difference?
Because its cheap.
I could buy fake wood tables too but I don't. I like real wood so buh bye Martin.
Martin you rock!!
Just make a full cardboard-glue guitar and get it over with. BTW shitty glue job putting the truss rod in.