Indian rosewood fingerboard variations?

[peter havriluk]

I noticed today that one of our tonewood vendors is selling just-big-enough Indian rosewood fretboard lumber at very reasonable prices ($4-$7 each). I will be needing practice to develop some fabrication skills, and I can't see how practicing on expensive lumber gets more learning done than using inexpensive lumber of the same variety, but does wavy grain and knots in the material have anything to do with the utility of the finished fingerboard? The same vendor mentions that some of the less expensive fingerboards have less-than-optimum color, and I can see how that is a nonfunctional characteristic, but for the others, I have no idea. I intend to use these materials to practice cutting fret slots, binding the edges, general shaping and sanding, fret installation and inlaying basic decorations (dots) in the playing surface. But I wouldn't mind using a good 'practice' fretboard on a good 'practice' neck, attached to a 'practice' body, either. But I don't want to spend the time on a piece of wood which would never do its job right, either.

Thanks, folks.

[ken cierp]

If the vendor cannot state that the boards are flat, dry, stable and will not warp or twist -- save your money, you don't need that frustration.

[peter havriluk]

Ken, I sent the vendor a note asking for clarification. Thanks for enumerating what I need to learn before buying fingerboards.

[TonyinNYC]

Wavy grain and knots will make planing it more exciting. But like Ken said, if it is not stable, all bets are off.

[peter havriluk]

Tony, thanks for the observations about knots and wavy grain. I can see that, but I wasn't worrying; the only time I shaped a fingerboard, I sanded it and I didn't think about planing, which would save a lot of sawdust and time if I owned a plane fit to the job.