Ritchlite Fretboards Made from Paper and Epoxy Bonded Together

[kimball492]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=itT8oHHT3Pg

[Simon Barden]

I've played on guitars with Richlite boards in shops and it seemed OK. It's a little bland looking, but it's obviously nice and smooth, and certainly better than some of the rough rosewood boards you often get on low-end guitars. The near-black ebony board looks best to me. I'm not that convinced about their attempts at producing a 'figured' Richlite, but it might look better if they picked colours a bit closer to each other.

I'm not sure why people haven't used the figured non-black ebony on fretboards more. It's got really nice patterns, and is still very smooth without the grain pockets you get on rosewood. It's often been thrown away at source, as everyone was after the black ebony (which only occurs in some parts of the tree). This is one reason why it became endangered so quickly as they had to cut down a lot of trees just to get the equivalent amount of black ebony as another wood type could be obtained from one tree.

[stan]

The make kitchen counter tops out of it as well...

[Simon Barden]

Everything but the kitchen sink.

[Simon Barden]

...but they probably make sinks from it as well.

[Gavin1393]

Not sure I'd put this on a high end guitar....

[Simon Barden]

Unless you want maple, something like this may be the only option very soon as stocks of ebony run out and rosewood (and all related woods) supplies become severely limited.

[Gavin1393]

Fortunately I'm hoping my stock of ebony and East Indian Rosewood will survive me!

[stan]

Everything but the kitchen sink.

They do mate. They are set into the top like corion or fake stone

[stan]

Fortunately I'm hoping my stock of ebony and East Indian Rosewood will survive me!

Better hope any future clients are Aussies as the import export paperwork and fees are a nightmare apparently.
Gibson are moving to richlite and I imagine other brands will too