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Stick with the ebony guys, natural wood gives an earthy feel and if you source it from commercial plantations its a carbon sink.

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.

All I can say is crazy but crazy good

Awesome you all sold me on Richlite🎉

Would be nice to see how much a full sheet would cost in order to discern whether or not it is definitely too expensive to use in making and selling anything. Nothing said in this video is anything beyond what must be considered for ANY material. I would have to assume to treat it like CNCing epoxy.

I love my Martin Dread, an amazing instrument!

because its cheaper and more profit margin. Anything else is BS

The only thing worse than cheap substitute garbage is expensive substitute garbage costing as much as the real, exotic rare wood.

THANK YOU! Finally someone who knows what they are talking about. It's scientifically proven there are no sound differences in woods/fretboards for electric guitars. Grwat video!

Semihandmade doesn't sell anything made of Richlite. Wonder why?

Used to have an acoustic with richlite fretboard, it look super nice and clean but I sold it, still prefer real wood guitar tone. maybe the different is real wood can observe sound and liquid but not this richlite. maybe Im wrong about that fact but yes I feel something missing in the richlite, its good but not for me maybe.

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.

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.

Richlite.... never.

Fantastic product! It's just too bad they don't offer brighter, more beautiful colors. The redstone is nice, but the others are too dark and drab. Still, these countertops are known for their exceptional strength and durability. Whoever thought up this process deserves an award.

Hi there, is Ebonol material as Richlite?

You earned my thumbs down! Get rid of the stupid music. It doesnt make our viewing experience any better than if having got to hear the actual sounds of the equipment, machinery, processes, etc

I can tell the difference with the sound. To me Richlite robs mids and sounds harsh. Ebony is warmer. If given the choice, I’ll always buy ebony or rosewood before Richlite. I’m happy for others who think it’s wonderful though.

Do you need to clean and treat with fretboard conditioner ?

Love it! Nothing better than a Richlite guitar fretboard!!! 🎸🎶🎶

How can I get a SDS (Safety Data Sheet) for the resin?

is there a documented form of this document?

amazing , vary unique

Please be so kind as to let us know what kind of an abrasive (e.g., Red Jeweler's Rouge)--or no abrasive--is on the buffing wheel shown from 1 minute 42 seconds. THANKS!

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 making this video and breaking down some of the unique components.

Just got my first Richlite instrument here, a Strandberg bass. I do miss the look of the grain featured on my guitar's fretboard a little, probably due to nostalgia or something. But I don't miss having to clean up, oil, or keep an eye on my fret ends. This specific fingerboard had a little bit more friction to it out of the box than my guitar's ebony board does, but once some finger grease got on there, they feel virtually identical, minus the inconsistencies of the ebony board (obviously, the ebony board has been oiled a few times, etc, which plays in as well). I have no doubt that when it comes down to it, this is a superior product.

I would gladly replace ebony with Richlite. this isn't the old days anymore where you can just take harvest the earth without any repercussions. Your music will not suffer because of the change in the fretboard material. Somethings are much more important.

My new martin hd28 has the ugliest blond streaky fret board I’ve ever seen. Why did they make it so ugly!

I despise the blond colors on my fret board. A just ugly. Can you not make it black?

I played a gorgeous, high-end Godin Metropolis LTD with a Richlite fretboard and it blew me away. I had to purchase it. It equals any of my other high-end guitars and the fretboard is fantastic.

it is criminal to use this for guitar fingerboards!

What about the sound sustainability(not environmental sustainability)? Would its sound sustain the similar length as ebony?

Just got my brand new Custom made guitar with Richlite fretboard and I'm very pleased with it, feels so smooth and way more stable than real ebony, also looks way better than ebony. Really do hope more company start using them in production guitars.

How tf have I never heard of this? I binge watch guitar review, cover play throughs, you name it. This Richlite stuff is really cool.

Great looking product. Wish the price was more attainable for me to manufacture with.

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)

So glad this was posted because my Martin has it and I wasn’t informed what it was when I purchased the guitar.. now I know I don’t need to mess with it ..😊

Hey, what type or brand adhesive is used for gluing richlite? We need a waterproof, tight fit, glued 90 degrees on the side. Thanks

el richlite se estropea con el uso, ya toca remplazarlo todo

I used to work in a factory that made restaurant equipment. We sold alot of Richlite cutting boards. I still have one. I figured back then it was a matter of time before someone made these.

Wow this is useless.

1:15 Feel 1:35 Last 1:58 Durability 2:20 Temperature 2:53 Maintenance

This is amazing to me. Awesome.

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?

Martin tested and said Richlite is “better”?? Yeah, if I was trying to sell people on a $1500 guitar with a plastic fretboard, my marketing team would say scientists determined it’s the best thing since sliced bread, too. Funny thing is if you call Martin and ask them why they only use it in their lower tier guitars and not the top tier ones even thought it’s “superior”, they will say they would prefer to still use wood, and the decision is all about tonewood scarcity and filling orders.

Connors. Let's get to the truth. Richlite is probably much much cheaper too. Alo plant more trees . 3 to 1 lol

Okay "never say never" eh? After having two instruments now for over a year with richlite fingerboards I've dropped my "traditionalist" bias. I still prefer my natural ebony fingerboards, but that's just because they're "real" wood, and I'm an old guy who just likes an all wood guitar, doesn't mean it's "better" though. I think a year is long enough to give an opinion on the richlite. I have no complaints, I originally felt they were a touch "plasticky" but that may have been an untrue bias because I knew what the material was beforehand. Sometimes the product a manufacturer makes, regardless of their marketing claims, performs exactly as advertised, which I now believe is the case here. The richlite is just as dense, more consistent, and more stable, generally, than ebony. That doesn't mean it's better than a good piece of ebony, but it will need less care and I liken it to comparing a tusq nut and saddle ( a material that simulates the characteristics of real bone ) to a real bone nut and saddle. Top manufacturers don't seem to mind using either. If you believe you can hear a difference, I guess you may be related to "Dusty Nonya", the reincarnation of Antonio Stradivarius, Leonardo DaVinci, Torres, and Fernando Sor all rolled into one, one whose superior intellect and knowledge is so formidable, and "ear" is so astonishing, he plays and owns a mahogany top guitar....and we all know how "stellar" those abominations sound, lol! Keep working on those same four chords you play in every piece, Dusty! Are you the father of all the members of Nickelback? Amazing how you can make one song with the same chords into four albums! ( or 20 songs, take your pick ).

how do I get a scratch out of the mill surface richlite?

I have a little scratch in my richlite fretboard, any tips to repair it?