• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Pau Ferro boards on Historics

shines2225

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2001
Messages
57
Was looking at a used R8 and called Gibson to verify the serial number. Number was legit and the very nice Gibson rep told me it had a pau ferro board AKA Bolivian Rosewood. I had heard the Bolivian Rosewood name before but assumed it was a cousin of Indian or Brasilian. Should this guitar be valued less all thing considered during negotiation?
 

1allspub

Active member
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
192
I’ll counter Tim here and say, yes, it would factor into negotiations for me. Pau Ferro, despite being called Bolivian Rosewood by Gibson, is not actually rosewood. It’s similar and a good tonewood by all accounts, but a RI that does not actually have true rosewood on it (to me) should be discounted.
 

k3ith99

New member
Joined
Aug 17, 2020
Messages
24
I have a stratocaster with a Pau Ferro board. It feels good and I can't tell any difference in sound. It is a little darker than most PF boards and has good streaks in it, but is still not quite the same look wise as a true rosewood. So I would vote for a discount as well.

On the other hand, I haven't heard of any/many R8's with pf, so there might be the "uniqueness" factor??
 

vanguardo

New member
Joined
Oct 18, 2022
Messages
13
PF on historics is (sad) news to me. Even the USA reissues are marketed as a return to solid Indian rosewood.
 

CatManDoo88

Active member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
PF on historics is (sad) news to me. Even the USA reissues are marketed as a return to solid Indian rosewood.
I think it was only temporary in 2018/2019 on guitars exported outside of the US due to that CITES mess that was going on and then finally reversed. I believe everything has been back to normal for at least a couple years now.
 

Standard Magic

Active member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
101
I think it was only temporary in 2018/2019 on guitars exported outside of the US due to that CITES mess that was going on and then finally reversed. I believe everything has been back to normal for at least a couple years now.
Yes, I have one because I live on Australia. Similar to ebony imo, nothing like rosewood but I like it.
 

ONEHERO

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
219
Pau Ferro doesn’t belong on a reissue - it’s usually used for lower end guitars.
It should be heavily discounted or avoided (as you’ll eat the cost down the road)
 

rockabilly69

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
Pau Ferro doesn’t belong on a reissue - it’s usually used for lower end guitars.
It should be heavily discounted or avoided (as you’ll eat the cost down the road)
Don't know where you get your info. It's on many high end guitars too. And I own quite a few high end guitars and I have a few with Pao Ferro that I LOVE. Before 2016 it was an actually an up-sell on many high end guitars including the Fender Custom Shop! I also have two Jaguars, one with Pao Ferro and the other with some really nice rosewood, they have the same pickups and hardware and I prefer the Pao Ferro. I also have a Zemaitis with Pao Ferro that sounds the best of my A24 models that include ebony and some very dark rosewood.

These two guitars are identical other than body color, and Pao Ferro fingerboard on one, and ebony on the other.. Both of these guitars have same hardware, VIP close tolerance 500k pots, same exact close tolerance PIO caps, and Tyson Precious and Grace pickups wound to the same specs, so I am definitely comparing apples to apples!

o5DRKQr.jpg


Now as for whether it belongs on a Les Paul just depends on what you are looking for tonally. Wouldn't bother me any any I, don't think it would affect the resale if it sounded good.
 
Last edited:

k3ith99

New member
Joined
Aug 17, 2020
Messages
24
F1C992D3-298B-4220-98B5-E806D50910AA.JPG

Here's the pf fingerboard on my cs strat. Maybe not quite as dark as rosewood, but it feels great to play. It'll be mine forever.
 

Any Name You Wish

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2021
Messages
493
Don't know where you get your info. It's on many high end guitars too. And I own quite a few high end guitars and I have a few with Pao Ferro that I LOVE. Before 2016 it was an actually an up-sell on many high end guitars including the Fender Custom Shop! I also have two Jaguars, one with Pao Ferro and the other with some really nice rosewood, they have the same pickups and hardware and I prefer the Pao Ferro. I also have a Zemaitis with Pao Ferro that sounds the best of my A24 models that include ebony and some very dark rosewood.

These two guitars are identical other than body color, and Pao Ferro fingerboard on one, and ebony on the other.. Both of these guitars have same hardware, VIP close tolerance 500k pots, same exact close tolerance PIO caps, and Tyson Precious and Grace pickups wound to the same specs, so I am definitely comparing apples to apples!

o5DRKQr.jpg


Now as for whether it belongs on a Les Paul just depends on what you are looking for tonally. Wouldn't bother me any any I, don't think it would affect the resale if it sounded good.
Pretty cool guitars.
 

doctorbb

New member
Joined
Dec 10, 2022
Messages
3
Put a maple board on a LP and see how that goes over. It ain’t rosewood and neither is PF.
Just my 2 pennies worth.
 

Kutt

Active member
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
294
I'd vote for any of the Reissue models to have rosewood that their original counterparts had. They are reissues after all. If we start straying on woods then they lose their luster as reissues. Not saying PF isn't a suitable tonewood, but this conversation is in the context of the Historic line so rosewood seems like the proper thing to use.

Loosely related side note - the SRV Strat has been built with PF since the 90s I believe.
 
Top