Purple heart fret bd.

[dt in ky]

has anyone ever tried purple heart for a fret bd? if so what were the results? any input would be appreciated.thankyou DT

[crazymandolinist]

Never tried it, but the wood is stable and hard, so I suppose it would be fantastic! Not too mention that it's a gorgeous wood.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Alembic offered it as a fretboard option. Follow this link (http://www.alembic.com/info/wood_fingerboards.html) and click on the purple heart tuhmbnail for a good picture looking up the fretboard of one such bass. (It looks pretty sharp IMO, but as it has a pretty strong presence, you'll probably need to make sure that you pick a body finish that will complement it nicely, rather than fight with it.)

[TomTyrrell]

Purpleheart makes a good fretboard. It is quite hard and somewhat brittle. Cutting tools must be sharp and it is a good idea to pay close attention to the grain when cutting, carving or scraping. It will take a polish with fine abrasives. Don't overheat it as it will crack.

The beauty is only skin deep. When you work it and particularly when you sand it you will probably end up with a tan color. Ultra-violet (the sun is good) will bring the purple back quickly. But, the color will continue to deepen to almost black if the UV exposure continues. If you want the beautiful purple to last a UV protectant will be needed.

[powercat]

If you go with a purpleheart fretboard, you could get Doug Edwards to make you a purpleheart armrest to go with it. I know he had some when I bought an ebony one a few months ago. He might also have something to say about the fretboard as well, dunno.

[Bill Snyder]

...The beauty is only skin deep. When you work it and particularly when you sand it you will probably end up with a tan color. Ultra-violet (the sun is good) will bring the purple back quickly. But, the color will continue to deepen to almost black if the UV exposure continues. If you want the beautiful purple to last a UV protectant will be needed.
I must admit that I have no experience working with purple heart but this is counter to what I have read several times. My understanding is that it IS purple when freshly worked and loses its purple cast as it oxidizes and is exposed to ultraviolet light.
Like I stated this is only what I have read. Tom if you have worked with it and find that this is not the case I defer to your experience.

[dt in ky]

i did cut cut a couple of pieces today and the fresh opened wood was brownish in color but i'm sure it is gonna change to purple. iv'e got an a5 in progress of honduras mohogany and that is what i'm thinkin i'll try.i truly appricate all of your input. dt

[Paul Hostetter]

Gibson made lots and lots of purpleheart fretboards in the 30's and on through the War, they called it coffeewood, and most people thought it was rosewood. If you've ever planed and refretted one, the smell of purpleheart is unmistakable: butyric acid (rotting ginkgo fruit). The purple color goes away real fast, and a bit of paste wax turns it almost black. I'd put it closer to ebony in hardness than any rosewood. Sort of unpleasant to work with, but extremely durable and appropriate.

[TomTyrrell]

...The beauty is only skin deep. When you work it and particularly when you sand it you will probably end up with a tan color. Ultra-violet (the sun is good) will bring the purple back quickly. But, the color will continue to deepen to almost black if the UV exposure continues. If you want the beautiful purple to last a UV protectant will be needed.
I must admit that I have no experience working with purple heart but this is counter to what I have read several times. My understanding is that it IS purple when freshly worked and loses its purple cast as it oxidizes and is exposed to ultraviolet light.
Like I stated this is only what I have read. Tom if you have worked with it and find that this is not the case I defer to your experience.
What can I say? What you read is just wrong. I do have personal experience with purpleheart. I have over 500 pounds of it in my shop right now that is what is left from a ton I bought about 12 years ago. It is one of my favorite "exotic" woods.

[Dave Cohen]

I've used purpleheart in decorative parts for several instruments. I've never had a ton of it at one time, but on the other hand, I've never seen it turn tan in response to sanding. Purpleheart has always remained purple in response to sanding and/or tooling. It does turn greyish when heated in an attempt to bend it. I'll also agree that it tends to turn a darker purplish brown with UV/sunlight exposure over longer time periods, but I don't agree with Tom's stuff about color change upon sanding.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

[TomTyrrell]

Just exactly how big are your "decorative parts?" If it was small pieces or veneer thickness you may not get a color change.

Purpleheart characteristics (http://www.south20.com/woods/purpleheart.htm) "The Purpleheart wood product's Heartwood is beige when freshly cut, turns rapidly to violet upon exposure to light and darkens eventually to a darker color with age."

[Paul Hostetter]

I know what Tom's talking about, the same thing often happens with cocobolo too. Right off the sander it's very pale, but the bright color comes back pretty quick. Because I've done some experiments with sanding it and immediately putting in a dark cardboard box for a day, I think it's exposure to oxygen that brings that first flush back, and UV that eventually darkens it way down.

[Dave Cohen]

I see no need to argue, but I will tell it as experience dictates. I have put larger (ca 4/4) purpleheart boards through the drum sander, and also planed them, in preparation for resawing smaller pieces. I have never seen the stuff turn a tan color under either edge tools or abrasives; it has always remained purple when worked.

Cocobolo is completely different. When fresh cut, darker latewood streaks are interspersed with orange or even yellow earlywood. The lighter streaks begin to darken from photooxidation almost immediately in some cases, and within a few days at the slowest.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

[TomTyrrell]

The only reason I mentioned it was because some people fear they have damaged the wood when they see the color change. If you don't experience that good for you but it doesn't change the facts.

[Dale Ludewig]

I've not worked a lot of purpleheart, but it sounds like it acts a lot like padauk. Bright orange/red when freshly cut and then after some time it turns much darker with oxidation. Almost a purplish black. Padauk smells better when freshly worked. Almost like candy to my senses.

[Shelby Eicher]

Do you guys have any expirience with Tulipwood? My alto guitar has Tulipwood binding. It's colors range from burgundy to pink, orange and cream. Very stunning. Will it lose it's color over time?
Thanks,
Shelby

[PaulD]

I've never power sanded or bent purpleheart so I can't speak to that, but the stuff I've got is a pretty distinct purple when I first saw, plane, or lathe-turn it. Oiling it leaves it a dark purple. I've read that the color when fresh cut depends on the particular board. I have seen accounts of it being grayish brown when first cut and then going purple after a short time.

It sounds like all our experience is the same with regards to it's aging... expect it to go very dark with time and UV exposure. The link someone posted above to a bass fretboard made of purpleheart looks to me like relatively new work. The oldest purpleheart piece I've got is a kaleidoscope I built in 20 years ago which still shows purple under strong light but it's very dark... almost blackish-brown in normal room lighting.

I think it would make a great freatboard, just don't be disappointed with its color as it ages.

pd

[arbarnhart]

I did:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e396/arbarnhart/AB%20Folk%20Instruments/mandocompletesmall.jpg

It wasn't too hard to work with.

[Paul Hostetter]

Shelby - tulipwood pretty much stays put. It darkens like most woods, but not too bad. It's a dalbergia (Dalbergia variabilis), and a real good choice for binding wood. I grew up knowing a 1924 Hispano-Suiza, the body of which was tulipwood held together by thousands of copper rivets. These are not great photos, but you get the idea:

http://info.detnews.com/dn/joyrides/2004/blackhawk04/24hispano.jpg

http://info.detnews.com/dn/joyrides/2004/blackhawk04/24hispanorear.jpg

[Gibson A5]

When I made this one several pieces did change color when cut and some didn't. #When sanded some changed and some didn't. #A few days after final sanding, it all came back to the same purple color. #All wood was from the same board. #I still have it and after a year and a bit, the color hasn't changed at all, but I don't leave it in the sun. Back, Sides, and Neck are Purple heart. Sides were hot torch bent. #Top is Dark Purple stain. It would make great fret boards.
Bill P.

[Fretbear]

Nice mandolin, Bill....

[PaulD]

That's a very beautiful mando. I love the purple showing through the f-holes.

[SternART]

Hey Paul...I've seen that tulipwood car at a show!
Very memorable! Ostrich seats as I recall.

Purpleheart splinters are pretty nasty.......

[Ivan Kelsall]

Beautiful Mandolins Bill,the Purple Heart looks superb. There's a guy down in Texas makes a Purple Heart Banjo. The one shown on his website has Gold plated hardware & the combination is breathtaking,a very beautiful wood,
Saska