Obeche For Fretboard?

[westhemann]

I noticed that the other day...I don't know what is up there,but I can't see using Obeche as a fingerboard.Also,it is not naturally dark...I think the guy that wrote the info may have it wrong?There are other black African woods that are more suitable.

[Reinhold]

I think they may have just invented a type of wood again, here they say that the fingerboard is just "obeche", then they also say that it's a dark wood that's an alternative to ebony.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-limited-run-sg-gothic-morte-electric-guitar

[orgmorg]

Looks like someone else noticed something fishy:

http://www.wkrn.com/story/15325684/feds-raid-gibson-guitar-corp-in-nashville

"Hmm.. let's just call it Obeche, and no one will know the difference..."

[westhemann]

Hmm...Well,I am not convinced it is an illegal ebony,because that would just not make corporate sense to pay extra for illegal wood to put on a new line of guitars that is not even their high end.

I rather think it is the other end of the spectrum...You can take a really cheap wood and dye it black under pressure and just call it by the name of a generic sort of wood.

But honestly I think they should just replace the ebony boards with high grade phenolic...the guitar geeks of the world are pretty happy with phenolic boards and so it has good word of mouth.

I like the V though...I think it kicks ass and I wish I had one