I think he's a very sensible man, but if I'm honest I was under the impression that most ebony is dyed to be really black anyway and that it is naturally more like what he describes as "B" grade Ebony! So apparently then I have to feel bad that my ESP comes with superblack ebony and that 10 other trees were discarded for that... :-(
I have two ebony boards, both black as night: one on a Legra that I know is a prime cut and really is that black, and one on a jackson SLSMG that might well be dyed, I dont know. I dont think so as I seem to recall I've wire-wooled that board and not seen a change in colour.
But I dont really care. I just care that they have good structural properties; grain consistency and alignment, hardness, moisture and oil content etc. I can readily believe that these properties dont have anything to do with being jet black.
If what hes saying is true then not as much brown ebony has made it into the market as we might have previously believed. Its possible that trees with black stumps still have brown sections in other parts of the tree. Likely, even, but what the hell do I know about trees?
I'd assumed that all ebony was used and that the brown stuff is dyed. Apparently its more the case that every measure is taken to get black stuff and brown stuff makes it in anyway, and is dyed.
In any case, given that Mr Taylor has sole control of legal ebony, I doubt we're really going to see a lot of browner or blotchy ebony on the market, since I think most people will still dye it, because they are probably afraid of providing customers with something unfamiliar that has a connection, justified or not, with lower quality. But, we get to have 10 times as much ebony as before, and a correspondingly better chance at maintaining sustainable supply. Cool beans.
Hes paying the same for it, and therefore at a most optimistic guess so will we, but then that means we've lost nothing; its an ethical decision and good business, I hope they reap the rewards of it in sales.
