- Size: 7"-8" x 1.75"-2" x 3/8"
Ebony has been the traditional bridge material for steel string guitars. It is occasionally used for classical guitars, but because it's heavier and is known to possess greater damping properties than rosewood it's not favored.
We currently stock mostly African and Indian ebony for bridge blanks. Taylor Guitars has used almost exclusively African ebony for their fingerboards, bridge blanks and headplates. They like the material, and they like it to look like wood. If you are unsure of the differences in appearance the next time you see a Taylor instrument take note. We try to use one size for both classic and steel string (8" X 2" X 3/8") with most of our blanks, just to simplify things, but occasionally we will have blanks sized for both styles.
These are usually Madagascar ebony, but can also be African or Indian ebony. A second grade blank is not always black or may not be completely quartersawn.