Yes, according to Val it:
was discontinued in the last few years. The idea behind that, if I recall correctly, was that the 'sacrificial veneer' would make it easier to take off an old fretboard and install a new one; I remember Mica telling me a year or 2 ago that the guys realized that it wasn't really needed because the ebony fretboards are so thick that they can be taken off without endangering the neck.
