Guitar Fretboards - Maple or Rosewood?

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 2 Feb 2003 9:44 am

Which do you prefer and why?

I don't agree with the different tone theory.

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 2 Feb 2003 11:04 am

A lot of "hot" players prefer the maple because it's slicker than rosewood, letting you push and bend the strings more easily. Some prefer the rosewood because it always looks the same (the maple really shows the wear).

For the vast majority of us, though, (95% of the players) there's no difference at all, other than the "look".

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 2 Feb 2003 3:03 pm

Personally, I think it depends on the guitar body finish. That is, I think some guitars, say like the US Blond (light color) finish Teles w/ white pick guards, look better with the rosewood fretboard. On the other hand, the honey blond Teles w/ the black pickguards look great with the maple.

I'm also with Lee -- I don't think the tone is really affected to any significant degree by the type of fretboard wood ('course I could be wrong). I would also think that the type of wood wouldn't affect playability either, since, in reality, your finger barely touch the fretboard, if at all, since the strings are raised off the surface by the frets -- this is especially true with the medium jumbo frets. [This message was edited by Tom Olson on 02 February 2003 at 03:04 PM.]

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 2 Feb 2003 6:05 pm

O Goody. Fender Guitars.

I started playing Strats in 1962. Still do. Some would say I have 40 years experience. Really, I have had 1 year of experience 40 times.

Playing jazz and rhythm guitar with flat wound strings, I preferred the rose wood. The strings do not slip and slide. Intonation is better.

The maple necks with light gauge rounwounds are fun for lots of bendin and twangin. MAple is slicker.

Yep, the tone is different. Pick the one you like. I don't care about the looks.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 2 Feb 2003 6:53 pm

Here's some more info:

My 14 year old son is taking guitar lessons and I want to move him up from my old Harmony electric guitar (early 60's model) to a "Mexico" Strat. I play both pedal steel guitar and guitar, but I've never owned a Fender. All of my acoustic guitars (and my old Gretsch 6120) have ebony fretboards. I've never owned a guitar with a maple fretboard. I think they look great on a Strat, but looks aren't everything.

As I said in my first post, I just don't (can't?) believe there would be any difference in tone. I do want my son to play in tune, though. If maple is slicker, I think I would shy away from it for now. Maybe when he gets to be a hot picker he can start learning how to bend strings and play the fancy stuff. For right now, I just want him to learn how to read, learn about chord theory, and learn to play guitar.

Thanks for everyone's input.

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 2 Feb 2003 8:29 pm

I like maple better, but only after the finish is gone. They gey=t real sticky when your hands sweat, and rosewood, is already nekkid! But maple necks and Fender guitars go together like big blocks and Powerglides!

Paul Osbty · Post by **Paul Osbty** » 2 Feb 2003 9:05 pm

I wouldn't ever buy a non-US Fender, but can you get a maple fretboard on the imports? The general concensus is that the maple is brighter.

Maple fretboards are great in dimly lit rooms![This message was edited by Paul Osbty on 02 February 2003 at 09:07 PM.]

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 2 Feb 2003 10:52 pm

FWIW

If you want chords that are in tune, and a Strat that stays in tune:

Heavier guages. Wound g
original style nickel frets (skinny)
rosewood fretboard "already nekkid"
and, most important, no tremelo arm. As cool as the tremelo is, it is a serious pain in the ass to keep in tune in a band situation.

IF you gotta have tremelo, go with the "Floyd Rose bridge". It will stay in tune better, but it will always be out some.

Once you have settled down with the strings you like,...THEN get a good setup for the string heights, neck angle, and string lengths, pickup heights. All this changes the minute you change string types and gauges.

Lots of strings our there. A very good all around string is GHS Nickel Rockers. They are rollerwound pure nickel, not plated. Not expensive. Kinda of in between roundwound and flatwound.

All my humble opinion. But, been there and done a lot of that. This setup is not for tele syle string bendin'.

Ya know, I really hope my ramblin' helps somebody!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 2 Feb 2003 11:14 pm

I use Ebony Fretboards on all of my "Tele's".

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 3 Feb 2003 6:46 pm

FWIW I have played both kinds extensively.

I always liked the look of a maple fingerboard better. I don't know why. Maybe it's because some of my major idols played them. But I've also come to like the rosewood look as well. The maple board is usually covered with a thin coat of lacquer. It will not start to look worn or dirty unless this wears away. When it does, then instead of worn/dirty you can refer to it as aged/vintage. (Like me.)

An article I read one time described the maple board as more of a "lack of tone" if I remember correctly. This probably didn't come across correctly here, but he didn't mean it as bad as I made it sound. I've always read that maple is brighter, too. But regardless of the material, a Strat/Tele is still going to have that signature sound, which is why we buy them anyway.

I don't know about any slickness of the board. But I personally would not put a lot of significance on it since I've never noticed a difference. Unless your guitar is fretless the string is never going to touch the wood anyway.

I tend to put intonation and bending strings into two entirely different categories. The type of wood should have no effect at all on the "intonation". Bending strings is a deliberate act (theoretically, anyway). As far as accidentally bending strings goes, I don't know how you could do this unless you made a conscious effort to do it, in which case it wouldn't be an accident. Especially when playing simple chords, like I suspect Lee's son will be doing.

I personally am not a big fan of the Squier Strats. They just don't feel right to me. But I've played several of the MIM Strats and have to say that IMHO they're pretty durned good. I also like the Jimmie Vaughn Strats, but they're a little more moola.

Ah yes, the infamous tremolo/vibrato/wang bar. If the Strat is set up right and is a solid piece, I've never had any problem keeping it in tune, even when radically using the bar. Using the bar is a technique, and needs to be practiced. I've come to learn that there are tricks to using the bar and keeping the guitar in tune. You can always block off the bridge to deactivate it, and just because you have the bar doesn't mean that you need to screw it in. I seriously have had way more problems keeping fixed tailpiece guitars (Gibsons) in tune than almost any Strat I've ever played. IMHO the Strat vibrato is one of the main reasons to buy a Strat in the first place.

I remember when the rock/metal craze was really big back in the '80s. I almost went out and bought a guitar with a Floyd Rose several times. Am I glad I fought off that urge. The Strat bridge is good enough for me. For one thing, the Floyds are a royal pain to change strings on.

I don't think your son would be disappointed with a MIM Strat, regardless of the neck. Pick one that you/he like and get down to business.

And one more thing: IMHO, try to find one with the fattest neck in the store. Play a skinny necked guitar for a while, then go play a Stevie Ray Strat. The skinny one may feel sexier at first, but after a couple of hours your hand will start to cramp up.

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Artie McEwan

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Feb 2003 7:50 pm

As far as playability, I think practically any Fender is superior to a Harmony!

I've had several Harmony guitars, and they were all, IMHO, kinda "Monkey-Wards" quality.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 3 Feb 2003 11:52 pm

I've seen a few Les Pauls with maple fretboards. They have mother of pearl inlays and look really weird. The mother of pearl doesn't stand out against the maple.

I have several guitars made by a Korean company called Aslin Dane that uses a synthetic resin compound called superphrenol for their fretboards. This is the same stuff Parker uses and Steinberger used on it's original instruments. It's very hard, very slick, and IMHO very comnfortable to play on. I like it so much I replaced the neck on a Fernandez strat copy with a neck made by this company with this material. My tech hates the stuff, but I think he's just turned off by the fact that it's synthetic.

Jack Francis · Post by **Jack Francis** » 4 Feb 2003 2:24 am

About 5 years ago I came into some extra cash and went Strat huntin. I went from store to store with my son (a fine guitarist)
and tried every Strat I could find.
We found 3 that were excellent and ALL 3 were Squire, Pro-Tone series guitars with rosewood finger boards. Great sounding pick-ups, excellent sunburst finish on ash bodies.
This only applied to this "Pro-Tone" series
I had the store put on an American tremolo on this Korean made guitar and walked out with the best Strat I've ever played. Every guitarist I know, that has played my guitar loves it. I believe that they only made this instrument for a year or so.
Getting back to the subject I've always prefered the rosewood to maple (I've had both)my first Strat I bought new in '64 had one and then thru a buncha Les Pauls did too. I guess I'm a creature of habit.
Jack

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 4 Feb 2003 3:31 pm

Leo Fender told me years ago that he went with the maple fretboard for reason of economy: it did not require the making and attaching of a separate fretboard. I also asked him why he didn't set the tuning head back a little or make it at an angle with the fretboard so the 1st and 2nd strings would stay in the grooves of the nut without the little button that holds them in place. He said that the way he had designed it, he could make the neck from a standard maple 2" X 4", thus not having to order specially cut maple. I heard a few complaints in the beginning from guitarists about the maple showing wear, but in the long term Fenders were accepted based on quality and sound -- without regard to the maple fretboards.

Jody Carver could probably add a lot to this thread. Jody, Are you there?

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 4 Feb 2003 5:28 pm

Yep Im here,,cant ya hear me coming Zeke?

You told it all and in Leo's own words as he
has told me many times before.

The maple necks early on were looked upon as being "tacky" as the wear would show on the fingerboard.But later on this became a status
symbol for players like Clapton and other guitarists not only rock and heavy metal players but most who liked the look and feel.

Willie Spears,,Claptons roadie brought one of Claptons Strats to Leo over at MusicMan back in the late 70's. Eric was a big fan of Leo's ( who wasn't). Eric asked if Leo would refret his Strat.

Leo took the strat and not only refretted the Strat but Leo re-finished the neck and body as well thinking he did good for Clapton

When Clapton and Spears went back to pick up the Strat,he was shocked and Leo told me he
turned pale. Oh yeah I forgot,I said dont worry Leo,now his face will match his maple neck

Leo said,,what do you mean??. I said
Oh Im only pullin your leg. he laughed but I could see he was concerned.

Spears told me Clapton was upset because he
had the neck "scalloped" and he liked the wear marks on the fingerboard. All he asked for was new frets.

I told Spears to tell Leo and he said."you tell him",,I said OK,,but I have a feeling Leo will be upset that he did something that
Clapton didnt like.

I told Leo in private and he said..Hey Jody
is that feller as good as Jimmy Bryant was??
I had to laugh and said.not quite,but he sings good,

end of story..Clapton went back to Fender after that. He then said Hell
these boys shoulda heard Roy Lanham and Bryant and added..why do they want a worn out neck when I made the old neck like new.

I walked out and said,,,see ya later Leo,Im goin to Marie Callendars with Freddy (Tavares) who was still with Fender at the time.Freddy laughed when I told him the story. He then laughed and said,,tell me more
I said there is no more,,he's all your's (meaning Fender) But I did get Clapton back in the fold with Leo. As for me?? I folded.

As Leo pulled out of MM a little while after.

OK Maestro..and thanks for asking,sorry it took so long,,you're giving my book away you know.

But there are others to come

Roy dont you dare give my secret tunings away,,most players feel that the maple neck is faster.

As Leo once said and I quote..Its like usin Ice Skates on a sheet of glass,and Leo wasn't a guitar player. He played poker he would poke me and I would poke him when we saw something that amused us,,Thats all Folks...

Rufus : I dont know why I do this.[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 04 February 2003 at 06:18 PM.]

erik · Post by **erik** » 4 Feb 2003 6:26 pm

I believe I can hear the difference, and I prefer rosewood, thinking that it's warmer. Hasn't anyone done a head to head on a scope?

I like the feel of maple on a bass.

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 5 Feb 2003 4:59 am

I've played both rosewood and maple necks. But, I prefer a well worn - thick maple neck.

I've never felt comfortable playing a Strat or a Les Paul - even though I have a couple of times. (Not for longer than a set, though.) I've been playing Fender Telecasters since 1968. Right now I've got two Danny Gatton Signature Tele's (and love them dearly.)

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 6 Feb 2003 7:21 am

I think the pickups have a lot to do with it also...I have two Strats and two Teles. One each of a maple and one each of a rosewood fingerboard. I like my maple neck strat better than the rosewood but the maple one has Duncan quarter pounder single coils in it and the rosewood has the regular Fender pickups. On my Teles, the maple neck has a Bill Lawrence humbucker at the neck and a Duncan quarter pounder at the bridge but I like the rosewood one better with regular Fender pickups. It just seems to sound better for the chicken pickin' and other Tele type playing. All that said, I hardly ever play any of them as my favorite guitar is an Ibanez Artist with and Ebony fingerboard. It's like a double cutaway Les Paul with the set neck, solid mahogany body with the carved maple top. It has two DiMarzio humbuckers which are both tapped and a strat single coil I added in the middle. I can make it sound dang near like any of the other guitars.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 8 Feb 2003 9:13 am

Thanks, everybody, for your views. Our bass player owns a guitar shop and has a shipment of Mexico Strats coming in next week. Logan and I will have to go down and sort through them until we find one he likes.

Lee

PS: Has anybody ever noticed that, on occaision, there are differing views on The Steel Guitar Forum?

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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 8 Feb 2003 6:23 pm

Lee: I don't know if this is one hundred percent correct, but I was told that due to the Environmental Protection Agency, all Fender bodies and necks are sent to Mexico for finishing. About half are assembled in Mexico, the rest are shipped back to Corona to be assembled. I own a MIM Tele and have compared it to the MIA Tele's. I do not see any appreciable difference. JMO (except for the $300 or so difference in price) I love my MIM Tele.