How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
- Thread starter GuitarStv
- Start date
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Lots of old, cheap guitars have maple boards that were dyed black. I think it's mainly a looks thing.
I kind of wonder if Rosewood is cheaper nowadays than back then, too, because you find solid rosewood boards on super cheap guitars. Super, super cheap guitars (100 bucks or less) have plywood boards now.
Lots of old, cheap guitars have maple boards that were dyed black. I think it's mainly a looks thing.
I kind of wonder if Rosewood is cheaper nowadays than back then, too, because you find solid rosewood boards on super cheap guitars. Super, super cheap guitars (100 bucks or less) have plywood boards now.
Ashurbanipal
Well-known member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Some old Ibanez acoustics from the 70s had maple fingerboards.
Some old Ibanez acoustics from the 70s had maple fingerboards.
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
No idea - great question Steve.
I hope someone is able to illuminate.
No idea - great question Steve.
I hope someone is able to illuminate.
Johnny the Kid
Shaunofthedeadologist
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
I don't know, but some of those acoustic that have been shown look really good.
I don't know, but some of those acoustic that have been shown look really good.
constant mesh
New member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Most cheapo died or ebonized guitars aren't really maple at all. They are just cheap substitute woods that resemble maple and its properties, sometimes theres only a veener on top of the neck to act as fingerboard, and they don't hesitate to use the back or even the top woods either to make a fretboard out of it.
The tongue that extedts over the body would be much less stable than say rosewood or ebony. Maple is generally softer than ebony or rosewood too. Ebony and rosewood are naturally oily woods and therefore structurally even more stable as they don't dry out fast.
Also another factor would be weight and density. Maple can be heavy, even a maple fingerboard glued on a mahogany neck can put the rest of the instrument out of balance, because body only holds a large volume, but has very low mass.
This is just what I can come up with, but maple boards are indeed very rare on acoustics.
Most cheapo died or ebonized guitars aren't really maple at all. They are just cheap substitute woods that resemble maple and its properties, sometimes theres only a veener on top of the neck to act as fingerboard, and they don't hesitate to use the back or even the top woods either to make a fretboard out of it.
The tongue that extedts over the body would be much less stable than say rosewood or ebony. Maple is generally softer than ebony or rosewood too. Ebony and rosewood are naturally oily woods and therefore structurally even more stable as they don't dry out fast.
Also another factor would be weight and density. Maple can be heavy, even a maple fingerboard glued on a mahogany neck can put the rest of the instrument out of balance, because body only holds a large volume, but has very low mass.
This is just what I can come up with, but maple boards are indeed very rare on acoustics.
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youngthrasher9
New member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
I personally would love to own an acoustic with a maple board.
I think it looks really, really ****ing good on acoustics.
I personally would love to own an acoustic with a maple board.
I think it looks really, really ****ing good on acoustics.
youngthrasher9
New member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
First of all: have you ever lifted rosewood? It is rumored to be very heavy.
Second of all, maple is generally SUPER hard. There is soft variations, but they are not as commonly used in making guitars as the much harder variations.
First of all: have you ever lifted rosewood? It is rumored to be very heavy.
Second of all, maple is generally SUPER hard. There is soft variations, but they are not as commonly used in making guitars as the much harder variations.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Yeah, I don't think hardness and oils can be the issue . . . maple fretboards are typically finished so you don't have to worry about the oils, and they're hard as hell. It just seems weird to me that they haven't really caught on, because they're kinda cool looking.
Yeah, I don't think hardness and oils can be the issue . . . maple fretboards are typically finished so you don't have to worry about the oils, and they're hard as hell. It just seems weird to me that they haven't really caught on, because they're kinda cool looking.
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Gibson did some blonde Les Pauls during the Norlin era if I remember correctly... I don't think they did too well saleswise and were sort of flops if I recall.
I think it's a valid and very good question.
Gibson did some blonde Les Pauls during the Norlin era if I remember correctly... I don't think they did too well saleswise and were sort of flops if I recall.
I think it's a valid and very good question.
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
I believe it's because with acoustic guitars, maple kind of became associated with cheapness/cost-cutting.
We all love the old Strats and Teles with maple boards though, so that association never developed.
I believe it's because with acoustic guitars, maple kind of became associated with cheapness/cost-cutting.
We all love the old Strats and Teles with maple boards though, so that association never developed.
stringbender11
New member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
I've always thought it was a tradition thing, honestly. I think acoustic guitar players are even more traditional/conservative than electric players, and prefer things to look a certain way. Also Rosewood is supposed to be warmer than maple, I think that's part of it, too.
That said though I liked the acoustics in those pics above too, pretty cool.
I've always thought it was a tradition thing, honestly. I think acoustic guitar players are even more traditional/conservative than electric players, and prefer things to look a certain way. Also Rosewood is supposed to be warmer than maple, I think that's part of it, too.
That said though I liked the acoustics in those pics above too, pretty cool.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Its because its not an optimal wood for a acoustic fretboard-hello? Duh- why didnt they make Stradavari with maple fretboards?? ..fool reposnds- "great question" :barf:
Its because its not an optimal wood for a acoustic fretboard-hello? Duh- why didnt they make Stradavari with maple fretboards?? ..fool reposnds- "great question" :barf:
TheLivingDead
Dawn Of The Shred
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
I bought em all.
I bought em all.
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Selfish bastard.
Selfish bastard.
TheLivingDead
Dawn Of The Shred
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
LOL JK I'M BROKE AS ****
LOL JK I'M BROKE AS ****
Myaccount876
Amira-Maker
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
You have no idea what you are talking a about. Maple necks and fretboards are almost always made with some type of hard maple; even soft maple is hard. Maple is an incredibly stiff wood - much more so than mahogany - and ebony/rosewood are MUCH denser and heavier than hard maple. Also - moisture makes wood unstable - especially for glue joints. As for veneer fretboards - Fender had veneer rosewood boards so you might as well give them crap about that too.
For the cheap fake maple you mentioned - we're going to have to see proof so back your statement up.
I can understand not liking the wood - but spreading g such bad information is not helping anyone and is not appreciated here.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
You have no idea what you are talking a about. Maple necks and fretboards are almost always made with some type of hard maple; even soft maple is hard. Maple is an incredibly stiff wood - much more so than mahogany - and ebony/rosewood are MUCH denser and heavier than hard maple. Also - moisture makes wood unstable - especially for glue joints. As for veneer fretboards - Fender had veneer rosewood boards so you might as well give them crap about that too.
For the cheap fake maple you mentioned - we're going to have to see proof so back your statement up.
I can understand not liking the wood - but spreading g such bad information is not helping anyone and is not appreciated here.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
Myaccount876
Amira-Maker
Re: How come you never see maple fretboards on acoustic guitars?
Saying it is not an optimal wood is just opinion and not fact. I'm glad people have opinions - especially ones that differ from mine - but I cannot possibly answer why Stradavari didn't use maple fingerboards - and neither can anyone here. None of us have the detailed and personal knowledge to determine the reason why he made a desicion. We may have hypotheses - but it is unlikely we sill ever know someone like his mental reasoning for something so specific.
And I apologizd to everyone for the hyphens, I just found the comma key on Tapatalk; this is my first time using it.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
Saying it is not an optimal wood is just opinion and not fact. I'm glad people have opinions - especially ones that differ from mine - but I cannot possibly answer why Stradavari didn't use maple fingerboards - and neither can anyone here. None of us have the detailed and personal knowledge to determine the reason why he made a desicion. We may have hypotheses - but it is unlikely we sill ever know someone like his mental reasoning for something so specific.
And I apologizd to everyone for the hyphens, I just found the comma key on Tapatalk; this is my first time using it.
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
