Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
- Thread starter smitty302
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NegativeEase
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Rosewoods if your playing style and action has you feeling the fretboard a lot are considered more comfortable to play. if you have big frets, big action, and big strings it probably matters less.
Maple fretboards were a cost cutting sort of accident originally (luthiers building traditional guitars considered them a sort of joke at first) until people realized their properties were very fitting for country, blues, and rocknroll playing tones.
It's easy to tell them apart in a blind A/B test - There's a subtle difference that is immediately noticeable once it is pointed out to you -Maple Fret board have a snappier tonal attack and Rosewood have a mellow rise in the attack -a sort of Liveliness versus Smoother.
Google a few videos where they compare them and close your eyes and you will get start to notice it.
My favorite is Ebony, no idea why -just makes me want to play the guitar with its feel.
Rosewoods if your playing style and action has you feeling the fretboard a lot are considered more comfortable to play. if you have big frets, big action, and big strings it probably matters less.
Maple fretboards were a cost cutting sort of accident originally (luthiers building traditional guitars considered them a sort of joke at first) until people realized their properties were very fitting for country, blues, and rocknroll playing tones.
It's easy to tell them apart in a blind A/B test - There's a subtle difference that is immediately noticeable once it is pointed out to you -Maple Fret board have a snappier tonal attack and Rosewood have a mellow rise in the attack -a sort of Liveliness versus Smoother.
Google a few videos where they compare them and close your eyes and you will get start to notice it.
My favorite is Ebony, no idea why -just makes me want to play the guitar with its feel.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Whenever I see two of the same model with different fretboards in a store I'll try them out one after the other. I have found that I pretty consistently prefer the sounds from the ones with maple fretboards. The rosewood boards look nicer though.
Whenever I see two of the same model with different fretboards in a store I'll try them out one after the other. I have found that I pretty consistently prefer the sounds from the ones with maple fretboards. The rosewood boards look nicer though.
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
They do feel different, as on maple you are actually feeling the finish, not the wood. Guitarists generally stick to just a handful of woods for fingerboards, but there are probably 1000s of species of woods (and a ton of inorganic material) which would work just as well and sound good, too.
They do feel different, as on maple you are actually feeling the finish, not the wood. Guitarists generally stick to just a handful of woods for fingerboards, but there are probably 1000s of species of woods (and a ton of inorganic material) which would work just as well and sound good, too.
Open lane
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
In my experience, rosewood and ebony are the most comfortable, for me. I like the look of maple more, though, tbh.
On the guitars i’ve owned, i’d say maple sounds brighter and snappier, if that makes sense.
I own guitars with ebony, maple, and rosewood. Not usually an option on fender (and i think it would look out of place on a fender if it were) but i will say —- ebony is my favorite.
Honestly i like all of them for dif reasons. There are pros and cons to all.
For feel i’d gravitate to rosewood
For appearance i’d go with maple (or ebony on a les paul or super strat)
For sound—- i won’t really say because it is subjective. Imo it all depends what you’re looking for styalisticly when it comes to the sound difference. I did describe maple as sounding brighter and snappier, and i do stand by that. That’s NOT saying it sounds better. It’s a dif type of sound. If i were you, i’d try to get out and try a couple. You’ll be able to tell which suits your style better.
In my experience, rosewood and ebony are the most comfortable, for me. I like the look of maple more, though, tbh.
On the guitars i’ve owned, i’d say maple sounds brighter and snappier, if that makes sense.
I own guitars with ebony, maple, and rosewood. Not usually an option on fender (and i think it would look out of place on a fender if it were) but i will say —- ebony is my favorite.
Honestly i like all of them for dif reasons. There are pros and cons to all.
For feel i’d gravitate to rosewood
For appearance i’d go with maple (or ebony on a les paul or super strat)
For sound—- i won’t really say because it is subjective. Imo it all depends what you’re looking for styalisticly when it comes to the sound difference. I did describe maple as sounding brighter and snappier, and i do stand by that. That’s NOT saying it sounds better. It’s a dif type of sound. If i were you, i’d try to get out and try a couple. You’ll be able to tell which suits your style better.
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Open lane
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
I haven’t tried one but i probably wouldn’t hesitate to try one. I understand you may have access to all of them, but you’re likely to find people on both sides of the aisle in any sort of public poll. Never know til ya try, with any of them.
I haven’t tried one but i probably wouldn’t hesitate to try one. I understand you may have access to all of them, but you’re likely to find people on both sides of the aisle in any sort of public poll. Never know til ya try, with any of them.
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
I've got both in strats, and like both. Anyone's personal experience is too small to make sweeping judgements from a tonal point of view, but my own experience is that the rosewood f/b guitars I own have a slightly more raspy upper mids that the maple ones don't have. It is only a slight difference, and is compounded by the fact that my guitars aren't otherwise equal. I have however swapped pickups between guitars with different woods and found similar results, so at least there is some method to my findings.
In short, aesthetics will most likely be the biggest difference, followed by feel.
I've got both in strats, and like both. Anyone's personal experience is too small to make sweeping judgements from a tonal point of view, but my own experience is that the rosewood f/b guitars I own have a slightly more raspy upper mids that the maple ones don't have. It is only a slight difference, and is compounded by the fact that my guitars aren't otherwise equal. I have however swapped pickups between guitars with different woods and found similar results, so at least there is some method to my findings.
In short, aesthetics will most likely be the biggest difference, followed by feel.
Open lane
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Thet’s a very good point, which my personal experience doesn’t even scratch the surfice of.
There are so many variables, it’s really hard. Even if you have identically spec’d guitars you’re a/b-ing, — it’s not uncommon for there to be a variances in weight for example. That fact alone suggests to me that identically spec’d guitars can have dif qualities of resonance.
I could talk about dif variables all day. And i have before. And it really makes my mind go ovvvvvver and ovvvvver in circles.
Try as many as you can, and even then, i’d hesitate to make conclusions.
Thet’s a very good point, which my personal experience doesn’t even scratch the surfice of.
There are so many variables, it’s really hard. Even if you have identically spec’d guitars you’re a/b-ing, — it’s not uncommon for there to be a variances in weight for example. That fact alone suggests to me that identically spec’d guitars can have dif qualities of resonance.
I could talk about dif variables all day. And i have before. And it really makes my mind go ovvvvvver and ovvvvver in circles.
Try as many as you can, and even then, i’d hesitate to make conclusions.
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JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Overall, I prefer rosewood, but I have two maple board guitars that I love. If I were looking at two otherwise identical guitars, I’d want to gravitate toward the rosewood, but I’d pay closer attention to the maple guitar to make sure I didn’t prefer it.
Overall, I prefer rosewood, but I have two maple board guitars that I love. If I were looking at two otherwise identical guitars, I’d want to gravitate toward the rosewood, but I’d pay closer attention to the maple guitar to make sure I didn’t prefer it.
LonePhantom
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
I have more rosewood fretboard guitars, but I by far prefer the tone of maple fretboards. I also love the look of maple fretboards on a natural finish maple neck.
I have more rosewood fretboard guitars, but I by far prefer the tone of maple fretboards. I also love the look of maple fretboards on a natural finish maple neck.
BriGuy1968
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Out of 18 guitars I have two with maple fretboards, and two with ebony fretboards. All the rest are rosewood. Honestly, I like them all. I do think that the maple and Ebony boards are just a smidge brighter, but like others have said, My guitars are all so different from one another that it’s very difficult to say authoritatively. To be honest, my preference would probably be which ever one LOOKS best for a given guitar.
Out of 18 guitars I have two with maple fretboards, and two with ebony fretboards. All the rest are rosewood. Honestly, I like them all. I do think that the maple and Ebony boards are just a smidge brighter, but like others have said, My guitars are all so different from one another that it’s very difficult to say authoritatively. To be honest, my preference would probably be which ever one LOOKS best for a given guitar.
kramersteen
PowerMetalRaph
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Oh cool i don't think this topic has been done.
Oh cool i don't think this topic has been done.
Obsessive Compulsive
New member
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
Realistically it's more a matter of looks than tone. Some like all black guitars hence rosewood. Others love the juxtaposition of black next to light-colored maple like the all-black RG550.
Ebony is sought after due to its association with expensive guitars. It's expensive cause it's hard to obtain, or difficult to work with...more manhours, more tools required, etc., not because of its tonal quality.
Realistically it's more a matter of looks than tone. Some like all black guitars hence rosewood. Others love the juxtaposition of black next to light-colored maple like the all-black RG550.
Ebony is sought after due to its association with expensive guitars. It's expensive cause it's hard to obtain, or difficult to work with...more manhours, more tools required, etc., not because of its tonal quality.
Re: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard
An ebony fretboard costs a manufacturer the princely sum of ~$8
...so yeah, a lot more expensive than plain maple. Lol.
An ebony fretboard costs a manufacturer the princely sum of ~$8
...so yeah, a lot more expensive than plain maple. Lol.
