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Maple Fretboard

Jam10Jam10 Posts: 654
edited July 2008 in Musicians and Gearheads
I played a Standard Strat with a Maple Fretboard today and I really , really like the feel and sound of the Maple. My other guitars are Rosewood fretboards so it does feel a litlle different but I don't know if it's just me but the Maple fretboard seems to feel a little thinner in my hand than the rosewood. I don't know, I could be wrong but it just felt nice. I was also thinking.....since my other guitars are rosewood fretboards I might as well go with a Maple for a different sound and totally different feel. I think it's good to have variety. For everyone that has Maple Fretboards......do you think that the maple get's sticky and slows you down as your palm starts to sweat a little. I didn't play the guitar today for very long, maybe 10 - 15 mins. and I thought it didn't stick at all. Just wondering if it would get sticky after playing for hours. Unfortunatley its not like I can play a guitar at the store for hours to make sure so I thought I would ask here.
I also played a Rosewood Strat today and I really like the feel of that one as well. Its pretty much a toss up. I like them both. I just have top play a whole bunch more to make sure I buy the right one.
The maple one that I played today felt like the ONE but I dont quite have the cash yet. It was the Charcoal Metallic Frost. ( Beautiful Color)
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Comments

  • NovawindNovawind Posts: 836
    You and I have similar tastes. Charcoal Frost with Maple would be my Strat pick too (too bad I just bought a Marshall half-stack).
    If idle hands are the devil's workshop, he must not be very productive.

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  • seanw1010seanw1010 Posts: 1,205
    strats and tele should only be made with maple fretboards :p

    when i bought my strat, there was another one at the store in the same color(shoreline gold) but with a rosewood fretboard. played both and thought the maple just felt better.

    maple for teles and strats, rosewoods for les pauls and sgs :)
    they call them fingers, but i never see them fing. oh, there they go
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    Jam10 wrote:
    I also played a Rosewood Strat today and I really like the feel of that one as well. Its pretty much a toss up. I like them both. I just have top play a whole bunch more to make sure I buy the right one.
    The maple one that I played today felt like the ONE but I dont quite have the cash yet. It was the Charcoal Metallic Frost. ( Beautiful Color)
    Oh yeah that color is beautiful!
    As to the maple or rosewood, i guess it all comes down to personal reference. In relation to tone, the maple is more brighter, and rosewood is softer and warmer.

    Personally for comfort i prefer rosewood. I'm not big on hi-gloss necks like maple. I don't like the sticky feeling. Having said that, i prefer the look of the maple on fenders, just not the feel. A lot of the maple fretboards are finished in a glossy lacquer finish, while most rosewood - ebony fretboards are treated with an oil. This is what makes the maple play like it's covered in plastic, while the rosewood feels more like a natural wood finish.

    Each to their own though, you gotta just play them and get what feels good for you. Good luck!
  • Kilgore_TroutKilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    Pj_Gurl wrote:
    Personally for comfort i prefer rosewood. I'm not big on hi-gloss necks like maple. I don't like the sticky feeling. Having said that, i prefer the look of the maple on fenders, just not the feel. A lot of the maple fretboards are finished in a glossy lacquer finish, while most rosewood - ebony fretboards are treated with an oil. This is what makes the maple play like it's covered in plastic, while the rosewood feels more like a natural wood finish.
    i agree with you... my tele is all maple... i didnt really do enough research when i was shopping for it and now i wish i had gone with rosewood... its a great recording guitar... just prefer rosewood for gigs... all preference though... no serious qualms
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  • seanw1010seanw1010 Posts: 1,205
    at first i didnt like the laquor on the maple necks, but if you use a very fine grit sandpaper on the back of it it goes away really easily nd feelssuper smooth
    they call them fingers, but i never see them fing. oh, there they go
  • Jam10Jam10 Posts: 654
    Yeh it's pretty much a toss up for me still. I have to play a few more before I decide. I just figure since my Les Paul is Rosewood, why not switch it up and get a Strat with Maple. We'll see what happens. It's a fun journey choosing the right Strat. So many different models, colors, features and 2 different fretboards. Ahhhhh decisions....decisions!
  • ianvomsaalianvomsaal Posts: 1,224
    Since maple is so much lighter in color it tends to look dirtier much quicker than rosewood.
    Maple is also a much brighter sounding wood than rosewood.
    I actually prefer the warmer sound of rosewood over maple.
    And if I'm going for a brighter tone I usually go with ebony.
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  • Piper At The GatesPiper At The Gates Posts: 460
    I have never found a maple board to be sticky. In fact, I always thought they were very smooth, even when played for a long time with sweaty hands. I have one Strat with a maple board and one with rosewood. Now I like the rosewood but I played a maple board for years when I was in bands and I loved that. too. Some people go through stages as to preference. They both have pros and cons.
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