Need help with neck parts

I'm in the market for a new guitar. I know what I want in terms of the body and the electronics, but no the neck yet.

I need to learn what about a neck makes my tone significant. What's the difference between a maple and rosewood fretboard? What's significant about the neck shape" etc. etc....

Any help is appreciated.

The general consensus is that a rosewood fretboard results in a slightly rounder attack and slightly mellower tone. (I used to think so, too, but my experience in the last few years has lead me to believe that the fretboard material has little affect on the tone.)

Neck shape will mostly determine how comfortably the guitar fits your hands, though many will say that a fatter neck also results in a fatter tone.

Don't forget to consider fret size. In general, the taller the fret, the easier it is to bend the strings. You can get to a point where the frets are too tall and not comfortable for you to play, though.

My best advice whenever someone asks about what specs to choose is to find the guitar that's most comfortable to play and get a neck like that.