Same Old Q: Maple vs Rosewood

[TheToneRanger]

Yeah, I know – it’s probably a weekly question – at least it is over on the strat site - the eternal question of “does maple sound different than rosewood?”

Some folks say they hear a difference – others say no, it’s more a looky/feely thing.

Problem with the strat is that there are a few more components involved – therefore more factors that can alter the final outcome.
For instance, maple generally sound more defined to my ears, but one of the warmest strats I own is a maple/alder model. On the flip side - one of the brighter sounding strats in my collection is a rosewood/Northern Ash model - there is less note-to-note definition within chords, but it has more cut and sizzle (from the Ash body I'm sure.)

Since I’m new to teles I was wondering if, since it’s a simpler construction, if you can hear the difference between the two fretboard materials any more or less - or does it basically boil down to what feels and looks better to you?

[varakeef]

Originally Posted by TheToneRanger

Yeah, I know – it’s probably a weekly question – at least it is over on the strat site - the eternal question of “does maple sound different than rosewood?”?

It really is...

... and the subject "which looks better on which guitar" is frequently popping up too.

[basher]

Snake oil. Cork-sniffery. Silly over-precious piffle. There are so many other factors that affect your tone more than fretboard material--pickups, strings, amp settings, attack, room acoustics, what you had for breakfast, which end of your amp your cat is sleeping on. Any effect a rosewood fretboard might have is going to be so tiny as not to matter.

I have a slight preference for rosewood myself because I like feeling wood under my fingers. Also, it looks nice. What it "sounds" like, I couldn't tell you.

[TheToneRanger]

Originally Posted by varakeef

It really is...

... and the subject "which looks better on which guitar" is frequently popping up too.

Yeah, I only went back twelve pages in my search - apparently not far enough.

There are so many other factors that affect your tone more than fretboard material--pickups, strings, amp settings, attack, room acoustics, what you had for breakfast, which end of your amp your cat is sleeping on. Any effect a rosewood fretboard might have is going to be so tiny as not to matter.

That's how I generally feel about the difference on strats - maybe there's a 5% or less difference in sound, which means you've got 95%+ of every other factor overpowering it.

Again, I was just wondering if it was the same with Tele's as with strats...

[sjtalon]

Originally Posted by TheToneRanger

Since I’m new to teles I was wondering if, since it’s a simpler construction, if you can hear the difference between the two fretboard materials any more or less - or does it basically boil down to what feels and looks better to you?

So what if I can hear a difference and you can't ??

Who would be right ??

[TheToneRanger]

Originally Posted by sjtalon

So what if I can hear a difference and you can't ??

Who would be right ??

I fully recognize that some folks have sharper hearing than others and can pick up on subtle differences - kind of like some folks have better eyesight than others.
It's not a question of "right" or "wrong" - I just wondered (for those of us who CAN hear these things) if the difference in sound was any more (or less) noticable on a tele than a strat...

[Nick JD]

If you think the tonal effects of 1/4" of fretboard material are important you don't know much about guitars.

[JCBurke59]

My problem with questions like this is that you can't just change a fingerboard and have everything else stay exactly the same. So when you swap a neck that is probably about 10% fingerboard why expect that if a difference is heard, it's from the fingerboard change? Wood is inconsistent by nature - 2 different pieces of maple may sound very different from one another.

I know that most of us have opinions on how certain things are 'supposed' to sound, but these generalities have little to do with any specific instrument. It's still all fun, but I'm increasingly of the opinion that 'tone just happens'. If you're trying to steer it in a certain direction by messing with fingerboard wood species or body finish or bridge and saddle material it may be a losing battle unless you're satisfied with very subtle changes.

So back to the original question - I don't think a Tele is anymore revealing of its fingerboard material than a Strat might be. And I do choose fingerboard material for looks/feel rather than what I expect it to do tone-wise. When I'm trying to nudge tone a certain way, I now direct my attention to the pickups, pot/cap values and strings. I get more predictable results with those kinds of changes.

But then again, this is just my opinion - if someone believes that they can hear these things I'd be the last to tell them that they can't.

[andrenighthound]

The fretboard is all about feel and looks. The maple feels harder the rosewood feels softer. One is dark, one is light colored.

Maybe the attack is slightly faster on the maple? Idk.

[TheToneRanger]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

If you think the tonal effects of 1/4" of fretboard material are important you don't know much about guitars.

Smaller things than that can make bigger changes.

When I changed one of my maple neck strats to a nearly identical rosewood neck I could hear the difference.
Was it a huge change - a deal breaker kind of change? No - but a change none the less. Not better or worse - just different - mainly in the higher frequencies and the note attack.

BUT - let me make this clear - from my 20+ years experience with strats I find (like alot of you) the difference in feel to be more of a dramatic, deciding factor - and that when it comes to difference in timbre you're talking such a small percentage of the overall sound that most folks will find imperceptible.

I'm assuming the same is true of a tele and just looking for confirmation.

[Delta Blues]

No love for Ebony?

[Bartholomew3]

Originally Posted by Delta Blues

No love for Ebony?

I have a Gretsch Country Gent and also a vintage LP Custom and also think those ebony fretboards are fantastic.

For some reason I play both of them better than my tele - I think because of the difference in scale and fretboard material.

[garrett]

There are so many other factors involved, so for me it comes down to the question of look and feel.

I went with a pau ferro board on my latest Tele, just because it's gorgeous and feels great.

[KevinB]

Originally Posted by andrenighthound

The fretboard is all about feel and looks. The maple feels harder the rosewood feels softer. One is dark, one is light colored.

Maybe the attack is slightly faster on the maple? Idk.

And yet rosewood scores higher than maple on the Janka wood hardness scale (about 1780 for rosewood, to about 1450 for hard maple).

I think a lot of the perceived hardness of a maple fretboard comes from the fact that it has been finished. Rickenbacker lacquers their rosewood boards - they feel just like maple.

[rogerzilla]

One problem with maple is that you can't see the treble strings against it if your eyes are bad. They show up against rosewood or (better) ebony. If you never need to look at your left hand, it's not a problem.

[Nick JD]

Originally Posted by TheToneRanger

When I changed one of my maple neck strats to a nearly identical rosewood neck I could hear the difference.

Probably the new strings.

[andrenighthound]

Originally Posted by KevinB

And yet rosewood scores higher than maple on the Janka wood hardness scale (about 1780 for rosewood, to about 1450 for hard maple).

I think a lot of the perceived hardness of a maple fretboard comes from the fact that it has been finished. Rickenbacker lacquers their rosewood boards - they feel just like maple.

Yes I actually read that somewhere recently that rosewood is harder than maple. I guess it is the finish over it that makes it feel harder. Rosewood is more porous so maybe that adds to the softer feel?

[PapaBeef]

Originally Posted by Delta Blues

No love for Ebony?

Yeah. Right here.
I just put together a Telehawk with an ebony fingerboard. And it's already become my favorite guitar. It's a 25 1/2" scale "C" shaped neck with a 10" radius.And it's not finished with poly or nitro. Just stained & finished with oil.
So I can't swear to the ebony being what makes it play as nicely as it does.

I also agree with whoever commented on maple feeling harder because of the finish.
I have several of each fingerboard & it usually just depends what mood I'm in as to which one I prefer at any given time.

[TheToneRanger]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

Probably the new strings.

I always use the old strings when I install new hardware so that the "new strings thing" doesn't skew my observation - and the rosewood actually made for a slightly softer, less defined attack - new strings would have made it sound brighter.
BUT - it was NOT a HUGE difference - listening closely through a dry amp, and comparing it to the original sound that I was very familiar with from playing a maple neck on that guitar for over 12 years - I detected only slight changes in timbre.
But once the amp is cranked and you add in effects to the mix, etc - then add in a full band around you - that level of subltety was erased and the only difference I noticed was the feel...

[Nick JD]

Originally Posted by TheToneRanger

I always use the old strings when I install new hardware so that the "new strings thing" doesn't skew my observation - and the rosewood actually made for a slightly softer, less defined attack - new strings would have made it sound brighter.
BUT - it was NOT a HUGE difference - listening closely through a dry amp, and comparing it to the original sound that I was very familiar with from playing a maple neck on that guitar for over 12 years - I detected only slight changes in timbre.
But once the amp is cranked and you add in effects to the mix, etc - then add in a full band around you - that level of subltety was erased and the only difference I noticed was the feel...

Probably a difference in trussrod tension.

See where I'm going here?