Maple or Rosewood

[Otisblove]

WARNING: This is NOT about tone. This is about the “optics” as the kids like to say.

What LOOKS better on a Tele? Does it depend on the body color, is it one or the other for you or are you indifferent?

I ask because I have a fiesta red Telecaster (my avatar) with a distinctly orangish pau ferro fretboard. I sometimes find myself thinking how good it would look with a deep, dark brown rosewood board.

Then I think about how I only have one maple fretboard in my collection and maybe I could go that route, but I’m not a huge fan of fiesta red with maple.

Then I PLAY it and fuggedaboutit. Sounds great as is. Anyway, what do YOU think?

 

[Liamkeane01]

I’d agree the body color has something to say for the contrast of the neck material. I personally have been a maple guy for a long time, love a maple neck on a natural color body, but I think rosewood on a sunburst is really something. Never been a fan of those new lighter Pau ferro board, but with fiesta red it does get my attention

 

[dlew919]

I prefer the look of maple. I realised after I started a similar thread a few weeks ago I like maple fingerboard on most sold guitar and dark necks on most hollow and semi hollow. Gibson is an exception. Les Paul doesn’t look right with a maple neck.

 

[DougM]

I've always preferred the look of rosewood on Strats and Teles, no matter what color they're painted

 

[Fuggle]

Daaaang, y'all, how many times I gotta say it? Rosewood is strictly for heathens

 

[mkdaws32]

Depends on the Tele. I like rosewood on bursts and some lighter colours, but maple on others. Dapne, Sonic, Lake Placid blue, along with Fiesta Red, BSB and vintage blonde better be maple!

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

with dark color bodies I go with ebony or rosewood, lite colored bodies (natural maple)
As a slide player the neck is just something to hold the strings on , no frets no intonation, no hastles with warped of twisted necks, bad frets noda!

 

[Matthews Guitars]

There is never a case where I prefer maple fingerboards for any reason. I'm an ebony and rosewood guy.
I HATE finished maple fingerboards. Raw is better, but even then I don't like maple boards.

 

[Boreas]

I don't much care either way, but you can probably stain or tint your PF board darker without too much effort.

 

[cpage86]

I prefer rosewood myself.

I like maple when it is a one piece neck. It is kind of a trivial reason too. Guitars that have glued on maple fingerboards drive me nuts as the contrast between the neck and the fingerboard is distracting to me. A lot of times the woods don't even look close, and it looks poor as well. If it is a one piece neck I can dig it.

 

[str8razor59]

Rosewood on a 'burst, maybe on a black. Maple on everything else. For Stratocasters, it's a tossup.
On the other hand, a Muddy Waters' red tele and rosewood looks good on you, if you've paid enough dues, that is.

 

[Killing Floor]

Depends on the color and you can also say it depends on the color of the pick guard some times. Some colors look fine with either.

 

[jays0n]

Depends on the color of the body and that’s about it for me. I like both rosewood and maple, just with different body colors.

 

[Mur]

Looks-wise, never liked rose capped. Looks wrong. I often play one though, lol. Sound-wise, capped makes a stiffer, and very often, more lively Tele in general.

 

[FenderLover]

I've got only 3 of 20 guitars with maple boards, so I guess I prefer rosewood regardless of anything else. Two necks are solid rosewood.

I used black leather dye and a fine tip brush to darken my Les Paul with light color pau ferro board. Looks like rosewood to me and has fooled at least one friend.

 

[Maguchi]

WARNING: This is NOT about tone. This is about the “optics” as the kids like to say.

What LOOKS better on a Tele? Does it depend on the body color, is it one or the other for you or are you indifferent?

I ask because I have a fiesta red Telecaster (my avatar) with a distinctly orangish pau ferro fretboard. I sometimes find myself thinking how good it would look with a deep, dark brown rosewood board.

Then I think about how I only have one maple fretboard in my collection and maybe I could go that route, but I’m not a huge fan of fiesta red with maple.

Then I PLAY it and fuggedaboutit. Sounds great as is. Anyway, what do YOU think?

Yes.

 

[SPUDCASTER]

Yes.

Maple AND rosewood.

 

[brookdalebill]

I always thought maple looked cooler, BUT, I greatly prefer rosewood.
I own one maple neck guitar, my EJ Strat.
I prefer rosewood for feel, and it’s slight “dampening” effect on the attack of the note.
I did not think this effect translates into the amplified note.
I never keep all maple neck guitars, except for the EJ, which I’ve had for over a decade.
That’s a record, for me.

 

[JayFreddy]

One more of each.

 

[Reedo]

I love both, but maple is my second choice.