Maple or Rosewood

[Jakedog]

I prefer maple, if it’s unfinished. Or oil/wax finished like the Ernie Ball Music Man stuff. Looks are not a concern for me with fingerboards. Feel most certainly is. Finished maple boards are draggy, sticky, slow, etc. Especially when you’re playing outside and it’s hot and humid. They’re about impossible for me to deal with. It’s like trying to slide my fingers up and down the sticky side of duct tape. No finish? No problem. Let er buck.

I’m currently researching ways to get the finish off the fingerboard of my maple necked strat. Without pulling or damaging the frets. I’m not seeing any ideas I’m really fond of. I may just wait until it needs re-fretted and handle it then. It’s a satin style finish, which is a thousand times better than gloss, but still sucks. I love the look of maple on a strat sooooo much. But it’s just a pain to play.

This is why my Tele is rosewood. It’s my main dame. For all gigs and conditions. Rosewood works so much better when it’s hot and humid. The strings still get sticky, but the board does not.

 

[Controller]

So nice to have a maple vs RW thread again. LOL

Don't know why, but I always read them.

I was sold on RW until I got a Strat with a maple fretboard for cheap. I just prefer maple. Indian laurel is surprisingly nice to me and a close second. I have some really dark Indian laurel fretboards. RW is probably my least favorite even though I have a number of guitars with it.

The bottom line is that once I am playing I just enjoy playing. Not really thinking about the fretboard.

 

[Reedo]

Pau Ferro, Rosewood, Ebony etc, etc. Anything but maple.

 

[Gladhander]

Ebony>Maple>Rosewood. I’m not a fan of the pores. Having said that and getting most of my guitars via trade….half are Rosewood. We’re talking preferences not deal breakers.

 

[jvin248]

.

Maple gives better tuning stability over temperature and humidity variations. That's my choice.

Rosewood also has ecological issues.

.

 

[tomasz]

Maple all the way from me on electrics, unless fretless, than I choose ebony

 

[Nicko_Lps]

Maple gives better tuning stability over temperature and humidity variations. That's my choice.

Its quite the opposite. Maple is more affected by humidity changes because its way softer and can absorb moisture, rosewoods are almost immune by it and are way more stable.

People are making really long spearguns from Teak(because its wax-y) and rosewoods for this reason, a maple speargun would curl in the seawater in months.

 

[Dukex]

I like guitars. Sometimes I even play them.

 

[sadfield]

My preference is less about the wood and more about the finish, the more glossy the finish, the less I like it. That was pretty much the reason I got rid of a CV50.

 

[neknufelet]

Ever since the '72 Fender catalog, I've had a soft spot for maple for both body & neck.
(Precision was pictured that way.)
As for guitars, Lowell George has his Strat in this configuration.

 

[Controller]

Its quite the opposite. Maple is more affected by humidity changes because its way softer and can absorb moisture, rosewoods are almost immune by it and are way more stable.

People are making really long spearguns from Teak(because its wax-y) and rosewoods for this reason, a maple speargun would curl in the seawater in months.

I have to say with spearguns I really don't have a preference.

 

[tonepoet333]

Maple, Rosewood, Ebony... I like them all.

 

[Ljislink24]

Always the one I don't have

 

[twangking]

I'm fancy so I gotta have that rosewood. More toan too, but dont say i told you or they'll come after me.

 

[andy__d]

In my head, I prefer and want maple fretboards, but, looking at my guitar rack, I’ve got far more dark wood (rosewood, laurel, ebony, etc) boards - so, whatever my head is telling me, the “keepers” have definitely skewed toward rosewood. I wonder why?

 

[Dismalhead]

Not sure why, but I prefer maple on my Fenders and 3 of my 4 Fenders have maple. Somehow the slick feel goes with the sound and vibe. All my non-Fender guitars are rosewood.

There are some finishes that look great with rosewood though - a nice burst, black, candy apple red. Tasty.

 

[Nicko_Lps]

I have to say with spearguns I really don't have a preference.

Me neither, not anymore. I was such a failure at it, im still so bitter about it that i live next to the sea and still dont feel the urge to jump in for a couple of decades now.

 

[Telekat 100]

You realize, acoustic guitarists don't have this eternal debate?

 

[TheIdiot]

I don't have a preference on a Telecaster. On a Stratocaster I like maple.

 

[El_Vaquero]

Rosewood 100%.

I had a fender lite ash Strat with a beautiful soft V neck, one 1989 Schecter custom shop Strat and more recently a 1983 Schecter blonde Strat (sold it two weeks ago), all with maple fretboards and I remembered why I don’t like those, rosewood feels “buttery” to me.