For those willing to talk Maple & Rosewood, not vs.

[zephaniah zion]

Getting a Maple neck Strat on monday in trade. Currently play a Rosewood slab-board neck Strat. I have owned a Maple neck Tele before but figure things won't be the same for many reasons. What kind of note response and general differences might I expect. Looking for generalizations and by no means need a war thread. This is not a "versus/why is this better thread".

 

[treedroppings]

maple is nice i put a paf pup on my lite ash strat guitar and i love it more than my gibby the paul2

 

[Analog Assassin]

I like the feel of a maple neck. I like that "snap" to the attack also. Plus, I think it just looks cooler. It looks rock and roll.

 

[Average Joe]

I have one of each, problem solved

I like the look and feel of maple better IF it's not drenched in a thick coat of finish. I have to be able to get a feel for the wood to feel comfortable on a neck if that makes sense.
Basically i like both. Rosewood does seem to impart an ever so slight warmth to the attack, ymmv, and sometimes I like one more than the other.

 

[whomad1215]

more snap, i personally think rosewood is a little smoother just to play on. can't go wrong with either.
i always feel like a maple/maple is warmer than maple/rw

 

[K-Line]

Quicker attack, bit brighter, has some punch. My personal preference is maple neck with ash body for a strat. But hey, I am a tele guy.

 

[gatornavy]

Quicker attack, bit brighter, has some punch. My personal preference is maple neck with ash body for a strat. But hey, I am a tele guy.

Exactly. I just went from playing my rosewood strat exclusively for 10 years and just traded it in for a maple board one. I would say I noticed all the above, especially the quicker response. I love it!

 

[Strat58]

Hi I prefer maple neck over rsoewood, why becasue its has more mid in its tone and in the same time its sharper, playing wise its a little more difficullt then a rosewood but I think there more reward. Playing a rosewood reminds me a lot like SRV that woody tone with a little bit of britte in it, also sounds very nice nothing wrong with it but the maple neck reacts faster and has more bite. IMHO the maple neck is the winner, at least for me.
Peace Strat58

 

[marsos52]

i have two strats ,,one of each ,,,and cant say i like one more than the other..
yet there both different

maple is snappier and brighter and the rosewood is warmer ,,i guess i have the best of both worlds for strats any way

 

[HoboMan]

I have one of each.
My Hamer has a rosewood fretboard and I've noticed that at a gig the fretboard gets less "slick" feeling later in the night. My fingers don't glide across the strings as easily as I like.

I played my Peavey HP Special with a Maple fretboard at a gig for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Stayed smooth as glass all night long.

 

[stratman89]

i have two strats ,,one of each ,,,and cant say i like one more than the other..
yet there both different

maple is snappier and brighter and the rosewood is warmer ,,i guess i have the best of both worlds for strats any way

I also have one of each.

 

[mikem]

All my guitars have rosewood boards. I really miss having a guitar with a maple board- there's such a nice snap or spank you can get with it. There's something about the attack of notes/double stops/chords that I came to like a lot. My next guitar will probably be a Tele of some description- I have never owned one before. I loved my Strat with maple board, but I sold it because it had some issues that I couldn't fix. I sold it cheap and gave full disclosure to the buyer. I want another Strat, too. I like single coils and miss having a guitar with a single coil bridge pickup.

Mike

 

[AustinIsPresent]

Maple, for some reason, feels more aggressive, while rosewood feels more "homey." It's the difference between the dangerous girl and the romantic one- not that one is RIGHT, but they're good for different things. One's got a bit more teeth, while the other is warm kisses...

 

[VaughnC]

For me, its mostly a "feel" thing...rosewood somehow just feels warmer to the touch than maple and more inviting to play. Too many other factors involved to determine if the fretboard makes for much of a tonal difference...so I just let my hands & ears judge each individual guitar on its own merits and overall fit. I guess I approach a guitar like a pair of shoes and just look for a good fit no matter what anyone else says or thinks.

 

[Boris Bubbanov]

You're in the humid South.

You can play the rosewood board guitar in the hot seasons, and in the winter when your hands get a little chapped or dry you can use the (finished) maple one. Rosewood is normally unfinished and will drink up the sweat and hand oils. IF a fellow in the North had a dozen new rosewood guitars and played very hard occasionally but took breaks between playing, I could see him "burning" his fingers on raw dry rosewood when a maple board could protect those hands.

 

[walterw]

i can't stand maple boards. my fingers drag on the finish, and if it's truly unfinished, the neck looks like dirty, grey hell in no time.

plus, re-fretting is way more work.

(ok, that's it for "vs.")

it seems like plenty of players experience just the opposite, where maple feels slick and rosewood feels "grabby"; i wonder if it's got something to do with chemical differences in finger oils or skin cells or something?

rosewood tends towards a warmer, fatter tone vs. the maple's bright, immediate sound.

if you use big-ass frets like i do, i suspect the difference in both tone and feel is reduced somewhat.

 

[zephaniah zion]

You're in the humid South.

You can play the rosewood board guitar in the hot seasons, and in the winter when your hands get a little chapped or dry you can use the (finished) maple one. Rosewood is normally unfinished and will drink up the sweat and hand oils. IF a fellow in the North had a dozen new rosewood guitars and played very hard occasionally but took breaks between playing, I could see him "burning" his fingers on raw dry rosewood when a maple board could protect those hands.

Thanks to everyone so far. I as of later today, will have both and be likely aquiring two more Strats with maple and rosewood fretboards. I like both and have typically favored maple fretboards on a Tele guitar but its time for change. Thanks again for keeping one of my theads war free. Proof that there are plenty of mature members on TGP!

 

[ollie77]

maple sounds soft twang, rosewood sounds hard klang,
a solid rosewood strat is pure rock.
the rocket http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVmlUDHEaeM

 

[kevzep]

Well heres something interesting, Im a rosewood/ebony lover, really dont like maple fretboards on guitar.........Les Pauls, LP customs, Teles, and G&L
But recently I got an American Fender Jazz Bass to do my recording with at home with my girlfriend (one guy one girl band), and its a high gloss maple fretboard.
I really like it, it has flatwound strings, and I just really like playing it. Smooth positive sound and feel........I can really get around the fretboard easily, for a guitarist that is.
I borrowed a Jazz bass that was rosewood and I found it difficult to play....a real pig, but it was actually a nice bass......

So Im thinking I might like to try a maple tele or strat now after that experience..............

Thought that experience may have some relevance to the thread......

 

[ollie77]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA-aKt40nc4&feature=related