Which is better rosewood or maple fretboard

So maple shows off more wear and tear than a rosewood or ebony fretboard which is something that needs to be considered when purchasing a guitar. Some guitarists tend to avoid maple necks due to the fact the finish, which is applied to stop it from warping, can feel less natural than the likes of ebony or rosewood fretboards.

However, those who want a brighter, zestier tone that offers greater sustain will often choose maple. Out of the three types of fretboard wood, maple is often described as having a tighter top end. Again, many players will simply just choose a maple neck due to the fact they prefer how it looks, but luthiers and players alike will still say that a maple neck, with its lacquered finish, will offer a different tone with a more reflective sound.

It also offers a visually appealing option in the long run as the more you use the guitar, the more it will begin to look like a rock and roll relic. Finally, we have the ebony fretboard, a common choice for metal or hard rock guitarists who prefer their guitars to look as dark as their music! It can also be found on a wide range of acoustic guitars owing to its porous qualities. The most common types of ebony fretboards are of African or Asian origin.

The African ebony wood is predominantly all black, hence the metal guitarist connection, whereas the Asian ebony wood can have brown stripes running through the wood - again it comes down to personal preference, as both types have an almost identical tonal quality. In fact, a lot of guitarists may even say that Ebony and Rosewood fretboards look the same — I can hear fretboard boffins crying out in outrage already!

Ebony, as pictured here in the Ibanez ARBK, has similar qualities to that of rosewood owing to the fact it does not need finishing due to its high natural oil content. They benefit from the dark appearance and natural oils found in rosewood, so, therefore, will not need finishing or a lacquer placed over it for protection.

Due to the density, however, it also shares the bright and zingier tonal qualities of a maple neck. For those who want a darker neck with a brighter tone, ebony is for you. In addition, if you want a darker appearance, ebony will likely be the one you gravitate towards. Tone is mostly in the fingers — a guitar played by Eric Clapton would sound extremely different in the hands of Jim Root from Slipknot.

So, forget about thinking that you need to choose a tonewood based on what sounds good and start thinking about picking out a fretboard that feels good in your hands. This is a modern Telecaster with the same classic shape it had in the '50s! Covered die-cast chrome machine heads provide tuning stability unheard-of in this price range.

A great guitar for first-time and early beginning players who want classic tones in an easy-to-play electric guitar that's incredibly affordable. Its alder body in the classic Dinky style is dressed in either a lustrous Orange Crush or a no-nonsense Matte Army Drab satin finish. The best way to take care of a rosewood fretboard is to apply oil to it preferably mineral or almond oil and spread it all over it.

Next, wipe the excess oil with a dry cotton towel and you are all set. No matter if you have mahogany, maple, rosewood, or ebony fretboard, the things you should never use for cleaning are water or lemon, since they can build up in the corners and rot the fingerboard wood over the time. You may have noticed that the fretboard on your guitar is a bit darker than on the day you bought it, so the reason for the darker hues are because your guitar has been exposed to UV light and oxigen.

Alizabeth Swain is a freelance content writer and a passionate musician with nine years of musical training. Alizabeth is on a mission to share her passion for music with others, as she believes that the power of music has the ability to change lives and the world. Your email address will not be published. Skip to content. Why is choosing the right fretboard important? Hard maple vs. What are the different hard maple grain configurations?

How do you take care of a maple fretboard? What are the different types of Rosewood? I purchased 3 Strat bodies about a month ago. The oldest one in my opinion has to be either a , 69 or , which was turned into a with the 3-bolt style Neck [I know they're actually Screws but I'm gonna go with Bolts okay people For that one, I say it's an earlier model because of the way the Pickup cavities are shaped.

Looks good but for this guitar, I want to go with a Maple Neck with a Rosewood Board on it, mainly because I say it looks way better with a Rosewood Fingerboard instead of a Maple.

I just happened to go into my 2-boxes where I have like Fender Neck's stored in each of them. I've already found the correct spot for the Disc, so drilling it to fit into the Neck will be okay. Now the Black Strat is done. So they were plugged as well. I'm crazy about fender's Red Finishes so it'll probably be how it originally was when it was still at the factory. But hey, I have a blank canvas so I have a chance to make it any finish color I want.

Which I'll say whichever one is easy to do, if there is one. Last is the With the changes Fender made, I knew it was a 79 before I ready the listing with it. I already found a Serial Numbered Maple Neck, so this one is also good to go. Now back to my 2 boxes of fender Necks, which I am now down to 15 Necks total since I just pulled out a Rosewood Neck from one of the boxes.

Now with the replacement of Rosewood by Fender, with the new, ''Pau Ferro'' Fingerboard, will that cause the prices of Rosewood Necks to go up in value? Or perhaps Gibson will push the replacement wood over to Epiphone so they can continue with their Models with Rosewood Fingerboards.

God forbid I sell any of my Gibson's or Epiphone's, so I'll more than likely continue to add to my collection. I'll end with that. Guitar Gopher - Yes you are right. Arvid - Re: Most non-Strat guitars having rosewood fretboards, I think that is slowly changing.

With stricter laws governing the import of rosewood over the last few years I am seeing more guitars that probably would have had rosewood fingerboards go to maple. Even Fender has switched from rosewood to pau ferro for their Player-series instruments. We will see more and more maple and rosewood alternatives in the future, I suspect. Because you will probably end up buying a second guitar one day and that guitar will most likely have a RW fretboard.

Why have two guitars with the same fretboard when you can have one of each? Have a look around the next time you visit a guitar store - virtually all non-fender-style guitars have RW fretboard. It is quite nice to have one of each because they are different to play. Each type will eventually bring out different facets of your musical style. If your first Guitar is a Les Paul-style or other RW-bearing guitar , then, for the same reasons, make sure the Strat or Tele-style guitar you will one day buy is with Maple.

Remove that consideration from your head. Some say it matter, others say it makes no difference. I can only say that in my experience, I have never been able to hear any difference, at least not any difference that could not be attributed to other factors, like pickup type, pickup placement, nut material, bridge type etc.

If there is a difference then it is tiny. By tiny I mean that you change the tone more by turning your tone-knob from 7 to 7. MaxMellons - I didn't post your comment because there was a link included, but its a good one. I will address your question as best I can. You aren't alone in your assertion that tonewoods don't matter a whole lot for electric guitar. The guitar community seems split down the middle on this one, at least according to my poll on another article.

I am of the mind, simply based of decades of playing, that maple fretboards tend to have more bite, where rosewood sounds a little rounder. Everything built into a guitar plays a part in the vibration that goes through the pickup, and that includes the neck, the fretboard, and how it is all put together.

If electronics were all that mattered, to use an example I used in another post, you could slap a Gibson PAF humbucker on a vintage Martin acoustic and they would sound exactly the same. Obviously that's not the case. That doesn't mean you're wrong. I guess it is more a matter of how far down the rabbit hole you want to go, and how much thought you feel like you need to put into the subtle things when it comes to gear.

Sean: Thanks for the kind words! I love maple necks on Fender guitars and basses. I prefer them as well. As for Ebony, you can always check it out and see what you think, but in my opinion if you like maple you may not feel like there is any improvement with the Ebony. I think Ebony is great for players who like rosewood, but maybe would prefer a harder, glassier feel.

Good stuff Guitar Gopher