"Fret board" = "Finger board" ??

[12FanMan]

Continuing to research the Yamaha FG820, but struggling a bit with the lingo. In one review, I read that the FINGER board was plastic. In another, it said the FRET board was rosewood. Are they (fret/finger) the same thing?

[jim1960]

The fretboard will be either Rosewood or Walnut on that model. I'm not sure where you heard or read it would be "plastic" but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[BillyH]

Originally Posted by 12FanMan

Continuing to research the Yamaha FG820, but struggling a bit with the lingo. In one review, I read that the FINGER board was plastic. In another, it said the FRET board was rosewood. Are they (fret/finger) the same thing?

Yes, same thing.

Billy

[rmp]

plastic ? hmmm,., that could be something that is maybe not all that accurate

some fretboards are made from composites and not rosewood or ebony.


look up Richlite fretboards for example

[Earl49]

I would think that any plastic might refer to the edge binding, not the fretboard itself.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by 12FanMan

Continuing to research the Yamaha FG820, but struggling a bit with the lingo. In one review, I read that the FINGER board was plastic. In another, it said the FRET board was rosewood. Are they (fret/finger) the same thing?

Although the terms are used somewhat interchangeably, FRETboard is technically correct when referring to instruments which have frets present to create fixed mathematical intervals based on scale length.

FINGERboards are generally associated with instruments which DO NOT have frets, such as viol family instruments.

As far as materials go, yes, there are materials which are technically engineered composites such as Richlite, Rocklite, and Ebanol. There are some very low end "toy" instruments which are plastic, and the exception to the rule, the Macaferri gypsy style guitars produced in the 50's, but those have not been manufactured since that time.

The other exception are necks of instruments that were covered in celluloid or sometimes other acrylic materials as decoration, mostly banjos and guitars from the early and mid 1900's.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

They probably mean the pickguard is plastic and it's simply a problem with translation.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by 12FanMan

Continuing to research the Yamaha FG820, but struggling a bit with the lingo. In one review, I read that the FINGER board was plastic. In another, it said the FRET board was rosewood. Are they (fret/finger) the same thing?

If you remember the webpage url of that review post the link to it.

[Glennwillow]

"Fret board" = "Finger board" ??

Yes, "Fret board" = "Finger board". Most people use the term fretboard when referring to the guitar.

- Glenn

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

If you remember the webpage url of that review post the link to it.

Yeah, seems like a typo.

[Russ C]

Yeh, maybe they thought the pickguard is a fingerboard because they plant a finger on it while they’re playing.

[Steve DeRosa]

Semantically, no - practically, yes...