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View Poll Results: Maple Vs. Rosewood Necks On Strats | |||
I think maple necks play better than rosewood | 28 | 28.00% | |
I think rosewood necks play better than maple | 20 | 20.00% | |
I don't think there's any difference, or the difference is insignificant | 52 | 52.00% | |
Voters: 100. You may not vote on this poll |
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Thread Tools |
#1
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Maple Vs. Rosewood Fretboards On Strats (Playability)
I have my own opinion on this, but I may be biased since I have a Tele with a maple fretboard. I'm interested in YOUR opinion.
(Note: let's leave aesthetics out of the poll/discussion).
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Acoustic: Taylor 314ce Taylor Mini-e Koa Plus Maton EBG808 Alvarez AP66SB Yamaha LL16R A.R.E. Fishman Loudbox Mini Electric: 1966 Fender Super Reverb 2016 Fender Champion 40 1969 Fender Thinline Tele 2015 Epiphone ES-339 Pro 2016 Fender MIA American Standard Strat 2019 Fender MIM Roadhouse Strat |
#2
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No difference in playability is my experience. (My Stratocaster and Telecaster both have maple fingerboards but I could play them just as easily if they had rosewood). When I started out, I owned a Squire which had a rosewood board and migrating over in the end to my Stratocaster with a maple board felt seamless.
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#3
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If all things being equal (set up to preference) I don't think there is a difference in playability. I do however think there is a difference in sound. I prefer the mellower sound of rosewood over the bite or maple.
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David Webber Round-Body Furch D32-LM MJ Franks Lagacy OM Rainsong H-WS1000N2T Stonebridge OM33-SR DB Stonebridge D22-SRA Tacoma Papoose Voyage Air VAD-2 1980 Fender Strat A few Partscaster Strats MIC 60s Classic Vib Strat |
#4
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These days I don't feel a difference though I hear a difference. There was a time in my life when my skin chemistry was such that I stuck to finished maple boards. Of course, the finishes have changed, but have too.
Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#5
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The thing about Fenders with maple fretboards is pretty much a matter of when your particular guitar was made. Up until 1959, when rosewood fretboards first appeared on Fender guitars, Fenders came with one-piece maple necks (truss rod installed from the back) and were coated with lacquer on both sides. Some people thought that created a slightly slippery feel until wear spots developed. Around 1968, after CBS had acquired Fender, they brought back the one-piece maple neck (all Fender guitars had rosewood fretboards from 1959 to 1968) but now they were finished with a polyethylene finish and felt more slippery to a lot of customers. This finish was applied to maple necks for most of the next 6 or 7 years. Then the one-piece maple necks more or less went away (except as a custom option) and two-piece maple necks appeared (maple neck with a maple fretboard, truss rod adjustment above the nut rather than at the end of the neck). These necks were finished with a "satin" urethane finish and felt much the same as rosewood fretboards.
What effects "playability" has more to do with the fretboard radius than anything else. That changed from a 7.25 inch standard prior to 1985 to a 9.5 inch standard after that date. |
#6
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Difference in playability for some being whether the neck has a satin or lacquer finish also. (I've got one of each and it doesn't really affect the way I play).
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#7
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mostly looks, but, i just happen to have maple on both my strat and my tele. i would like a rosewood strat just for the different look. sound? not much if any difference.
play music!
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2014 Martin 00015M 2009 Martin 0015M 2008 Martin HD28 2007 Martin 000-18GE 2006 Taylor 712 2006 Fender Parlor GDP100 1978 Fender F65 1968 Gibson B25-12N Various Electrics |
#8
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I've got a MIM Strat with a gloss maple fretboard, and I always thought it felt slightly sticky under my fingers until it had been played for a couple of years. Now I don't notice a difference. My MIA Tele w/ maple felt smooth from day one, though.
I guess that's just a long way of saying "it depends" Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
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"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." -Zig Ziglar Acoustics 2013 Guild F30 Standard 2012 Yamaha LL16 2007 Seagull S12 1991 Yairi DY 50 Electrics Epiphone Les Paul Standard Fender Am. Standard Telecaster Gibson ES-335 Gibson Firebird |
#9
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If your frets are really low then you might 'feel' the fretboard and in that case I suppose it could make a difference. But otherwise not.
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#10
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Ime it depends on the temp/humidity. I have a maple board strat and if its hot and damp the neck gets " sticky" I don't have that with any of my RW guitar's hth
Sent from my 6045I using Tapatalk
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"Schutzhund, because perp's aren't just for breakfast anymore" |
#11
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I agree that playability is more about the frets and radius. I don't push down hard enough to feel the fretboard, either way. I like the sound of maple on a Strat or Tele.
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#12
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I find that glossy finished maple fingerboards can feel sticky at times. That causes me to just feel a little uncomfortable playing maple board guitars. Most of the time, it's probably only an issue in my mind, but I don't need anything physically or mentally hindering me. I need all of the help I can get.
Ultimately, if I had to play a maple board guitar, it wouldn't be that big of an issue. But if I'm looking to purchase a guitar, I'm buying rosewood.
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=================================== '07 Gibson J-45 '68 Reissue (Fuller's) '18 Martin 00-18 '18 Martin GP-28E '65 Epiphone Zenith archtop |
#13
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My last maple necked guitar has stainless steel frets and Elixirs. There's a heck of a lot less resistance than nickel frets and/or uncoated strings. I had to get used to the easier bending.
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#14
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If anything, I'd say I prefer the feel of an unfinished fretboard, which between the two usually means rosewood, but really don't think it makes much of a difference.
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#15
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Owned both, prefer the rosewood "feel"...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |