#1
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Maple VS Rosewood
I'm not a great player! With that out of the way, the first electric guitar I purchased was a 2014 Fender American Standard Telecaster. I found a nice hold over with a maple board. Wanted that "twang thang". I have since bought a few more electrics and started dabbling with slide. Most online comparisons really don't show a lot of differences between a maple and rosewood fret board. I recently purchased another American Standard Telecaster with a rosewood board to compare them head to head. To me it's a little smoother sounding. Still has a good twang factor. Also have an American Standard Strat with a rosewood board to compare as well. To me, where a maple board falls short by a huge comparison is when you start using a slide. No comparison between the rosewood tele and maple tele when the slide comes out. Rosewood Tele wins by a huge margin. To me, the cream with a slide is still the Les Paul. Mahogany with a rosewood or ebony board is hard to beat with a slide. Anyone else found these comparisons similar?
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1995 Collings D2H Larrivee SD-60 12 String 2014 Martin D-18 Sunburst 2014 American Standard Telecaster (Maple Board)Mystic Blue 2008 Fender American Standard Telecaster (Rosewood Board) 1994 Fender 40th Anniversary Stratocaster Caribbean Mist 2011 Martin JC-16RE 50TH Anniversary 2004 Martin J-15 2011 Gibson ES-335 Cherry Red 1993 Continental TriCone |
#2
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Being a very recent new tele owner with a maple neck, I have no advice to offer on the subject.
Just wanted to say, awesome guitars!
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2006 Yamaha F200TXR 4 stroke. My Guitars - Yamaha FG700S Sandburst; Epiphone Les Paul Standard; 2018 Yamaha LL-16D Natural; Ibanez Talman Bass; Fender Standard Telecaster; Yamaha FG820-12 Natural; Yamaha FS830 Tobacco Brown Sunburst; ....A beginner practicing almost everyday since 12/15/14....{:::]==={=O=I} |
#3
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In decades of playing, I’ve honestly never noticed any difference in sound or playability between fretboard materials. For me, the shape of the neck, and, to a lesser extent, the finish on it, are way more significant for feel.
I can’t disagree with what others may feel or hear, though - I don’t have your ears or fingers But, I do have to wonder why the effect might be so pronounced for you when you’re playing slide - and not even touching the fretboard?
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#4
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Teles
Thank you very much!
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1995 Collings D2H Larrivee SD-60 12 String 2014 Martin D-18 Sunburst 2014 American Standard Telecaster (Maple Board)Mystic Blue 2008 Fender American Standard Telecaster (Rosewood Board) 1994 Fender 40th Anniversary Stratocaster Caribbean Mist 2011 Martin JC-16RE 50TH Anniversary 2004 Martin J-15 2011 Gibson ES-335 Cherry Red 1993 Continental TriCone |
#5
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Sustain
The lack of sustain on a neck with a maple fret board with a slide is immediately apparent to me. Could just be the guitar, since I only have one guitar with a maple fret board but I have friends that agree. Go to a rosewood fret board on an Alder or Ash body it gets better. Go to a rosewood or ebony fret board on a mahogany guitar and there's no comparison to either of the other two.
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1995 Collings D2H Larrivee SD-60 12 String 2014 Martin D-18 Sunburst 2014 American Standard Telecaster (Maple Board)Mystic Blue 2008 Fender American Standard Telecaster (Rosewood Board) 1994 Fender 40th Anniversary Stratocaster Caribbean Mist 2011 Martin JC-16RE 50TH Anniversary 2004 Martin J-15 2011 Gibson ES-335 Cherry Red 1993 Continental TriCone |
#6
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Maple looks whiter, rosewood looks browner. While I have never had a tele with a RW board, I have had strats with both, and if there is any difference in tone or playability, it was so subtle as to be unquantifiable.
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#7
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great looking guitars. nice old danelectro amp too.
i've never noticed any difference in the boards. necks, yes. 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 think I only have two maple fretboards, on my frankenstrat (warmoth neck) and my MIM Strat. They don't get played often and I've never tried to compare it to my rosewood fretboard guitars. Everything I've read over the years make me think that maple will give a snappier tone.
A couple of beautiful guitars! |
#9
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I've had 4 Strats and 7 Teles over the years and of those every one of them has had a maple fretboard except for my recently purchased Nash T-63. I've always preferred maple on Fender/Fender style guitars and to my ears found it twangier sounding, with rosewood sounding a little softer - it was also down to the feel of playing a maple board, they somehow felt a little more responsive to me as compared to rosewood. In the past the rosewood fretboard on the T-63 would have been a deal breaker for me, but I'm really loving the guitar. My playing style and tastes have changed a little over the years too, so that might play a part.
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1969 Martin 00-18 2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar |
#10
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Tonally, there's little if any difference in the tone of an electric guitar because of its fingerboard material. The feel is slightly different (but close to negligible), because maple is usually varnished, whereas a rosewood or ebony neck isn't. Visually, of course, they look very different, and that probably plays into the perception that there's a tonal difference; tone by association.
The truth is, many things factor into an electric's tone, most importantly the pickups and their configuration, while fretboard woods barely makes the list. FWIW, I aesthetically prefer rosewood fretboards, but when I'm actually playing a guitar with a maple fretboard, I'm really not paying much attention to its looks, and - if all other things are pretty equivalent - they sound exactly the same. |
#11
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Maybe some of you have seen this comparison on YouTube, but I thought I'd post it here, as it seems relevant to this discussion.
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“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself” — Miles Davis. |
#12
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My teacher prefers rosewood boards because they are not as sticky as maple. Thats a lifetime of experience talking here. I did buy a Squier CV telecaster in the butterscotch color and while it does have a maple board and I like it, in the summer it is sticky. So to each their own but there appears to be some truth in his opinion.
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Free speech...its' not for everybody |
#13
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I don't hear a huge difference, but I hear a difference. Maple has a gnarly midrange push around 1-2k that rosewood doesn't have. I can hear it. I don't hear better sustain, I just hear a more dynamic attack on maple. Interestingly, what I want is less attack, so the sound I prefer is from a rosewood fingerboard.
My home base for bottleneck is a Les Paul, which has a rosewood fingerboard, mahogany neck, and a mahogany body with a maple cap. 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) |
#14
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Quote:
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#15
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The only thing I've noticed is a bit more 'bounce' (if that makes any sense) with a maple board (or ebony for that matter) and slickness. As already said, if there's a difference in tone, it's too subtle to make a difference to me. It's more about playing 'feel'.
BTW, pretty Teles! I think you need a white one now.
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Larrivee L-10 Custom Larrivee DV-10K Larrivee L-03 Taylor 412K ('96) Yamaha LL16-12 (SOLD) PRS 'Studio' (SOLD) Rickenbacker 660-12 (SOLD) Fender USA Deluxe Strat Fender USA Roadhouse Strat Fender MIM/USA Partscaster Fender MIM Nashville Tele Kelsey Custom Hardtail Strat Fender MIM P-Bass |