# Rosewood or Maple (here we go)



## srv33 (Mar 2, 2009)

Make your choice boys and girls cause heres one of those polls again. Just wanna see what the general consensus is.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

*Rosewood, of course.*

srv33- I guess your handle probably means your a rosewood kind of guy (chick)? :smile:

Rosewood for me(3 gits) all though I have a Reactor with a maple board.

Thanx,
Jim


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Oddly enough, my go to guitar is maple but based on my collection,
the score is 8-2 in favour of rosewood.

I choose rosewood.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I've got 4 rosewood boards and one maple. The maple is my CV Tele, which I love, but I don't enjoy playing on a maple board as much as on rosewood, and when I compare the CV's feel to my Strat or Dot, there's no contest at all.


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## Oakvillain (Mar 7, 2008)

As a woodworker I alway go for rosewood, until recently. My new Peavey Wolfie has some amazing birdseye and that really stands out - a nice change. If you had a selection for birdseye maple I'd go for that, but I chose rosewood.

On my 80's Japanese Charvel they put a nice big slab of rosewood on that neck. My 2008 US Phat Strat is thin and pale in comparison.

Why don't they use curly or quilted maple for freboards?


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I prefer ebony, but wasn't given the choice in this poll, so I voted rosewood. 

6 electrics with rosewood, 1 electric with maple (a Strat), 6 acoustics with ebony, a couple with rosewood, mandolins in rosewood and ebony, banjos with rosewood, basses with maple and rosewood...

I don't like the appearance of flatsawn maple fingerboards, though quartered ones look good and birdseye looks stellar. However maple for bodies and binding looks fantastic.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Jaggery (Mar 12, 2006)

Rosewood here.

I have 3 guitars now. Like Hollowbody, 1 of them is a CV tele which I just cant get into and I have narrowed it down to the maple board. because other than that it does sound great.

I am seriously thinking of either changing the neck or selling it.
The former defeats the purpose of getting the CV, which was to have a budget great sounding tele.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Me I'll have to pass on this poll as I like them both equally, they both serve their purpose in my playing, so I wouldn't know which to vote for and sesides you left out one Ebony fingerboards real swift and fast to play with, so I'll go 33.3333 on each, and I am sticking to these numberskqoct.Ship


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Jaggery said:


> Rosewood here.
> 
> I have 3 guitars now. Like Hollowbody, 1 of them is a CV tele which I just cant get into and I have narrowed it down to the maple board. because other than that it does sound great.
> 
> ...


Hmm, I don't want to sound like I don't _like_ my CV, so I hope it didn't sound that way. I just feels different and not as good as my Strat (and it shouldn't, my Strat's retail price is 4 or 5x the CV's).

The CV neck is gorgeous to look at and play, the only problem with it is:
1 - too much lacquer on it. It gets sticky feeling when your hand sweats
2 - the edges are sharp, not rolled

If I could roll the edges myself (which I'm looking into doing), it might help a lot. I don't know about removing lacquer, nor would I really try because I don't want to ruin the guitar's really strong suit. But as good as the neck is, my Strat's neck is the hands-down winner.


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

For me its either maple or ebony


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

This really isn't an either/or. Gibson, PRS and most shredder guitars are virtually all rosewood to start. Only Fender, G&L and other Fender style guitars offer Maple as a real choice. 

Maple on '58 Historic LP? See what I mean.

P.S. I still picked maple because my strat is my number one and it is maple.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Love the look of maple ............. but the feel and tone of rosewood.


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

Most of my guitars have rosewood boards (they don't come any other way), but I definitely prefer the feel of maple.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...a couple of months ago i'd have said rosewood, but i just acquired a maple board strat, the first guitar i've ever owned with a maple board, and i am absolutely hooked.

yesterday i managed to snag a strat neck with a maple board....it may end up on my old strat plus!

-dh


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## Rumble_b (Feb 14, 2006)

Gotta be rosewood for me. 9 guitars, all rosewood. Nothing against maple but I just haven't played one that I liked better than a rosewood board.


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## Oakvillain (Mar 7, 2008)

Don't mean to be a doubting Thomas (but I am), but you can actually hear the tone difference of a maple over rosewood board on an electric guitar? Really!?....C'mon....Really?

Can someone explain to me the how the vibration of a string is afffected by a fingerboard when the contact point is a steel fret and no sound hole? Can you refer me to some reading material so I can read up on this. IT sounds (no pun) amazing to me.

Thanks in advance.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

There is debate over how much the fingerboard affects the tone--some swear it makes a noticeable difference some think it doesn't.

My preference is based on feel & playability. I prefer ebony--but given these choices would go for rosewood. I prefer to feel the wood under my fingers. I find maple boards slippery.

My bass is maple--but the strings are thicker--so I don't feel the fingerboard, and I seldom bend bass strings.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I can't answer the poll. Rosewood on the Les Paul and PRS. Maple on the strat.

If you are asking when given the option on a strat or Tele, I choose maple. But I wouldn't make the same choice (if given the option) on my PRS or Les Paul.


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

Oakvillain said:


> Don't mean to be a doubting Thomas (but I am), but you can actually hear the tone difference of a maple over rosewood board on an electric guitar? Really!?....C'mon....Really?


Of course you can. Why don't you go to your local guitar shop(s) and plug in a guitar with a maple fretboard and then a guitar with a rosewood fretboard so you can hear the differences yourself? Then you won't require supportive documentation.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

It really depends on the guitar. For a Tele its got to be Maple. For strat has to be rosewood. Since I'm more of a Tele guy I have to say my preference is Maple.


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## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

If there's a tonal difference, I would think it must be subtle. The neck does resonate too...the strings are attached on both ends after all! 

Personally, I like rosewood. I haven't played a maple board yet that I really liked...except for my cousin's 69 Tele, but that board's so worn in it's like a comfortable old shoe.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Samsquantch said:


> Of course you can. Why don't you go to your local guitar shop(s) and plug in a guitar with a maple fretboard and then a guitar with a rosewood fretboard so you can hear the differences yourself? Then you won't require supportive documentation.


I've owned rosewood fingerboards on Teles and now own only maple. Although the consensus is Maple is brighter it really only is a small consideration of the whole guitar. Alder/Ash body, Alnico/Cermic magnet pups, Brass/Steel/Aluminum/Titanium saddles and on and on. 
You need to try a guitar with a maple fingerboard and then switch it out for a neck with Rosewood fingerboard so that all other things are equal. Although I've never done that test I'm sure there would be somewhat of a discernible difference.


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

Ebony would be my first choice, but maple is a close second.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

either or... have more RW and ebony board guitars but also three maple board ones... they are all good!

I like the feel of RW. But oiled maple boards (all three of mine are oiled, no finish) feel great alsom but get dirty fast, if you can live with that they rock.

As for tonal differences, my ear isnt that good to tell the difference. I choose more for looks & feel.

AJC


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

soldierscry said:


> For me its either maple or ebony


same here, but the other way around in order of preference. I cant hear a difference, I just love the way ebony feels. Like velvet. Ebony is an option on a guitar that I would pay more for, or at least helps to seal the deal.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

My first choice is ebony


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

http://www.myoldguitars.com/videos/10-30-07_gibson_lp_custom_natural_1.mov


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

I have way more rosewood because it is more common in guitar construction but I choose maple when I have the opportunity. I like ebony a lot but only have it on one guitar.


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## Canadian Charlie (Apr 30, 2008)

*Out of my 6 guitars only 1 has a maple neck, the Fender Strat. Thats cause a Strat looks better with a maple neck and I wanted to try something different*

:smilie_flagge17:


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Oakvillain said:


> Why don't they use curly or quilted maple for freboards?


2 reasons,

It's more expensive and it's harder to work with (e.g., planing it smooth is a b*tch)


Rosewood looks and sounds better than maple to me. All my guitars have rosewood boards.

Matt


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

I voted Rosewood..but i have both like many others...Not to many gibsons with Maple neck around... My tele is maple and my Franky. the rest are rosewood..


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## happydude (Oct 15, 2007)

Maple, but just because I like the look. Having said that it's a 50/50 split in my collection right now (all two of them) and my go-to is rosewood.

For me it's all about looks. My Strat has a honey pine stained (yellowish) body and I think it would look goofy with a rosewood fretboard. My Godin has a black satin finish and has a rosewood fretboard and frankly I found the maple board to clash with the dark look.


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## bryguy9 (Jul 13, 2007)

I fall into the Ebony-Maple Camp.

I have guitars with all three. Rosewood seems to be most common choice of many builders but I would choose it last. It always seems to feel more rough or grainy and dry out faster. I don't know that I would say I feel like the fingerboard material contributes anything to the tone.

My LP STD has rosewood, but my Agile AL3000 has ebony and I prefer the feel of ebony. Buy I love both of those guitars equally.

My Strat Plus has maple neck/fret board and I love that, except it has a worn spot on the second fret (bought used). Just adds character I guess. It could be though that the Strat is lighter and easy to pick up, which appeals to me as much as the maple board - grab and go. I kind of feel like changing into flannel pajamas to play the LP.

So here's a way to spin the poll. You are custom ordering a guitar and your choice is all three boards. What then?

My next acquisition is a Carvin, and I am ordering the Birdseye Maple board.

B
:smilie_flagge17:


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## Jaggery (Mar 12, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> Hmm, I don't want to sound like I don't _like_ my CV, so I hope it didn't sound that way. I just feels different and not as good as my Strat (and it shouldn't, my Strat's retail price is 4 or 5x the CV's).
> 
> The CV neck is gorgeous to look at and play, the only problem with it is:
> 1 - too much lacquer on it. It gets sticky feeling when your hand sweats
> ...


All true about the CV neck.
Yes, tinted and maple necks do look fine.


Lets see if I am able to hold on to this.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...the "feel" of a maple board is radically different from rosewood. and, to my ears, a maple board sounds brighter. no idea why, though.

-dh




Oakvillain said:


> Don't mean to be a doubting Thomas (but I am), but you can actually hear the tone difference of a maple over rosewood board on an electric guitar? Really!?....C'mon....Really?
> 
> Can someone explain to me the how the vibration of a string is afffected by a fingerboard when the contact point is a steel fret and no sound hole? Can you refer me to some reading material so I can read up on this. IT sounds (no pun) amazing to me.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

It really depends on the guitar in my case. I prefer Maple on Teles. But I like Rosewood on my Reverend. And I love Ebony on my Dean.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

Either are fine , I just play em and enjoy them . Both feel and sound fine to me and to 1000's of other players famous or not as well .


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

For me, it's hard to beat rosewood on a mahogany neck. You feel the notes *through* the neck. YMMV, I suppose, but for me that simply improves the tactile feedback I need for finger vibrato. With rosewood on mahogany, I can find my "inner Paul Kossoff" very easily. Plunk rosewood OR maple on a maple neck, and Paul goes back in the grave.


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

I prefer.........BOTH !!!!!!

Such different sound with each neck wood. I hate to have to choose.

Pete


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

3/3 with rosewood here... 
But I still need to find me a maple.


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## krall (Apr 19, 2009)

I've always preferred rosewood necks.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

Maple all the way here! I love the slick, seamless feel of the maple board. All three of my guitars are maple. Especially my Hwy1 Strat with the satin finish - it just begs to be played.

Both my basses are RW - though not by choice. Neither model I purchased had an available maple board at the time.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Hey!!! When did Ebony turn up !?!?!?!


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## Guest (May 24, 2009)

I have an equal amount of both maple and rosewood guitars. Maple tends to require a little more skill to play on because of its brightness and feel, especially on bass guitars. I tend to be able to hide a bit more of my sloppyness on rosewood boards.kqoct


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> Hey!!! When did Ebony turn up !?!?!?!


Changing the poll parameters and not allowing one to change their vote probably has to do with software issues, but it still skews the vote. I originally qualified my vote to say *ebony* anyway: 

_"I prefer ebony, but wasn't given the choice in this poll, so I voted rosewood.

6 electrics with rosewood, 1 electric with maple (a Strat), 6 acoustics with ebony, a couple with rosewood, mandolins in rosewood and ebony, banjos with rosewood, basses with maple and rosewood...

I don't like the appearance of flatsawn maple fingerboards, though quartered ones look good and birdseye looks stellar. However maple for bodies and binding looks fantastic."_

Peace, Mooh.


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## gtrshow (Nov 6, 2006)

8 to 3, rosewood over maple (including my #1)...so I guess it's rosewood for me. I really like my maple neck guitars though, and love the look. It's not so much a preference thing, just kinda how it's worked out. I'm going to abstain from the vote.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

konasexone said:


> I have an equal amount of both maple and rosewood guitars. Maple tends to require a little more skill to play on because of its brightness and feel, especially on bass guitars. I tend to be able to hide a bit more of my sloppyness on rosewood boards.kqoct


so that must be what my problem is too then!


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## overdriver (Jul 24, 2008)

I like one piece maple necks on Fenders more than rosewood, but I do have a few roeswoods. Both good with my preference being 1 piece maple neck.


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## Junior24xx (May 15, 2009)

I like rosewood, I find my fingers get sticky with the maple fretboards.


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## The Beatles Sound (Feb 2, 2009)

My vote for the Rosewood ... otherwise you can ask my Fender ...


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Now that ebony has been added I've voted


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## Bluez_Snooze (Jun 11, 2009)

like somebody else said, they each have there percs.
personally, i haven't had the chance to play on a ebony fingerboard yet.
but between rosewood and maple, i prefer maple.


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

My Fenders are Maple, my Gibsons are rosewood, my Larrivee might be ebony.

I don't really have a preference though. Guitar to guitar it changes from one to the other they are all nice.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i've only had one guitar with a maple neck, and, though it was a nice guitar, it felt as though there was more "hardness" to the wood. is that right or was it just my imagination? anyhow, i would like to try ebony once just to see/feel what it's like.


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## breakfast (Jun 16, 2009)

I personally like maple but certain guitars seem to sound best with certain woods.

The new Gibson line is quite interesting looking with the maple fretboards.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

my MIM strat has a maple fretboard, and my gibson has a rosewood......I thought maple was supposed to offer a more chimey sound but my strat has a very "dark" tone to it....I like it, but it doesn't sound like other strats Ive heard.

I also have a squier standard strat with a rosewood board...it sounds MUCH brighter than the MIM strat....if I'm not mistaken - both are Alder bodies

goes to show ya - they're all unique no matter what they're made of


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## Reverb-on-11 (Jun 27, 2009)

Maple

Tone is slightly brighter to me.

Visually I can see the neck a lot better in low light situations as found on stage sometimes.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

Maple. Though I've only owned 1 axe with a maple board(strat) I was instantly sold when I got home and played on it for a while. It feels much better in my hand and is a lot smoother IMO.
Rosewood still wins the tally in my collection, and will always have it's time and place. But when it comes to preference, it's Maple all the way!

Keep Rockin'
OSBM


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## Maverick (Oct 21, 2009)

I have one of each on my Strats . I just like the look of the Maple.


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## Skin (Feb 18, 2009)

4 rosewood and 1 ebony here. Strats already sound bright to me so I went with rosewood but I will add a maple to my collection. I feel like I’m missing out without one.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I like the look of Maple the best but I prefer Rosewood the best because I can pick up the strings better against the rosewood with my eye. I've never tried the ebony but it might even be better for the contrast against the strings.


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## Stickman (Oct 27, 2009)

Rosewood belongs on coffee tables. kkjuw

Ebony all the way.


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## markxander (Oct 24, 2009)

My main tele has maple, but I wish it had rosewood.

Nothing feels or looks as good to me as tight-grain, dark rosewood (my brother's got a strat with the perfect fretboard)


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## Were We Brave? (Oct 29, 2009)

I think I prefer rosewood.

Then again, my main axe is a Tele with an all maple neck... It just works.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

my last 4 builds have been ebony fretboard guitars first 2 explorers ,2nd 2 tele & strat with swamp ash bodies which i roll the tone back a little to make up for the alnico 5 pickups which i wound myself to a certain specs maybe i will try alnico 2 pickups in the future added to a couple of bright fender amps as my pickup research continues i will rely heavily on maple & rosewood fret boards to help develop some of my vintage pickups


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## tomyam (May 14, 2007)

I prefer rosewood over maple. It just looks better, feels better and sounds better. my ears are just tuned to rosewood.


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## stodge (Sep 4, 2009)

I just bought an Ibanez RG1570 with rosewood and I find it a little stickier than my old Washburn with maple. Is this common?


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## nutter (Aug 29, 2009)

ebony, rosewood and then maple. i always find maple too bright


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## BigNorm (Feb 3, 2009)

For me, I don't care about rosewood on any guitars except for my Strat. IMHO, but totaly a matter of personnal taste, a Strat look like a Strat with maple board only. It's also sound a little brighter on maple than rosewood, something I also prefer. But all those things are so personnal, everybody have their good and bad reasons for any choices and thie're all alright.


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## michelj (Mar 24, 2007)

Rosewood, maple and then ebony for my own personal taste


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## as_styles (Oct 12, 2009)

*hmmm*

depends on the guitar... 

I like my strat and tele with maple... 

My other guitars are rosewood... its more look than anything else to me.

Shape of the neck is more important than the fret board, at least to me.


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## Wired (Jul 21, 2009)

Rosewood for me unless I have the option of ebony.

My Grestsch, my first Les Paul, SG, and my Taylor all got Ebony on them... and I love that silky smooth feel with the clarity of maple.

But if I were to walk into a store and grab a telecaster I'd grab one with a Rosewood board before a maple board any day of the week


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## -TJ- (Aug 28, 2006)

depends on the guitar as far as looks go... doesnt really matter much to me...... half of my guitars have ebony though, so I voted that....


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## BigNorm (Feb 3, 2009)

Even if I'm a big fan of maple neck for Strats or Teles, I would'nt like a Les Paul copy or real Les Paul with it, as showned there...


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

ebony or rosewood


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## Key_of_Off (Mar 24, 2009)

I've had Rosewood on all my guitars, up until my Tele, which is maple.

I don't think I can go back.


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## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

I voted ebony because I like it as a wood. I don't really prefer the sound of either of those three. Depends on what I feel like using at the time.

Too bad ebony is always so damn expensive.


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## Mizter (Dec 27, 2009)

Robert1950 said:


> This really isn't an either/or. Gibson, PRS and most shredder guitars are virtually all rosewood to start. Only Fender, G&L and other Fender style guitars offer Maple as a real choice.
> 
> Maple on '58 Historic LP? See what I mean.
> 
> P.S. I still picked maple because my strat is my number one and it is maple.


I agree with this post. On a strat or tele I prefer a maple fretboard but one of my favourite guitars is the Les Paul... which don't have maple necks.


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