Excuse my ignorance, but when it is a maple neck is there a different piece of maple glued as the fretboard or are the frets pressed on a single solid piece of maple.
Ronald

Fender has done maple necks both ways -- either as a single integrated piece that accommodates both the fretboad and the trussrod, and a "capped" maple fretboard glued to the maple neck substrate. Vintage capped maple necks do not have the walnut "skunk stripe" on the rear.

Is one method better than the other?

Personally, I've never been able to discern any difference -- either ergonometrically or sonically. But that's not to say that they don't exist.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Should you ever need to replace the fretboard because you want to change from maple to ebony or other species it should make a difference.
How are the majority of the American standard strat made these days ?
Single or maple overlay fretboard?
Ronald

On the Standard and American Standard Fenders all maple fretboards are one piece of solid rock maple.

+1

Likewise the 50's re-issues from Corona and Ensenada.

I think the only regular-production maple-cap necks are the 70's re-issues (both MIA and MIM).

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Do people do that?

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Rated "M" for meaty.

It's cheaper just to #$@*&!% buy a whole new neck.

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I've never seen it. It would be cheaper to buy a new neck. My 72 is solid maple with the skunk stripe and the bullet truss rod adjustment. Mine sounds a little brighter to me and seems to have a little more spank than the rosewoods I've played, same with the maple cap versions. Feel wise for me it's a little more slick. That could just be the poly on it. I have an easier time digging in on my rosewood boards. That's just me though. YMMV

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I just realized I don't own a single guitar with a maple fretboard

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If you were to take off the fingerboard, would you use a router? Even if it was glued on, if you used a heat gun to melt the glue wouldn't that wreck the rest of the neck?

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Rated "M" for meaty.