Honestly I first started on maple and my latest is rosewood and it is not something that has even crossed my mind ever. I have no issue seeing the strings on either to be honest.

Actually, I've never heard your postulation before. In all seriousness and with all due respect, you very well may need glasses.

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You dig?

+1

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

You sound exactly like me 15 years ago. Unfortunately, time marches on and there's nothing we can do about it.

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You dig?

I actually started playing on a Fender with a maple neck. Then my next guitar was rosewood, and every guitar after that. I just liked the look of rosewood better.

It wasn't until last year that I noticed a recurring problem. When playing certain venues, I ran across poor lighting circumstances. And I'm not sure, but I may be somewhat colorblind. We played a show at a place that used nothing but RED lights for the stage. I could barely see the markers on the fretboard, and the side markers basically disappeared in the red lights. I didn't have the greatest performance that night.

After that night, I started to be more conscious of it. Now I won't buy a guitar that doesn't either have binding, or huge side markers if it's rosewood. I did buy a couple of Maple necked guitars as well. You can see the markers in very poor lighting situations. Now, I bring both types to every show. I love a lot of my rosewood necked guitars. But if the place has poor lighting, back in the case it goes, and out comes a Maple neck or binded one.

By the way, since I've been more conscious of that sort of thing, I noticed something about Fender Strats that's becoming a peeve to me. On their rosewood necks, the side markers are half in the rosewood plank, and half in the maple. That actually drives me nuts now. If I buy another Fender, it'll be a maple neck. I'd rather sacrifice a preferred look of a neck for what I consider more easily visible and functional for me.

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I once knew a Kiwi who told a story of failing eyesight and poorly seen side markers on dimly lit stages. His solution was to carefully drill out the side markers and install small (I think he said 8 point) brilliant cut cubic zirconium stones instead. I can't remember what he used to set the stones but he said the results were dramatic. The stones would pick up even the slightest light source and glow. I seem to recall he said he set the stones at such a depth that the girdle was flush with the wood or slightly below and the crown/table protruded above. He indicated there was very little interference with his thumb. Nothing that he could not get used to.

I have never tried it but I always thought it was an interesting idea.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I prefer the aesthetics of rosewood. I guess if you have a dark room, it would be harder to see the strings, I don't know. It has been so long since I had to look at the fretboard as I am playing.

In a side note, I like the feel of rosewood over maple fretboards.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

This is a real thing.

We noobies rely a lot more on sighting the strings on the fretboard than seasoned players, and I most definitely have more difficulty picking up the silver coloured strings on a maple fretboard than rosewood. And I do wear glasses when playing.

It makes a difference.

Violin,

I think I know exactly what your saying. I like the look of maple, in general, over rosewood, but I find for some reason playing rosewood easier and more peaceful and relaxing. I cannot recall anything I have ever composed on maple. It always seems to "happen" on rose.

Follow your heart.

OL

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I remember when we were free!

+2

If string recognition from less than two feet away is an issue then it's time to see an optometrist.

(and yes, I now wear corrective glasses)

HTH

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

I think that's an interesting point in terms of looking at the board. Never really thought about it. However John Mayer has a quote. "Sometimes it doesnt matter what the color is, fret board type and all of that. If it plays like you want it to and it sounds good, than thats your guitar"

My dad and I have both been Rosewood guys. Personally, if it has 6 strings I'll play it.

I have noticed that strings are harder to see on maple, also, I see the shadows of the strings. Of course, I'm 80 years old and my eyes look like two p-holes in the snow.