Fender never told you fingerboard wood made a difference in sound.

Because it doesn't.

If they're implying now, it's because a million guitar players with no direct experience all believe it to be true.

But do you honestly think that after taking a piece of wood 1/4" thick, slicing 24 deep slots in it and filling those slots with metal sticks, that it has ANY affect on the tone of a guitar? You must believe in "mojo" and black cat bones and John the Conquerer root, too.

All that eye-rolling and winking doesn't add up to a factual concept.

Yeah whatever.

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No no and no

Maple is more dense than rosewood. The denseness of wood is a factor that will affect tone. Dense woods absorb less and reflect sound waves more. To the ear, you will hear more pronounced high end. Bass frequencies will not get absorbed as easy. So what you are hearing is rolled off highs with softer rosewood over maple.

Now the question becomes, how much will the fingerboard absorb tone and transfer it to the body? I think its fair to say that it will change a bit. The string vibrates mostly over the fingerboard, but most of the vibration gets transfers to the guitar from the bridge and nut.

What am I trying to say, well everthing can affect tone, but its the whole, not the sum of its parts. Will a maple neck sound brighter that rosewood if all things are equal, sure. How much is unknown for sure, my guess is minimal. Surely a rosewood FB guitar cound be brighter overall due to other factors.

Ceramic pickups sound brighter than Alnico. A fixed bridge sounds brighter than a tremolo. A bolt-on neck sounds brighter than a set neck.

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I have one of each, black body-maple neck and sunburst-rosewood.
I chose them purely for asthetic reasons.

I believe in Mojo!!! ...still stickin' with rosewood though.

Each to their own mate. I have both and like them for different reasons.

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No no and no

The rosewood fingerboard is easier to clean and more materials can be used to 'wet' the dirt that with time is impossible to keep off a fretboard
And the feeling, but most players find it easy to change between rosewood and maple fingerboards

Ok slappy, I'll let you know.

Slap, some friendly advice: there's a way to make a point without being a douchebag. Being a douche doesn't fit the profile of your average poster on this site.
Cheers.

So, I present a reasoned opinion... one of your long time posters (I'm assuming) blows me some insulting eye-rolling and winking, implying that I'm some kind of idiot by daring to contradict what "everybody knows"... you resort to childish name-calling... and you think I'M behaving like a douchebag?

I almost forgot what online forums are like. I'll try to remember that the regulars are never, ever wrong, even when they are.

Cheers!

Got nothing to do with who's been here how long. It has to do with the snotty and sarcastic tone of your second and subsequent posts on this thread.

Not appreciated.

- C

I didn't try to imply you were a idiot. I'm sorry if my post caused you offence. I however refuse to be drawn into a argument.

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No no and no

Thanks for reinforcing my point! Well done.

Hey guys I bought another new Strat today Yeehaa!! and it is my first rosewood fretboard. The others are maple. I've always prefered maple, but I thought the contrast of the rosewood board on the the olympic white looked very elegant... I'll let you guys know if I can hear a discernable difference.... Pictures soon

PS: I thought I'd grab another one before the price increase hits Feb 1st.

PSS: Welcome to the forum Slapchop even if it may have been a little rough Everybody uses these stupid emoticons but I can assure you that Niki mean't no offense by his comment... He's a very knowledgable fellow and I value his opinion as much as anybody elses on this forum including yours...

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

Results
After playing the new Strat with the rosewood fingerboard and my current favorite with maple thru the Twin in all pup positions clean and overdriven; the verdict is.......... ............ ...........
What everybody else said.....

I can feel the difference in my fingers and there is a slightly different sound to each guitar but I cannot attribute it soley to the neck... Oh well the debate goes on... I'll put the new one in the line up after I break her in some more and change those bullets for some slinkys...

Everybody you play a Strat......
Did I use enough of those emotithingies

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...