Hey guys. I'm looking at standard strats at the local guitar center.

This information is provided to me by GC sales dude. Would like your confirmation/advice.

Some have an all maple neck. Including the fingerboard.

Some have maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.

They both play the same to me on the test bench and both brand new.

Question: I'm never had a guitar without some sort of fingerboard (ebony, rosewood). Are there any advantages/disadvantages to the all maple setup? Now or after time?

All of your experienced advice is greatly appreciated!!!!

Hello Sirmo,

Firstly welcome to this forum.

Many have strong opinions about
fretboard material, personally I favor
rosewood. Why? Well cause I like it.
I'm not convinced there are any tone
or structural advantages of either material.
Play em both see what you like.
Hopefully more will chime in with
their equally valid thoughts.

Best of luck with your choice
and don't foret the photos.

Cheer.

I would suggest you to go with the rosewood as well since you are kind of new to guitars.... eventually when you are more experienced you might want to also have a maple fretboard ......

I personally prefer the look and feel of maple. However; like synkro said for a beginner rosewood is probably the better choice. you can get a little better traction with rosewood that comes in handy when doing serious bends and such. Good luck in your decision making and be sure and post pics when you get her home.

_________________
"I started out with nothing, and still have most of it"

with maple boards there is a lacquer on the top of the board making it easier to clean.

Not going down the tone road again.

_________________
No no and no

Some claim maple sounds brighter than rosewood. Some claim maple is faster than rosewood.

For some of us, it is just a matter of the maple being the "original" fender, coupled with it looking nice, playing nice and enjoying the "tradition"..

Play them both... there is a slight difference in "touch"... but if you also play lots of guitars, who really cares about the differences... they're all different in some way...