Hi Guys

I have 3 Strats,all of them have Maple necks because I think they look nicer than Rosewood,however as I am in the market for a new Olympic White Strat,I wondered if getting a Rosewood neck would make a noticeable difference to the tone?

Comments appreacated.

Alan

I've heard rosewood necks has a fuller tone. Don't know if it's true because I only have rosewood fretboard guitars because I don't like the feel of maple necks.

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Guitars:
Fender USA Standard '89
Godin G4000 '95
LTD Viper 400 '01
Ibanez RG550 LTD '97

Amps: Koch Studiotone Tube amp / Hughes & Kettner ATS MKII
Pedals: Ibanez WH10, Ibanez CP10, Boss CH-1, Boss MT-2, Aria FL10

Short answer ; maple neck is more bright than rosewood.
IMO very very little difference. It is because the pickups, body wood , not the same tree, ( the tree not the kind of wood ) same year ?

maple adds to a bright tone, rosewood seems to be a bit warmer. there are many other factors that contribute to the tone of a guitar. type woods, weight and dense of wood, pick-ups, amp, etc.,. your fingers and pick attack. its nice to have options. thats how i justify having multiple guitars and amps to the wife. i tell her i need certain tones for different songs when i play a gig.

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2012 American Vintage Telecaster 1958
09 Fender american deluxe strat.
97 Gibson les paul special P90's double-cut
65 Princeton reverb re-issue
2010 Guild Gad-F40e

Maybe this video on youtube can help you ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQffNqkx-mM

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"La plus grande révélation est le silence"
Lao-Tseu

Hi Guys

Thanks for the replies,and the link to youtube video.

The video was very good,I am wiser now.

I think my new Strat will have 10/46 strings instead
of the 11/49's I usually use,and I will stick with the
maple necks.

Thanks

Alan

No difference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emNlebBMdUw&feature=related

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No no and no

The fretboard wood tone thing is an urban myth that keeps being perpetuated for some reason-my brighest sounding Strat has a Rosewood board.I've played literally many dozens of Strats -maybe hundreds-over the years and can say unequivocally that the fretboard wood makes no difference.What comes into play are many dynamics that contribute to the perceived difference.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I can't really tell that it makes a difference. There are alot of other factors that DO make a difference though. It's already been mentioned that some think maple is brighter and rosewood is warmer but I don't know if there's any truth to that. Maybe, maybe not. If so, the difference is very small. I personally like maple for the look and because it's alot easier to see the dots on the fretboard underneath stage lights on a maple neck. It's harder to see them on a rosewood board. Or it is for me at least.

If there was no difference, then nobody would care what kind of wood their fingerboard was made out of and nobody would ask this question. Whether the difference is purely aesthetic or it actually impacts the sound has been argued for years. Even if it does impact the sound to a noticeable extent, it doesn't matter. Ever hear anybody say something along the lines of "Man, that song sucks, would have been better with rosewood."? Of course not. At least I hope you haven't, otherwise that person needs to be checked out mentally. >_>

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

The fretboard wood tone thing is an urban myth that keeps being perpetuated for some reason
-guitslinger

If this is right, this mean any kind of wood ( guitar boby, neck ) will have same sound . From long time the proof is know; it is false.

What you should say guitslingner , with the guitar YOU HAVE you hear someting different .

There many kind or country of maple and rosewood is this the reason that your rosewood neck is brighter ?

I've seen the videos and I've plaed them myself. Maple is brighter, more full sounding. Rosewood is like putting candle wax on your strings. It just dulls the sound.If you want the dark look of rosewood get an ebony fretboard, because ebony is also bright like maple.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

The most important thing about the wood of a fretboard is how it feels. I think it is far more important than sound, it can sound great but if you don't enjoy playing it then you won't make the most of it.

I stand by what I said earlier about the fretboard wood having a negligable effect on the tone as I have stated my brightest Strat is a rosewood and I have played very many Strats over the years and some rosewoods were very bright sounding.There are many dynamics that affect the tone of the guitar among them:The number of winds and type of wire on the pups,The overall density of the body wood,The overall density of the neck wood,the metals used in the hardware and tailpieces,brand and gauge and makeup of strings etc. A thin strip of maple or rosewood would have little or no effect on the tone among all of these dynamics.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I'm sorry,but are you tone deaf? Next you will be saying humbuckers and single coils sound the same.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ