You're right in almost everything you say - but the wood used on the finger board does have an impact on tone as any decent guitar luthier will tell you. In-between the bridge & nut, the fingerboard is the only point of contact when you press the string and sound does resonate through the neck, starting at the fingerboard.

The issue is not whether it has an effect on tone, but just how noticeable it is. The only way you can directly compare is to change your rosewood board to maple or vice-a-versa, on the same guitar. Any tonal difference is then just down to the fingerboard. Now, that's an impractical answer for most people. However, some years ago a friend of mine, Phil, had a very nice strat - not vintage, but a good US strat. It had a rosewood board and sounded great - but Phil couldn't get on with the rosewood board. So, he had a luthier replace the rosewood cap with a maple cap, on the basis the original could be put back if he wanted.

I played Phil's guitar both with the rosewood board and the maple board. Was there a noticeable tone difference? Well, it wasn't mindblowingly staggering - but it was most definitely there and the difference was certainly not 'negligible'. The maple board made the guitar not only noticeably brighter, but interestingly a little sweeter sounding - it lost some of the harsher 'snappiness' of the rosewood board (as well as feeling nicer to play). There are players who prefer rosewood, others maple - there's no right or wrong here & it's all down to taste. But it DOES make a difference, which I can vouch for from the change to Phil's Strat.

Rich

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"I started out with nothing ...and I've still got most of it left!" (Seasick Steve)

Rich I'd ask you to pay more attention to where your string contacts the fretboard and the intonation issues caused by doing so.

It takes a incredible amount of pressure for the string to touch the fretboard, even on the low frets where the string has more room to bend inbetween the wires.

What any luthier says is nonsense as far as I'm concerned when my ears tell me different.

Most will tell you any tripe in the hope of making a sale.

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No no and no

If any of you cannot hear the difference in this video you should not be playing guitar in the first place, as most likely you are tone deaf and play out of tune all the time....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ZfvpH9 ... re=related

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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

I'm with Johnny Ramone when it comes to all of these tone arguments, if you start to play loud enough, all guitars sound the same

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I prefer maple I think it looks,sounds,and feels better in my opinion. I own 2 guitars one with maple (American Series Tele) and one with rosewood and I barely touch the rosewood guitar its just there for backup for when I get my guitar setup each season

"Like putting candle wax on your strings".... now there's a new one.

Especially considering there actual coated strings that sound fantastic.

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Groundhog day!!!

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Tonedeaf? Like the person who tuned that guitar, maybe. Somehow I doubt it.
I'm sorry but that video is garbage. Obviously the result of someone who hasn't thought out the reasons why to conduct such a test. It's swamped in reverb, then drive. Badly eq'd to boot. Why the long passages? Is the video demonstrating the bad sounding amp, or the bad playing? It's certainly not highlighting any difference in sound between two necks.

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No no and no

+1
I don't have to listen to a video to make up my mind,I have both types of Strats here at home,I know how to tune them also,I learned how back in the late '60s before there were any type of electronic tuners to buy to do it for you....an art in itself becoming lost in the age of the internet videos of "how to look like a fool and play a guitar out of tune",to an audience of like minded people who can't make up their own mind on such things.

Hi Guys

Thanks to everyone who commented,I didn't want to start a war,just get the answer to the question.

OK,I have been to the store today and tried various Strats,USA Standard - Mexican Standard both with Maple and Rosewood boards.

I must be deaf as well, cos I really couldn't tell the difference,and the guy played them in one part of the shop while I was out of sight,so i didn't know which one he was playing.

So there it is,I am going for the maple again,just need to sort out whether to go for the USA Standard or the Mexican,decisions,decisions.

Still,considering I am going to put Fat 50's in it,does it really matter?

Alan

Rosewood vs. Maple--It's a looks and feel thing more than anything.

There may be some tonal differences, but the source (country/envrionment where it was grown, etc.), the density of the wood (whether it be maple, rosewood, pao ferro or ebony) and the construction technique all make for variations within a particular type of wood to the point that Stratocaster 1 (with rosewood) will sound warmer and Stratocaster 2 (also with rosewood) will sound brighter; likewise for any other fretboard wood.

As far as putting the Fat 50s pickups and whether the original specs and setup of the guitar matter, I've always found putting your favorite style of pickups in a guitar you already like (feel- and tone-wise) will generally make you like it more.

Get a guitar that feels good to you, that sounds good to you, looks good to you and seems well-constructed. If you still want to change the pups, well you'll probably be even happier.

It makes no difference to me where the guitar was made--there's awesome creations and absolute dogs from every source...and that's often subjective to the person holding it.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Asimmd.
If I were you mate I'd spend some time pondering which fretboard looks and feels best to you. Then spend the most you can afford with a guitar that has that wood on the board. Then the chances are that you will be happy whilst you save up for the other kind.

Personally I prefer maple, it's less maintenance and feels 'rounder' as the neck meets the fretboard area then round onto the face of the board. I suspect because it's one piece.
I own a rosewood boarded guitar too and love it. It looks killer if I have to dress up smart.

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No no and no

Not being a "tone snob" (whatever that is) for me it's about the feel of the neck. I like the "bare wood" feel of the rosewood fretboard as opposed to the "plastic" feel of the finished maple boards. All of my guitars are rosewood boards... just don't like the feel of any maple neck I've played.