Just based on feel alone, it's rosewood. I love the looks of maple, especially a highly figured or Birdseye, and have a few Strats with maple that I play regularly, but for an undefined reason I prefer the RW feel. Doesn't matter if it is a thin C shape or my old Jeff Beck baseball bat, the dark wood feels best.

I'm partial to maple. I feel like there's less "resistance" when it comes to bends on a maple neck (it feels smoother underneath my fingers). But its really just a little thing... I don't hate rosewood necks at all.

I love the feel of an ebony fretboard too....

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Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

Don't notice any difference. It's not like I touch the board that much. I much prefer to touch the strings.

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No no and no

Myself i like the rosewood, it's a bit warmer sounding, and i just like the feel better.
as the maple boards that have the finish on them are a bit easier to clean.
I have a guitar with a maple board that is unfinished, feels less sticky than ones with it.
also it depends on what sound you are looking for.

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1986 Kramer Baretta
1989 Samick "The Samick" Les Paul
2007 Fender Strat MIM Deluxe / 1985 MIJ neck
1990 Epiphone Strat
Marshall JCM 2000 DLS 50 watt / Marshall 1960a 4x12

https://soundcloud.com/jim-slimjim-cassi

Like the look of Rosewood but I have to say my Maple necked Strat just "feels" soooo good!
Even better than the Maple necked Tele. Wish I could clone that Strat neck...

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

I much prefer the look of maple on almost all guitars. I also prefer the feel, rosewood just feels too rough. Ive got a gloss maple neck on my 72 custom tele, which is great for rhythm not so much lead. And a satin maple neck on my mim satin strat, which feels amazing for lead work. Ive got rw on my 62 custom tele, which tbh i have no real feeling for either way.

Based on feel alone I'm not that picky. I think my preference for maple necks on Fender guitars is based more on looks.

My Fenders are about 50/50 maple/rosewood.

So long as the maple is kept clean, the feel is about the same to me. Maple can get sticky when dirty, so it's gotta be kept clean.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I've recently been favouring my Maple board with the satin finish...



I have a bit of an iron grip and find bends just that little bit smoother. Ask me again in a month or so and I'd have probably changed my mind!

Andy

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Pending Greatness

to be totally honest Martian, i have a few guitars with different fretboard woods, and I really don't notice any difference in feel.

they do however have different width, radii, neck shapes and finishes on the back of the neck, and that makes a huge difference.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Andy the figuring on that maple board is very nice. In terms of looks, I would have to go with maple all the time...

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Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

to me it's got to be rosewood. Most maple necks I ever played feel too sticky and I have a harder time with bending because my fingers stick to the fretboard.

I've tried maple necks with a satin finish and they are better than the laquered maple fretboards but still not the same to me as rosewood.

I also like the feel of ebony as well.

I've owned 2 guitars with ebony boards over the years and they have been among my favorite guitars. My SG and my American Deluxe Strat have been my favorite rosewood guitars.

No matter how hard I try to like maple, the feel doesn't cut it for me even when I like the tone.

Thanks Smokey!



Looks better when attached to the bod...



Doesn't take much of an excuse for me to spam the forum with pic's of that!

Enjoy!

Andy

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Pending Greatness

Very nice, Andy.
If you're talking feel only, its got to come down to the individual instrument. I can go either way as long the guitar plays, feels, and sounds like I want it to.

I can't tell the difference...or don't notice it when I'm playing.

fingerboard radius makes more of a difference to me than rosewood or maple from my experience.

Come to think of it, my maple necked & swamp ash body guitar is warmer tonally than my rosewood/alder guitar. I attribute this to the pickups making more of a difference than wood does.

I've noticed a lot of what I read contradict what I actually experience