I have both. The maple fretboards seem to be punchier and easier to bend on, while the rosewood boards are smoother sounding and have a bit more grip. I like them both equally.

I've only played with rosewood fretboards on my guitars and bass, so i dont know what a maple sounds like. can someone tell me the differences between rosewood and maple fretboards?

Maple looks badass...

Also it relics so gooood, and the most important, a good finish of it its amazing, unlike the rosewood, which seems pretty stiff and unpleasant

I have been playing for over 40 tears and I prefer (hands down) the maple neck. I have an America Deluxe Strat and it complements the tone sooo much better than rosewood I would only own a maple fretboard on a Strat it is my personal preference and always will be. Something special about the feel and the snap to that neck the just blows the rosewood away. Yo me a Strat just isn't as Strat without a maple neck it is the Soul of the guitar and has never let me down. I would never own a rosewood I feel it cheapens the guitar and takes something away from the strat. Just my opinion but it's been that way for 40 years and I'm not about to change now.But my other guitars are all Rosewood and I wouldn't change a thing about them but in a Strat I HAVE to have MAPLE! My search for the perfect instrument is over after 40 years of playing I can say I am perfectly happy with what I have and don't need another guitar. I have all the sounds I want.

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster.
PRS Santana SE
Prs Soapbar II Fender Blues Jr, Laney Cub 12R, Blackheart 3/5W Combo

I have been playing for 28 years and have owned both Maple and Rosewood. I prefer Rosewood over maple. The feel and the warmth it adds to my playing is awesome. I will not say I will never own another maple neck Stratocaster, but it will have to be something special in my hands to pick one over rosewood.

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Maple and rosewood both have their benefits and drawbacks. It comes down to personal preference.
The best choice is the one that keeps you playing.


And over time rosewood developes pot holes (digs).



Well I've been around long enough to know that people of our age are set in our ways, and no longer offer an unbiased opinion.

Ain’t that the truth? As long as we enjoy what we play, our preferences should not matter.

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I have 20 years of playing under my belt and almost every guitar I've ever owned has had rosewood.

Not that I am ant-maple, but I just haven't found a maple neck I like. I'm open to it whenever the option is available, but I always find that my fingers tend to stick to maple - especially if it's heavily laquered - and I find that most maple necked strats are too bright sounding for my tastes.

Since my method of choosing a guitar is to go for what sounds the best to me over appearance and feel - play anything long enough and you'll eventually adapt; if I got a maple necked guitar that had the sound I wanted, I'd find a way to get passed my feelings on the guitars appearance and I'd force myself to get used to the feel.

Maple and rosewood sound different and look different.

I own both, maple neck guitars and rosewood neck guitars.
I prefer rosewood when playing slow songs with a more warm tone. I prefer maple when faster attack and brighter tone is the goal. I like them both equally regarding tonal qualities and as far as optical reasons go: it depends on the overall look of the guitar, especially body color.

I'd say maple is in pole position regarding optic appearance (my personal taste).

It's hard to tell if they actually FEEL different, since the feel depends on so many factors. The tone does also but it's easier to switch necks on the same guitar for comparison than to switch fretboards on the same neck

Usually you switch necks, not fretboards. This means you get slightly different profiles, fret sizes, fret job qualities, different curves on fretboard edges ......

I'd say the biggest difference in feel besides different dimensions is not the wood itself but the obligatory clear finish on maple boards. Depending on your style of playing you might feel the difference in comparison to an unfinished rosewood fretboard.

_________________
Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

_________________

Depends on which looks better with the finish of your guitar

_________________
"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

I can't vote on this because I love them both! Both of my Strats have maple necks but, for years, when I only had a Mustang, it had (has) rosewood. I love maple but, the slightly to my ears darker sounding rosewood is a treat as well. I recently played a rosewood neck Strat and, loved the sound!

I like Rosewood. But, they wear out sooner than Maple.

_________________

The older rosewood gets the cooler it starts to look also.

Neither. Ebony for me.



Excellent find. From this clip, I hear the fundamental being stronger with the maple fretboard. The rosewood fretboard congests the midrange bit with more harmonic content. Depending on where and what he is playing, the different fretboard woods sounded better. Closer to the nut and with the lower pitched strings, the maple sounded much better to my ears. Down the neck and on the higher pitched strings, the rosewood started to have a better sound to my ears.