Rosewood Neck
HI! I was wondering what is the difference of a maple neck form a rosewood neck?
I'm planning to buy maple neck. I currently have a rosewood on my stratocaster... but it seems i want a Maple neck. I wanna know the difference between maple or rosewood. please help.
Hi! While there are guitar body colors that I personally feel look best with a maple fretboard, and others that seem better suited to rosewood or ebony, there are definite tone differences between the different fretboard woods (and even where the woods were grown!). In the case of maple versus rosewood, the maple will make the guitar sound brighter; however, that can be easily mitigated with amplifier and effects settings. Rosewood will give you a warmer tone, and many players like the feel of the natural wood surface against their fingers. Do keep in mind that after many hours of use on a maple fretboard, the clear lacquer topcoat will eventually wear through to the wood, and you will start to see little dark marks under the string positions you use most often (many players consider this a badge of honor). If you have a light touch on the strings, or perhaps do not play that often, you may never see this happen. The rosewood or ebony fretboards will hide smudges and wear much better than the maple boards. I have two Stratocasters with maple fretboards, and like the “in your face” tone they produce; however, this is not for everyone or every type of music. Best regards, Dana