Whai is your favorite fingerboard material?

[Jeem]

Hi folks,
I can find good things about both, but I was wondering what is the general preference for fingerboard material amongst the Active Melody players? And why?
If you can chime in with your thoughts it would be appreciated!

Maple?
Rosewood?
Other?

Thanks,
Jim

[charjo]

Hi Jeem,
I’ve got 2 strats, one rosewood with 6105 frets and the other maple with medium jumbo frets. I prefer the rosewood. I don’t know why but it just seems more substantial.
John

[Jeem]

Thanks Charjo.
I can’t believe I miss-spelled the first word in this post. Sorry

WHAT! is a better beginning!

Hopefully some others will chime in. I’m trying to learn something here.

Jim

[Duffy P]

Both of my guitars have rosewood fretboards (and necks). One is Indian, the other Brazilian. (Turns out my Brazilian Rosewood Taylor is worth more than I figured.)

The Strat I used to have was maple. I’ve played some guitars with Ebony and some exotics. I can’t say that I have noticed any difference based on neck material. Only way I could really know that would be to A/B the same guitar with two different fretboard materials, and I don’t think I have ever done that.

But I can’t believe it would matter to me. The tips of my fingers on my left hand are heavily calluses and dead. I can stick pins in them and feel nothing. So I have strong doubts whether, in a blindfold test, I would ever be able to distinguish between two fretboard materials, much less develop a preference.

[Bryce-AKguitar]

I like my ebony fretboard on my Larrivee.

-Bryce
Anchorage, Alaska

[Doug T]

Can’t say anything except there all good. My starts are ebony my Paul’s are rosewood and my Tele is maple all play great but fret size,redious and strings make more noticeable changes in the action than wood material. My acoustics are the same… have one ebony and the rest rosewood… My 2 cents

[6stringer Pete]

For electric guitar, I’d go with a maple neck. For acoustic guitar, whatever type of wood it comes with.

The melody of the notes is what expresses the art of music . 🙂 6stringerPete

It really is all about ”melody”. The melody comes from a language from our heart. Our heart is the muscle in music harmony. The melody is the sweetness that it pumps into our musical thoughts on the fretboard. 🙂 6 stringer Pete

Pete
Active Melody
Forum Moderator

[JohnStrat]

Wow that’s a long fret board Chargo you must have some fingers! My old Strat is rosewood and Im happy with it maple looks very nice when its new but not so good later in life. Whilst we are on the subject of likes what about favorite colours again ive got an old sunburst. I like Eric Clapton’s red and blue pattern design strat that he plays no doubt a special paint job but looks great.

[Duffy P]

Favorite strat color is blonde with white pick guard. Better still if it was the one with the alligator decal on it. (Jerry Garcia’s main guitar in the early 70s).

[Jeem]

For color? Man I really like the sunburst brown that Brian has. (It’s the one that looks like it has a metal nut). I know those are ubiquitous (I DID have to look up the spelling on that one!) but I just like ’em.
I also like the natural ash color.
Daphne Blue & Surf Green are cool as well.

So many choices…so little dinero! (and ONLY two hands!)

[Jeem]

Oh yeah…and Olympic White!

[sunjamr]

Varnish. As in the Fender Strat maple fretboards, which are all varnished. The varnish makes the surface of the fretboard very slick, so it’s easy to bend notes. I have one electric guitar with unvarnished rosewood, and the difference is huge. It just feels kind of gummy to play.

Sunjamr Steve

[WBlues]

Difficult Question! But a cool Question, Jim!
I find ebony as a fretboard really well. This one has many color options for the Body. Classic sunburst. However, I had chosen black. Everything is black as the night. 🙂
The guitars have to be Special with your choice of color (of all components).
I mean, is that a guitar makes as a self-contained Whole, the impression.
Therefore
I throw the following question in the Forum.
What favorites do you have?
Color and Material of the fingerboard.
Headstock.
Color Body.
Pick guard.
Color Pickup Caps and knops.

Wilfried

Play guitar just like you live; don't get bogged down in theory, it's just a tool without feeling.

Wilfried

[JohnStrat]

Hi Wilfred my Strat is sunburst with rose wood neck and old white laminated pick guard and I like its appearance, all be it pretty standard.

Bryce I wonder if you would like to say a little about your Larrivee I had not heard of them before your mention above? How does it compare with a Strat for instance or any of the fender range for that matter? And did you buy new and specify it or was it an off the shelf as was mine?

John Strat

[Bryce-AKguitar]

Check out this post where I talk about all of my gear @Johnstrat: https://www.activemelody.com/forums/topic/active-melody-member-gear-videos-bryces-gear/

-Bryce
Anchorage, Alaska

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