Maple fretboards on Strats

[enuenu]

It seems there are 4 ways a Fender Strat neck is commonly built;

 

* Maple fretboard glued to separate maple neck. No skunk stripe.

* Maple fretboard & maple neck all 1 piece of wood. Skunk stripe.

* Rosewood fretboard glued to maple neck. No skunk stripe.

* Rosewood fretboard glued to maple neck. Skunk stripe (not sure why stripe used in this case)

 

I am finding that maple fretboards are much less common than rosewood, particularly in the Fender Custom shop Strats. Why do they make so few with maple these days? Does rosewood have better tone properties?

 

I can't work out why in some models where the fretboard is glued to the neck a skunk stripe is still also used. I would have thought this unnecessary.

 

I would think that a maple neck and fretboard that are all one piece and quarter sawn would be best for neck stability and tone. What do you think?

[twofoolsaminute]

The skunk stripe may be unnecessary, but it look kinda cool if you ask me.

 

I once preferred maple fretboards, but I really lean toward rosewood now. Maple feels better, but rosewood seems to sound better. May all be in my head.

 

this neck didn't NEED a skunk stripe, but I like it:

[enuenu]

Thanks. I thought the skunk stripe was only put in where a channel for the truss rod had to be carved out. I didn't realize it was put in for its appearance sometimes.

[Wyatt]

I can't work out why in some models where the fretboard is glued to the neck a skunk stripe is still also used. I would have thought this unnecessary. I would think that a maple neck and fretboard that are all one piece and quarter sawn would be best for neck stability and tone. What do you think?

 

Fender used one-piece maple necks ONLY until '58 or so.

 

In '59, facing complaints from dealers and players about finish wear on the fretboard, Leo switched to rosewood "slab" fretboards on everything (maple boards were NOT available). Skunk stripe was dropped because it wasn't needed anymore.

 

Sometime in the mid '60's, Fender switched to a thinner "shaped" laminate fretboard rosewood fretboard to save material costs. No skunk stripe.

 

In the late '60's Fender started to offer a shaped laminate maple fretboard as an option. This was the first time a person could order either rosewood OR maple. No skunk strip because the neck wasn't one piece.

 

Sometime around '69 or so Fender started offering one piece maple necks again, when they introduced the bullet truss rod. Skunk strip was a different size.

 

I don't think they added a skunk strip to a rosewood boarded neck until the late '80's or later as an aesthetic option.

 

The difference between a slab fretboard and a laminate one....

[enuenu]

Thanks for the history lesson. You can really see the difference in the grain in the quarter sawn neck, that would have to be more stable.

 

It seems that if you want a maple fretboard you just have to wait until your baby pops up.

 

I have seen Fenders like this that have no truss rod. Having a neck that can't be adjusted would worry me, but these experts must know that it all works I guess.

[elsupermanny14]

I prefer maple necks for both playability and aesthetics. In all honest i really can not hear any difference in tone between maple and rosewood. The fact that it is a bolt on neck would make the tone pretty much unapparent.

[mygolfcart123]

I simply prefer maple necks on a strat. Don't like to play one that does not have one.

 

That is why I love my 57 re-issue strat so much, great maple neck and sound to boot!

[enuenu]

 

I simply prefer maple necks on a strat. Don't like to play one that does not have one.

 

I'm kind of the same. However you take most of Strats out of play when you stick to maple.

[Cymro#1]

Although I have a 15year old maple fretboard strat, I find myself wanting a rosewood fretboard for a change. Some great players used rosewood Rory, SRV, Hendrix, Gary Moore....... plenty of great maple players too I know too.

 

I would agree, that In my long guitar playing life, I cannot distinguish between a maple and a rosewood playing surface.

[dooshbag]

rosewood is softer. no question. maple is a little percussive. most people don't have the skills to maximize either.

[WRGKMC]

Fret maintainence and replacement is so much easier on a rosewood. The neck tends to feel less stickey. I have one maple necks on a strat and three all maple tele necks. I do find the Maple a littel brighter, especially if you use a brass nut. Other than that, the laquered maple can be a problem bending notes if you dont lubricate the fretboard/strings. The poly finishes last longer but they're even worse for stickeyness. They laquer ones do wear and look terrible when the maple darkens. The only way to correct them is to sand the neck during a refret which I've also done many times.

 

I'm currently doing one without removing the frets. It was a bitch to sand without fret damage and have it look good. I'm using tung oil on this one so it has a more natureal feel to it.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

Although I have a 15year old maple fretboard strat, I find myself wanting a rosewood fretboard for a change. Some great players used rosewood Rory, SRV, Hendrix, .

 

 

Hendrix was mainly a maple board player

[stevenjuel]

i personally think maple is better in ever way to rosewood. i have noticed that more strats have rosewood Fbs over maple ones.

[csm]

 

Hendrix was mainly a maple board player

 

 

... but only from early 1968 (when he moved back to the US and started using the brand-new bighead models). During 1966-7, when he was resident in the UK, his Strats were almost invariably pre-CBS rosewood-board.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

... but only from early 1968 (when he moved back to the US and started using the brand-new bighead models). During 1966-7, when he was resident in the UK, his Strats were almost invariably pre-CBS rosewood-board.

 

 

I didn't realise that there were Strats built before 68:confused:

[dangerine49]

 

rosewood is softer. no question. maple is a little percussive. most people don't have the skills to maximize either.

 

 

Actually rosewood is harder than maple. If you look up Janka hardness scores maple comes in between 1000 and 1500, while rosewood is between 2200 and 2800. But rosewood does "feel" softer, probably because it is unfinished.

 

I prefer maple fingerboards on my Fenders, however, my best playing Fender neck is the one on my American Deluxe Strat with a rosewood board.

[orbm1]

I have always been a rosewood guy... but after selling a lot of guitars, now I have a Tele and a Strat, both with Maple fretboards...

 

I love them!

 

 

I really never knew that maple or rosewood would have tonal differences... I thought they were more of a "finish" option... like you also have ebony...

 

you learn something new everyday....

 

btw... I do like the looks of a strat with maple that rosewood....

 

 

Omar

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

I really never knew that maple or rosewood would have tonal differences... I thought they were more of a "finish" option... like you also have ebony...

 

 

When all is said and done it is about aesthetics and not tone Omar

[orbm1]

 

When all is said and done it is about aesthetics and not tone Omar

 

 

But I was reading in previous posts that the neck could affect tone... that I have never heard of that before....

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

But I was reading in previous posts that the neck could affect tone... that I have never heard of that before....

 

 

The neck as a whole is part of the tone equation, and some players will wax about how maple fretboard have more snap etc, but the whole neck construction, mass and neck body interface is a whole complicated contributor to the overall sound

[WRGKMC]

 

The neck as a whole is part of the tone equation, and some players will wax about how maple fretboard have more snap etc, but the whole neck construction, mass and neck body interface is a whole complicated contributor to the overall sound

 

 

Do you own both types?

[john_p_t]

 

some players will wax about how maple fretboard have more snap etc,

 

 

Some players will wax about a whole lot of stuff. This is one of those things that's really crying out for a credible explanation. Why on earth would fingerboard wood have a significant effect on tone? It makes no sense.

[Kellanium]

I don't know about stability or anything, but i know my maple-board strat sounds great. And that's all i need. I like the dark wear that maple has anyway.

[Brian Krashpad]

I simply prefer maple necks on a strat. Don't like to play one that does not have one.

 

Me too.

 

 

Although in my case my Strat is actually a Peavey Predator.

 

 

The Peavey has a 2-piece neck (split right down the middle) although the maple board is the same piece(s) of wood as the neck. Super stable.

[WRGKMC]

I dont know. I've built guitars for many decades now and wood does have a big impact on tone. Any guitar you stick a fender neck on tends to take up some of that tone in its acoustic resonance. There isnt a huge difference between a maple fretboard and rosewood, but I'd be an idiot to say it doesnt make any difference. Any luthier worth his salt knows rosewood has a darker tone than maple does and it reflects in the instruments tone. You hear things different wood combinations create in semihollow bodies or acoustics much more than electrics but its definately there. If it didnt exist then why are there so many different tones possible from different instruments through the same equipment.

 

 

From my own experience, I'd say the maple conducts the sound a littel more brightly and you may get a littel more resonance under high volume conditions. I suppose its because the wood cells tend to vibrate the same pitches on an all maple neck where as a rosewood/maple has two resonant peaks.

 

The only real way to test what frequencies would resonate better/differently would be to place contact mics on the neck and then hit it with high level sweep generator then look at the contact mics output on a frequency analizer. Never though of doing this but I do have the equipment to do it. I suppose If I did I'd at least have some first hand scientific reason for the differences, not that it would matter that much. Besides the differences in types of wood, you have a whole slew of other items that affect tone including the grain density, age which affects how much the sap in the wood has petrified, glues used, neck thickness and shape, etc.

 

I build all my guitars lately with antique wood. My drummer restores antiques for a living and is always coming up with old and rare chunks of wood. I can tell you, antique wood is going to resonate a whole lot more than green wood will, which one of the reasons vintage instruments are highly valued.

 

Of course none of this makes much difference to some. Crank an instrument up with enough drive and it becomes difficult to tell much differences between different woods other than what you feel from the neck and body resonance in the hands and chest. Best you might be able to tell is in how well it sustains or possibly some pinch harmonics and resonance between notes.