Do you all like the older maple fretboards,or the new ones?

[KATMAN]

I love how the older maple fretboards looks when it is worn from years of play. I knew an older gentlemen who had a '51 Fender Esquire that had medium gauge flatwounds on it.Very cool looking fretboard,black fingermarks on it,well worn but in good shape.I was sad when I bought my MIM Fender Stratocaster in 2000 that the necks were covered with something.There was no way I could wear off the finish,not in my lifetime anyway.I defintly don't want to sand it off,too much work invovled. Do you perfer older maple necks,or the newer ones?

[jamdogg]

I like em all.

[poolshark]

I always thought wear on maple fingerboards was kind of ugly. Acceptable under the right wear circumstances, but hardly something I'd seek out.

[EADGBE]

New.

[wartoxin]

regardless of materials, I slightly prefer a smooth fingerboard because of my fingers touching. Just an issue to think about

[dirtyroger]

I like both really!

 

BUt really i like a clean fret board that doesn't effect my playing so my fret board will always be nice, new and clean

[*BLEEP*]

Old or New -- CLEAN please.

[Matter-Eater Lad]

I take either. I have both. The older Ibanez RG550's I have seem to wear through easily. The first one I got and have played the most has the most wear and I think it's pretty cool.

[soundcreation]

I prefer nitro...so I know one day my shinny bright smooth neck will look cool and warn in.

 

Poly? Forget about it. Probably take you a thousand years of 6 hour a day playing.

[TomCTC]

Oh, worn for sure. Worn in the right ways. Finger markings tend to be grossly overdone on most relic guitars (Nash, I'm looking at you!) I like a casual wear on the fretboard, and really like finishes worn off the back of necks so you can feel the roughness of the wood under there, but still have it slick from the natural oils of your hand.

 

My Fender Custom Shop Tele has the best neck I've ever played on. Moderate natural wear on the fingerboard (and it seems to be wearing more and more every year), nice tinted finish that's aged beautifully, and a worn-through finish on the back.

 

[Dr_Kuh]

All. But let me give you an example of what I call perfect:

 

 

[stevenjuel]

as lng as it dosnt have that fake vintage yellowish tint im in!

[panther_king]

I guess we should also mention finished vs. unfinished necks.

 

Plenty of vintage maple-necks fenders don't have those wear marks, because of their own laquer.

[RaVenCAD]

Ebony.. You get the look of a dark wood plus the feel and snap of a dense wood. Nothing but win..

[cratz2]

As long as I like how the neck feels and it looks appropriate to the guitar, I don't care if it's a vintage nitro neck with lots or real wear, a modern poly neck nary a single blemish, an oil finished neck, a modern neck made to look well worn...

 

But, between the two extremes - either a new poly-finished neck that looks perfect or an 62 strat that has seen the world 5 times over, I prefer the look of the older necks.

[Emory]

"There was no way I could wear off the finish,not in my lifetime anyway"

Leave it to your son, or grandson, in your will. Should be there by then

[Strung_Out]

older for sure. I love the feel of them and I like it when the neck looks like it has some stories to tell.

[Wyatt]

 

"There was no way I could wear off the finish,not in my lifetime anyway" Leave it to your son, or grandson, in your will. Should be there by then

 

 

Actually, I would guess polyurethane will outlast them as well. You can chip it off, but it doesn't wear down.