Does the fretboard wood really affect playability and sound?

Question

I was just wondering whether the sound and playability of a rosewood fretboard is different than a maple fretboard.

Answer 1

/ Fingers sweat. This causes oil and dirt to release onto the fretboard, as well as into each string. That being said, your choice of fretboard wood is merely personal choice...

A MAPLE fretboard has a thin layer of clearcoat, and when waxed, or sprayed with 'Gibson's Fast Fingers' (silicone), it is easy to move fingers quickly. If not cared for, over time the clearcoat can wear off, exposing the bare wood which traps dirt and oil from the fingers. It looks unsightly, but doesn't affect the sound quality.

A ROSEWOOD fretboard is usually not clearcoated. It is a hardwood, and desireably traps the oil from your fingers which lubricates the wood. A rosewood fretboard needs polishing to keep it from cracking because rosewood will become dry if not treated.

An EBONY fretboard is most desireable for common guitars. It needs no care. It is dense, thick wood and needs no moisture other than the oil from your fingers.

The playabily is affected, however the sound quality is not affected by using any of these different woods for a fretboard.

In the past (for decades) a standard non-electric guitar had an ebony fretboard, mahogany neck and sides, a spruce top, and a rosewood back. Guitars built to those standards could sit in the closet for years with no special problems.

Now, there are so many different combinations and quality changes.

To keep your sound and guitar clean and bright, wash your hands before playing.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Does the fretboard wood really affect playability and sound?
I was just wondering whether the sound and playability of a rosewood fretboard is different than a maple fretboard.

Answer 3

If you want the playability and sound of maple, but like the look of rosewood, consider ebony.
But the fretboard material affects tone less than any other chunk of wood on the guitar. And the pickups are about 60% or more of how an electric sounds.
For descriptions of how all kinds of wood affect tone, check out warmoth's page. I think it is www.warmoth.com but type in warmoth guitar parts to a search engine.

Answer 4

Unless the fretboard is warped, etc., the difference in the wood will give you different tone, but playability is determined by more than that. Maple gives a brighter tone (some call it more "snap") and rosewood gives a "warmer" tone - both have their place - I like both for different reasons.

Answer 5

Definitely, the maple fingerboard has a brighter , crisper sound and it feels "faster" too. The maple fingerboard is better suited to rock music.

The rosewood has a warmer sound ; better for jazz or pop music (but it is used for all types of music.)

Answer 6

To a degree - If you're playing clean, you might notice a difference. If you are running thru an effects processor, distortion unit, or Marshall stack, you won't notice. I have both, but I like maple better.

Answer 7

skip the invoice and billing infomation man. Just have a tech put replace the nut and if posible, the bridge with a "Whale Bone" one, and spend more time in the 'Woodshed" and this bit about what some outfit has used for it's chosen fretboard sounds like the dude that blames the computer he's got, everytime he messes it up; when it's not really the computer at all, but the simple fact that he hasn't been practicing on THAT computer just the way it is; and when possible sitting down with other computer people, regardless of the computer they have, they are alot more at ease with they're computer and the whole computer scene that was at one time too complicated and seemed like more work than they wanted to put into learning how to use the damn computer, but after 4 weeks of not giving up, and picking the brains of that dude with the computer with the balsa wood mouse that has figured out how to get that old wooden mouse to click like a brand new mouse, and at some point it dawns on you that until you get your act together when it comes to that computer of yours; that getting a better computer will simply accomplish you getting a thinner wallet; but, that dude with the wooden computer that really makes it do what he needs it to do for him, just the way he want's it too, and the fact that it's old, and made out of wood doesn't seem to matter to him; as he's not needing a better mouse until he knows that he's learned how to make the wooden one click for him in perfect 3/4 time, and the fact that it was wooden and old wasn't the real issue in the first place. Now that he's got the "Feel" for that balsa mouse, and know's that he would definitlly be paid more now, not becuase he dumped the balsa wood mouse; but because he used it to learn how to use it from his heart, and not let his head sell him on the idea that what's important is simply the quality of the mouse he could afford, but how handy he became with IT, and how much effort he put into making that mouse click right along with the other mouses in the room so that the other mouse enthusiests, knew that whenever there was money to be made for "Mousing" that they Knew they needed to call that dude that started out with a balsa wood mouse; but made it click way better than the Mouser's that just ran out and bought the Best Mouse they could afford thinking that's the key to becoming a mouser that know's exactly when to "Click" that mouse, and make it sound better, because of the way it's clicked, than the guy he saw down at the MOUSE shop; spending alot of money on a mouse before it really mattered what the mouse was made of; 'cause it could be made of pretty much any hard wood; as long as there was whale bone to absorb that tinney sound that might be distracting him from getting the "Chops" of a skilled and versatile, in demand, and well paid MOUSE clicker...
Remember what I first heard back in '69, from one who truly knew: "It's not how you play man; it's how you hold your mouth when your playing".
No matter how much the expert equipment is worth, or cost to buy; sadly it didn't make the new equipment owner an expert".
Bizarro is for Bizarro man!