Why are Maple Fretboards unpopular for bass?

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by king_biscuit

yes the fingerboard wood does affect the tone.

Good luck discerning the tonal effect due the fingerboard wood alone from the tonal effect due to the rest of the wood in the neck.

[Texsunburst59]

In my collection, there are 5 out of 10 which makes it pretty balanced in my house.

[nukes_da_bass]

I think the expense is slightly greater to produce a maple board than to produce a rosewood board.
Most of what you see based on simple economics will be lower priced basses. Most of these default to rosewood based on lower production expenses.
The only rosewood board I really like is my "ebonised" Kay M1 ( they used to paint rosewood darker to appear like ebony).

[GRAHAM SG1]

What is the best board material for metal ?

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by GRAHAM SG1

What is the best board material for metal ?

IRONwood.

[packhowitzer]

I have 5 basses- three are pictured here. the two that aren't pictured are maple board Stingrays. So i guess i prefer maple 4:1. I don't know that maple sounds any different than rosewood, but I like the looks better, and due to my own perception, i feel like i play a little better on a maple neck. but again, that's just perception.

[AdamR]

maple boards are my favorite

[Megas3300]

I don't even own a rosewood fingerboard, on anything.
(With exception to the mutilated fretless neck from my first bass, but that serves as a stickball bat now)

[Skygonzo]

Fretboard wood choices should be a function of the voice you wanna have for a particular track. However, I personally wouldn't be caught dead with a rosewood anything. The only dark wood I carry is on my pentabuzz.

[Lunchbox4u_6]

I think that maple boards on maple necks tend to scoop the mids, so when players pick them up off hand and don't play with eq settings they can sound thin. That's just a guess, though. I love maple boards personally and hope to pick up a jazz and a pbass both with maple boards when i get back to the states.

[steve_rolfeca]

I'm a cheap SOB, and I don't like change. So my main beef with maple, is wear. I've always liked ebony from a durability standpoint, more than anything else.

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by Steveman

Money, maple is a harder wood and eats through tools faster. Also, maple fretboards have to be finished.

As a person who has built a few instruments and used a ton of maple, I can tell you you're wrong on this. Maple is much easier to work with than oily woods.

It doesn't gum up saw blades and sand paper and its tight grain isn't prone to tear out.

Its also easier to finish an all maple neck than a maple neck with a rosewood board. The maple has to be finished which means masking the rosewood before spraying.

[DwaynieAD]

you don't see as many maple on the used market cuz those are the ones players are keeping!

I'll agree with the OP it does seem that I don't see as many maple boards on basses that I want. maybe it's just bad luck on my part.

I buy my gear used most of the time so I've got 2 rosewood fretboards and 1 maple. can't be picky when you're cheap and impatient.

[cfsporn]

I don't think maple fretboards are unpopular. Maybe rosewood is more common, but pretty much every bass offers maple as an option. I personally prefer maple to rosewood for both tone and aesthetic reasons.

For the record, I have 7 rosewood fretboard basses (soon to be 5), 2 maple fretboard basses, 4 ebony fretboard basses, and one with a pau ferro board.

[PJSim]

Guess we can all agree maple is not poplar

[goldenglory18]

I think maple boards are MORE popular, and in turn, more expensive on the open/resale market.

[VanillaThundah]

Originally Posted by mcblahflooper94

I know that they're a bit snappier (fretboard wood, IMO, is much more of a determining factor to tone, if the body wood type makes any)

You are correct on both fronts, sir. I like the sound on certain instruments, namely jazz basses and retro style P's. Apples and oranges in my opinion, it's like someone asking me to pick jazz or precision bass...too good in their own way to choose one.

Is it more expensive?

Unless it's like AAAAA flamed maple or birdseye maple, I don't think so

Do they require more maintenance?

Quite the opposite. Within reason, I rarely have to clean a maple fretboard like a rosewood fretboard. From what I feel, the grain is tighter on maple so it doesn't have as many grooves for nasty finger grunge to get cozy in.

[aasti3000]

I think I agree with the original post. The last bass I bought was a Fender Precision Deluxe V string that I was dying to get because I tested one with a rosewood fingerboard. Since I'm a maple dude, I waited and waited for ebay, craig's list, and guitar center to have one pop up. Rosewood fingerboards of the bass kept popping up but it took months before one with a mapleboard came along....snagged it immediatly. And I have bad GAS presently and when looking at basses....I do see more rosewood than maple...but some one did comment saying that maybe maples are more popular and no one is trading them in.

[Buster Brown]

Originally Posted by mcblahflooper94

I think I should rephrase my question: Why do you see more rosewood than maple?

Good question...and I don't have the answer. I have several basses with rosewood boards but in all honesty I prefer maple.....

[BassSurfer]

Maple to me, just feels "right." For Fender P Basses, a maple board is a must. For Jazzes, a rosewood will suffice.