All Rosewood for me although not an intentional decision. I've got a maple one on my Sweetwater wish list and, if I ever get a custom bass (Kiesel perhaps), it'll definitely be something a little more interesting than just rosewood or maple.
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How many rosewood board instruments do you have versus maple boards?
- Thread starter BAG
- Start date
One maple, one rosewood, and one ebony. I don't really feel a difference between the maple and rosewood fretboards (the strings and frets get in the way before I reach the wood), while the ebony feels different because it's fretless. I'm okay with most fretboard woods, but I don't find Pau Ferro visually appealing.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,080
- 46,050
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
My basses:
78 Pbass---- maple
61 Epiphone Newport--- rosewood
Late 60s POS Japanese Hofner copy----rosewood
My Guitars:
75 yamaha acoustic--- rosewood
2022 Squire Tele--- maple
I'm all over the place...
78 Pbass---- maple
61 Epiphone Newport--- rosewood
Late 60s POS Japanese Hofner copy----rosewood
My Guitars:
75 yamaha acoustic--- rosewood
2022 Squire Tele--- maple
I'm all over the place...
I have more rosewood than maple board basses but like them both. I find the maple board necks to be generally brighter sounding than the rosewood so I tend to string them maple:roundwounds and rosewood:flatwounds (with plenty of exceptions). My basses are exclusively Ps and Js and are mostly "partscasters" so I've done a fair amount of neck swapping in order to optimize playability and tone. Through experimentation, I've found that certain combinations of necks, bodies, and strings just work for whatever reason. I don't question it. I just go with what is optimal.
All my guitars and basses are and have always been rosewood, except for ebony in a couple of cases. I've never owned an instrument with a maple board. I think it's more asthetic than anything. I started in orchestras when I was little, so dark boards are just what i started with and am drawn to. I was recently GASSING over the Walnut/Maple Rickenbacker 4003, though 
3 rosewood, 2 satin maple, one ebony FL, one composite. I like them all.
For me, satin maple and gloss maple are completely different animals. I very much dislike gloss maple boards, but I love satin maple boards, they are probably my favorite. And yes, I know that technically my fingers should only feels the string and fret and I theoretically I shouldn't 'feel' the different board materials, but I do feel a difference and I like satin and dislike gloss. Real or not, perception is reality.
For me, satin maple and gloss maple are completely different animals. I very much dislike gloss maple boards, but I love satin maple boards, they are probably my favorite. And yes, I know that technically my fingers should only feels the string and fret and I theoretically I shouldn't 'feel' the different board materials, but I do feel a difference and I like satin and dislike gloss. Real or not, perception is reality.
The Joe Dart I got last year is my only maple 'board. Otherwise rosewood, the darker the better, for the win.
Generally speaking, I prefer rosewood to maple, but ebony is my go-to. At the moment I have 0 rosewood, 1 maple, 5 ebony (including acoustic guitars) and 2 Rockwood/Diamondwood.
