Maple fingerboard opinion poll

[J-Bass RMR]

All kidding aside, I never cared for maple - mainly just the look.
Funny how things change over time though; I've come to appreciate it now - both fretted and fretless.
I have a Jazz that's I call "albino" maple - not the prettiest, but it plays and sounds great.

 

[fhm555]

I've got a bass that looks awesome from a distance, but if you get up close maybe there are some imperfections. Hmm, actually, probably ALL my basses are like that! Like you say, each instrument has its own character - consider yourself lucky to be able to encounter the charm of a unique instrument! It's the music you make with it, not the looks. Victor Wooten told me once: all basses sound the same when they're sitting on stands!

When I was learning to paint motorcycles, the guy teaching me said the idea is to never be satisfied with ten footers, meaning a paint job that looks good from ten feet away, but any closer and not so much.
The same is true with most anything, but another truth is most anything can be found lacking if one is diligent enough to find it. Fortunately, most of us are content to have a good playing instrument. When you also consider there is more than a few of us who think a relic job enhances their experience, tiny flecks in paint or less than perfect book matching are only noteworthy if the performance in our hands is less than thrilling.

 

[vinlander]

If you are keeping it long enough, would it matter?
View attachment 5370874

At least those are rightfully earned marks, not like what relic seekers pay premium for out of the factory ;-)

 

[vinlander]

To be honest I was a rosewood fretboard fan and all my instruments since the last 40 years were always having a rosewood fretboard until I bought my first maple fretboard bass.
I thought I could never like a maple fretboard but I actually love it go figure...

 

[Glennbassmann]

I like my maple neck just fine...

 

[Dust2Dust]

Looks a lot like the fingerboard on my USA Lakland. Subtle figuration. My other two are also maple. I love the look and the feel.
View attachment 5370608 View attachment 5370611
View attachment 5370612

The black Fender

 

[JimmyM]

Wood is imperfectly perfect, unless it’s just a bad piece of wood. That does not look like a bad piece of wood. I like it a lot. Ignore those who dull your mind with nonsense.

 

[Dust2Dust]

I'll give you $20(US) if at your next gig act all surprised and start yelling
"There's spots on my fretboard! . . . There's SPOTS on my FRETBOARD!!"

2nd set, and second song sounds like the right time to do it

 

[Hawk256]

Love my maple fret board on my custom.

 

[LoTone]

It looks good to me. If it sounds and feel good; just play it.

 

[perfektspace6]

How do I feel about this maple fingerboard?

I just don't like maple fingerboards so I really do not care for it. And it's really blah looking, even for maple. Like sterile 90s kitchen cabinets blah. But I love maple in every other aspect when it comes to basses. Just not the fingerboard.

 

[Chris Chong]

I like my maple neck just fine... View attachment 5370990View attachment 5370991

nice. not sure if my lacquered maple FB would aged that way.

I like satin and lacquer tinted maple FB, non-roasted.

owned few roasted maple FB, and didn’t like it as it was difficult to see the black fb markers and side dot.

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I have a bass with Maple fingerboard, there is some wood...I do not even know if it is grain, but some people who have seen this bass said to me that if they had a bass like this one, they would not keep it. I am happy with it as I find that it is her "charm" and give her character, but as of simple curiosity, I would like to know how you would feel about a fingerboard looking like this:
View attachment 5370466 View attachment 5370469 View attachment 5370470 View attachment 5370471 View attachment 5370472

Don’t see anything out of the ordinary in that maple board .. however I don’t like maple boards aesthetically and consequently my vote went ..

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

My Maypo:

 

[Jeff Scott]

The neck on my stingray special has a similar grain pattern, and I’ve never thought it was a bad thing. View attachment 5370545

Apparently, your buddy hanging on the wall thinks otherwise, just look at his face.

 

[Jeff Scott]

AH! My bad eyes saw "Lausanne, OH" not "CH."

There's help for that, y'know?

 

[VoodooJazz]

Weight?


(I’m making a point here.)

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Hit it up with some tan boot polish. Preferably Kiwi brand if you can get it.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

The only downside to fretted maple fingerboards is how much more noticeable the fret buzz is when playing with low action or a heavy touch.