Fretboard - Maple or Rosewood?

[Paychek]

I will order a new Andy soon, and was wondering your opinions on maple and rosewood fretboards. I will order a classic with alder body. What are your thoughts on the difference in sounds and the feel. Any thoughts will be cool!
thanx
Mikey
:D

[Stan Malinowski]

IMO (YMMV), my Classics with a RW board tend to be a bit more balanced across the entire tonal spectrum. With my maple boarded Classics the bottom end and top end seem to be a bit more accentuated than the mid range (scooped-mids). Playability-wise I feel the RW board gives a bit more "gripability" when bending strings compared to maple boards - once again only my opinion/experience.

[TimH]

I was talking with Roy about this the other day. He said maple actually compresses or attenuates you very higest end and very lowest part of your tone. Rosewood has more low-lows and high-highs than maple.

[bruce]

Maple seems to have a nice "woody" thing happening in the mids. I think there is some of the high-highs missing with an all maple neck so what's left is what is perseived as more mids and low-mids.

The Alder with Maple neck combo is a favorite with me in a classic. This wood combo is great for a fatter, less zingy tone regardless of your pickup choice. If you are looking for more zing and sparkle, go to an Ash body for starters.

[chickenpicker]

My 1996 Hollow T Classic swamp ash that I ordered has a Pao Ferro fingerboard, which is real interesting. It's fat-sounding like rosewood, but with a littler more punch and pop. Kind of a cross between maple and rosewood. It's a lighter brown color than rosewood though, at least mine is.
Most people think it sounds like a fatter Tele than normal, and I agree.
Good luck,
Jerry

[Marty S Horne]

Rosewood boards just sound warmer to my ears. I've never felt comfortable with a maple board; they just don't feel right to me but some players love them. Eric Johnson sure doesn't have any problems with them so like most things musical, it's personal taste.

[Marty S Horne]

I should add on the plus side, maple boards do seem to tighten up the bottom end and add to clarity and note separation.

[Stan Malinowski]

I should add on the plus side, maple boards do seem to tighten up the bottom end and add to clarity and note separation.

Great way to phrase it Marty! Before when I said the maple boards on my classic tended to "accentuate" the low and high ends this is what I meant to say! To me maple boards always seem to have a distinctive "thump", similar to a bass guitar when I hit the low E. I don't get this same result from a rosewood board.