Ever wondered why some guitars feel so different to play? It's not just the strings or the body – the fretboard plays a huge role. Fretboards are incredibly important when it comes to guitar playing, as they impact the tone, feel, playability and long-term comfort of the instrument.
Many people believe that the fretboard wood doesn’t matter, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The two most popular wood types used on fretboards, maple and rosewood, each have unique characteristics that affect the sound and playability of the guitar.
This guide will explore the nuances of rosewood and maple fretboards, helping you make an informed decision based on your playing style and preferences. We will cover everything from the characteristics of each wood type, their pros and cons, and how to determine which is best for you and your playing.
The fretboard is the flat part of a guitar neck, and potentially one of the most important features of a guitar.
Players press down on the strings against the fretboard to produce specific notes, meaning it has a major impact on your playing.
A fretboard is lined with metal strips known as frets that divide the board into sections, as well as fret markers, acting as a guide for notes to help players control their pitch. As a result, the fretboard is the core feature that directly impacts the playability and tone of the guitar.
Fretboards can be made from many different materials and types of wood, and this can have a significant impact on your playing and the guitar itself.
While the type of wood used in the fabrication of the guitar fretboard does have an impact on the overall tone of a guitar, the kind of wood used for a fretboard has a greater impact on the overall feel and playability of an instrument. You can spend a lot of time and money investing in an instrument with an amazing sound, but you won't want to pick it up and play it if the fretboard isn’t comfortable to hold or play on.
If you’re really looking for a guitar that you enjoy playing as much as you enjoy listening to, you must spend some time researching the different types of woods that are used in the creation of fretboards and the relationship those woods have with the playability of an instrument.
As always, we recommend going to a guitar shop to test out different fretboard types to get a better understanding of the different relationships that you have with individual wood types.
The most commonly used fingerboard wood in the creation is Maple and Rosewood, as there are perceptible differences in how both wood fretboards affect how a certain style of music or piece of music is played.
With all of the basics covered, let’s compare the two most commonly used fretboard tonewoods to see if one wood is better than the other!
If your fretboard has a creamy, natural white color, with a tight grain, chances are it is made from maple wood. They are smooth and often finished nicely, creating a sleek look. Maple fretboards produce a bright, crisp and articulate tone, which some describe as “punchy.”
If you're more familiar with the historical guitars, maple fretboards are commonly used on the Fender Standard Telecaster and the Stratocaster models. Maple fretboards also come in a variety of species, and each can impact your sound and play style.
Two different species of maple are used in the creation of maple fretboards: silver maple and hard maple. While there are several differences between the two species of maple, both of these woods are sturdy, hard, and make a wonderful fretboard material to use for fretboards.
Hard maple is heavier and harder than silver maple (AKA soft maple), but tends to be a lot more expensive than silver maple is. Hard maple is often used by Paul Reed Smith, Fender, and Charvel, so if you’re specifically interested in using a durable maple fretboard, you may want to start looking in this area.
On the other hand, silver maple is a lot easier to find and isn’t as expensive because of how readily available it is. Models that are produced in Indonesia and China typically sport silver maple, but don’t let that make you think that guitars that have silver maple fretboards are of poorer quality than guitars that use hard maple.
Within the hard maple breed, four different types of grain configurations can be used to make the physical appearance of your guitar more attractive. Different grain configurations don’t have too great an impact on your overall sound, as their main impact is purely cosmetic. The four main types of hard maple grain configurations are:
It’s not very common to find a fretboard that has obvious grain configurations to it, mainly because the grain patterns aren’t very easy to work with on a fretboard. When milling pieces of wood with grain configurations, the processing that a piece of wood has to go through to become a piece that can be used for a fretboard tends to tear out the fibres of the wood, removing signs of grain configurations. However, in some cases, the craftsman may preserve the grain configuration.
The playability and feel of a maple fretboard depend on whether the wood is finished or unfinished. Maple is a naturally porous wood, which means that the majority of maple fretboards are sealed with nitrocellulose or a lacquer finish. This means that when you’re playing the guitar, you’re playing on the finish of the fretboard rather than playing on the actual maple wood itself.
One downside to playing on a maple fretboard is that, depending on the type and quality of the finish, you may feel that the maple fingerboard is smooth and swift, or you may feel that the finish is tacky and lagging.
If you’re an experienced musician who is contemplating switching over to a maple fretboard, be prepared to enjoy the speed you can build up when traveling up and down the maple neck, but also be prepared to notice a lack of control that you may feel when attempting to bend your notes (due to how slick the finish on the fretboard is).
If you opt for unfinished maple, you might find that the overall feel of the guitar is a lot more natural and less “sticky.” This may allow you to play faster, as there isn’t any lacquer to slow you down, and may also help bends, as you will have more grip on the fingerboard. However, unfinished maple fretboards require a significant amount of maintenance, which turns many people away from choosing this option.
Once again, the maintenance of your maple fretboard depends on whether it is finished or unfinished. Keeping your fretboard clean is extremely important, as otherwise, you run the risk of a buildup of oils and grease that can damage the wood and lead your guitar to needing repairs.
If you own a finished maple fretboard, the upkeep isn’t too challenging. Wiping down your fretboard with a dry cloth after every time you’re finished playing (or every few hours if you’re playing for a long time) will get rid of any buildup of finger oils that can eat through the finish.
Every couple of weeks, you should wipe down your fretboard with a slightly damp rag that has some dish soap on it to get rid of any residual oil or residue left by your fingertips; make sure that the neck and fretboard are completely dry before you store your guitar away again.
If you’re part of the unfinished maple fretboard team, you’re going to have to clean and condition your fingerboard a lot more often than if you were to have a finished fretboard. Just like a finished maple fretboard, you’re going to want to wipe down your fretboard with a dry cloth after every few hours of playing (or every playing session), but you’re also going to want to use steel wool on your fretboard every month to remove any dirt and grime that has built up on the board.
After wiping your fretboard down with steel wool, you will want to use a soft cloth that has been dipped in Tung oil finish to polish the surface of your fretboard.
Here are some quick-fire pros and cons of a maple wood fretboard to help you decide if it's right for you;
The use of rosewood in stringed instruments has been around a lot longer than maple fretboards have been, as rosewood has also been used for the sides and backs of lutes, mandolins, and violins.
It’s easy to spot which guitars have a rosewood board by the dark red-brown hue, open grain, and natural finish. It is commonly found on Paul Reed Smith, Ibanez, and Gibson guitars. Rosewood fretboards typically produce a warm, rich and mellow tone, making them a popular choice for serious guitar players.
In guitar manufacturing, the most commonly used breeds of Rosewood are:
A fretboard composed of Brazilian rosewood extremely hard to find, although it is highly prized due to the rich, deep color of the wood. Brazilian rosewood is a highly endangered species, which means that there are many restrictions on the saleability of this wood. This breed of rosewood was widely used during the 1930s and 40s, so it has a lot of historical context behind it.
Honduran rosewood has a similar grain pattern to Brazilian rosewood but tends to be lighter in color than Brazilian rosewood is. Some companies will stain Honduran rosewood a darker hue to make it have a similar color appearance to Brazilian rosewood, although it is also becoming endangered.
Honduran rosewood isn’t as endangered as Brazilian rosewood is, meaning it is not under as restrictive a watch as its Brazilian counterpart is. However, it is quite rare nonetheless.
Indian Rosewood is the wood that many guitar manufacturers are switching over to using Indian Rosewood because it’s a lot cheaper than both Honduran and Brazilian Rosewood, as it’s a lot more plentiful.
Regardless of the species, rosewood is an open-grained wood, which isn’t as smooth-running as Maple in ample boards. The strings on a Rosewood fretboard tend to be a lot easier to control when attempting to bend the strings or using vibrato. If you’re someone who is more interested in manipulating your guitar strings with certain playing techniques, you may find that it’s easier to control what your strings are doing on a Rosewood fretboard.
The process of maintaining a Rosewood fretboard is very similar to the steps that you follow to maintain an unfinished Maple fretboard, such as wiping down the fretboard with a dry cloth after a few hours of playing or after every playing session.
The only difficulty that comes with taking care of a Rosewood fretboard is that because the board is a darker colour, it’s more difficult to see when (and where) there is a buildup of dirt and grime that requires a deeper cleaning. It’s very important that if you’re playing on a Rosewood fretboard, to take a close examination of your fretboard every few weeks to ensure that there isn’t an excessive buildup of dirt or grease.
You clean and condition a Rosewood fretboard in the same manner that you clean and condition an unsealed maple fretboard, which is:
It is important to regularly care for and maintain your rosewood fretboard, as the wood is prone to dryness and cracking. Frequent cleaning and conditioning will ensure the wood does not dry out, and will, in turn, prevent cracks from forming (which can be very costly to fix).
Much like maple wood, there are both pros and cons to a rosewood fretboard. Here is a brief breakdown of the main points you need to know to help you pick the best one for you;
Taking in all the information about rosewood vs maple fretboards and making an informed decision about which is best can be challenging, as there is a lot of information to process.
Sometimes, it is easier to view things side by side, which is why we have put together the key characteristics of each fretboard type so you can get a clearer picture of what each one is like in action.
| Feature | Rosewood | Maple |
| Color | Dark red-brown hues, varying shades. | Light creamy white to yellowish. |
| Grain | Open-grained, visible pores. | Tight-grained, smooth appearance. |
| Feel | Natural, often feels "warmer" and more tactile. | Smooth, often finished, can feel slick. |
| Tone | Warm, rich, mellow, with pronounced midrange. | Bright, crisp, snappy, with clear articulation. |
| Playability | Easier string bending, good grip. | Faster playing, potential for "slick" feel, can be harder for bending. |
| Maintenance | Requires regular oiling and conditioning. | Finished: Easier cleaning. Unfinished: Requires more frequent cleaning and conditioning. |
| Durability | Generally durable, but susceptible to dryness and cracking. | Hard and durable, finished versions are very resilient. |
| Aesthetics | Classic, rich appearance. | Clean, bright, modern look. |
| Common Usage | Gibson, PRS, Ibanez. | Fender (especially Stratocaster and Telecaster). |
| Ethical Concerns | Some rosewood types are endangered, leading to significant ethical risk. | Less ethical concerns compared to rosewood. |
| Best for | Blues, jazz, and rock with emphasis on warm tones. | Rock, country, metal, and fast playing styles. |
As we talked about earlier, when it comes to choosing your guitar, the tonal production that the fretboard assists in shouldn’t be your only focus when looking to buy a new guitar. While the fretboard has the ability to influence the tone of your guitar, the tonewoods that are used for the body and the neck of the guitar are what have the biggest influence on a guitar’s tonal production.
So, forget about thinking that you need to choose a tonewood based on what sounds good and start thinking about picking out a fretboard that feels good in your hands. Both woods have their own unique properties, respond to touch differently, and respond to wear differently, which is why you’ll have guitarists rooting for one wood over the other on both sides.
In order to pick the right fretboard for you, there are several factors we recommend taking into account.
Rosewood and maple are both great options for fretboard materials, but they each come with their differences. While maple can be smooth, sleek and lend itself well to fast playing, some players enjoy the rich tone and tactile experience of playing a rosewood fretboard.
The bottom line is that there is no “better” choice; the right choice is the one that feels the best for you.
If you are purchasing a new guitar and are unsure as to which fretboard type is right for you, the best step you can take is to head to a store and try them out for yourself. Seeing and playing on each fretboard will give you a definitive answer as to which one is the best choice.
Do you have a preference already? Let us know in the comments below, and tell us why you prefer rosewood or maple as your fretboard material. If not, feel free to leave any comments or questions to see if anyone in our community can give you a hand!
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