exotic fret board woods-which feels most

[kbobb]

like maple and least like rosewood?
love my maple 'board strat but looking for a different/exotic wood with the same feel as maple.  I don't care about the sonic qualities just the feel especially bends, pull offs, slides etc.  I have an Epi LP and really DO NOT like rosewood.

thanks

 

[AirCap]

I play frets, not fretboards.

 

[amigarobbo]

Won't they all feel the same if they're varnished?

 

[maxahills]

For starters, why do you dislike the rosewood?

Too Soft? Dislike the tone? Dislike the look?

Maple especially when finished is very jangly and bright in its tone and hard to the touch, whereas Rosewood is warm sounding and soft to the touch. On the Warmoth site you can click on more info about the neck/fretboard woods.. and you would want to find something that is rated on the BRIGHT to WARM scale as similarly as possible to Maple. Thus.. bright.

Have you tried ebony?

 

[Logrinn]

I'm sure it's a question of playing style/technique and fret height, but I too would second AirCap's reply: I don't feel the fretboard when I'm playing.

And I would also say what amigarobbo said: Ebony! The missing link between maple and rosewood. You should definitely try that.

 

[kbobb]

what do you mean you play frets not fretboards?  I'm confused.. do you put your fingertip right on the fret wire and never touch the wood? every lesson or player i've seen says to put your fingertip on the fretboard right behind the fret so that means fingertips touch wood.  Maple feels nice and smooth.

I don't like rosewood because it feels woody/rough, not smooth, at least on the guitar i have.

Thanks for the tip on ebony - i will try to play a guitar with that wood on the neck.

 

[musicispeace]

I feel the fretboard when I play and as long as it is not covered in a finish I am happy. My two cents worth is to try raw, roasted maple. It will feel REALLY smooth yet be in the same sounding neighborhood you know and already like. Ebony will be very, very smooth feeling because of how hard it is. I get the appeal of that but personally have not taken to the tad bit of crispness it seems to add to the attack of the note. (getting into super subjective territory, of course) Pau Ferro is another wood harder than rosewood and seems to be pretty smooth feeling that would not be a million miles away from what you may be used to experiencing/hearing.

I have a Bubinga neck/fretboard that I like a great deal. Very smooth. The more porous woods seem to be rosewood, Goncalo, Wenge. I personnally love rosewood for many reasons and it is my personal favorite but I know to each their own regarding their own guitar(s). I think roasted maple without a finish would be worth a serious consideration in your case.

 

[AirCap]

what do you mean you play frets not fretboards?  I'm confused..

It's called a light touch. Guitars with super jumbo frets are so tall the players fingers never touches wood. If it actually does, he's bending every note sharp.

 

[stratamania]

Or taken a step further, if you have a scalloped fretboard regardless of what it is made of you will never feel any wood under your finger tips. A light controlled touch is required.

 

[kbobb]

It's called a light touch. Guitars with super jumbo frets are so tall the players fingers never touches wood. If it actually does, he's bending every note sharp.
[/quote]

gotcha - tried it but I got pretty beefy hands - bear paw- like and my fingertips are pretty big - its difficult to limit them to just one string most of the time so there is flesh on  the wood most of the time.

Anyhow going to try an ebony board but do you know of any other exotic woods that feel like maple?

 

[musicispeace]

As noted, roasted maple and it does not need a finish.

 

[Cagey]

A Maple (unless it's roasted) fretboard doesn't feel like Maple, it feels like polyurethane. So, you'd want something very dense and smooth. Ebony fits that bill, as does Pau Ferro, Bloodwood, Kingwood, Ziricote and of course, roasted Maple.

Ziricote can be a very interesting wood if you wanna go dark - be sure to check the "unique choice" offerings for some unusual grain patterns you won't see in other species. Kingwood is pretty interesting as well. I'm surprised more people don't choose either of those.

In all cases, the effect is enhanced if you can burnish the fretboard before installing the frets. Since the neck meat for such a neck is likely to be raw as well, you can burnish the entire neck for a feel that's just sublime. If you don't do fretwork, I know a guy who knows a guy... :laughing7:

 

[TBurst Std]

Also consider Canary.

 

[Strat Avenger]

If you can feel the fretboard on a fretted instrument, you're doing something wrong.
I like maple, rosewood, and ebony all equally. I choose fretboard material based on how it looks with the color or finish of the body. And no, it does not affect the tone of an electric guitar.

 

[AirCap]

And no, it does not affect the tone of an electric guitar.

Umm - not the sustained tone, but does affect the quickness of attack in the notes.

 

[stratamania]

If you can feel the fretboard on a fretted instrument, you're doing something wrong.

This is not always the case and cant really be stated as an absolute. If a guitar has relatively low frets and a person has larger fingers, even though they may be employing a light touch it is possible that part of the pad of the finger will feel the fingerboard.

A case in point if you have a tele with standard frets that Fender puts in and are doing a double stop country type bend, due to the angles that the fingers will form while creating and holding the bend the board can be felt. Whether all players will notice it is another thing.

It is of course much less likely to happen with jumbo frets or scalloped boards, but on instruments with vintage style frets its a different story.

 

[mayfly]

If you can feel the fretboard on a fretted instrument, you're doing something wrong.

No so sure about that.  When I'm doing double bends I can certainty feel the fretboard.  Not that I find the actual feel of the board to be much of a significance mind you...

 

[Cagey]

I like a good fretboard. I use monster frets, but I still feel the 'board. Plus, I see it, and I like looking at a premium hunk of lumber. Kinda like that old saying about food: you eat with your eyes first.

 

[Strat Avenger]

And no, it does not affect the tone of an electric guitar.

Umm - not the sustained tone, but does affect the quickness of attack in the notes.

No, it doesn't affect that either. And it's been proven.

 

[JD0x0]

My fingers touch the fretboard a lot, even with a light touch. I dont bend notes sharp from pressure... It's because my finger tips are relatively soft so the string sort of sinks into them a bit, and brings them closer to the fretboard especially with frets that aren't especially tall.