Maple or other fretboard on a new neck for my Fender strat

[smjenkins]

I've got an american deluxe strat that looks like this one.  Yes, I've already ditched the SCN pickups and put custom shop 69's in it.  Anyway, I want to get a new neck with the wizard profile since I like thin necks (I know, I know).  Currently it's got a rosewood fretboard, but I'm torn between getting a maple one as it seems like a more clean, traditional strat look.  Other things I'm considering are zircote or goncalo alves.  In any case, the new one will have a CBS headstock.  What's the opinion of the masses?

   

or

 

[Mor Paul]

Ziricote will be fantastic.

 

[Paul-less]

On a maple neck, I've always thought there are two correct answers....

Ebony fretboard

or

1 piece maple neck w/ skunk stripe


I personally think maple. I will, however, request that save the old neck, incase you want to sell the thing in the future. Also, PLEASE don't put phony Fender stickers on the headstock of the warmoth. Bad karma....

 

[smjenkins]

r'oh, already invoking some bad karma on my other builds.    It's pretty clear where I fall on the Fender logo vs. not discussion.

 

[Paul-less]

Oh well. You live with your decisions. If it makes you feel any better, when I had an empty mid position on my strat, I had LED's in there. I quickly removed that after the initial "coolness" wore off.

Anyways, your decals look nice. I especially like that it's CBS headstocks....

 

[Mor Paul]

I'm pretty sure a powerful force like Karma wouldn't care if you put a logo on a neck.  :laughing7:

And I'm surprised there's no ziricote or goncalo alves in the showcase.

 

[dNA]

Honestly, i think that second one with the all-maple neck in an untinted finish looks beautiful. it's almost white

 

[NLD09]

I think it needs vintage tint birdseye maple.

 

[line6man]

ANYTHING but boring Maple and Rosewood boards.

I say Goncalo.

 

[m4rk0]

Brazilian!! I also like the looks of Kingwood... never played anything with a Kingwood fb though

 

[Cagey]

Maple fingerboards look nice and they sound good as well. But, you have to have a finish on them, which not only feels weird, it wears off and gets ugly if you play a lot. Ziricote, Kingwood, Pau Ferro and Ebony are all very hard, feel good, look good, have the bright, articulate quality of maple while not requiring finishes. None of those are nearly as common as Rosewood.

 

[Paul-less]

Wait 20 years, maple boards are beautiful in their own right

 

[Cagey]

You're right; Maple 'boards are beautiful. Some of them exceptionally so. But, after 20 years you'll be lucky if it looks this good...

While most of the unfinished hardwoods used for fingerboards will still look great. Plus, you won't have to have played on a finish all that time.

 

[Paul-less]

that's what I'm saying. After 20 years, maple boards only look better!

 

[Superlizard]

I've got an american deluxe strat that looks like this one.  Yes, I've already ditched the SCN pickups and put custom shop 69's in it.  Anyway, I want to get a new neck with the wizard profile since I like thin necks (I know, I know).  Currently it's got a rosewood fretboard, but I'm torn between getting a maple one as it seems like a more clean, traditional strat look.  Other things I'm considering are zircote or goncalo alves.   In any case, the new one will have a CBS headstock.  What's the opinion of the masses?

   

Niiiiiiiice.

See how the tortoiseshell pickguard matches up with the rosewood fretboard, and the plastics match the body paint.

 

[Cagey]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, eh? <grin>

 

[Paul-less]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, eh? <grin>

Why, thank you!

 

[AprioriMark]

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, eh? <grin>

Fixed that for you.

-MArk

 

[Cagey]

Hehe! Thanks! Had a brain fart, there... <grin>

 

[DangerousR6]

I'd go with an all ziricote neck-fretboard combo, or a wenge-ziricote combo.  The dark headsock will fit well with the wht body, and the little bit extra for the wenge or ziricote neck shaft will still be cheaper than having a maple neck finished.