White Strats - Fingerboard Opinions

[jeffreywt]

Do you like maple or rosewood (aka light or dark) fingerboards on a white-ish strat? Don't forget vintage tint if you prefer that. I cannot decide on a neck.

If this is the wrong section forgive me. If i can get over a few speed bumps, my queries will morph into a build I'm planning.

Thanks!

 

[line6man]

Depending on the shade of white, white bodies work with absolutely anything. (The same with black bodies.)

Maple needs a finish, Rosewood is boring. Do something cool.
Someone here did a white Strat with a Bloodwood fretboard a while back, and it was very classy.
Mullyman's Guitar of The Month winning white Strat had a Maccasar Ebony board, IIRC, which had a cool stripe in the grain.

 

[DangerousR6]

Ziricote

:icon_thumright:

 

[bagman67]

Ziricote

:icon_thumright:

BOING!!!!​

 

[DangerousR6]

Ziricote

:icon_thumright:

BOING!!!!​

 

[Tonar8352]

Here is a thread I did a long time ago showing different neck and pickguard options on an oly-white strat. This might help.
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=755.0

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Well, this is one of the times I feel reasonable about showing off one of the kids.  I have a Mary Kaye finished strat with a Bocote neck.  It is kind of darker wood neck, but doesn't seem to be as dark as a full on rosewood neck.  There is a bit of yellow in the neck which lightens it up.



Click on the picture to go to the thread with more pictures.
Patrick

 

[Ace Flibble]

If it's bright white, I prefer maple. Bright white body, solid white gloss pickguard, white plastics, chrome hardware, all-maple neck with no tint (especially not Warmoth's tint, which is basically bright yellow). Great clean look.

If it's an off-white of any description then I'd go with rosewood or a similar, dark fretboard wood.

 

[Steve_Karl]

I'd pick for tone and feel rather than looks.

 

[Danuda]

I am with Ace.  If it is a bright white strat, maple with a clear coat and no tint looks the best.

 

[llmtelecaster]

Most definitely NOT maple. A white body with maple neck has no visual pop to it. And don't let anybody tell you rosewood is boring, whatever that's supposed to mean anyway. It's a beautiful sounding wood that's proven its merit for decades. I have a vintage white W strat body with maple/rosewood neck and I think it's my best-looking guitar.

 

[pabloman]

All maple with a CBS headstock :headbang1:

 

[Cagey]

And don't let anybody tell you rosewood is boring, whatever that's supposed to mean anyway. It's a beautiful sounding wood that's proven its merit for decades. I have a vintage white W strat body with maple/rosewood neck and I think it's my best-looking guitar.

I think he meant to say "common". Everybody and their brother has a rosewood fingerboard somewhere. They even put them on cheap student guitars. So, they're nothing to write home about. But, the reason it's so common (at least, some varieties) is it's a fairly abundant (and inexpensive) wood that wears extremely well.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned ebony yet. Black against white is a classic matchup.

That's jet black ebony over pau ferro, SS 6100 frets, black TUSQ nut, Schaller mini-locker tuners.

 

[MikeW]

My current #1 is a white strat with maple/maple and all black p-ups and hardware. I really like the contrast between the white body, the cool tan of the maple and the starkness of the black hardware.

I debated going with an ebony fingerboard for this build. I think that would have turned out really nicely too.

 

[jeffreywt]

Thanks for all the responses. I must say I do prefer the playability of rosewood. I'm still not decided but leaning towards it.

Now that I have broken the ice, I'll drop this for your consideration. I'm planning to build a glow in the dark strat with mint pickguard. I figure it will be white-ish in the daytime.

My next decisions are going to be hardware and electronics.

Thanks for the overwhelming response.  :blob7:

 

[ptirman]

I think you should get glow n the dark binding for a rosewood neck and then get those neon strings!
I'm being serious.

 

[back2thefutre]

I vote Bloodwood

 

[jeffreywt]

I think you should get glow n the dark binding for a rosewood neck and then get those neon strings!
I'm being serious.

Erm.. I was thinking about flying saucers when the notion of the glow in the dark finish hit me. I don't want it to look like a neon sign. I'm still aiming for a vintage strat look, at least in the daytime.