Fretboard Preference

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

Myself, I prefer Ebony, but Acrylic comes in a close 2nd and is rising...it may eventually become my favorite.

I tend to like Pao Ferro, I think. It looks so much like a light Rosewood that I'm not 100% sure when I've played on it, but the ones I knew were Pao Ferro were much better than Rosewood, in my opinion.

Maple is next. I like it okay, but it tends to show dirt more and I think it wears away faster.

Last is Rosewood. I don't like Rosewood because it seems to drag on the strings and slow me down. Maybe it adds something to the tone, but not that I've noticed.

I'm kinda stuck with it, though, because it seems to be the wood of choice on 80% of the guitars out there.

[Feynman]

Gimme me a big smooth slab of ebony any day. Delete any inlays while you're at it.

In all honesty, though, it really just depends on the guitar. I like them all.

I like ebony for Gibsonesque humbuckery things.

I like rosewood board Strats.

I like ebony or maple on shredders.

I dig the composite Parker board.

[silentman]

Visually ebony. Feel - no difference IMO

[lord nelson]

Ebony. I like it hard

[cmatthes]

I'm also a fan of ebony - on basses and guitars. I guess rosewood would be next, then maple, but it really depends on the guitar. I don't like Pau Ferro generally.

[serial]

I'm with Lou, except that I hate pau ferro unless it's on a Rick.

I dig the look and feel of ebony, but none make any difference in my ability to suck.

[atquinn]

Ebony all the way. I like how it feels. Pau Ferro and rosewood are o.k. too. Don't like the way that finished maple feels although I had a bass with a maple fretboard and it was fine.

-

Austin

[zorrow]

Rosewood here. Ebony is too polished for my tastes, even if I own two guitars with ebony fretboards.

[Steve Haynie]

Most of my guitars have rosewood fretboards. That must be a sign.

For bolt-on bass necks maple is the way to go.

[harry65]

maple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[velorush]

Buckers - ebony or rosewood

Singles - maple

[dboy66]

I'm with Lou, except that I hate pau ferro unless it's on a Rick.

I dig the look and feel of ebony, but none make any difference in my ability to suck.

hahahaha! +1

[Aceldama]

Rosewood. Can't stand the sticky feel of maple. Not much experience with ebony.

[Hackubus]

Rosewood. Ebony 2nd. Can't stand maple fretboards.

[bubs_42]

I love Ebony but I never seem to snag a guitar with Ebony. So since I have like 10 guitars with Rosewood i'll say Rosewood.

[Armitage]

Ebony, then rosewood... only because of their looks. I can't say I feel/ hear a difference but I'm not saying others can't/don't.

[Hamer Time]

I don't 'feel' a difference either, there is far more I notice between gits playability than the fretboard.

I do hear the sound though...

For example I have an Ebony fretboard Ovation, my Daytona is Maple and my XT Sunburst is Rosewood.

The Ebony adds crispness and snap to the otherwise bass heavy 'O' 1778T.

The Maple makes my Daytona much brighter than Rose would (rosewood lol) which is what I wanted from a 'Strat' style git.

And the Rosewood on my Seymour Duncan P90 loaded XT helps it sound warm, fat and vintage, like it should.

So I have no favourite fretboard really, just the right one for my needs I guess.

[tommy p]

Ebony, then rosewood... only because of their looks. I can't say I feel/ hear a difference but I'm not saying others can't/don't.

My thoughts exactly.

[Thundersteel]

It doesn't really matter to me, though I prefer maple on Strats or G&Ls.

[Caddie]

1) ebony

2) pao ferro

3) maple

4) rosewood

Why is rosewood so common? Is it cheaper than the others? More consistent? Easier to work with? More popular and thus helps sell more guitars?

[Rodan]

I love ebony and composite/phenolic is amazing for slickery ease of movement...

And I've never played on a cocobolo board, but i think if it felt like sandpaper, I'd still choose it for the look!! Actually, it's dense, hard and oily, innit? One of these days...

[Rocktuna]

Maple, but it's got to be unfinished.

Then rosewood but the ebony board on my Les Paul has to be the fastest board I've ever played

[HSB0531]

3 rosewood

3 maple

3 ebony

Prefer Ebony, then maple.

I like the look of rosewood, but I don't like the feel of it and it seems to add a warmer if not duller sound.

[JohnnyB]

I suspect that pao ferro doesn't rank higher because many people haven't played it, or there's too much variety in how it feels.

For me it depends on the guitar or bass. I have a fretless ebony bass and wouldn't trade it for anything. However, I've played a Music Man fretless pao ferro and the grain was so dense and tight it felt like a polymer, yet still organic unlike ebonol. Liked it a lot, maybe more than ebony.

And then I had a maple board ash-bodied G&L Legacy Special that I wish I had back. I do still have an alder/maple board regular Legacy though. Those play really nice.

If only considering feel, I'd have to go with ebony or pao ferro.

[BCR Greg]

Morning.