Rosewood Vs. Maple Fretboard

I can only speak from personal experience on what I think is better, and in the end, its all subjective and a matter of preference. I typically use a Fender Stratocaster, which I thought should be mentioned.

What I have always found is that I liked the playability better on a Rosewood Fretboard. Something about the Rosewood being glued onto the maple neck gives this great feel in the hands and I feel like I’m capable of doing more. But on the other side, I prefer the affect on tone that a Maple Fretboard gives. In my opinion, its brighter sounding, and more favorable as well. But its seems tougher to play than the Rosewood board.

On my Strat, I have the best of both worlds. I’m playing on a Fender 1968 Reissue Stratocaster. During that time period, Fender was making what was called a Maple Capped Neck. What this means is that they took a maple neck, and a separate piece of maple and slapped that on as the fret board much like they would do for a Rosewood fret board. So now I get the playability of a Rosewood board, but with the tone of a Maple board! Couldn’t be happier.

In the end, its all what you prefer. I have a few strats with both options, and while I have a number 1, I still play them all and like them individually. If you are trying to decide which to go for, I would recommend to go to your local music store and give both a try and judge it on what feels the most comfortable for you. Hope this helps!