You’ll often see a maple neck on a Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster as well as a selection of bass guitars. Maple, as pictured here on the Fender American Elite Telecaster, is a lighter coloured wood with smaller pores and a thinner grain lines, and can often be described as having a “flamed” or “birdseye” appearance.
Herein, are maple necks brighter?
(a) Maple just isn’t that bright sounding of a wood to start with, (other makers have said similar things). It’s actually fairly neutral. Hard ebony, and especially Pau Ferro, can be very bright. (b) Most ‘bright’ Fender guitars remain bright when we swap necks, if they are set-up the same.
Subsequently, do maple guitars sound good? In addition to its stunning visual appeal, maple is also a highly regarded tonewood. The tone and sound maple instruments produce are unique because the tonewood has amazing strength and is quite dense. The unique curls or strips in the bigleaf maple wood make it visually appealing and desired by instrument builders.
Likewise, does a maple fretboard feel different?
It feels like playing on glass or hard smooth plastic, and tend to be relatively slick. Maple with a satin/oil/raw finish feels more or less like bare wood, which is still quite smooth but has some texture to it.
Does fretboard wood affect tone?
The neck wood affects the tone of a guitar by impacting the way that the vibrations produced by the strings behave. Denser neck woods, like maple sound brighter and have less sustain. Mahogany on the other hand, produces a warmer and darker tone with better resonance and sustain.
Is maple a good wood for a fretboard?
While there are several differences between the two species of maple, both of these woods are sturdy, hard, and make a wonderful fretboard material to use for fretboards. Hard maple is heavier and harder than silver maple (AKA soft maple) but does tend to be a lot more expensive than silver maple is.
Is maple good for guitar bodies?
Maple tonewood also provides excellent separation allowing each individual note in a chord to sound clear without blurring together. Because it is such a strong wood, hard maple can be used for solid bodies, laminate tops, necks and fingerboards.
Is maple guitar heavy?
Also, due to its density, it’s heavy. It also reflects resonance really well so if a non-vibrating guitar body is your thing then have at it! An experience I learned from involved playing a 57 Black Beauty from Gibson with a Mahogany Top.
Is maple neck good for guitar?
Maple Fretboard Sound and Characteristics
Maple is a dense, hard tonewood that produces bright, snappy tones. In the context of a guitar fretboard, this means precise, articulate notes with good bite and a tight low end. Maple fingerboards are often paired with maple necks and brighter body tonewoods like alder.
Which fretboard material is best?
Rosewood fretboards are generally favored by players who are looking for a warm sound, or by those who wish to tame the harsh highs on a bright sounding guitar. Another reason to choose rosewood is for the smooth playing experience thanks to it not needing a sticky feeling finish.
Why do old guitars sound better?
Older guitars often sound better than newer ones as they dry out over time which causes them to become harder leading to a more resonant tone with better sustain. The increase in age affects the tone more in acoustic guitars than electric ones.