Tele-style guitars for Jazz --- Rosewood vs Maple necks? My quest...

Steve Z · #1 11-13-2011, 03:58 PM

Any tonal difference in a tele-style neck... rosewood vs. maple?

I have read a lot on the subject and it seems that most believe there is no real tonal difference, most info from the Telecaster Forum where they want twang. I know strings thickness, string height et. all make a difference, but all things the same... Does it still hold true for those of us desiring a fuller jazz tone that rosewood vs maple on a tele is a non-issue?

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Here is my story of tele-style G.A.S. and continue saga of "Grass is always greener" and "if I only had that guitar"

I am back to playing my '95 G&L ASAT Classic (maple neck and back body contouring -- also known as a "tummy cut"). I absolutely love the neck on this thing and the back body contour is extremely comfortable. I bought the guitar new and have since tried finding another with a rosewood neck either as a thineline body or solid body with back body contour to match my current ASAT.

A while back I did find a '97 thinline ASAT w/ maple neck that was gorgeous, but I could never bond with the slightly different width neck. The '97 had a 4-bolt neck, while my '95 has a 3-bolt neck, which is slightly narrower around the 12th fret and more comfortable to me. So I sold the thinline and continue the quest for an ASAT that is identical to mine except with a rosewood neck... 3-bolt, #2 neck.

I did find one through YouTube that was actually only 9 numbers off of my serial number that was located in Australia... too bad the video was posted in Jan 2011 and I just found it last week. This has renewed my desire to find "that other guitar" so I could also have the ASAT I really enjoy playing, but also with a rosewood neck.

Is there a difference in a rosewood vs maple neck in tone or am I just dealing with the normal guitar players G.A.S.?

My Guitars... Thinline (sold, but very much missed... I added the humbucker) and the keeper next to it.

Video of the one that got away... and yes, I would have paid to have the guitar shipped back to the U.S.

YouTube Video

Cheers,
Steve

mr. beaumont · #2 11-13-2011, 04:15 PM

Complete non issue. Play what feels good to you.

Those G&L's are gorgeous...both the keeper and the other.

Tom Karol · #3 11-13-2011, 04:18 PM

I agree on both counts:
1) G&L ASATs are really nice.
2) Maple vs. Rosewood fingerboard is a non-issue.

Al_F · #4 11-13-2011, 04:39 PM

Maple necks look very nice on tele!

robertm2000 · #5 11-13-2011, 05:22 PM

Not much if any difference in sound. Somewhat of a difference in playing. My hands sweat a bit when I play, the rosewood seems to - I'm guessing here - evaporate the moisture a little quicker and it's easier to play than the maple.

mr. beaumont · #6 11-13-2011, 05:36 PM

Yeah, robert, I think feel is a completely legit difference between the two.

Tom Karol · #7 11-13-2011, 06:40 PM

OK, I have to agree on that point. When I play outdoors in the summer and it's humid, the maple neck (satin finish) and fingerboard on my 'Tele' does get to feeling a bit more 'sticky' than the one I used to have with a rosewood board.

Jim Soloway · #8 11-13-2011, 06:47 PM

I think there is likely to a bit of a difference in tone but it's not nearly as big as the difference between a swamp ash body and an alder body. There is, however, a very big difference in feel between a maple board and a rosewood board and given how uncomfortable a small change in feel made for you, I would suggest not making changes just for the sake of tryng and stick with the maple board you already know you like.

tonedeaf · #9 11-13-2011, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertm2000

Not much if any difference in sound. Somewhat of a difference in playing. My hands sweat a bit when I play, the rosewood seems to - I'm guessing here - evaporate the moisture a little quicker and it's easier to play than the maple.

Are the fingerboards on a rosewood Tele urethaned (or poly whatevered) like the maple necks? I have a Thinline Reissue and I like the neck but I believe I would like it a lot better if it was oiled rosewood.

morroben · #10 11-13-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonedeaf

Are the fingerboards on a rosewood Tele urethaned (or poly whatevered) like the maple necks? I have a Thinline Reissue and I like the neck but I believe I would like it a lot better if it was oiled rosewood.

And this just goes to show, different strokes for different folks. The neck on my Thinline RI is my favorite stock tele neck available. I wish it was oiled rather than poly, but I take sandpaper to the back of the neck every time I change strings just to keep a little more satin-y feel.
FWIW, rosewood is oiled, sometimes dyed, but not "finished" poly or lacquer. This is why it's a good idea to oil them every once in a while. So Robert's experience with sweaty hands and rosewood probably is absorption rather than evaporation. Either way, he's completely right that it comes down to feel.
My preference is oiled maple. Kinda the best of both worlds. They're not very common in production line guitars. Ernie Ball/Music Man does it. I do it on my homemade stuff.
In the end, it's all about feel.

Atticus · #11 11-13-2011, 09:36 PM

I'm sure there's a luthier out there who can make you a rosewood neck to attach to your current guitar if it means that much to have one, but I don't think it makes a large difference in tone in the scheme of things.

merritt stone · #12 11-13-2011, 09:44 PM

You might notice a slightly warmer, rounder tone, but it won't be much. How a wood affects tone has a lot to do with density, so even within a species it can vary greatly. Go with what feels better though.

FWIW I have a MIJ one piece maple neck/fingerboard tele and I'm in love with it.

morroben · #13 11-13-2011, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atticus

I'm sure there's a luthier out there who can make you a rosewood neck to attach to your current guitar if it means that much to have one, but I don't think it makes a large difference in tone in the scheme of things.

This is a great point. Places like Warmoth and USACG make aftermarket necks and you can get very specific about design in your order. Pick your wood, finish, radius, frets, neck profile etc. Or a private luthier could do it as well.

Steve Z · #14 11-14-2011, 08:29 AM

Great comments! Thanks.

Regarding changing the neck from an after market, that sounds great except all the after markets are for Fenders. I am not sure if there is just not a demand for G&L replacement necks or G&L has somehow prevented Warmth and others from making necks to fit ASAT bodies... odd.

Oh, well. Great info in this thread for all.

Cheers,
Steve

stevedenver · #15 11-14-2011, 09:56 AM

i too firmly beleive that IF theres any difference in tone soley due to the board-i have never heard it-i have heard the whole ebony rosewood maple lore-and while these tone attributes are real for bodies, rosewood and maple versus mahog)

ive got many teles strats and LPs with different boards and cannto attribute any tone difference soley to the board material

that being said
i have a boutique 53 tele clone-super light ash with a maple boad and flatpole pickups-i wish i had a rosewood board-for feel and aesthetics

go for what you like

if you like rosewood ebony-and are used to that-

if you like maple and are used to that ...go for it

and having only this weekend shopped warmoth for a rosewoood neck to swap with my original maple-looking at the cost, i think ill tough out my maple -for a ready to go neck, nut cut, frets, shape and etc-they are rather pricey IMHO-

Flyin' Brian · #16 11-14-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Complete non issue. Play what feels good to you.

Yep. I don't care for maple fingerboards at all, but I seem to be in the minority when it comes to Teles. I like rosewood and ebony boards.

tonedeaf · #17 11-14-2011, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atticus

I'm sure there's a luthier out there who can make you a rosewood neck to attach to your current guitar if it means that much to have one, but I don't think it makes a large difference in tone in the scheme of things.

Actually, I was thinking more about the play-ability than the tone. My fingers just don't seem to move as nicely across the poly'ed finish. I have seen several mentions of people sanding the back of the neck. Does anyone sand the fret side to get a surface with better "glide"?

bohemian46 · #18 11-14-2011, 08:14 PM

I play Teles.. I much prefer rosewood over maple.

I do not care for the feel of the finish over maple and don't care for the maple once the finish is worn down.

That said I prefer ebony over either.

Were I to order a G&L it would be a Blues Boy with a 1 3/4 ebony board..
available for a modest upcharge.

As to tonal differences between the three.. on a Tele ? Many other factors nullify any effect from the fingerboard.

Once again I will call up the coke/pepsi test and suggest that an audience of Tele players listening to a player behind a curtain.. would do no better than 50% is guessing the wood on the fingerboard.

RonD · #19 11-14-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bohemian46

Once again I will call up the coke/pepsi test and suggest that an audience of Tele players listening to a player behind a curtain.. would do no better than 50% is guessing the wood on the fingerboard.

Yet, so many will claim to be able to... gotta love guitar players.

Keira Witherkay · #20 11-17-2011, 06:13 PM

i also at times play a tele for jazz ( Fender American standard ) and it has a maple neck ....... and i can get a fat warm tone out of it ........ so thats all that matters........ anyway i love the look of a tele with a maple neck ..... the rosewood neck on a tele looks wrong to me...like seeing a les paul with a maple neck .......... BUT thats just me ....... as so many have said above ."buy what you like.........what speaks to you"