PRS without rosewood fretboards

[GibsonLives]

Afternoon, all. I'm new to the forum, as well as a recent first-time PRS owner. In over 30 years of playing, I've certainly had the opportunity to try a PRS from time to time, but was always more of a Fender/Gibson guy.

One thing which turned me off to the brand right off the bat is that over 99% of them seem to use rosewood for their boards, and I've just never been a fan. Then, I found this at MusicStoreLive:

(Hopefully, the pic posts, but just in case it doesn't, what I bought is a PRS 30th. Anniversary Custom 24, honey finish, with flamed maple neck/fretboard.)

Does anyone else own and/or prefer a PRS with a non-rosewood fingerboard? Would you care to share pics.? Just curious. I absolutely love mine in every detail. Sweet guitar, from a brand that I finally came around to after more than three decades.

Thanks in advance for sharing.

Steve

 

[Robert Carr]

I've got a Maple Neck and an Ebony fretboard. That's my Custom 24 in the middle.

http://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/hanging-around.17990/

 

[bodia]

Welcome aboard Steve!

I'm with Mr. Carr, I have a Wood Library Cu24 with a maple neck and ebony board. Love it! I do have two project CE's in the works (for a looooooong time) that will both have maple/maple necks when they're done.

Congrats on a stellar NGD too!

 

[GibsonLives]

Very nice, Robert!

Thanks, bodia. Got any pics.?

In case anyone is wondering, MSL still has a few CU24s with maple, and also some with ebony boards. I haven't seen American PRS with maple offered anywhere else.

Keep the pics./stories comijg, folks .

Steve

 

[AP515]

I can't adjust to a Fender with a rosewood fretboard. It has to have maple. So I understand when you needed a PRS to have maple. Your new one looks fabulous! Enjoy it.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I bought a couple of SEs with ebony boards.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I'm more fond of how they play, but my favourite neck happens to be a maple neck with maple fretboard. It looks just like that one only purple. Also, I had to get mine from Japan, and it wasn't a 30th anniversary, so it has the USA-made HFS/VB combination...for now...getting some Fralins for 'em, just need to decide on which ones...probably sunbuckers or P-92s.

 

[veinbuster]

I don't have photo locations handy but have maple, koa, African Blackwood and ebony fretboards. Also cocobolo, which I love but really is much like rosewood in sound.

 

[bodia]

Very nice, Robert!

Thanks, bodia. Got any pics.?

In case anyone is wondering, MSL still has a few CU24s with maple, and also some with ebony boards. I haven't seen American PRS with maple offered anywhere else.

Keep the pics./stories comijg, folks .

Steve

Here are a couple. I also got mine from MSL, just over a year ago.

 

[django49]

I generally prefer a rosewood board, typically with either a mahogany or rosewood neck.That said, my 513 (Artist Package) with maple neck and board is superb. But then so are my similarly equipped Swamp Ash Studio and my older Swamp Ash Special, even if I do not play them nearly enough.

 

[GibsonLives]

Awesome stories and guitars, folks - thanks!

I wrote up a full review of mine under the username GibsonLives on TGP. One of these days, I'll copy and paste the text into this forum.

Steve

 

[shinksma]

Awesome stories and guitars, folks - thanks!

I wrote up a full review of mine under the username GibsonLives on TGP. One of these days, I'll copy and paste the text into this forum.

Steve

Please do! I can't access TGP from uh, work (shhh!), and I just don't sit in front of a computer at home very much - Saturday/Sunday mornings over coffee, sometimes.

 

[shinksma]

Oh yeah, about maple fretboards (or at least non-rosewood fretboards):

My first useful electric guitar had a rosewood board. That's what I learned to play on, so it was what I knew. I purposely got a (MIM Squier) Strat with a maple neck and board to get that whole Gilmour-esque feel. And I really liked it - seemed to allow me to play faster as well as offering a different tone.

I will admit most of my PRSi have rosewood boards, but I have a couple with maple, a few with ebony, and one with Brazilian rosewood, which feels a lot more like ebony, I must admit. Latest family shot, missing only the Brazzy McSoapy Korina:

 

[clasbtenn]

Welcome GibsonLives.
I have played bolt-on neck guitars but have found that specific types are what I prefer for specific tones.
I like ash body teles with maple necks, and alder body strats with either rosewood or maple necks. I take each on a case-by-case basis depending on the how the tone is on each guitar.

As for PRS guitars, I have not had a chance to try a maple neck model. Since they are more in the line of a glued in neck for the majority of the line, the rosewood or ebony fret boards are my preference. Again, I take each guitar on a case-by-case basis since they all vary to a degree.

I hope you enjoy your new PRS. it looks really nice.

 

[GibsonLives]

Shinksma, damn! That's a collection...and what's the story on the bright blue one with maple? Pic's a bit small, and I haven't figured out all the different models yet.

Yes, I was surprised to learn Brazilian rosewood is still in regular use. Feels more like ebony, you say? Hmmmmm, might have to check one out. A single-cut with Brazilian (or ebony) could be a serious LP-killer (as if Gibson itself hasn't done a good enough job of killing off the LP already lol).

Steve

 

[Roger Roy]

Here were mine, still have the pink but the abalone is gone

 

[Whitecat]

My PS Starla has an ebony board and my WL CU24 has an African Blackwood board. I do honestly prefer both to "regular" rosewood, but I think there's an "exotic/it's just different" factor at work. There's nothing particularly wrong with RW (especially when the neck is also made of same, in which case it's a next-level awesome happening!)

 

[shinksma]

Shinksma, damn! That's a collection...and what's the story on the bright blue one with maple? Pic's a bit small, and I haven't figured out all the different models yet.

Yes, I was surprised to learn Brazilian rosewood is still in regular use. Feels more like ebony, you say? Hmmmmm, might have to check one out. A single-cut with Brazilian (or ebony) could be a serious LP-killer (as if Gibson itself hasn't done a good enough job of killing off the LP already lol).

Steve

The blue w/ maple neck is a Swamp Ash Special - the "2nd Gen" version with Humbucker-Rail-Humbucker and 5-way blade switch. The 1st Gen had a 3-way toggle instead of the blade, and the 3rd Gen had NarrowField pups. At least, that is how I classify the SAS evolution.

I wouldn't say the Brazzy RW is is "regular use". My Brazzy McKorina started manufacturing in 2008, then was finally released in 2013 after the "confusion" with the provenance of the Brazzy wood was "sorted out". But you can't get it on a regular core, you have to move up to Artist Package or perhaps a Dealer special run known as a Wood Library (either of which is still cheaper than Private Stock!).

Yeah, to me it feels closer to Ebony (compared to regular Indian RW) - the grain is more closed, and the wood feels harder, resulting in a slicker feel. Maybe it's all placebo, but I like it.

 

[GibsonLives]

Yeah, regular RW feels grainer/grittier to me than either ebony or maple, but I've never done the blind test, so who knows what exactly sways me one way or another?

Thanks for the info on Brazilian. "Regular use" probably wasn't the best term; frankly, I didn't until quite recently know it still got used at all.

Steve

 

[The Fight]

Here were mine, still have the pink but the abalone is gone

Strait up pimp! Those look absolutely gorgeous. Floyd rose guy myself, I've been gassing for one of those maple neck/ floyd for a wile now.