Which fretboard to get on Brent Mason Sig?

[fjs1962]

I recently picked up a Paul's Guitar and fell in love with the 408 pickups and the Pattern neck. So much so that I'm thinking about getting a Brent Mason Sig to have another flavor, something a little more "Fender" I guess.

I can't decide between maple or RW fretboard though. I like the look and feel of a rosewood board, but in the past I've always liked the tone and "snap" of maple on Fenders. So my question is to anyone who's had a chance to try both on a Brent, which do you prefer and why? Is there a big tonal difference between the two, or is it more about the look and feel?

 

[themike]

Im a sucker for Maple and think it should be offered on more models outside of the AP!

 

[John Beef]

I also really dig a good ol' fashioned maple fretboard. Those two guitars together... very similar electronics (save the 305 middle coil on the Mason) but wildly different specs otherwise, I think they'd make a great pair.

 

[WEDGE]

Yeah maple goes perfectly with a spanky guitar, hell with any guitar but seems right on that one.

 

[Fro]

It depends on the body finish on which I'd pick. My Brent Mason sig has the McCarty sunset burst with the rosewood neck. My NF3 has a natural finish and a maple neck. They're both great players. Pick the one that looks the best to you.

 

[aduayer]

Im a sucker for Maple and think it should be offered on more models outside of the AP!

I do like maple necks and fretboards, do there goes my vote. And I also think PRS should offer more guitars with this combo

 

[yankeebulldog]

I've got a rosewood BM and i dig it, I had a DC3, a SAS Studio, and an Artist Pack Studio all with maple boards. I'm my opinion the neck wood being maple is what really gives it the snap vs the fretboard. I can't tell much of a difference from just the fretboard but I've never compared a maple BM to mine at the same time, only from memory.

If you take the tone differences out of the equation, I do like the way "dirt" birds look on the maple better than rosewood. I wonder if the 2014 version will get the new MOP birds?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Maple all day.

 

[Egads]

I haven't played either, but maple gets my vote, too. I just saw a charcoal NF3 with black guard and maple board. So hot! Makes me want to get my (lame) Gilmore on!

 

[BobbyD]

I'll be the lone vote for the rosewood board. I love maple necks, but a maple board on top is a bit too much for my tone.

 

[Desperado]

I like the rosewood too. I just think there's something a bit odd about a PRS with a maple board. Odd reason I guess but that's how I feel.

 

[jimistephen]

I prefer maple but I think it depends on the color you get. White or natural I think looks better with rosewood.

 

[Hopeful Sinner]

On that guitar, maple all the way...

 

[László]

Assuming that it's about tone, and not looks, with that guitar I'd go maple.

 

[andy474x]

How is it that, on this, the official PRS forum, no one has replied this with the obvious answer? Get one of both, duh!

 

[markie]

You want to sound kinda like BM ....................... Maple

 

[jfine]

I haven't played a maple-board Brent Mason--mine has a rosewood board. I prefer the feel of the rosewood over a finished-maple board, but PRS's satin-finished maple board might not be as slick as, say, a '70's Fender. Tonally I might prefer the maple--Brent himself seems to use the maple-board model--but I did it for the feel and the visual contrast with the Whitewash finish. Oh well--I just turn up the Presence on my amp and it sounds fine...