Maple vs. Rosewood fretboards - effects on string decay?

[Bobby O'Neal]

I've noticed that of my two guitars (a Strat with a maple fretboard and a Godin Solidac with a Rosewood fretboard) the Strat seems to be much quicker to kill my strings. I dont mean sustain, I mean string life. I can get maybe 15 hours on it and at least twice that on my Godin. I have oily skin/hands and I wipe the strings down after every playing but its consistently this way. Any thoughts on if the different species are the reason? Perhaps finishing process?

[Chris Fournier]

I think that the scale length, action and frets would have much more to do with string life than the fingerboard material. If one guitar has a longer scale length then those strings are under greater tension. Higher action and narrow highly crowned frets would likely beat up the strings faster than a guitar with a lower action and jumbo frets. It's a matter of how much force you are applying to fret the strings and how "sharp" the fret contact surface is. You said that you clean your strings so I'm assuming that you treat both guitars the same.

[Bobby O'Neal]

I do treat them the same, but maybe I don't fully follow what you are saying. I'm specificly talking about the thought that the strings are dulling because of chemical breakdown. Are you saying that instead, its about internal stress/mechanical breakdown?

As for the setup, the action is low and frets are middle of the road. Playing wise, I'd say I'm a bit more rough than normal. Lots of bends, pulloffs and in general harder picking/strumming. Both guitars get the same treatment.

[Chris Fournier]

I don't think that it's chemical breakdown, but rather fatigue from repeated stress cycles and constant tension. If you've got strings under higher tension being fretted over a smaller contact point then I'd expect those strings to sack out faster.

By treating them the same I meant "cleaning and maintenance". I suppose that wound strings could get full of gunk and this would perhaps damp them.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Interesting. That makes alot of sense since this paticular problem occurs well before they are full of gunk.

[David Weaver]

I once had both of those. Now I have neither. How much more bending do you do on the strat than the godin?

I can't remember the scale of the godin, were they 24.75?

I don't remember much about string life, I'm guilty of basically playing them until they are difficult to tune.

Do they make coated strings yet in nickel wound? I could look that up, I nearly stopped playing about the same time elixir bronze strings got popular (not because, just when I stopped playing much). I never did like how they don't have the bright new sound, but you don't have that really that long in uncoated strings, anyway.

I don't think maple does anything to harm the strings, though.

[Bobby O'Neal]

David, the Godin scale is 25.5. As for the nickle wound, I'm not sure. For electric, I've pretty much just always used EB slinkys.

For the bending, I pretty much treat them the same. I think what I love about the strat is that I pick it up because I'm in a "stratty" mood and then find that every time I touch it, it does everything I ask of it reasonably well, regardless of its traditional requests. So all that to day, my bending technique and frequency is the same on either guitar.

[John Coloccia]

I don't think your fingerboard has anything to do with it other than a bare board is always going to have a bit of oily stuff from the wood itself or fingerboard oil. The gunk from the wood is just as likely to be harmful to strings than not, though I think it probably has no effect. My guess is you play one more than the other, or maybe just differently. Does one live in a stand while the other lives in a case? Do you play one out but not the other?

[Bobby O'Neal]

I don't think your fingerboard has anything to do with it other than a bare board is always going to have a bit of oily stuff from the wood itself or fingerboard oil. The gunk from the wood is just as likely to be harmful to strings than not, though I think it probably has no effect. My guess is you play one more than the other, or maybe just differently. Does one live in a stand while the other lives in a case? Do you play one out but not the other?

Well, I tend to play them in spurts. I may be in the mood for one at a time and it may last for a while. I can tell that those spurts with the Strat tend to be interupted by the strings crapping out quicker than the Godin. They both hang on the same wall and do not spend much time in their cases. And I really feel like I play them similarly, but if there is any deviation, I'd say the Godin gets more abuse. It caters to my moods when I think I'm Dann Huff.

[george wilson]

The Strat fingerboard is lacquered,so I don't see how it is hurting your strings chemically. Your hands may have sweat that hurts them. As for wood,the rosewood is better for sustain than maple. lots of other factors like pickups,fret types,neck mass,scale length,and others also affect sustain too,though. If ALL things were perfectly the same,the harder,denser fretboard would be better. This is more easily detected on electrics than on acoustics. Lots of discussion on this in the past on guitar forums. I use ebony.

[Bobby O'Neal]

The Strat fingerboard is lacquered,so I don't see how it is hurting your strings chemically. Your hands may have sweat that hurts them. As for wood,the rosewood is better for sustain than maple. lots of other factors like pickups,fret types,neck mass,scale length,and others also affect sustain too,though. If ALL things were perfectly the same,the harder,denser fretboard would be better. This is more easily detected on electrics than on acoustics. Lots of discussion on this in the past on guitar forums. I use ebony.


I love the tone of my father's '80 Ibanez Artist with an Ebony fretboard. Very sweet attact.

[Jarrod Nelson]

I agree with George. The maple board is finished, the Rosewood is not. If you were saying the Rosewood was burning the strings faster, you might talk me into it. I can't see how a poly or even Nitro finish would have any negative affect on string life.

So many variables at work. I know I play different guitars differently. I'd bet it has something to so with that.

Also, you didn't mention string gauge. I'm assuming they are the same on both guitars?

[Bobby O'Neal]

I agree with George. The maple board is finished, the Rosewood is not. If you were saying the Rosewood was burning the strings faster, you might talk me into it. I can't see how a poly or even Nitro finish would have any negative affect on string life.

So many variables at work. I know I play different guitars differently. I'd bet it has something to so with that.

Also, you didn't mention string gauge. I'm assuming they are the same on both guitars?

They are the same string size. Initially, my thought was that the breakdown of the strings was not just from the wood, but from a reaction between the wood and my sweat and oils. However, after our discussion, it really makes alot of sense to me that its a mechanical difference in the two guitars, particularly fret shape and scale.

[Mike Package]

Unless you're fretting hard enough to make the notes actually go sharp, the string doesn't really contact the fretboard wood - only the fretwire...

Could it be that the strings are actually losing their life (I assume you mean tonally?) pretty much equally, but that it's more evident on the strat? Like for example if the strat has more high-end you would hear the loss of high end quicker than you would on a guitar with less high end to begin with...

[Erik Jarvi]

No idea why.... but have you tried Elixir strings? http://www.elixirstrings.com/

[Bryan Morgan]

What do you mean "kill" your strings? I never replace my strings unless one breaks or gets overly rusty and then I'll replace the whole set. I just keep the them wiped off and very lightly lightly oiled with GHS fast fret.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Mike, that is possible, but as they go I actually notice more on the low end than high.

Erik, I have tried Elixir strings. Love them for acoustic, not a huge fan for electrics.

Bryan, when I say they kill my strings, I mean the life and tone fades. I dont let them ever get to the point of rust, and I do clean them after every use.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Lots of good ideas here but I would pose this question. Do the two guitars sound the same when they both have new strings on them? My guess would be no. The character of each guitar probably has more to do with this than the strings. So, as the strings age...perhaps more evenly than you realize...the character of each instrument remains different, as they were from the start. They continue to display their own character even when the strings are noticably older, giving the illusion that they are dulling at a different rate.

Just another theory.

Peace,
Mark