Fretboard material

[deeaa*]

I'm gonna have to strongly disagree on the neck/sound issue vs. Body wood mattering.

I have a few really great necks, and it really matters very little what bodies I attach them to, the sound follows the neck. The sturdy v strat neck with rose board always sounds strong and big and seems to ask for big strings. Have had basswood, alder, mahogany bodies for it, no real difference how it sounds.

Another neck is similar but much thinner rock maple, and it lends itself well to acdc and such. Very even sound. Bodies have been ash and basswood, plywood, I'm not sure what the current one is. Plywood is distinguishable, others change little.

The third old neck I have is an old Yamaha rgx neck, and that's wide and stiff and works well with aggressive sounds, but can't get a warm thick sound outta it. Currently in semi-aluminum body.

Then I have a thicker-lacquer squire neck which is fine and one piece maple, but despite I gave it a nice hardtail strat body it still didn't ever sustain too well. Lax wood, thick lacquer I suppose.

Also have a birch neck that is entirely different...

I've had plastic bodies too, and have one made of stone even.

I think the body woods do give the sound the final polish and help to make the sound what it is, but still the neck is, imo, that really has the biggest factor in the nature of the sound. You have a bad, soft neck, and it'll never sustain and sing well, and if you have an extra hard, thin neck, it'll never sound warm even if you gave it a chambered mahogany body.

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[Eric***]

I'm gonna have to strongly disagree on the neck/sound issue vs. Body wood mattering.

Funny. I was going to say that no one in here made any claim to body wood mattering, but then I read the responses and see that someone did.

I have no real opinion on the matter. My ear for tone has gone WAY down since I've gotten my feet under me guitar-wise. Just give me an LP and some sort of overdrive and I'll be pretty happy.