78 Guitars With Maple Fretboard – Acoustic & Electric

You are currently viewing 78 Guitars With Maple Fretboard – Acoustic & Electric

Last Updated on February 26, 2023 by Teemu Suomala

Classy white look and smooth feel…that’s what maple fretboards are all about!

Personally, I don’t have any “favorite one-fretboard material to rule them all”, but I do like maple fretboards, both roasted and non-roasted. This is why I was delighted to put together this article listing the cream of the crop guitars with maple fretboard (both acoustic & electric). I also reveal my 5 favorites.

So I basically picked the best guitars with maple fretboards, many of which I have had the pleasure to play myself, from hundreds of different guitars…just for you! If you have any questions, check the FAQ section or leave a comment.

Let’s get started!

photo reveals owner of guitaristnextdoor.com

Author: Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…).


13 Acoustic Guitars With Maple Fretboard

For all of us who don’t like to stay away from guitar playing when traveling, Traveler Guitars are a lifesaver. Here I’ve highlighted the Ultra-Light Edge-model, which is, as the name suggests, Ultra-Light, has a beautiful & smooth maple fretboard, and is budget-friendly.

Price Range Icon Meanings:

$= $45-159

$$= $160-299

$$$= $300-599

$$$$= $600-899

$$$$$= $900

*Consider all links in this post to be affiliate links. If you purchase, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. It helps us to keep the lights on, thanks! 🙂

ModelFretboardTop MaterialBody StylePrice RangeCheck Current Price (affiliate links)
Startone CG-851 3/4 Blue – Cheapest Classical Guitar With Maple FretboardMapleLaminated BasswoodClassical 3/4 Sized$Thomann*
Startone CG-851 7/8MapleLaminated BasswoodClassical 7/8 Sized$Thomann
Startone CG 851 4/4MapleLaminated BasswoodClassical$Thomann
Harley Benton CG200CEMapleLaminated BasswoodClassical Cutaway$Thomann
Thomann Classic Guitar 1/2MapleLaminated Spruce TopClassical 1/2 Sized$Thomann
Thomann Classic Guitar 3/4MapleLaminated Spruce TopClassical 3/4 Sized$Thomann
Thomann Classic 4/4MapleLaminated Spruce TopClassical$Thomann
Squier SA-105CE – Cheapest Acoustic Guitar With Maple FretboardLacquered MapleLaminated Spruce TopDreadnought With Cutaway$Thomann
Squier SA-150 – Best Budget Acoustic Guitar With Maple FretboardStained MapleLaminated Lindenwood topDreadnought$Guitar Center
Cordoba Protege C1 MatizMapleSpruceClassical$$SweetwaterThomann
Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic StandardMapleEast American Hard Maple-bodyTraveler$$$SweetwaterThomann
Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Edge – Best Travel Guitar With Maple FretboardMaplePionite HPL-bodyTraveler Ultra-Light$$$Sweetwater
Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature JSA5 – Best Overall Acoustic Guitar With Maple FretboardCultured MapleSolid Engelmann SpruceJoe Satriani Dreadnought With Cutaway$$$$Sweetwater

65 Electric Guitars With Maple Fretboard

If you are after a maple fretboard, snuggly offset body shape, twangy Telecaster tones, and budget price, check Squier Paranormal Offset Telecaster out. It is a budget guitar, and it can sometimes suffer from budget-guitar problems, but overall, it’s a really good guitar for the money.

Price Range Icon Meanings:

$= $79-199

$$= $200-499

$$$= $500-999

$$$$= $1000-1499

$$$$$= $1500

ModelFretboardPickupsBody StylePrice RangeCheck Current Price (affiliate links)
Harley Benton TE-20MN BM Standard Series – Cheapest Electric Guitar With Maple FretboardMaple 2 x TE-style single coil pickupsTelecaster$Thomann
Harley Benton ST-20MN CA Standard SeriesMaple3 x ST style single coilsStratocaster$Thomann
Kramer Focus VT-211S – Cheapest US-Market Electric Guitar With Maple FretboardMaple2 x Kramer SC-1 single coils & 1 x HB-1 humbuckerModern Stratocaster$SweetwaterThomann
Harley Benton TE-80 NT Deluxe SeriesMaple2 x Roswell Alnico STA-N-BLK / STA-B-BLK single coilsTelecaster$Thomann
Kramer Guitars Baretta SpecialMaple1 x Alnico V humbuckerModern Stratocaster$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez GRX70QA Review – Best Tight Budget – Read The Full ReviewMaple2 x Infinity R humbuckers & 1 x Infinity RS single coilModern Stratocaster$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Affinity Series TelecasterMaple2 x Ceramic single coilsTelecaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Affinity Series StratocasterMaple3 x Ceramic single coilsStratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Affinity Series Telecaster DeluxeMaple2 x Ceramic humbuckersTelecaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez Gio GRG7221M  – Cheapest 7 String Guitar With Maple FretboardMaple2 x Infinity R humbuckersModern Stratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Yamaha Pacifica 112VM – Solid Budget PickMaple2 x Alnico single coils and 1 x Alnico humbuckerModern Stratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Affinity StarcasterMaple2 x Standard humbuckersStarcaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS32 DKAMMaple2 x Jackson high output humbuckerModern Stratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Harley Benton Fusion-T HHRoasted Maple2 x Roswell HAF-B AlNiCo-5 & HAF-N AlNiCo-5 humbuckersTelecaster$$Thomann
Harley Benton Dullahan-FT – Cheapest Headless Guitar With Maple FretboardMaple1 x Roswell HAF-B-BK Alnico-5 & 1 x Roswell HAF-N-BK Alnico-5 humbuckersModern Stratocaster$$Thomann
Squier Classic Vibe ’60s Telecaster ThinlineMaple2 x Fender-designed Alnico single coilsTelecaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Contemporary Telecaster RH – Best Budget Guitar With Maple FretboardRoasted maple1 x Squier Rail & 1 x Squier Atomic humbuckersTelecaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Contemporary Stratocaster SpecialRoasted maple3 x Squier AlNiCo single coilsStratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez RG421AHM – ShredderMaple2 x Quantum humbuckerModern Stratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Guild SurflinerMaple2 x Dearmond Aerosonic Single Coils & 1 x Guild LB-1 Mini HumbuckerOffset$$SweetwaterThomann
Traveler Guitar Vaibrant 88 StandardMaple2 x V88D humbuckers & 1 x V88D single coil Traveler$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Paranormal Offset TelecasterMaple2 x Fender-designed AlNiCo single coilsOffset Telecaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Stratocaster – Read The ReviewMaple3 x Fender-designed alnico single coilsStratocaster$$SweetwaterThomann
ESP LTD TE-200 – Great All-Around Metal Tele With Maple FretboardMaple1 x ESP-designed LH-150N & 1 x ESP-designed LH-150B humbuckersTelecaster$$SweetwaterThomann
Squier Contemporary Active Starcaster – Semi-Hollowbody With Active PickupsRoasted maple2 x Active Fender SQ SQR Ceramic humbuckersSemi-Hollowbody$$SweetwaterThomann
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDXMaple2 x Jackson single coil & 1 x Jackson humbuckerModern Stratocaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez RG470AHM – Really VersatileMaple2 x Quantum Humbucker & 1 x Quantum Single CoilModern Stratocaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH Wolfgang StandardRoasted maple2 x Direct Mount Wolfgang HumbuckersWolfgang Standard$$$SweetwaterThomann
Schecter PT SpecialMaple1 x Schecter Diamond V-90 & 1 x Schecter Diamond VT-1Telecaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Jackson SLXM DX Soloist X SeriesMaple1 x Duncan Designed HB-103B & 1 x Duncan Designed HB-103NModern Stratocaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Player Mustang – Excellent for Small HandsMaple2 x Mustang Single-coilMustang$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Player TelecasterMaple2 x New Player AlNiCo V single coilsTelecaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Player StratocasterMaple3 x New Player AlNiCo V single coilsStratocaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Player Telecaster HH – Great Sounding Coil-Split – Read The ReviewMaple2 x Player Series Alnico II HumbuckersTelecaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Jackson RRX24M White – Best Flying V With Maple FretboardMaple1 x Seymour Duncan AHB1BN & 1 x Seymour Duncan AHB-1B humbuckersFlying V$$$SweetwaterThomann
Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder FR-SMaple1 x Sustainiac & 1 x EMG Retroactive Hot 70 humbuckerModern Stratocaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez RG550-RF – Best Overall Electric Guitar With Maple FretboardMaple1 x Ibanez V7 humbucker (neck), Ibanez S1 singlecoil (middle) and 1 x Ibanez V8 humbuckerModern Stratocaster$$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH 5150 StandardMaple2 x Direct Mount EVH Wolfgang HumbuckersModern Stratocaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH Striped Series – Shreddable Rock Guitar With Maple FretboardMaple1 x EVH Humbucker, Direct mountedModern Stratocaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Player Plus Meteora HHMaple2 x Fireball humbuckersMeteora Offset$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Reverend Descent RA – Baritone Guitar With Roasted Maple FretboardRoasted Maple2 x Railhammer Chisel HumbuckerDescent RA Double-Cut$$$$Sweetwater
Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSSRoasted Maple1 x Custom Seymour Duncan Flat Strat SSL-6 RWRP Single-coil
& 1 x Custom Seymour Duncan Flat Strat SSL-6 Single-coil
& 1 x Seymour Duncan Custom Full Shred SH-10B Humbucker
Modern Stratocaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez YY10-SGSMaple3 x Seymour Duncan Five Two Single CoilsOffset$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster – Gret Strat With Maple Fretboard for Hendrix FansMaple3 x American Vintage 65 single coilsStratocaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Kramer Jersey Star – Has 3 HumbuckersMaple1 x Seymour Duncan SH-2 & 2 x Seymour Duncan SH-4 humbuckersModern Stratocaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Vintera 70s Telecaster CustomMaple1 x Vintage-style 70s Tele single coil & 1 x Fender wide range humbuckerTelecaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Vintera 50s Telecaster ModMaple1 x Custom Shop Vintage Style Tele Single Coil & 1 x Custom Shop Twisted Tele Single CoilTelecaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender American Performer Telecaster – Great All-Around TeleMaple2 x Yosemite Telecaster single coilsTelecaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender American Performer Telecaster Stratocaster – Great All-Around StratMaple3 x Yosemite Stratocaster single coilsStratocaster$$$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH Striped Series Frankenstein RelicMaple1 x  Dummy Strat Single Coil & 1 x Direct Mount Wolfgang HumbuckerModern Stratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Jackson Pro Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET7Caramelized (roasted) Maple2 x Jackson Uncovered MM1 humbuckersModern Stratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez JEM77P – Extremely Fast PlayingMaple2 x DiMarzio Gravity Storm humbuckers & 1 x DiMarzio Evolution single coilModern Stratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen JazzmasterMaple2 x American Pure Vintage ’65 Jazzmaster single coilsJazzmaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Strandberg Boden Standard NX 6 – Best Headless Guitar With Maple FretboardQuartersawn Maple2 x .strandberg* OEM 6 HumbuckerHeadless Double-Cut$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender American Professional II StratocasterMaple3 x V-Mod II single coil pickupsStratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Strandberg Boden Standard NX 8Quartersawn Maple2 x .strandberg* OEM 8 Soapbar HumbuckerHeadless Double-Cut$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender American Professional II TelecasterMaple2 x V-Mod II single coilsTelecaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez AZS2200-BK Prestige – Best Premium Guitar With Maple FretboardRoasted Maple1 x Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-Mini Humbucker & 1 x Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom Single-CoilTele-style$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez AZ2402-BKF PrestigeRoasted Maple2 x Seymour Duncan Hyperion humbuckersModern Stratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez AZ2204B-BK PrestigeRoasted Maple2 x Seymour Duncan Hyperion single coils & 1 Seymour Duncan Hyperion humbuckersModern Stratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender American Ultra TelecasterMaple2 x Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele single coilsTelecaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender American Ultra StratocasterMaple3 x Ultra noiseless vintage Strat single coilsStratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster – Guitar With Scalloped Maple Fretboard – Fast PlayingMaple (scalloped)2 x Seymour Duncan STK-S10N YJM Fury
& 1 x Seymour Duncan STK-S10B YJM Fury
Stratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
PRS Silver Sky Electric GuitarMaple3 x 635JM single coilsStratocaster$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez LB1-VL Lari BasilioRoasted Birdseye Maple2 x Seymour Duncan Lari Basilio Single-coil
& 1 x Seymour Duncan Lari Basilio Humbucker
Tele-style$$$$$SweetwaterThomann

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5 Best Guitars With Maple Fretboard – My Favorites

Best Budget Acoustic Guitar With Maple Fretboard – Squier SA-150

What I like

  • Affordable & great value
  • Handles basic chord-playing really well
  • Surprisingly full and clear sound
  • An excellent guitar for beginners (also check these Yamaha’s out)
  • Usually comes with a solid setup

What I don’t like

  • All-laminated woods (for this price, can’t complain much tho)
  • Typical cheap-guitar problems can happen…(poor setup, not flawless finish, only OK action, etc.)
  • No electronics (gladly everyone doesn’t need them)
  • Some mixed information available about fretboard material

Check our picks for the best acoustic guitars under $500 here.

Who is it for?

If you are after an affordable, solid-sounding, and fun-to-play acoustic guitar with a stained maple(apparently) fretboard, Squier SA-150 is a stellar option. It’s cheap, sounds surprisingly full, takes chords well, and will get a beginner started with an acoustic guitar.

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Best Overall Acoustic Guitar With Maple Fretboard – Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature JSA5

What I like

  • Surprisingly fast playing & the neck feels great for electric players (in general)
  • Cutaway makes soloing easy
  • Great quality electronics: Fishman Sonicore pickup w/Presys preamp
  • Solid Engelmann Spruce top offers crispy and clear sound
  • Grover tuners hold the tune well
  • The cultured Maple fretboard looks stunning

What I don’t like

  • Plastic nut feels a bit cheap for this price
  • Not the fullest sound

Who is it for?

If you are an electric guitarist looking for a smooth-playing acoustic guitar with a maple fretboard to run some licks through, keep Ibanez Joe Satriani JSA5 on your radar. The use of Ivorex plastic nut and the saddle is a bummer, but otherwise, the JSA5 offers great value, crips all-around acoustic tones, and a stunning cultured maple fretboard.

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Best Budget – Squier Contemporary Telecaster

What I like

  • Affordable
  • Stunning looks
  • Graphite nut allows strings to move smoothly through the nut when bending (should improve tuning stability)
  • A narrow neck (1.65″ nut) and C neck shape make playing smooth and comfortable
  • Squiers SQR humbuckers sound surprisingly good
  • Versatile
  • Solid quality

What I don’t like

  • Out-of-the-box finish issues can happen with these budget guitars

Who is it for?

Squier started to spoil us with affordable guitars with roasted maple necks in 2021 with their Contemporary lineup. These Squiers are one of the best options for under $500. The Contemporary Telecaster is my favorite of this lineup. It’s stunning, comfortable to play, and sounds great.

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Best Overall – Ibanez Genesis Collection RG550

What I like

  • Super-versatile pickups (HSH)
  • Smooth & slim Super Wizard neck shape
  • Great quality Gotoh tuners
  • Smooth to use and durable Ibanez Edge tremolo bridge
  • Excellent playability

What I don’t like

Who is it for?

If you are after extreme versatility, comfortable playability, and great value for the money, Ibanez Genesis Collection RG550 is one of the best options. It’s an all-around work-horse that will serve you well and faithfully in every situation. Plus it features a stunning & smooth maple fretboard.

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Best Premium – Ibanez Prestige AZS2200

What I like

  • Extremely smooth and comfortable playability
  • Spot-on sound
  • Surprisingly versatile
  • Alter switch enables connecting single-coil pickup and another coil of the humbucker in series to create different humbucker-like tones
  • Great hardware (Gotoh Locking tuners, Gotoh tremolo bridge, and bone nut)
  • Could cost a lot more

What I don’t like

  • Premium quality means a premium price

Who is it for?

I don’t like to call myself a fanboy. But if I had to choose just 1 brand to be a fanboy of, it would be Ibanez. And this AZ Prestige is a great one. It features

  • Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini Humbucker
  • Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom Single-coil
  • Gotoh F1802 Tremolo Bridge
  • 2-way mini alter switch & 5-way blade pickup switch
  • Gotoh Magnum Locking tuners
  • Stunning looks
  • Smooth playability

And still, it costs under 2k. The money you have to throw in order to get this Ibanez is still a big chunk, I know, but still, the value for the money is outstanding. The best premium and pro-level electric guitar with a maple fretboard to me.

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FAQ

Is Maple A Good Fretboard Material?

Maple is one of the most popular fretboard materials out there. It’s hard (density: 0.6 – 0.75 (103 kg/m3)) and durable material. Many players (such as me) consider it to be a really good material for fingerboard…but let’s go through the pros and cons so you get some kind of an idea…

Pros

  • Tons of guitars with maple fretboards are available
  • Durable
  • Usually not very expensive
  • Easy to take care of (just wipe dust and dirt with a dry cloth and apply normal maple-friendly guitar cleaner once in a while)
  • Smooth feel
  • Finished, roasted, and unfinished maple fretboard options are available

Cons

  • White looks are not for everyone (have a look at the roasted maple then!)
  • Some players find bending to be harder with finished maple fretboard (I don’t)

So basically, maple still seems like a really solid fretboard material to me. But I recommend you test a guitar with maple fretboard and find out if you like it or not!

Does Maple Fretboard Affect The Tone?

There are a ton of opinions about this…But gladly we have some pretty helpful resources nowadays.

First, does fretboard material affect the tone of the electric guitar? Not in a way that it could be noticed. This is explained with images and a cool video in our electric guitar tonewood guide. Pickups are by far the most important difference-maker. After this come the strings, saddles, and nut.

Secondly, does fretboard material affect the sound of acoustic guitars? Most likely, the fretboard affects the sound of an acoustic guitar a little bit. But I would not pay attention to the fretboard material when deciding what sounding acoustic guitar I want. Here the top, back & sides, saddle/bridge, strings, and nut are far more important than the fretboard material. So basically, fretboard material doesn’t affect the sound of an acoustic guitar either because we are most likely not able to notice the difference. Learn more from our acoustic guitar tonewood guide.

Do Maple Fretboards Need Oiling?

The finished maple fretboard does not need oiling. You can use most of the basic guitar cleaning kits to take care of the maple fretboard. But always read the instructions and text on the bottles to make sure there are no disclaimers regarding maple fretboard.

Unfinished maple fretboards require an oil-based cleaner.

Which is Harder Rosewood or Maple?

You get a ton of mixed information about this when searching the world wide web…

First. Density and hardness are not exactly the same thing, but density affects how hard the wood is(I found this information from this video). The hardness of the wood is measured by the Janka test.

In this test, a small metal ball is placed on top of the wood. A load required to push the ball inside of the wood gives us the Janka-test score(lbf= Pound-force Unit).

And how do maple and rosewood compare in this test….? For example, Hard Maple’s result is 1450lbf. Bolivian Rosewood has a result of 1960lbf.

The conclusion? Rosewood is harder than maple. There’s no question about it.

It’s in general denser:

  • maple 0.6 – 0.75 (103 kg/m3).
  • rosewood 0.82-0.9 (103 kg/m3).

Rosewood species also have higher Janka-test results. I used these sources to find Janka-test scores: 1. bellforestproducts.com & 2. Wikipedia


Conclusion on Guitars With Maple Fretboard

Wow! That was a looong list! But there are just soo many great guitars with maple fretboards out there…I had to leave some really solid axes out of this list…

I hope this article helped you out, and maybe you even decided to get one of the guitars featured. If you have any questions, leave a comment, I and the GND team are here for you.

Now go, my son, and Rock!

Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…). Expertise: guitar learning techniques, electric guitars, and guitar amplifiers. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or just email me.

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