Huh, here’s something we don’t see every day: For whatever reason — maybe it’s a hangover from its roots and tradition as a classical instrument — virtually all acoustic guitars have either rosewood or ebony fretboards. Maple wood wasn’t really used for the boards until Fender popularized it, a revolutionary move that doesn’t get much attention from historians and critics. It didn’t occur to me until I saw the following acoustic guitars and thought “Huh, here’s something we don’t see every day.”
First up, a Martin dreadnought-style flattop with a maple board from the somewhat mysterious Astoria company:
And a Kay-made archtop, replete with a body made of what must be painted-in faux tiger-stripe maple:
