Fretboard

The fretboard, also known as the fingerboard, is the part of the neck on fretted stringed instruments where the player presses strings to produce notes. It extends from the nut toward the body of the instrument and bears the frets. Frets are thin metal strips embedded across the board at specific intervals, dividing the scale into semitone steps; pressing a string behind a fret shortens the vibrating length and raises the pitch.

Fretboards are typically made from dense hardwoods such as ebony, rosewood, or maple. They may be bound or unbound and often include inlays to mark positions. The board’s radius (curvature) and the instrument’s scale length influence feel, tension, and intonation. The radius can range from flat to rounded, depending on design and playing style. The fretboard is usually attached to the neck, though construction methods vary, with some instruments using laminated or integrated neck designs.

Maintenance focuses on keeping the surface clean and properly conditioned, especially on woods that benefit from occasional treatment while avoiding excessive oiling. Regular inspection ensures frets are level and properly crowned, as worn or misaligned frets can affect intonation and playability. Variants include fretless fingerboards, which lack metal frets and require different intonation and technique, and zero frets, which can influence string height at the nut. The term fretboard is commonly used for guitars and basses, but it also applies to other fretted instruments such as mandolins and banjos.