The tele purists claim "it ain't a Tele less it have a maple neck."
And I can hear a difference (a local guitar god has many teles including two sets of identical models with same pickups made in the same year but with one each a maple and a rosewood/mahogany neck.
Me I am a rosewood neck kinda guy, nothing else feels right no matter what make of guitar.
My first tele had the maple neck/fretboard, just cuz it seemed like the thing to do. Only maple fretboard I’ve ever owned. I have to admit it’s nice to play. But when I got my second tele, the one with the Bigsby, I made sure it had a rosewood fretboard, because I’ve always been a rosewood guy too. I have a Godin with an ebony neck, which feels like maple to me.
>>a local guitar god has many teles including two sets of identical models with same pickups made in the same year but with one each a maple and a rosewood/mahogany neck.
Heck, I’ve made teles from the same slab of poplar with the same brand pups and electronics, both with maple necks, and they sound different running through the same amp. There are so many variables it is tough to tell why one sounds this way and the other sounds different.