Alan, the cost of the bird's eye maple fingerboard did not increase the price of my guitar. Second, the Apache, at least the first series, was never offered with a rosewood fingerboard, but with ebony . . . I hope this helps you in your choice. It's largely a matter of personal taste; I just like a maple fretboard more and I like the way it matches the headstock and goes with the rest of the guitar. Besides, a maple fretboard would make your guitar more collectible
Cheers,
Bojan