MIMF

Maple f'boards are about the only reasonably priced thing going. But that maple look doesn't work for every guitar, of course.

Has anyone experimented with stains and such on maple? Does anything look good?

I have some parts from an old German luthier that were 'ebonized' maple. The look is pretty good but i'd be careful if I had to sand them.

Stain good. Dye too.

Lots of cheaper violins have white fretboards that have been ebonized. Check your favorite supplier for fingerboard stain. Relatively cheap!

You might look at wood that's a bit harder and more stable than maple if you can source it. Shagbark hickory, black locust, and iron wood are all pretty common in the Northeast. The Southwest has mesquite and the Northwest has mountain mahogany but that's getting pretty rare now. Midwest is all about Osage Orange if you are lucky.