Maple or rosewood neck/fretboard?

[Emanew]

To my opinion, by playing with a maple fingerboard, you choose to "color" the tone. You have higher frequencies, you go through the mix.
With rosewood and ebony, it's warmer.

[JTUK]

I was always in the maple camp but I have both and the maple is very pretty with birds-eye but I have to say I prefer a good hardwood and my next choice will be Rosewood.
I like the more woody sound and it is more subtle, I feel. I've tried more exotic woods like ebony and still like RW.
Add a nice pre amp and you have the RW vibe PLUS you can get it to really jump out if you need to.

I am working both basses ( maple and RW ) passive at the moment and just add the pre for live projection..but it is no disaster by any means to run passive all the time.

So, Rosewood for me.

[Twigman]

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1335263140' post='1628095']
To my opinion, by playing with a maple fingerboard, you choose to "color" the tone. You have higher frequencies, you go through the mix.
With rosewood and[b] ebony, it's warmer.[/b]
[/quote]
Ebony is supposedly brighter than maple as it is far more dense and hard.


To me ebony just looks cool but increases the chance of neckdive

[Mornats]

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1335263140' post='1628095']
To my opinion, by playing with a maple fingerboard, you choose to "color" the tone. You have higher frequencies, you go through the mix.
With rosewood and ebony, it's warmer.
[/quote]

Is this comparing two basses that are identical other than the fingerboard wood? Not being antagonistic by the way, just curious as I'm leaning more towards the angle that it's the complete bass that makes the tone. But that's just me trying to simplify things perhaps!

[Muzz]

As far as tone goes... maple looks nicer to me. Birdseye or some flame, even better.

[thisnameistaken]

I like anything but maple. My fingertips sweat and it means maple boards feel either slick or sticky, both being pretty unpleasant. I've currently got a rosewood board and a wenge board on my two basses which I much prefer. Ebony is fine, but I would only want it on a fretless, it has a tendency to get a bit sticky like glossed-up maple does, although not as bad.

As for 'tone', I don't know if the fingerboard makes a difference but if it does I don't really care - I have electronics that make a much bigger difference.

[shizznit]

I have used rosewood fingerboards since day one, but I am switching over to maple. I really like the extra percussive clarity and attack it provides to the overall tone. The only draw back about maple for me is cleaning. Rosewood is way more easier to maintain.

[jjay69]

Rosewood every time for me

[MikanHannille]

Maple really does feel a lot better.. But I still prefer rosewood or ebony.

[GremlinAndy]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1335270653' post='1628335']
Is this comparing two basses that are identical other than the fingerboard wood? Not being antagonistic by the way, just curious as I'm leaning more towards the angle that it's the complete bass that makes the tone. But that's just me trying to simplify things perhaps!
[/quote]

I have a fender P with 2 "identical" necks. One Rosewood and one Maple. (well, as identical as these will get if you get my drift.)
I used to always buy Maple necks (for looks) and thought there wasn't much difference, and that even if there was I wouldn't be able to notice enough to care.

I swapped necks around and found that there *is* quite an audible difference.
The Maple is brighter and more aggressive sounding, maybe more *brittle* or *glassy* and the Rosewood is warmer and gives what[i] I think[/i] of as the more vintage tone. It sits much better in the mix of my current band. So now I'm converted to Rosewood because I just like that sound better for my current situation.

I've rehearsed with both of them and the maple doesn't sound worse, per-se. Just slightly different ...a bit more "up front".

I hope that partly answers your question... (and bear in mind that these things are subjective, you may just disagree with my opinion, it doesn't make either of us wrong... The only way anyone *really* knows is to try it yourself and form your own opinion.

Edited April 24, 2012 by GremlinAndy

[Ed_S]

I used to have twin 2009 MIM Precisions with very close serial numbers - one white/maple, one black/rosewood - and with stock pickups, a new set of the same strings and (as close as feasible) the same setup, I have to admit that if there was any difference in tone it was too subtle for me to discern. I don't favour the feel of either wood over the other, so my choices are entirely based on aesthetic appeal in context.

[GremlinAndy]

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1335273515' post='1628405']
I used to have twin 2009 MIM Precisions with very close serial numbers - one white/maple, one black/rosewood - and with stock pickups, a new set of the same strings and (as close as feasible) the same setup, I have to admit that if there was any difference in tone it was too subtle for me to discern. I don't favour the feel of either wood over the other, so my choices are entirely based on aesthetic appeal in context.
[/quote]

See what I mean... Maybe there's a bit of placebo effect in it too. Maybe ones ears hear what they want to hear! (Talking about my own ears here) I think there's a difference, but maybe I should do the blindfold test to be sure... Interesting opinions here.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='GremlinAndy' timestamp='1335273438' post='1628403']
I have a fender P with 2 "identical" necks. One Rosewood and one Maple. (well, as identical as these will get if you get my drift.)
I used to always buy Maple necks (for looks) and thought there wasn't much difference, and that even if there was I wouldn't be able to notice enough to care.

I swapped necks around and found that there *is* quite an audible difference.
The Maple is brighter and more aggressive sounding, maybe more *brittle* or *glassy* and the Rosewood is warmer and gives what[i] I think[/i] of as the more vintage tone. It sits much better in the mix of my current band. So now I'm converted to Rosewood because I just like that sound better for my current situation.

I've rehearsed with both of them and the maple doesn't sound worse, per-se. Just slightly different ...a bit more "up front".

I hope that partly answers your question... (and bear in mind that these things are subjective, you may just disagree with my opinion, it doesn't make either of us wrong... The only way anyone *really* knows is to try it yourself and form your own opinion.
[/quote]

Is that not because the all maple neck is a different construction to the one with the rosewood fingerboard?

Edited April 24, 2012 by BigRedX

[GremlinAndy]

yes maybe so... But if the construction method is common across all the RW necks, then it is one of the factors which answers the question of sound. The difference may not be in tha actual sound of the wood, and may well be in the construction.... but if there's a difference then it's there on em all.

maybe the way to tell that would be a maple fb on a maple neck with the same construction as a rosewood? But whos got one of those?

Edited April 24, 2012 by GremlinAndy

[BigRedX]

So are there any companies making one piece necks out of anything other than maple? How about a rosewood neck with a maple fingerboard?

From what I can see there are simply too many variables to form any meaningful opinions. I have basses with all sorts of different fingerboards including maple, rosewood, ebony, cocobolo, ebanol and aluminium. I couldn't possibly say what sonic differences those fingerboard materials make on their own because the basses themselves are completely different in terms of materials, construction and electronics.

Edited April 24, 2012 by BigRedX

[GremlinAndy]

Maple is chosen for it's properties for the neck and rosewood for the fingerboard for different reasons. I don't think that making a rosewood neck with maple fingerboard would yeild a desirable neck tbh. Maybe an actual lutier could explain why that isn't done...?
I have offered my opinion on a single Fender P with minimal differences ...Same body, same pick-ups the same strings, with a swapped out neck and I can say that, that was definitely enough for *me* to form an opinion.
I have many basses which all sound different too, but I agree with what you say, that's not such a useful test for forming opinions.

[brensabre79]

I have no science to back this up, but having made bitsa basses for a while now I've had the opportunity to try this body with that neck etc. I do believe rosewood has a warmer sound, I get a lot more 'clank' from a maple neck. And as others have observed, rosewood seems to sit in the mix, where maple seems to rise above it. I was doing some recording recently, with a maple neck which worked on all but the last song, a mellower affair. It just wasn't working on that song and take after take it just didn't sit right. I swapped to the RW one and bingo! one take and it was done.

Maybe its about the way you play the different woods too. I feel that maple is hard and press hard against it, whereas the rosewood feels softer, like it might crush if i press too hard (I know it wont it just feels like it) so I play in a mellower way on RW.

I did want to build a maple fretless, not many of those around!

One HUGE disadvantage of maple necks though is when they need a refret. They have to be re-laquered after the new frets are smoothed down. If its a 30 year old bass (the sort that might need a refret) matching the colour of the nitro can be tricky and best left to an expensive expert!

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='GremlinAndy' timestamp='1335274068' post='1628411']
maybe the way to tell that would be a maple fb on a maple neck with the same construction as a rosewood? But whos got one of those?
[/quote]

You'd be surprised, a lot of cheaper bass necks are done like this, guitars too. I've got 3 at least hanging around the place somewhere.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1335277355' post='1628469']
I did want to build a maple fretless, not many of those around!
[/quote]

One of them is a maple fretless. (It sounds like my ebony fretless when i play it...)

[neepheid]

Rosewood is harder than maple.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1335278368' post='1628489']
Rosewood is harder than maple.
[/quote]

But is it harder than maple covered in lacquer?

[brensabre79]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1335278368' post='1628489']
Rosewood is harder than maple.
[/quote]
Yeah what he said, maybe its the laquer that is responsible for the tone more than the wood?
Perhaps thats why Rickenbackers 'clank' even though they are rosewood - because they are laquered rosewood...

[Dave Vader]

My Maples are covered in Danish oil, it is not very hard at all, and no lacquer. Sound the same as other maple necks do though.

[discreet]

All this talk of maple and Danish is making me hungry...

[GremlinAndy]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/8976-dave-vader/"][color="#282828"]Dave Vader[/color][/url]
Wow really? A rosewood neck with maple board? I had no idea they were common. I don't think I ever saw one. If they are only common on budget basses, do you reckon it's because the comination isn't good.


[url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/17291-brensabre79/"][color="#282828"]brensabre79[/color][/url]:
Sounds like we agree on the differences between RW & maple. That was exactly my experience.

[GremlinAndy]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1335281447' post='1628563']
My Maples are covered in Danish oil, it is not very hard at all, and no lacquer. Sound the same as other maple necks do though.

[/quote]

My Maples are covered in do-nut oil... ...and my Do-nuts are covered in maple syrup.

Oh the irony...

I just lick them clean.

Edited April 24, 2012 by GremlinAndy