musicman stingray 5 rosewood or maple fretboards

[ian]

hi im about to by my 4th stingray 5 just wonderd your thoughts on the necks and whats better maple or rosewood.i have had 3 rosewood and 1 maple in the past thanks ian

[martthebass]

Can only comment on Sterlings I'm afraid, but IIRC it's just the 4 string version ;-). Points:

1. Didn't find as much difference soundwise between Maple and RW as many people have commented on in the past.
2. Hate the way that the finished maple sticks to your fingers when you get sweaty compared to RW
3. Maple looks nicer.

Personally, IMHO, pickups and strings make more difference than the board wood does. So it's mainly down to cosmetics and feel. But what do I know I play through a Trace.

[Lulu]

I own a MM Stingray 5er with maple fretboard. I like the sound and look. Though the maple fretboard gets dirty quite quickly and one can see it, I do not clean it very often.

[Old Horse Murphy]

I've got a rosewood SR4 and a maple SR5.

I've traditionally always played rosewood fingerboards, but must say I really really like the maple on my SR5 (so much so that I think the next bass I get will definitely have a maple board).

To my ears, there isn't too much of a difference in sound (maple is slightly more trebly) but I definitely find the maple more comfortable to play.

I agree with Lulu, it does get grubby.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Old Horse Murphy

[Rich]

[font="Impact"][size=7]Maple[/size][/font]

[Shaggy]

Are the maple boards on EB MM's lacquered or oiled? Lacquered board on my Sabre still pristine after nearly 30 years. IMHO you can't beat maple on any Fender-derived bass aesthetically, never noticed any tone difference except on fretless (when it has to be ebony).

[Russ]

Maple. Every rosewood-boarded SR5 I've ever tried sounds dead in comparison. Makes a big difference, to my ears. Much more "alive" sounding, more growl and no loss of bottom end.

[Rich]

Added to which, maple boards look the absolute sex

[E_MaN]

I prefer maple...looks better and great for tone

[dub_junkie]

[quote name='Shaggy' post='51745' date='Aug 28 2007, 02:04 PM']Are the maple boards on EB MM's lacquered or oiled? Lacquered board on my Sabre still pristine after nearly 30 years. IMHO you can't beat maple on any Fender-derived bass aesthetically, never noticed any tone difference except on fretless (when it has to be ebony).[/quote]

gunstock oil and wax.

[The Burpster]

[quote name='Rich' post='51711' date='Aug 28 2007, 12:50 PM'][font="Impact"][size=7]Maple[/size][/font]
[/quote]


+1

Looks, feels, sounds better IMO.....

I like maple......

[bassbluestew]

+1 for Maple.

I have maple on both my StingRay 5 and G&L L-2500 ( both "Fender derived" ) and they are the Poodles Plums. Having said that, I may just be about to pull the trigger on another Fender derivitive with a rosewood neck.

Now, I am a big, sweaty guy, and I've NEVER had a problem with dirty necks, the StingRay is 12 years old, the G&L about 18, both look fine. I only have to look at a camera lens and it's covered in greasy fingerprints !!

There you go, maybe the grease keeps them clean !

S

[Tait]

it depends on the colour you get it in in my opinion. i can't tell a difference in tone on any bass i've ever played, and your fingers don't actually touch the fretboard when you play, so it doesnt feel any different. so i'd just choose whichever one looks best, because you have to be happy with looks as well as the way it sounds

[Shaggy]

Re my earlier coment about fretless boards - has anyone here got a recent fretless 'Ray? The boards are Pau Ferro (I think) which I assume was chosen as being preferable to rosewood - any opinions? Every time I see a fretless 'Ray I want one! Back in he '80's I had a fretless Precision with a maple board (yes, like Sting's) - looked ultra-cool, but roundwounds took the lacquer off and chewed the wood in no time, besides playing very "dead".

[Russ]

[quote name='lwtait' post='55462' date='Sep 4 2007, 06:45 PM']it depends on the colour you get it in in my opinion. i can't tell a difference in tone on any bass i've ever played, and your fingers don't actually touch the fretboard when you play, so it doesnt feel any different. so i'd just choose whichever one looks best, because you have to be happy with looks as well as the way it sounds[/quote]

It depends how much of the bass' sound comes from the electronics, I think. The Stingray pickups do have a characteristic sound, but you can still hear the woods. Trust me, a maple neck Stingray sounds very different to a rosewood one = there's quite a different balance of frequencies.