Maple vs. Rosewood

redstrand · #1 07-07-2007, 09:08 AM

Well I made my mind up to get a L-2000 with the Blueburst. Now I'm having fun figuring out with neck wood to order. I like both and didn't really hear a difference when I played both through the same amp.

I know that maple can be brighter which I kind of like with the boomy sound of the Bass.

Other than looks...what do you guys like the best on your G&L?

FidgetStone · #2 07-07-2007, 11:06 AM

I'm a maple man!

vroc38 · #3 07-07-2007, 11:43 AM

Rosewood. Particularly with G&L. Rosewood tends to take off just a bit of the aggressive edge, which IMO works well for me in my current situations.

mainsail · #4 07-07-2007, 12:31 PM

I have Rosewood on my L2K and I still have plenty of brightness: enough to share with someone else. And I can still control the boomyness.

I have ordered an ebony fingerboard on my forthcoming L-2500 as I have used ebony before and liked the sound I got out of my Gibson ripper.

Ebony is supposed to have sound quality somewhere between Rosewood and maple. A real discerning ear might be able to tell the difference.

Enjoy your new bass. Getting it put together, is a good percentage of the fun.

Larry

Quote:

Originally Posted by redstrand

Well I made my mind up to get a L-2000 with the Blueburst. Now I'm having fun figuring out with neck wood to order. I like both and didn't really hear a difference when I played both through the same amp.

I know that maple can be brighter which I kind of like with the boomy sound of the Bass.

Other than looks...what do you guys like the best on your G&L?

snappytom · #5 07-07-2007, 01:01 PM

Rosewood for me on my L2K.

Not really a fan of Maple fretboards, but have not used them too much to strongly back that up.
What I like about rosewood is that it is an open grain, takes on boiled linseed oil nicely which should be done at least once a year to keep it from drying out, and can be cleaned/polished with a fine steel wool.
Plus it is dark ..... I like that.

Templar · #6 07-07-2007, 02:43 PM

I've become a fan of GOT recently. Like the way it feels, and the great looks are a nice bonus.

A maple board with GOT really gets my attention, and I'd pay the extra to have it.

$.02

spideyjg · #7 07-07-2007, 03:00 PM

If you can't hear any difference get maple. It doesn't need as much maintenance as rosewood and feels better under the fingers.

For sweetest feel under the fingers, I love ebony.

Jim

redstrand · #8 07-07-2007, 05:40 PM

I saw the GOT too...I agree it feels and looks great.

DavePlaysBass · #9 07-08-2007, 09:28 AM

My favorite G&L sounds have been done with rosewood.

Dave

roger winkler · #10 07-08-2007, 08:31 PM

I like the maple simply because INMO it looks better and the main reason is that I can see it better on a dark stage.

bassomane · #11 07-09-2007, 01:52 AM

If YOU can not hear a difference between maple and rosewood, take the board which you like better for optical reasons. I have a blueburst L-2500 tribute with maple board that looks amazing. If I could buy an US G&L I would get a blueburst with binding and Rosewood board. Without binding I like the maple board better.

earlgray · #12 07-09-2007, 09:45 AM

I've never been able to tell much difference in the sound from listening to other players.

I wonder if they weigh about the same? (if that's a concern)...

earlgray · #13 07-09-2007, 09:51 AM

FWIW, I've got 6 G&Ls, with a 7th on order.

Five are maple, and 2 are (will be) ebony.

Not sure about G&L, but a lot of guitar makers have been using Pao Ferro, sometimes called "Brazilian Rosewood." Its almost as hard as ebony, but more plentiful and much cheaper than the traditional RW.

I have a couple Fenders with Pao Ferro necks and they're pretty nice...

lug · #14 07-09-2007, 12:15 PM

nuff said

quickervicar · #15 07-10-2007, 09:59 AM

3 G & Ls. 1 Rosewood. 2 Maple. I prefer the maple. Never tried an ebony on a G & L, but I think I'd really like it.

Infernal Affair · #16 07-10-2007, 10:53 AM

I usually prefer rosewood of the two. To me it's largely on what I think looks good with the body color and has little to do with sound. Ebony is my favorite though.