Ibby SR500, maple or rosewood fretboard?

mello_bedwetter · #1 12-11-2012, 05:40 PM

Has anyone tried the Ibanez SR500 with the maple fretboard? I've tried the rosewood but haven't seen a maple one to try. If so what's your thoughts on both? Thanks

Bassist Jay · #2 12-11-2012, 06:25 PM

I prefer the rosewood. I think it looks and sounds much better on those basses.

Mikio · #3 12-11-2012, 10:02 PM

Haven't tried the maple one, but maple is brighter and the SR500 is already a bright bass. I don't think that would help. I'd stick to rosewood as it also looks better!

BassistForJesus · #4 12-12-2012, 12:09 AM

Check out the SR605. Ash body. Ash growls and punches you in the face.

bootsox · #5 12-12-2012, 12:42 AM

rosewood for an SR. cuts a little bit of that brightness.

personally, I think maple looks kinda goofy on an SR anyway

atomicdog · #6 12-12-2012, 01:22 AM

I have an SR750, rosewood. It just feels right.

jmclearnon · #7 12-12-2012, 01:44 AM

I would agree with the Rosewood statement.

mcnach · #8 12-12-2012, 04:07 AM

Whichever you like better, for feel and visually.

It really has no discernible effect on the sound of an electric bass, despite what many say.

**MostlyBass** · #9 12-12-2012, 04:29 AM

I had an SR505 with a rosewood fretboard. Love the bass but if I had to do it again I'd get maple. I don't like the look, or to a lesser extent the feel, of rosewood.

IngerAlb · #10 12-12-2012, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnach

It really has no discernible effect on the sound of an electric bass, despite what many say.

Please go an check 2 SR 500: one with rosewood, the other with maple fretboard; if they sound the same, then I'm sorry to say this, but there's something wrong with your ears

Back on topic: the maple fretboard one sound definitively brighter. If you play with a pick, it might be just too much. If you play with your fingers, then it might give you that extra "something" to make yourself heard better through a wall of sound (although IMO, in spite of what some folks say, the SR50X has a pretty bright & open voive nowadays). The maple one sounds like those '80s - '90s
thrash metal basses with those mettalic upper mids pumped, while the rosewood version had more bottom & meat. Your choice. They do sound different.

georgestrings · #11 12-12-2012, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bootsox

rosewood for an SR. cuts a little bit of that brightness.

personally, I think maple looks kinda goofy on an SR anyway

This...

- georgestrings

georgestrings · #12 12-12-2012, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnach

Whichever you like better, for feel and visually.

It really has no discernible effect on the sound of an electric bass, despite what many say.

Agree with the 1st statement, disagree with the 2nd - atleast with the Fenders and EBMMs I've owned and played, I definitely noticed a difference...

- georgestrings

georgestrings · #13 12-12-2012, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

Please go an check 2 SR 500: one with rosewood, the other with maple fretboard; if they sound the same, then I'm sorry to say this, but there's something wrong with your ears

Back on topic: the maple fretboard one sound definitively brighter. If you play with a pick, it might be just too much. If you play with your fingers, then it might give you that extra "something" to make yourself heard better through a wall of sound (although IMO, in spite of what some folks say, the SR50X has a pretty bright & open voive nowadays). The maple one sounds like those '80s - '90s
thrash metal basses with those mettalic upper mids pumped, while the rosewood version had more bottom & meat. Your choice. They do sound different.

Yeah, as mostly a pick player, I run into this with EBMMs - their maple boarded basses are almost too bright for my tastes, whereas their rosewood boarded basses are just right...

- georgestrings

Lunchbox4u_6 · #14 12-12-2012, 05:52 AM

My experience with maple fretboards is that they tend to scoop the mids, but that's really only of major importance if you're buying a bass without active electronics because you can overcome some of the effect by boosting your mids.

Again, that's just my experience.

mcnach · #15 12-12-2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

Please go an check 2 SR 500: one with rosewood, the other with maple fretboard; if they sound the same, then I'm sorry to say this, but there's something wrong with your ears

.

My ears are great so far

Unfortunately, for those less scientifically minded, I like properly controlled experiments before I am convinced.
Therefore I remain unconvinced.

There are too many sources of variation, even between two "identical" instruments, for me to be able to say maple is generally brighter.
Besides, let's for a minute assume that there really is a difference. The kind of effect we are talking about is minute compared to, say, changing the value of the volume pot in passive basses. I won't even get into tone caps with their generally wide tolerances.
That sort of effect would make it a non issue to me, anyway, as one can shift the tonality of a bass very easily, well beyond the magnitude we are discussing here between maple and rosewood.
So... why worry, beyond feel and aesthetics?

So that's my take.

You are free to to choose differently, of course. ;-)

dmusic148 · #16 12-12-2012, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnach

My ears are great so far

Unfortunately, for those less scientifically minded, I like properly controlled experiments before I am convinced.
Therefore I remain unconvinced.

There are too many sources of variation, even between two "identical" instruments, for me to be able to say maple is generally brighter.

Have to agree. I have two P basses, one maple, the other rosewood. They are otherwise identical. The rosewood one is way brighter. Go figure.

IngerAlb · #17 12-12-2012, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnach

My ears are great so far

Unfortunately, for those less scientifically minded, I like properly controlled experiments before I am convinced.
Therefore I remain unconvinced.

That's fine...except in this case, you're wrong.

You see, I happen to own both versions of this SR model, so I had enough time to test both on various rigs and situations. The M one sounds brighter.

mcnach · #18 12-12-2012, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

That's fine...except in this case, you're wrong.

You see, I happen to own both versions of this SR model, so I had enough time to test both on various rigs and situations. The M one sounds brighter.

I believe you believe it's because of it being maple.

That's all I'm going to add to this thread. It's not like we have not discussed this to death... ;-)
If you think that those two basses are identical save for the fingerboard material... you may continue believing it, the world won't stop turning anyway.
Enjoy your basses :-p

IngerAlb · #19 12-12-2012, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnach

I believe you believe it's because of it being maple.

That's all I'm going to add to this thread. It's not like we have not discussed this to death... ;-)
If you think that those two basses are identical save for the fingerboard material... you may continue believing it, the world won't stop turning anyway.
Enjoy your basses :-p

The difference is audible/noticeable even when you play them unplugged. But ok, what do I know

mcnach · #20 12-13-2012, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

The difference is audible/noticeable even when you play them unplugged. But ok, what do I know

You also know that you are comparing two basses, made similarly but not identical as wood changes quite a bit from one example to another. That, and set up etc etc, and of course strings, which are rarely exactly matched in these "demonstrations"... that's another huge source of variation.
Then, if you actually plug it in... no two pots or caps are alike... have you seen the sort of tolerances those components typically run at?

:-)