Maple fretboard?

[packhowitzer]

I typically like maple boards- and increasingly maple with black binding and blocks. But the RW p is really starting to grow on me and i play it alot at my weekly church gig (or course now it has a tort pick guard!)

[MAJOR METAL]

The cut factor.

[bassbully]

Love me some maple boards. Not only are they easy to see in dark clubs they are easy to take care of and Yes I agree they sound brighter than Rosewood.

[Dave Campbell]

Originally Posted by scottbass

The reason I prefer maple boards is that I can see black side dots on a maple board better on a dark stage than I can see white side dots on a rosewood board. YMMV.

This.

It really can make a big difference. I'm still trying to find a way to make the fret markers on my '85 Stingray rosewood board stand out... neon round stickers...?

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by Dave Campbell

This.

It really can make a big difference. I'm still trying to find a way to make the fret markers on my '85 Stingray rosewood board stand out... neon round stickers...?

Really for me it might be stronger glasses those suckers are dang hard to see.

[Calaverasgrande]

I like the sound of maple over rosewood. But every maple fretboard instrument I have owned end sup with the finish worn off where the strings rub the fboard.
Looks kinda gross. oops, dont mean to disrespect the "reliced" crowd.
I've started applying the gunstock oil/wax combo that Musicman specs for the back of their necks. It keeps the bare spots from getting all gray and gummy looking as fast.

[scottbass]

Originally Posted by Dave Campbell

This.

It really can make a big difference. I'm still trying to find a way to make the fret markers on my '85 Stingray rosewood board stand out... neon round stickers...?

Check this stuff out:

http://www.fretlord.us/

I would never use anything like this, but you might!

[Calaverasgrande]

Originally Posted by Marginal Tom

Between the tone knobs on your bass and amp, you should easily be able to compensate for any difference in tone between fretboard woods (or body woods or strings or pickups).

no, you can not add what wasnt there to begin with.
tone knobs are not instrument modeling.

[awilkie84]

Having played & owned MIA P-basses of the same model with a rosewood board & maple board, it's all in the feel. There were no tonal differences at all, but the maple board felt harder &, to me, cheaper. :S It did look pretty, though.

Originally Posted by Calaverasgrande

no, you can not add what wasnt there to begin with.
tone knobs are not instrument modeling.

Play an active bass, then say this again.

[SigiZ58]

Originally Posted by Fuzzbass

It's perfectly reasonable to argue that a finished fretboard has a different tone than an unfinished board, even on a fretted bass. And it's reasonable to argue otherwise.

That's exactly what I like in such discussions

[Runnerman]

Originally Posted by awilkie84

Having played & owned MIA P-basses of the same model with a rosewood board & maple board, it's all in the feel. There were no tonal differences at all, but the maple board felt harder &, to me, cheaper. :S

That's weird because rosewood is harder than maple. Wenge is somewhere between the two and ebony is way harder than any of them.

[Mykk]

Originally Posted by scottbass

The reason I prefer maple boards is that I can see black side dots on a maple board better on a dark stage than I can see white side dots on a rosewood board. YMMV.

This. I was going to say the same thing. Even if not just the dots, I can see the entire neck better on stage.

I also prefer the aesthetic of the maple fret board too. The finished maple board on my 4 string feels and plays much better than the unfinished maple on my VJ-5.

[dvh]

Originally Posted by sven kalmar

my roadw p (as you propably know)has a onepiece maple neck. I generally roll of the tone a bit and it sound very warm and rich. I also think rosewood has a slightly darker timber.

Well, rosewood is a darker timber but whether it has a darker timbre is always the debate....

[Thumper]

FWIW, IME (over 30 basses, 45 years playing), IMHO, I prefer maple visually and tonally. Going back 20 years, I preferred rosewood. My problem was deadspots, nearly every one I had, had more obvious deadspots (including the occasional Morado board). Over the years, my keepers tend to be deadspot free maple boards (including 1 piece no-board Fenders).

Luck-of-the-draw? Probably. My experience, certainly.

[Zoomie]

Hmm.

I can only say that I have a preference for the feel of maple aka all maple. I do have those dark yucky boards too on some sweet sounding basses. I just prefer maple, with the exception of the AVRI with Chromes.

I too am one of those alleged wackos that thinks that maple is a hair brighter. I may be FoS but my perception is my perception.

The only negative thing I have read about maple is that it can get stained and dirty of a number of years of heavy playing. Personally, those stains are earned through a lot of blood, sweat and tears and are therfore non offensive to me.

Bottom line, fondle a bunch of basses and buy the one that you like best. Or, buy both and do a long term test !

[Immigrant]

I like Pecan:




And turtles.

[SteveC]

I'm still not certain that fingerboard wood makes as much of a difference on a fretted instrument as it may on a fretless instrument.

Maple MAY be "brighter" and "feel" different, but I'm not completely convinced.

[dabbler]

Originally Posted by SteveC

I'm still not certain that fingerboard wood makes as much of a difference on a fretted instrument as it may on a fretless instrument.

Maple MAY be "brighter" and "feel" different, but I'm not completely convinced.

My experience is that it does. I have 4 (actually more) SX J style basses in LPB. 2 with Rosewood boards (fretted and fretless) and 2 with maple boards (fretted and fretless). There was a definite audible brightness in both maple board basses.

[electracoyote]

I've had the same experience with MIM Standards manufactured the same year, only difference being maple versus rosewood. Some people don't hear it, that's cool. But I do.

BTW, nice collection, I am an SX fan. This is what happens when we find an affordable bass that also plays and sounds great.

Originally Posted by dabbler

My experience is that it does. I have 4 (actually more) SX J style basses in LPB. 2 with Rosewood boards (fretted and fretless) and 2 with maple boards (fretted and fretless). There was a definite audible brightness in both maple board basses.

[Troph]

http://www.frudua.com/guitar_woods_rosewood.htm