Rosewood vs Maple

bassman03 · Mar 31, 2009

I've heard before that the type of fretboard you get can alter what your bass sounds like. To what extent is that true? If so, what are the tonal differences between having a rosewood fretboard as opposed to having a maple one?

Lonnybass · Mar 31, 2009

bassman03 said:
I've heard before that the type of fretboard you get can alter what your bass sounds like. To what extent is that true? If so, what are the tonal differences between having a rosewood fretboard as opposed to having a maple one?

All things being equal, most guys would argue that a maple board lends a brighter, snappier sound to your bass, while a rosewood board is warmer and a bit more mellow.

Of course, there are a LARGE number of associated variables that must be taken into consideration here - strings, setup, other woods used in construction, electronics, and of course, the player.

Lonnybass

elcamino72 · Mar 31, 2009

hell... i like maple better for the look.. other then that i havent noticed much tone difference at all...

bigntasty · Mar 31, 2009

Lonnybass said:
All things being equal, most guys would argue that a maple board lends a brighter, snappier sound to your bass, while a rosewood board is warmer and a bit more mellow.

Of course, there are a LARGE number of associated variables that must be taken into consideration here - strings, setup, other woods used in construction, electronics, and of course, the player.

Lonnybass

I concur with Lonnybass. All things being equal, I think he's right on the button with his descriptions.

EagleMoon · Mar 31, 2009

Go for which one you like the feel and look of the best. Everything else is gravy.

pringlw · Mar 31, 2009

Lonnybass said:
All things being equal, most guys would argue that a maple board lends a brighter, snappier sound to your bass, while a rosewood board is warmer and a bit more mellow.

Of course, there are a LARGE number of associated variables that must be taken into consideration here - strings, setup, other woods used in construction, electronics, and of course, the player.

Lonnybass

That's what most believe, and I guess I probably do as well.

However there are lots and lots of people who will argue that it's all in your mind and that there's no difference to the sound either way.

Their argument is that the fretboard isn't part of the string sound - when pressed the string goes from fret to bridge. Since the string isn't touching the fingerboard between the fret and the bridge - there is no effect on the string when vibrating.

Is it true - I don't know. But I like brighter sounding instruments so (right or wrong) I go for Maple necks when choosing a fretted bass. My fretless on the other hand is rosewood all the way (obviously the above argument doesn't apply at all to fretless basses).

vinxbass · Mar 31, 2009

I've played both and to be honest with ya, I could care less. Though, at this moment I'm playing an '08' MIA Fender Jazz V with rosewood FB. :smug:

brucebruce · Mar 31, 2009

Cosmetically I prefer maple... and in terms of comfort... I really find a vintage finished maple fretboard suits me best...

The nitro finish on the maple neck of my (on order) Tony Franklin bass is amazing...

I also agree with the general description posted above... Maple a touch brighter... Rosewood a touch warmer...

... have you considered ebony... it feels great on fretless and fretted basses IMO...

MarkusBass · Mar 31, 2009

pringlw said:
That's what most believe, and I guess I probably do as well.

However there are lots and lots of people who will argue that it's all in your mind and that there's no difference to the sound either way.

Their argument is that the fretboard isn't part of the string sound - when pressed the string goes from fret to bridge. Since the string isn't touching the fingerboard between the fret and the bridge - there is no effect on the string when vibrating.

Is it true - I don't know. But I like brighter sounding instruments so (right or wrong) I go for Maple necks when choosing a fretted bass. My fretless on the other hand is rosewood all the way (obviously the above argument doesn't apply at all to fretless basses).

This is what I believe. I think it's all about looks and feel. It there is any difference tonally, and slight EQ would erase it. That being said...I like rosewood more for feel and looks.

RickenBoogie · Mar 31, 2009

I like rosewood, but really, it's the least important variable in bass tone. Go for whichever you like better.

Thunderitter · Mar 31, 2009

In my world maple is 'smoother' and rosewood has a bit more of an edge, but I love them both!

Jim C · Mar 31, 2009

If you had perfect memory so that you could swap out necks on the same bass with the same strings, I would think that the difference is hadrly noticable.
Not a fair question when different basses are compared.

mongo2 · Mar 31, 2009

Jim C said:
If you had perfect memory so that you could swap out necks on the same bass with the same strings, I would think that the difference is hadrly noticable.
Not a fair question when different basses are compared.

They'd still be different necks and the test would be void just for that.

thirtypoint87 · Mar 31, 2009

The difference is subtle, but distinct.

I've had the chance to a/b instruments that were identical aside from their fingerboards a couple of times and this is what I found.

Rosewood: Warmer, rounder, more wide and open sound

Maple: Brighter, clearer, and more focused

I've found an affinity for fingerboards in the rosewood family, but I could certainly see the advantage of maple when clarity and the ability to cut through in the mix are the main goals.

Observe: Reggae bassist Ashton "Family Man" Barret plays a Fender Jazz Bass with a rosewood 'board. Rush bassist Geddy Lee plays a Fender Jazz Bass with maple. Different amps, etc.? Yes, of course.... but the fingerboards are no accident.

MarkusBass · Mar 31, 2009

Were the finishes the same?

thirtypoint87 said:
The difference is subtle, but distinct.

I've had the chance to a/b instruments that were identical aside from their fingerboards a couple of times and this is what I found.

Rosewood: Warmer, rounder, more wide and open sound

Maple: Brighter, clearer, and more focused

I've found an affinity for fingerboards in the rosewood family, but I could certainly see the advantage of maple when clarity and the ability to cut through in the mix are the main goals.

Observe: Reggae bassist Ashton "Family Man" Barret plays a Fender Jazz Bass with a rosewood 'board. Rush bassist Geddy Lee plays a Fender Jazz Bass with maple. Different amps, etc.? Yes, of course.... but the fingerboards are no accident.

BurningSkies · Mar 31, 2009

Thrillhouse · Mar 31, 2009

There is a significant difference...as I have said in the other 10,000,000 threads of this topic. I ued rosewood for a while on my J bass then switched to maple and noticed a difference immediately. Maple is definitely brighter, although you can get a similarly bright sound from rosewood if you use stainless steel strings. It also has a lot to do with how hard you play and what other woods the bass is constructed of (as others have said).

thirtypoint87 · Mar 31, 2009

MarkusBass said:
Were the finishes the same?

Yes. I'm a repairman, part time builder, and I manage a (mostly) used guitar shop.

My two tests were conducted on a pair of USA Fender Strats that we'd bought from a store that was liquidating "last year's inventory" (both 2007's, same sunburst) and on two late 1990's Fender USA Jazz basses that we just happened to have on hand at the same time.

Same strings, same setup, same alder bodies. (Yes, of course no two instruments will behave exactly the same, but I did all I could to remove those "non-fingerboard variables.")

Gopherbassist · Mar 31, 2009

pringlw said:
Their argument is that the fretboard isn't part of the string sound - when pressed the string goes from fret to bridge. Since the string isn't touching the fingerboard between the fret and the bridge - there is no effect on the string when vibrating.

I can't imagine that's true. The string will vibrate the fret, the fret will vibrate the board, and the board will feed back into the fret.

vin*tone · Apr 1, 2009

BurningSkies said:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531618
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=529207
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=519333
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511292
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=495822
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490615
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=486961
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=479038
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=465869
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=472699
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464312
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=385876
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=459246
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446904
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=453700
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442211
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440780
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440551
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67268
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434807
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=424205
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=247977
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428388
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=409725
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=395275
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405680
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=401710
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=385840
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=375757
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=366282
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365579
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346188
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315100
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=299228
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=309205
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78304
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=276014
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=266525
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=262997
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249972
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233090

Start with these few threads, if you find they don't answer your question, let me know and I'll post another 649875987494837 threads on the same topic.

win.

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