Rosewood vs Maple Neck

[funkkky]

Maybe an expired theme/thread, but here it goes;

I am considering buying a Reggie hamilton jazz bass with a rosewood neck, though I prefer Maple necks better (just because of the look it has, SEXY!) I haven't got much clue in Jazz basses, but people say that the Rosewood necks sound better on the jazz basses? I'll rather go for the best sound of course, but is it so that the maple neck is just as good?

 

[BrandonBass]

just go with the one you think looks best. i dont think the tone will be greatly affected with just the fingerboard.

but from what ive heard, maple = brighter. rosewood = warmer

 

[MichaelScott]

Do you mean rosewood fingerboard or rosewood neck?

 

[The Dave]

Neither is really better or worse. A maple board will give you a slightly brighter sound but it's not a really huge difference. Go ahead and get the Reggie, it's an awesome bass.

BTW - Do the three Ks in your name mean that you're a funky racist?

 

[these_go211]

i think it comes down to a matter of preference. you'll need to play a rosewood neck to see if it's what YOU like. who cares what anyone else thinks. rosewood tends to sound a bit darker and maple a bit brighter. at least that's in my experience. but ultimately you need to be happy with the sound so try it out first.

 

[Sparkdog]

I take my basses to a guy who is a super experienced tech (he has toured with Sting and Kenny Loggins among others) and I asked him this question not too long ago.

He echoed the same thoughts mentioned here, i.e. all other things being equal maple is brighter, rosewood is warmer, but that in his experience the real world difference could be EQ'd out with a fractional turn of the tone knob.

I think he's probably right, and the difference between the two is so subtle you probably couldn't hear it in a performance setting.

For what it's worth...

 

[BassistJonathan]

In my opinion the difference between maple or rosewood fingerboards isnt a huge one so you may aswell go for the one you think looks the best. In this instance, the maple one.

 

[funkkky]

thanks for replies, one thing though:
which "tree" is the easiest to play on?

 

[felch182]

I have both and i must say that i do enjoy playing on maple a bit better. I think its because it looks like butter. The rosewood sounds awesome in a studio when put through a di

 

[The Dave]

I like to play on Rosie because you can play it raw. Maple is always finished and most finishes create a little more drag than raw rosie does. Rosewood is also the only fretboard wood available on the Reggie Hamilton Jazz. So, that's something.

 

[cdef]

One little thing that a maple board has in its favor is that it's easier to navigate on a darkened stage.

 

[MobileHolmes]

I have a slight preference for maple, but neither is better than the other. LIke the others have said, maple is ever so slightly brighter, but the tonal differences are within the eq-able. I personally think Maple plays a little faster depending on the piece of rosewood. I've seen some rosewood on less expensive instruments that is very open grained and rough feeling. OTOH, a good piece of roseowosd can be plenty smooth

 

[nad]

Both my j-basses have maple fretboards, but in general I prefer rosewood.

Feel is more evident than tone when it comes to fretboard material to me, although there is a slight difference in attack it seems.

 

[Roland777]

I like to play on Rosie because you can play it raw. Maple is always finished and most finishes create a little more drag than raw rosie does.

My thoughts EXACTLY, just that I think the finish on maple always has an intrusive negative effect on the speed of the fretboard. It matters a bit more to me - I prefer unhampered movement, and while I can, and hope to, be proven wrong in this area, meaning finished maple necks with no effect WHATSOEVER on feel, I have yet to.

 

[KeithBMI]

I'm a fan of coated maple. I like rosewood, but the oiling process is a messy one.

 

[wcrocker33]

from wat ive seen, maple necks are punchier for slap bass than rosewood, and many people (myself included) don't feel that you lose much warmth. i have a rosewood neck, but my next will be maple. IMHO, go for the maple.