Can You Tell The Difference??? MAPLE vs. ROSEWOOD

[SanDiegoHarry]

That's too bad...maybe get your hearing checked...take a few bass lessons...

FAIL

 

[johnk_10]

Unbelievable...so now you know better than all the recording studios that have bought this stuff, all the engineers that use it, the producers who demand certain pre's for their sound...better drop Rupert Neve an email, tell him he's wrong...

Cameron

+1.
true dat.

 

[NortyFiner]

I would conclude from this test that fretboards have a greater impact on the overall sound of a bass guitar than, for instance, body wood, but if anyone aren't convinced yet then feel free to disagree.

This makes sense. The strings actually are in direct contact with the fretboard when you are fretting a note, but the strings don't directly touch the body (unless you have a string-through, maybe). This goes double for a fretless bass; the fretboard contact is straight strings to wood, nothing else involved. Therefore, the fretboard SHOULD make more of an audible difference in tone than the body wood.

 

[mongo2]

This makes sense. The strings actually are in direct contact with the fretboard when you are fretting a note, but the strings don't directly touch the body (unless you have a string-through, maybe).

Nope, on a fretted bass the note stopped by the fret and not by direct contact with the fingerboard.

 

[Mulebagger]

Probably why maple isn't a common choice for fretless fretboards. I prefer rose wood and ebony for fretless necks, but the composite fretboard on my Status is more dense and tends to have more mwah than my rose wood boards.

 

[NortyFiner]

Nope, on a fretted bass the note stopped by the fret and not by direct contact with the fingerboard.

Even so, the fret is (or should be) embedded solidly into the fretboard wood, while the bridge is simply screwed onto the body on most basses. The string therefore could have more wood "influence" from the neck and fretboard than the body. Theoretically, anyway.

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

Unbelievable...so now you know better than all the recording studios that have bought this stuff, all the engineers that use it, the producers who demand certain pre's for their sound...better drop Rupert Neve an email, tell him he's wrong...

I never said "ART is better than expensive preamps" or made any specific claim.

I recorded the clips, posted them, and 75% of the voters liked the ART preamp better than the Great River. Take from that what you want.

That preamp test, just like my wood tests here on TB, are nothing more than fun experiments to test conventional wisdoms. They don't "prove" anything, nor do they attempt to prove anything. Those of us with open minds can learn a little bit from them. Others (like you, JohnK, mongo2, etc) have a strange emotional attachment to the conventional wisdom. For some reason you feel the need to insult and put down those people who dare to deviate from your beliefs.

You think wood is the most critical part of an instrument's tone? Fine. Rock on. You think expensive preamps always sound better than cheap preamps? Great. Whatever. My experience tells me otherwise, but I'm not going to get upset that you disagree.

I can't imagine a more silly topic to get emotional about.

 

[ledyard]

Great thread Dan. I just caught this late. I too went with B for rosewood. They didnt sound anywhere near identical to me.
Any chance you could do a rosewood/ebony comparison. Or even throw some wenge in there?

Sustain and tone tests with a 2 pc bridge vs a 1 pc would be awsome but it would be rather difficult since the two basses would be completely different.

Maybe an original fender bridge vs. badass or some other bridge that could be swapped out easily. Just for sake of tone and sustain changes.

 

[mongo2]

Even so, the fret is (or should be) embedded solidly into the fretboard wood, while the bridge is simply screwed onto the body on most basses. The string therefore could have more wood "influence" from the neck and fretboard than the body. Theoretically, anyway.

I don't disagree with the statement that the neck can have more influence than the body. I've said that several times on this board.

 

[BogeyBass]

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[johnk_10]

Others (like you, JohnK, mongo2, etc) have a strange emotional attachment to the conventional wisdom. For some reason you feel the need to insult and put down those people who dare to deviate from your beliefs.

You think wood is the most critical part of an instrument's tone? Fine. Rock on. You think expensive preamps always sound better than cheap preamps? Great. Whatever. My experience tells me otherwise, but I'm not going to get upset that you disagree.

IMO, this is typical of your petty 'baiting'.
i never get upset reading your opinion. i actually often find it entertaining. especially when you refer to your 'experience'.
and BTW, it makes no difference to me whether people believe what i believe.

 

[BioDriver]

Great thread Dan. I just caught this late. I too went with B for rosewood. They didnt sound anywhere near identical to me.
Any chance you could do a rosewood/ebony comparison. Or even throw some wenge in there?

I'd imagine ebony would sound more dissimilar from rosewood than maple would. Rosewood/wenge would be good, as would maple/ebony/pau ferro.

I can't imagine a more silly topic to get emotional about.

You obviously don't frequent the OT very much

 

[Son of Sanford]

IMO, this is typical of your petty 'baiting'.
i never get upset reading your opinion. i actually often find it entertaining. especially when you refer to your 'experience'.
and BTW, it makes no difference to me whether people believe what i believe.

What is entertaining is calling out 'petty baiting' with a hook of your own. I would have to agree with the sentiment that people are getting worked up over nothing. It looks like you guys are competitors. Maybe this is not so much about fretboards?

 

[BioDriver]

What is entertaining is calling out 'petty baiting' with a hook of your own. I would have to agree with the sentiment that people are getting worked up over nothing. It looks like you guys are competitors. Maybe this is not so much about fretboards?

In case you were unaware, the way Dan ran a few of his past blind tests and his activity in a few other threads have resulted in quite the collection of cutthroat critics.

 

[johnk_10]

What is entertaining is calling out 'petty baiting' with a hook of your own. I would have to agree with the sentiment that people are getting worked up over nothing. It looks like you guys are competitors. Maybe this is not so much about fretboards?

FWIW, i definitely wouldn't consider Dan my 'competitor'.

 

[Son of Sanford]

I have not read any of the other threads thoroughly enough to get a feel for anyone's personality, but I am not surprised to find out anyone can be annoying on the internet. If you are right, though, why do critics feel the need to follow him from those threads here to continue the argument? If someone annoys me that much I just go about my way and avoid contact, not initiate a piss contest.

In case you were unaware, the way Dan ran a few of his past blind tests and his activity in a few other threads have resulted in quite the collection of cutthroat critics.

 

[trentp]

Really interesting, thanks Dan. I chose A: maple, B: rosewood. Clip A had more midrange in my opinion, Clip B slightly more bass (60-75hz) AND more extended treble response.

At risk of being labelled a esoteric wanker (can I say that here?), I notice a difference between brazilian and indian rosewood on 2 basses I own. The indian has more treble response (like clip B) than the brazilian. I was surprised though at the lack of 'clank' the maple neck had compared to my maple neck bass.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

as far as whether the wood matters if the string only contact the bridge and the frets?
Well lets do a taste test with one bass having a fretboard of maple and the other a fretboard of plastic. I'm sure they wont sound anything different right?
Obviously the fretboard material is not just cosmetic. The frets are mounted in the material. The degree to which the material is stiff or resonant will influence the timbre of the string as it bears on the fret.
Another variable I havent seen mentioned yet is frets. The material of frets will change timbre, as will the profile of frets. I know from experience that sharp, fresh frets have a much brighter tone, even on rosewood boards. Rounded frets and frets that havent been dressed in a while will have a less brilliant timbre.
This variable itself is enough to void any blind test of rosewood vs maple. Unless both necks are identical and have identical fret jobs with similar profiles.
Rounded frets on the maple neck and sharp ones on the rosewood can make them sound quite similar or even enough like the stereotypical timbre for their counterpart.
Me, in my 25 years or so of playing bass and guitar, find I like ebony the best, maple 2nd. Rosewood has a dull tone to me most of the time. It is emphasized when you use overdrive or distortion. Pau ferro is a bit more punchy and sharp sounding, but has an odd kind of clack to it. Kind of like ebony but more in the low mids.
This is not received wisdom. This is buying and playing instruments. I used to favor rosewood because I liked how it looked. After borrowing friends guitars I realized that the tone of rosewood was getting in my way.
Incedentally I cant stand when I am reading a catalog for guitars or basses and they describe an instrument as "featuring a rosewood fretboard". That is so inane. It's like saying a car features a standard transmission.
Sure some prefer it, but it is by no means exceptional. Its the default, cheapest option.

 

[vin*tone]

FWIW, i definitely wouldn't consider Dan my 'competitor'.

OK flop em out. Get a ruler. Let's settle this once and for all.

 

[mongo2]

IMO, this is typical of your petty 'baiting'.
i never get upset reading your opinion. i actually often find it entertaining. especially when you refer to your 'experience'.
and BTW, it makes no difference to me whether people believe what i believe.

Ditto, I've found he does ths kind of thing on at least one other board too.