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Does switching from rosewood to maple visually throw you off?
- Thread starter Thom Fioriglio
- Start date
The fretboard wood doesn't impact this for me, but sometimes I will get thrown off by basses that have different numbers of frets or that hang at a different angle, which can place some of the frets at a different orientation from a visual perspective than I am accustomed to.
I tend to prefer rosewood in a fretboard. I think it might be more a preference for "no finish" on the fingerboard but I am not certain of that since I have never played an unfinished maple fretboard. Maybe it is because of my starting on classical doublebasses with unfinished ebony fingeboards that I feel this way.
Maple fretboards do feel a little less comfortable to me (just MHO) for whatever reason so I will just call it personal preference and leave it at that. No judgement either way.
Maple fretboards do feel a little less comfortable to me (just MHO) for whatever reason so I will just call it personal preference and leave it at that. No judgement either way.
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No, i've always played with my eyes closed anyway, the feel is different for sure, but doesn't change the ease of play
Maybe I'm doing something wrong/different? I really only touch the strings, so I can't tell the difference.
No, but sometimes I have an issue with shadows on my maple board throwing me off (this isn’t an issue with rosewood).
I would think that fretboard wood have little if any effect on my ability to adjust to a different bass. There are too many other different aspects of a bass to take into consideration such as strap length, body shape, strings, pickup location, to name a few.
Even if everything else is equal I doubt I’d be able to feel the difference between maple, rosewood, or ebony. However, I can’t say I’ve ever had the opportunity to play and focus on wood differences on otherwise identical basses, so there’s that.
Even if everything else is equal I doubt I’d be able to feel the difference between maple, rosewood, or ebony. However, I can’t say I’ve ever had the opportunity to play and focus on wood differences on otherwise identical basses, so there’s that.
I find it difficult to believe your finger NEVER touches the fingerboard, but I'll take you at your word.
What I will say is your fingers need not touch the fingerboard for the difference in texture to affect the string differently.
The cure is really easy. Play each of your basses during the week. Swap back and forth. Don't give your brain time to settle on any one of them as "the" definition of what a bass is.
I go between 32" scale unlined fretless, rosewood fretted P and 34" scale maple/black blocks fretted 'Ray with zero issues. Each of the basses just feels like my bass.
I go between 32" scale unlined fretless, rosewood fretted P and 34" scale maple/black blocks fretted 'Ray with zero issues. Each of the basses just feels like my bass.
I had this problem when I was playing in a very dark orchestra pit on a bass with rosewood fretboard.
Used some pieces of white tape over the side dots.
Used some pieces of white tape over the side dots.
no
I'm one of those who don't really look at the neck/board/my fingers while I play
I'm one of those who don't really look at the neck/board/my fingers while I play
Yeah I've felt the same but moving rosewood to Maple. Bonded with my last Rosewood bass in the shop. When I bought the maple bass it was for its sound and looks. The dimensions of the neck were great but that smooth feel was weird. Two years later and its now as easy to play as Rosewood.
