Does switching from rosewood to maple visually throw you off?

[Thom Fioriglio]

Funny I just took both basses to a darkened hallway in my house and sure as heck the maple neck with the black dot side markers is much easier to see in dim light. The rosewood board I couldn’t see the markings at all. I think that is simply it. So at a quick glance, for me, the maple with black side dots is just easier to get my bearings.

 

[coyote1]

Hey there bass friends! Just curious if this happens to anyone else. I’ve been a maple fretboard player for years and recently got a Lakland 44-02 with a rosewood fretboard. When I play it, I sometimes feel like I am thrown off a bit as to where the frets are. Meaning it takes a little adjustment visually to get my bearings. The maple fretboard with the black side dots are easy to see. The rosewood board with off white dots sometimes takes getting used to. It’s just a visual thing. It could also be that the 44-02, when played sitting sits a little further back than my Jazz bass with the maple neck so my positioning is off by a fret. I think I explained that clearly.

I’m not a fan of the feel of maple fingerboards. But I’m rarely looking at the fingerboard when I play, so there’s really nothing visually there to confuse me.

 

[Williethump]

My issue is if the side dots are too small or indistinct against the wood. I have a dark Wenge neck, gorgeous, but with tiny dots that I’m thinking to adding stickers to. Generally rosewood or ebony vs maple in itself isn’t an issue.

Same here with my f-hole walnut Hadean uke bass. Just put new cream colored strings on it (badly! I hate knots) and the dark side dots are really difficult to see in my funeral dark house. I'm also thinking of sticking white dots over the dark mother-of-toilet-seat originals. And a skylight for my house, except I'm a renter.

 

[waveman]

I have both, doesn't bother me. Normally I can see maple necks better than dark wooded ones in certain venues due to lighting

 

[Auspuff]

Hey there bass friends! Just curious if this happens to anyone else. I’ve been a maple fretboard player for years and recently got a Lakland 44-02 with a rosewood fretboard. When I play it, I sometimes feel like I am thrown off a bit as to where the frets are. Meaning it takes a little adjustment visually to get my bearings. The maple fretboard with the black side dots are easy to see. The rosewood board with off white dots sometimes takes getting used to. It’s just a visual thing. It could also be that the 44-02, when played sitting sits a little further back than my Jazz bass with the maple neck so my positioning is off by a fret. I think I explained that clearly.

Nope.

 

[jtg]

Sounds like it's time for some blindfold training.

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

That's one of the reasons why AO basses were problematic to me. Considering dark stages; rosewood neck + clay dots is not the brightest idea ever (pun intended). I prefer maple necks + dark markers visually.

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

That's one of the reasons why AO basses were problematic to me. Considering dark stages; rosewood neck + clay dots is not the brightest idea ever (pun intended). I prefer maple necks + dark markers visually.

Yeah, it was the same with my Lakland 44-94, but instead of clay dots they use birdseye maple for both the fretboard and side markers. It looks gorgeous but is just hard to see.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

Yes, after playing several other basses for about 2 weeks went back to my Pau Ferro board on my MIM Precision, which is my usual daily player and I had to look once or twice to get my bearings. The board dot markers and side dots are much less visible. And sure, play blindfolded, but that doesn't work as much if you switch through different basses. I read sheet music daily, and play looking at the music not the fretboard.
An added bonus on my ebony and pearl block inlay bass, the position markers on the board and side nearly glow, and catch the smallest amount of light. My maple board, black block inlays also pop nicely. It's good when you're teetering over 60 years and eyesight aint what it was LOL My hi marker vis G&Ls

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

Sounds like it's time for some blindfold training.

I know my way around a fretboard. I talking about a

Yes, after playing several other basses for about 2 weeks went back to my Pau Ferro board on my MIM Precision, which is my usual daily player and I had to look once or twice to get my bearings. The board dot markers and side dots are much less visible. And sure, play blindfolded, but that doesn't work as much if you switch through different basses. I read sheet music daily, and play looking at the music not the fretboard.
An added bonus on my ebony and pearl block inlay bass, the position markers on the board and side nearly glow, and catch the smallest amount of light. My maple board, black block inlays also pop nicely. It's good when you're teetering over 60 years and eyesight aint what it was LOL My hi marker vis G&Ls View attachment 5000510 View attachment 5000511

Thanks for the support. My maple neck also has black block inlays and that also helps with visibility. The Indian Laurel fretboard has dots. My ebony fretless has fret lines that are nice and white as well as white side markers so that's not a problem either. And yeah, as you said, practicing blindfolded is not the answer. I know my way around a fretboard. It's just getting your bearings gets thrown off a little.