Frankly, I don't think the fingerboard wood makes any difference on fretted basses and very little difference on fretless basses.
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Fingerboards :Rosewood vs Maple vs Ebony
- Thread starter Lechuzon
- Start date
Good answer! I tend to go for the 'whole bass' factor myself, sometimes you have to compromise on a detail or two...
and sometimes you get a pleasant surprise, which you might not if you adamantly insist on one particular wood, no matter what.
Never really like maple fretboard, sort of brittle , although I have 2 bass with it [Lakland Deluxe 4 and Fbass Bn5]. Prefer Ebony with ash body and Rosewood [Brazilian] with Alder body.
I think best is Ebony , very focused never brittle or click clack .
I think best is Ebony , very focused never brittle or click clack .
I played two Fender Hot-Rodded Precisions back to back - rosewood vs. maple.
There was a significant tonal difference but I can't remember which was "better."
There was a significant tonal difference but I can't remember which was "better."
I picked rosewood, but that is only because most of my basses have rosewood fretboards
1 ebony
1 maple
6 rosewood (2 fretless)
But I don't pick a bass based on it's fretboard, or any one thing actually. It is solely based on the groove that it has and the way it plays and sounds.
1 ebony
1 maple
6 rosewood (2 fretless)
But I don't pick a bass based on it's fretboard, or any one thing actually. It is solely based on the groove that it has and the way it plays and sounds.
I've played, and owned, basses that have all three different fretboards and, to me, it depends on the bass.
I prefer the look of maple, but I feel more comfortable on rosewood fingerboards.
I liked Pao Ferro on the Rickenbacker, and disliked it on some other basses I played.
Ebony is not much of my taste.
I liked Pao Ferro on the Rickenbacker, and disliked it on some other basses I played.
Ebony is not much of my taste.
Well , i don't see all the difference that the fretboard can make.
As some have said earlier, two equal basses can sound different for the only fact that their not the same!
To go deeper i've played a bass (not that it makes any difference but it was a Warwick FNA 5) once and my ex drummer heard it shouted "man you just GOT TO buy that thing, it rocks" , and it did! I was getting a sound that I couldn't believe. About a month later I played the same bass and it sucked so bad that I couldn't believe.
The strings were as new as they were earlier, the amplification was the same, and more important... my fingers were the same.
If this can happen , you too should consider that a fretboard wood isn't what *makes* the sound, but the whole bass has it is in the moment. Wood goes through changes throughout the time. It gets older, it gets dryer, etc.
The fretboard wood, has it is a smaller portion, can't possibly dictate the sound that you're getting always in the same basis.
p.s.- ebony just looks a lot more cute. black is beautiful
p.s.- don't trust the memories, trust only the facts. memories can be changed. (memento)
As some have said earlier, two equal basses can sound different for the only fact that their not the same!
To go deeper i've played a bass (not that it makes any difference but it was a Warwick FNA 5) once and my ex drummer heard it shouted "man you just GOT TO buy that thing, it rocks" , and it did! I was getting a sound that I couldn't believe. About a month later I played the same bass and it sucked so bad that I couldn't believe.
The strings were as new as they were earlier, the amplification was the same, and more important... my fingers were the same.
If this can happen , you too should consider that a fretboard wood isn't what *makes* the sound, but the whole bass has it is in the moment. Wood goes through changes throughout the time. It gets older, it gets dryer, etc.
The fretboard wood, has it is a smaller portion, can't possibly dictate the sound that you're getting always in the same basis.
p.s.- ebony just looks a lot more cute. black is beautiful
p.s.- don't trust the memories, trust only the facts. memories can be changed. (memento)
Those of us who beleive that we can hear the difference in fingerboard woods on a fretted bass and those of you who swear we can't(just because you can't doesn't mean that I can't!
) will always have this debate. It will never be settled.
) will always have this debate. It will never be settled.I like the way maple feels and looks. I notice a tiny bit of difference in tone. But it's more of a feel thing to me.
I'm more or less in the middle, there are some basses that the fingerboard makes a difference on. Some it doesn't. Generally I like maple boards on Fenders with alder bodies, and rosewood if the body is ash, because maple and ash just sound too bright together, not always though. On basses where ebony os an option I prefer it, and on fretless basses there is only one choice, ebony. I have played some basses that were cool with rosewood that I wouldn't have expected it to be good on. Its a small part of the sound but sometimes it matters. Is that vauge enough for you? For the record both of my basses have ebony fingerboards at the moment. One is fretless the other is fretted.
It's looking like the fingerboard of choice for fretless is ebony.
Anyone add to that? I think that's a very significant statement.
Anyone add to that? I think that's a very significant statement.
I have one of each of rosewood (fretless), cocobolo, maple and composite. As the basses are totally different I can't say what difference it makes. I think one main aspect is actually looks, and in that case I prefer maple with a dark body and ebony/composite with a lighter body. And the cocobolo or rosewood go better for a more 'acoustic' type warmer look. For an unlined fretless ebony looks the nicest. Tonally, I'm afraid I can't say. It makes sense I guess that for a fretless a softer wood will sound different than a harder wood as it would affect the vibration and damping of the string. How much I don't know. Probably the practical matter of fingerboard life was what made luthiers go for ebony for fretless basses in the first place.
I was a little surprised to see how many people in this thread did not think the fingerboard makes a big difference in the tone of the bass. My experience is that the tonal effect of the fingerboard is HUGE. It makes a bigger difference than the body wood. Of course, you cannot have this discussion if you are comparing a maple fgbd Fender with an Ebony fgbd Pedulla and a Rosewood fgbd Spector. But if you are comparing 3 of a kind, the fingeboard makes a huge difference. In a nutshell:
Maple is the brightest and tightest, most preferred for slap and funk.
Rosewood (all kinds) is sweeter and warmer with less of that bright edge.
Ebony is the punchiest--with a very strong fundamental.
Just my 2 cents.
Roger
Maple is the brightest and tightest, most preferred for slap and funk.
Rosewood (all kinds) is sweeter and warmer with less of that bright edge.
Ebony is the punchiest--with a very strong fundamental.
Just my 2 cents.
Roger
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I agree, but I also wonder why no one considers the qualites of wenge, especially for great mids. Is it becoming harder to aquire?
That's why I didn't vote on this thread. To often this question comes up with no specifics. I agree that the fretboard wood has a major impact on the overall tone of the bass but it is still one of many factors. To ask 'which is better' is way too general without talking about a specific type of bass or, at least, specific body woods, electronics, strings, hardware, etc.
If I stick to my plans of a Roscoe for my next bass, the neck will be... purple heart!
Something like this (with a burl maple top)...
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Something like this (with a burl maple top)...
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HI BASSIN' : IF you read carefully, when I started this thread my question was NOT "which is better".
instead it read :
Fingerboards :Rosewood vs Maple vs Ebony
Waht's your preference ? what are the tonal defferences.
Anyway I would like to thank each and everyone (including you) for their replies and the great response on this topic .. Thanks again!!
Luchuzon
Your right, I didn't re-read the first post but 'what's your preference' or 'which is better'...it doesn't sound that much different to me, at least as far as a poll is concerned, which is why, again, I didn't vote. Wouldn't you prefer what you felt was better??
The descriptions that people have written characterizing each wood, I feel , are very accurate but, in my own experience, I have no preference when it comes to just the fretboard wood. If you want to know what I prefer/think is better as far as different fretboard woods working in conjunction with different body woods, electronics, hardware, strings, etc., I might have an opinion because the fretboard does have a major impact on the overall sound of the bass. But to isolate the fretboard and say, 'which do you prefer,' to me, is too general.
