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There are ones with the same electronics, which are a better demonstration. There's no discernable difference. One is done with two different basses, but the same model with the same electronics. Even with tolerance in pots and capacitors there is no audible difference.
You should really never, ever ask an engineer questions like this. Because the answer you will always get to a "does ...... make a difference ?" question, is - Yes, it does. In the engineer's world of sub-microscopic minutiae, and measurements in parts-per-trillion, absolutely everything makes a difference. Even the act of measuring something makes a difference (can you say Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?). So, since I'm a retired engineer, my answer is - of course - yes, it does. The question you're really asking, though, is "does it make enough difference to matter?" And the answer to that question, is that it's mostly subjective. As you can see by the answers you've gotten already... Does it really, truly, matter to you? To me, it doesn't make enough of a difference to matter. Any slight difference would be overwhelmed by things that make a much larger difference - like strings. Personally, I would be much more concerned about how the neck feels in my hand, than what the fret board is made of. Any possible tonal difference can be fixed by the tone controls on the bass and the amp. That, after all, is what they're there for...
Even if a rosewood and maple fretboard are measurably different, they may not be audibly so, and you'd need to sample many examples to determine if it was related to species of wood and not some other variation.
I like the sound of cocobolo. Maybe for a Hot Chocolate tribute band.
OK, so the string is not touching the wood, only the fret. But at least part of the energy/vibration passes into the material in which the fret is anchored—the wood of the fretboard.
Those who claim that fretboard material has only "maybe a tiny bit" of effect on how the bass resonates should test this claim by trying a fretboard made of dried mud. Or cardboard. Or balsa wood.
I think you would need some pretty sophisticated audio test equipment to be able to detect the difference.
...or you can just use your imagination like most everyone else does.
...or you can just use your imagination like most everyone else does.
My turn.
"But at least part of the energy/vibration passes into the material in which the fret is anchored—the wood of the fretboard."
How does this sound if the neck uses a skunk stripe for the truss rod vrs a slab fingerboard
Is the maple fingerboard finished in nitro, poly, or unfinished? Frets nickle, stainless or bell brass? Err... just get a Moses and be done with it. It will look good too.
"But at least part of the energy/vibration passes into the material in which the fret is anchored—the wood of the fretboard."
How does this sound if the neck uses a skunk stripe for the truss rod vrs a slab fingerboard
Is the maple fingerboard finished in nitro, poly, or unfinished? Frets nickle, stainless or bell brass? Err... just get a Moses and be done with it. It will look good too.
I have maple, ebony, wenge, rose du bois and rosewood fretboards on different basses. My favorite is ebony because of the feel and maple is cool, too, but I can't say they make a difference in sound. I also have J, P and Gibson baseball bat necks and they feel different but I can't say they make a difference in sound. I like them all, but it's about feel and the character they impart to the guitar.
Do what you want. The bass will sound good and feel better to you. It's all about you and what you like.
Do what you want. The bass will sound good and feel better to you. It's all about you and what you like.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Some people say maple is brighter. Others say the difference is in your head, rather than yours ears.
They have made guitar bodies from cardboard, concrete, and perspex, and they sound pretty much identical. I haven't heard anyone making a neck from concrete, but there are graphite ones. Still sounds like a bass or guitar.
If the wood makes a significant contribution to the sound, then a significant amount of energy needs to have gone into the material. Due to the nature of wood, not much us going to be imparted back to the string from a large block, so it is subtractive. Subtractive loss to the resonances of a block/bar is a dead spot.
I'm going to try to address the OP's question, not go off on a misguided "wood doesn't matter" tangent.
Yes. Go ahead and swap. If the maple imparts a brighter sound, as many have said it would, you win. Might perk up the sound of a bass with humbuckings.
If it doesn't change the sound, you still win. You get the look you want with the same familiar sound.
Do it.
Yes. Go ahead and swap. If the maple imparts a brighter sound, as many have said it would, you win. Might perk up the sound of a bass with humbuckings.
If it doesn't change the sound, you still win. You get the look you want with the same familiar sound.
Do it.
Pbassmanca
In the pocket n' thumpy. So woody, so greasy...
I would just go for it. The other guys are right, you will notice a bit of a difference when playing alone, and the humbuckers probably will pair nicely with the maple fret board tone, but in a live band mix it won't really be noticeable. It'll look cool too!
Interesting. Actually the missing piece they are not revealing is the epoxy resins they used to pull it off. I.e. ebonol fretboards as an example are paper with epoxy resin and fairly stiff and high strength.
With the right epoxy formulations we could probably design a paper towel guitar too.
Wood and composites all have a certain velocity of sound and inherent dampening elements and natural frequency to every piece and geometry. Such as the natural oils that rosewood retains which is also a main reason is sounds warm and dampens some of the frequencies.
Maple and rosewood for sure sound quite different and also respond very different to energy input when you pluck the note, or the bloom and decay of the note.
If you really have a need for a certain feel in dynamics and tonal properties for max music expression these factors will matter (I.e a bass for articulate chordal technique vs a bass for big warm and round low end, the wood specs will make the most difference). Pickups and hardware matter, but the recipe needs to start with the right acoustic response.
With the right epoxy formulations we could probably design a paper towel guitar too.
Wood and composites all have a certain velocity of sound and inherent dampening elements and natural frequency to every piece and geometry. Such as the natural oils that rosewood retains which is also a main reason is sounds warm and dampens some of the frequencies.
Maple and rosewood for sure sound quite different and also respond very different to energy input when you pluck the note, or the bloom and decay of the note.
If you really have a need for a certain feel in dynamics and tonal properties for max music expression these factors will matter (I.e a bass for articulate chordal technique vs a bass for big warm and round low end, the wood specs will make the most difference). Pickups and hardware matter, but the recipe needs to start with the right acoustic response.
I guess we all have different ears. To date my hearing is still excellent. In fact I've had to wear earplugs in bed for 20+ years because I pick up on any sound. I hear a difference in the video,which corresponds with the prevailing opinions of the two, but the difference is not night and day.
