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how do ash and soft maple comapare?

#3
I've had a Squier VM P Bass with maple body. It's much better than Squier basswood bodies, has some presence, has sustain, but sounds scooped and poor. Since ash is scooped as well, the tones are quite similar, but don't imagine you can compare the Squier VM with a 50's Fender or a Rickenbacker. Compared to those, the Squier will sound like a toy and just drown in the mix. And another point, the pickups on the Squier VM are useless, I've had mine replaced with Seymour Duncan SBP-1 and there is huge difference between them.
 
#4
Opinions differ as to the effect of body wood/fretboard wood. I have mine. I've owned both, and to me, ash and maple bodies sound quite similar in tone. I've had many alder body basses as well, and not one of them sounded like the same make and model in ash. With that said, the fretboard wood and the electronics could make those sound quite different from one another.
 
#5
I will say my feelings about ash and maple, seeing as I have played both for years.
Maple heavier and brighter in tones.... Ash is a bit fuller in tone......BUT make sure they both have the same type of necks to compare fully. Neck also will play a part in tones.
 
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#6
Noot said:
I've had a Squier VM P Bass with maple body. It's much better than Squier basswood bodies, has some presence, has sustain, but sounds scooped and poor. Since ash is scooped as well, the tones are quite similar, but don't imagine you can compare the Squier VM with a 50's Fender or a Rickenbacker. Compared to those, the Squier will sound like a toy and just drown in the mix. And another point, the pickups on the Squier VM are useless, I've had mine replaced with Seymour Duncan SBP-1 and there is huge difference between them.
Click to expand...

:rollno:

OP: don't worry about it. The effect of wood type is small compared to other factors, and wood is too variable from instrument to instrument anyway.
Go for the one that feels better or looks better or sounds better to you.
The neck is thinner on the Mike Dirnt... have you tried those basses already?
Ignore wood type except for cosmetic purposes.
 
#7
tastybasslines said:
They don't. Wood doesn't really matter except in appearance, weight and feel.
Click to expand...

can-of-worms.jpg

:D

Edit: OP - here's something from Roscoe Guitars regarding the sound differences of woods - [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#8
mcnach said:
:rollno:

OP: don't worry about it. The effect of wood type is small compared to other factors, and wood is too variable from instrument to instrument anyway.
Go for the one that feels better or looks better or sounds better to you.
The neck is thinner on the Mike Dirnt... have you tried those basses already?
Ignore wood type except for cosmetic purposes.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%

2 basses made out of the same body wood are just as likely to sound different as 2 made from different woods IMO/IME. Other factors dwarf the minuscule contribution of body wood type to tone, and in spite of innumerable claims that wood type is critical, I have yet to see any evidence worth anything that anyone can tell the difference using only his ears. Now I'll run before the can of worms overflows......:hiding:
 
#9
lomo said:
Agree 100%

2 basses made out of the same body wood are just as likely to sound different as 2 made from different woods IMO/IME. Other factors dwarf the minuscule contribution of body wood type to tone, and in spite of innumerable claims that wood type is critical, I have yet to see any evidence worth anything that anyone can tell the difference using only his ears. Now I'll run before the can of worms overflows......:hiding:
Click to expand...

Disagree 100%

Sure basses are made from trees and each is different. I've played two Marcus miller basses differing only in color and they were as different as night and day. I don't think it was the color that made the difference.

But I've also played two identical G&L L2500 basses, one ash (mine) and one Basswood and THEY were as different as night and day too.

Tonewood DOES make a difference. I own a LOT of basses and I sure can feel the difference and hear a difference when I play them. It's false logic to demand one pick tonewood by it's sound, however, because there are so many OTHER things that affect tone and tonewood effects though real are minor. But the player sure can tell!

And while we are with misguided opinions let us point out that the standard view that "cheap" tonewood is undesirable" is totally wrong. A Danelectro is masonite and yes we all LOVE those things! Bongo basses are engineered to be great! The obvious key is not the "cheapness" of the tonewood, but whether or not that tonewood and bass gives you a tone that you like.

Force-fed maple may be a cheap wood, but that does not mean that the tone of a given bass will be nasty. But if I"m looking for an ash-style tone soft maple won't give it to me and on the other hand if I don't want an ash-style tone no matter what I spend on an Ash bass it's not going to give me what I want.

Tone is where you find it.
 
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