How much does it matter?

[SlapCrazzzy]

Hi !
I'm new here,and I heard that this forum is very good and helping!

Anyways,I came here to ask:
How much does it matter=the wood of the fingerboard?

My current bass is lame..And so is my amp.
I want to get a good bass sound,for slap.

I understood I need a light-weight body wood,like Ash,Walnut,Alder etc..
A pre-amp with at least a bass boost/cut and a treble boost/cut.

But,one person told me I should go with ebony fretboard,and someone else told me I can also go on Maple fretboard,and that the sound doesn't matter so much.

So what is the answer?
I want to get to a sound like Mitsuru Sutoh has(T-Square[YEAH!!!!]),but still be able to get to the Jaco-ish sound.

So basicly I just want to know if there is a big difference in sound between fretboard woods.

If anyone has anything else to say about good slap sound-be my guest!

Thanks guys!

 

[basstotheface]

Firstly ash, walnut, and alder can be very heavy. Secondly I've never heard ebony suggested for slapping. The norm in the slap world is maple.

 

[Jazzaj]

Changing your strings can bring that tone out that you're after. Getting a really bright set of strings will make your bass sound nice and crisp but you may want that pre amp so that you have a bit more control.

On my bass that I use for funk I use "everly B52's" and they do me wonders for slapping and popping.

 

[Catbuster]

Maple is the norm for slap. I would go Ash/Maple for slap, if I really wanted a sharp sounding bass. Alder/Rosewood would be more mellow, while I think Alder/Maple is a good combination. My main bass right now is an Alder/Maple Jazz with '60s spacing. There's enough zingy top end for slap, but the Alder kept it mellow enough to not be harsh sounding with a pair of dark sounding guitars (two Mahogany Les Pauls).

I did play a Marcus Miller (Ash/Maple with a 2 band Pre) yesterday that utterly blew me away. That bass was sweet, in a way I can't describe, as in it had an X Factor in sound and feel.

 

[Gomeztool]

Try new strings and experiment with your amp's pre. Slap isn't defined by specific construction features.

 

[Nev375]

Maple and ebony fretboards are close to equal in tone compared to rosewood which has a mellower sound.

Body woods have much less effect on tone, so choose according to the weight you desire. Just don't go so light that the bass becomes neck-heavy.

And as others have said, theres more to tone than wood, an awful lot of it is in the way you play. This is why the same bass will sound completely different in the hands of 2 different bassists.

 

[ggunn]

Hi !
I'm new here,and I heard that this forum is very good and helping!

Anyways,I came here to ask:
How much does it matter=the wood of the fingerboard?

My current bass is lame..And so is my amp.
I want to get a good bass sound,for slap.

I understood I need a light-weight body wood,like Ash,Walnut,Alder etc..
A pre-amp with at least a bass boost/cut and a treble boost/cut.

But,one person told me I should go with ebony fretboard,and someone else told me I can also go on Maple fretboard,and that the sound doesn't matter so much.

So what is the answer?
I want to get to a sound like Mitsuru Sutoh has(T-Square[YEAH!!!!]),but still be able to get to the Jaco-ish sound.

So basicly I just want to know if there is a big difference in sound between fretboard woods.

If anyone has anything else to say about good slap sound-be my guest!

Thanks guys!

You are going to get a lot of different answers to this running the gamut from "it makes no appreciable difference" to the other extreme - all of them subjective opinion. There is no objective answer. The best thing you can do for yourself is to try out a lot of basses and go with what appeals to you and gets the job done.

 

[SlapCrazzzy]

First of all,thanks to you all .
basstotheface,when I said Light-weight woods,I didn't mean that they are not heavy,but I guese they are lighter than other woods such as mahogany and others.
(sorry if I wasn't clear enough).

So you guys actually say that maple fingerboard will be quite the same at the tone with ebony fingerboard,and that if I want good slap sound I should go on maple?
If so,that is a big relief for me,since I thought I should go only with basses that has ebony fingerboard(which was quite hard,when I wanted a jazz bass-that is active-with ebony fretboard).

By the way,can any of you guys recommend me on a Jazz bass that is 5 string,active,maple fingerboard,and that is good for slapping(and basicly good!),but doesn't cost toooo much?
Thanks ...

 

[SlapCrazzzy]

Please help..

 

[honeyiscool]

I think fingerboard choice is very important to tone and feel. To me, maple sounds nicer and feels better.

That said, I don't think it's as important as electronics and strings. Any brightness you gain with maple could easily be gained with using brighter strings. So don't obsess over the fingerboard wood and just trust your ears.

 

[bassteban]

I think it usually matters a lot to the player, which is a valid point inasmuch as playing what you like facillitates(sp?)better/more enthusiastic playing, but IMO technique is more important. I doubt however that anyone beyond the bass player and/or other bass players in the crowd would notice finger/fretboard diff's.

 

[Pilgrim]

The sound is in your hands. Spend less time worrying about wood and more time practicing.

 

[Batmensch]

Some will say it matters a lot, some will say it doesn't matter much, some will say it doesn't matter at all. I personaly don't care what if any effect it has on tone, I can compensate for any differences I don't like by fiddling with my amp's EQ. I base my choice of neck woods primarily on aesthetics.