Yes, but don't forget that you need to blindfold the players making the samples so that they don't play differently on the different fingerboards! 
Moo said:
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I think we should stop arguing about maple vs rosewood (see inside)
- Thread starter draginon
- Start date
Ultimately yes but from the end listeners point of view I don't think this would be too significant.KayCee said:Yes, but don't forget that you need to blindfold the players making the samples so that they don't play differently on the different fingerboards!
We could have the player take of their shoes?
in my experience, maple boarded instruments aren't necessarily brighter, but they do have a more defined, compressed tone and slightly more "present" sound.
...of course, presence is usually defined as very high frequency content so...?
...of course, presence is usually defined as very high frequency content so...?
I agree! I can't hear a difference at all. I like the looks of maple better though.
FWIW I do think I feel a difference, it maybe be in my head... but I think Maple feels a little better to me. I could be wrong though, like I said it may just be in my head.
FWIW I do think I feel a difference, it maybe be in my head... but I think Maple feels a little better to me. I could be wrong though, like I said it may just be in my head.
sync00 said:
Try as I might, I can't possibly imagine how the fingerboard wood is a more "significant determinant for tone" than the choice of pickups (P, J, MM, etc.) which are used.
Or, for that matter, strings . . .
IMHO, the fingerboard material is less important then the pickups, strings and amp. I have 2 basses with Wenge, 2 with Purpleheart and 1 with Rosewood. Frankly, it's more about what the NECK is made out of, how the neck is ATTACHED. My basses with a thicker neck-through setup get a more of an earthy woody sound and my basses with thinner bolt-on design get a punchier snappy sound. Both are different, but both are useful and sound equally amazing. This afformentioned hypothesis rings true in all cases (so far). IF THE BASS SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE!? And who cares about looks. Sheesh I'm sick of this garbage. "I like the bass, but I think i'm gonna trade it in for a different color." MAKE IT END!
Sorry, I'll stop.
Sorry, I'll stop.
I forgot one more rant. I hate it when guys say they like the FEEL of one wood over another. YOU NEVER TOUCH THE FINGERBOARD WITH FRETS AND RARELY EVEN ON A FRETLESS! Over half of my basses are fretless and I could care less what kind of wood is on the fingerboard as long as it holds up to the strings. Unless your fingers have kankles and fat is pouring over the depressed string, you will never ever touch the actual wood while you are playing, so don't give me that. Sorry, I'll stop.
BigMikeW
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I use to use Spector basses. Neck through, all maple bodies, maple neck with Pau Ferro fingerboards. VERY BRIGHT.
I then went to Warwick and used their FNA JAzzman 5's which were Ash bodies, maples tops and Wenge fingerboards. Much fuller sounding, deeper but still a good deal of punch.
Now, I was always told that the majority of the tone came from the neck and fingerboard woods. I must admit that I am confused as ever about this.
Here is what I can tell you about the only two basses I currently use out of the ones I own. Both Sadowsky PJ5's, both reverse P, one Ash/maple, the other alder/morado.
The alder/morado does have a brightness to it that I don't recall experiencing on rosewood boards BUT it is definitely deeper sounding than the ash/maple. Not light years but definitely noticable to me. It is just a bit richer. Now, that could be from the alder. Alder is more even sounding where ash has accentuated lows and highs (quasi scooped).
I was told by another luthier that they went something like this:
Maple - Bright, punchy
Ebony - Almost as bright with good lows
Pau Ferro - Almost as bright as Ebony but better lows
Rosewood - warm and not so bright
Just my observations, hear say and such.
I then went to Warwick and used their FNA JAzzman 5's which were Ash bodies, maples tops and Wenge fingerboards. Much fuller sounding, deeper but still a good deal of punch.
Now, I was always told that the majority of the tone came from the neck and fingerboard woods. I must admit that I am confused as ever about this.
Here is what I can tell you about the only two basses I currently use out of the ones I own. Both Sadowsky PJ5's, both reverse P, one Ash/maple, the other alder/morado.
The alder/morado does have a brightness to it that I don't recall experiencing on rosewood boards BUT it is definitely deeper sounding than the ash/maple. Not light years but definitely noticable to me. It is just a bit richer. Now, that could be from the alder. Alder is more even sounding where ash has accentuated lows and highs (quasi scooped).
I was told by another luthier that they went something like this:
Maple - Bright, punchy
Ebony - Almost as bright with good lows
Pau Ferro - Almost as bright as Ebony but better lows
Rosewood - warm and not so bright
Just my observations, hear say and such.
Fuzzbass said:
Really? More than strings or pickups?
That is pretty amazing. And I have to say, sounds false.
I disagree.
There is definitely a difference between my two Jazz basses (one Maple w/Alder and the other Rosewood w/Alder). The maple one is brighter and has more punch then the rosewood bass. And that's when they are not even pugged in! They both have the same strings on them. I tend to play slap more on the maple Jazz and finger style on the rosewood.
There is definitely a difference between my two Jazz basses (one Maple w/Alder and the other Rosewood w/Alder). The maple one is brighter and has more punch then the rosewood bass. And that's when they are not even pugged in! They both have the same strings on them. I tend to play slap more on the maple Jazz and finger style on the rosewood.
rontalsaurus said:in my experience, maple boarded instruments aren't necessarily brighter, but they do have a more defined, compressed tone and slightly more "present" sound.
...of course, presence is usually defined as very high frequency content so...?
+1, I owned a maple board P-Bass and a rosewood board P-Bass both with alder bodies. The maple board was tighter and more compressed sounding and the rose board more open, airy, and a tad warmer.
Neck and fingerboard wood and thickness do have an impact on tone, period. A thick slab rosewood fingerboard will sound different to a one piece maple neck. However, the principle neck wood for all Fender guitars/basses is maple and this will always impart the fundamental tone, with the fingerboard material modifying this fundamental. Stick an all rosewood or mahogany neck on your fender and you will soon see that the neck wood material probably has the biggest impact on tone over all other materials used on an instrument (electronics excluded in this debate).
As for the tone of Maple, it actually has an upper mid bias and therefore necks made from maple will always be classified as brighter than mahogany (neutral) and rosewood (low and low/mid bias - with the Brazilian variety famous for retaining the highs as well).
However, as people observe in the thread, a rosewood fingerboard on a maple neck has the similar basic tone (fundamental), but all other things being equal, the rosewood board will introduce some low mid bias which often 'smooths' the frequency range.
As for the tone of Maple, it actually has an upper mid bias and therefore necks made from maple will always be classified as brighter than mahogany (neutral) and rosewood (low and low/mid bias - with the Brazilian variety famous for retaining the highs as well).
However, as people observe in the thread, a rosewood fingerboard on a maple neck has the similar basic tone (fundamental), but all other things being equal, the rosewood board will introduce some low mid bias which often 'smooths' the frequency range.
It strikes me that most maple fingerboards that I've seen have been finished along with the rest of the neck. Seems that I read somewhere that maple has to be finished to prevent warping.
OTOH, it seems that the majority of rosewood and ebony boards I've experienced have been unfinished.
I've taken the clear finish off of the board of fretless bass some years ago (it was too sticky), and it had a dramatic effect on the sound. The instrument lost a lot of it's "sheen". It makes me wonder whether added clear finish could affect sound of maple as to make it brighter, even on a fretted instrument.
OTOH, it seems that the majority of rosewood and ebony boards I've experienced have been unfinished.
I've taken the clear finish off of the board of fretless bass some years ago (it was too sticky), and it had a dramatic effect on the sound. The instrument lost a lot of it's "sheen". It makes me wonder whether added clear finish could affect sound of maple as to make it brighter, even on a fretted instrument.
steve4765630 said:
Okay by the feel of the wood I don't mean by touching it. I mean by how the wood reacts to the strings touching it. Harder, softer etc. Have you ever heard "I like the way the tires feel on the road"? Do you actually thing people are driving around running over their own hands to see what it feels like? it's an expression... and you my friend, are an idiot.
AerospaceGuy said:
Except on fretless my strings never touch wood. They touch these metal things called "frets"...
I can hear a slight difference between maple and rosewood, but it is negligible. The type of strings, to me, make a far bigger difference.
They don't sell G&L Tributes with maple finger boards and swamp ash bodies in Cananda. They say the reason is that more people want the deep tone of rosewood. Maple is just too bright for most people. So G&L Canada doesn't even bother to carry them.
