I think the "maple is better" thing got started back when rosewood was all you could get on a Squier and most cheaper basses. Then the "ooh, I want a 70's bass" fetish phase started, and natural/maple became "the thing".
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'If only it had a maple board, id be all over it'
- Thread starter BrandonBass
- Start date
I'm the exact opposite of Jazz Ad. I don't like the feel of maple necks. Maybe because I started out on acoustic guitars with rosewood fretboards years before I ever picked up a bass.
I think I fell under the "maple board" spell because I had a couple early on that just sounded freaking great. I got the cliche in my head that maple boards sound better.
These days, I'm still not sure whether that's true or not, but I do like the look and feel of maple better.
However, I have a couple of rosewood board basses that sound outstanding, so much that I couldn't care less about the board. I play them regularly.
These days, I'm still not sure whether that's true or not, but I do like the look and feel of maple better.
However, I have a couple of rosewood board basses that sound outstanding, so much that I couldn't care less about the board. I play them regularly.
I remember Marcus Miller saying he liked maple because it looked cool and everyone else had a brown fret board
I have basses with maple and rosewood fingerboards, I can't tell the difference.
But I like rosewood on my white bass because it looks nice xD
But I like rosewood on my white bass because it looks nice xD
Straight from the FAQ on Marcus's web site:
Maplewood is a good deal harder than the other common woods used for bass necks (ebony, rosewood, etc). The sound from a maple neck is harder than the others. I think my thumbing sound would be significantly different without the maple. For finger style I actually prefer a softer wood (rosewood usually) but, if I'm only using one bass, I can make do with the maple.
Maple neck, yes. Maple fretboard?? I'm gonna contend it's the same, but way less. Is it the same thing on a jazz bass neck? Is the truss rod hole just routed out of the back of the neck for them, and therefore fretboard is = neck?
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Some peeps like the maple. But besides that you see all kinds of "If only it had 'x', I'd be all over it!" responses in the classifieds that probably aren't the least bit serious. Consider them goodwill bumps from folks who know they won't be buying.
I think the head of the nail hath been struck with this response.
I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you just said. I will say that I agree with Marcus Miller that a maple fretboard sounds better for slap -- it's brighter and has more snap.
No, Im sure a fair share of them meant what they said when they said, 'If only it had a maple fretboard...'
Wow, I just reread that and decided it was not in English.
What I was getting at is that the kind of basses that MM plays the entire neck is maple, which definitely affects the tone, as opposed to just referencing the fretboard, which I'm not sure affects it that much.
Although, now that I think of it, how many basses are there out there that have a maple fretboard but not a maple neck? Whereas there are a lot out there with a maple neck and a different wood fretboard.
I'm going to go to sleep now, because apparently I need it
What I was getting at is that the kind of basses that MM plays the entire neck is maple, which definitely affects the tone, as opposed to just referencing the fretboard, which I'm not sure affects it that much.
Although, now that I think of it, how many basses are there out there that have a maple fretboard but not a maple neck? Whereas there are a lot out there with a maple neck and a different wood fretboard.
I'm going to go to sleep now, because apparently I need it
Wow, I just reread that and decided it was not in English.
What I was getting at is that the kind of basses that MM plays the entire neck is maple, which definitely affects the tone, as opposed to just referencing the fretboard, which I'm not sure affects it that much.
Although, now that I think of it, how many basses are there out there that have a maple fretboard but not a maple neck? Whereas there are a lot out there with a maple neck and a different wood fretboard.
I'm going to go to sleep now, because apparently I need it
Marcus is talking about fretboard woods, not neck woods.
All 3 of my other basses are rosewood (Spector Euro 5LX, Ibanez SRX 500 and an Austin P), but if I was going to buy a Stingray it would be Black and Maple, not Rosewood, I just love the way they look on those basses. Otherwise, if it plays fine, and looks good (to my eyes) then I'll play whatever.
Not everyone likes the same stuff. I disagree with the last bit, about one of each. I just don't like rosewood boards on most basses. There's the occasional one I like.
