Maple or Rosewood for P Bass?

[Sean775]

Any reason why?

 

[nerkoids]

Mellower? I like the look of rosewood. If I had a maple fretboard, I could probably learn to love it, like I love it on my Jazz.

 

[mojomike001]

What color is the body?

 

[JimmyM]

Don't care one way or the other, unless the bass is a black Precision, and then it must have a black pickguard and a maple neck, as that's the color combination I look best with.

 

[vanderbrook]

What color is the body?

^^^ This. Maple for a black body (or red, or natural). Rosewood for white.

 

[Old Fart]

Zebrawood with a fuschia-sparkle body and bright green pickguard. Or....

3 TSB, tort, rosewood.

 

[twinjet]

3 TSB, tort, rosewood.

That is my bass. Strung with flats, of course

Spoiler

 

[Fondsdale]

For me if it's a 70's style or RI bass it has to have maple. Rosewood for 60's.

 

[Wallace320]

both: I use rosewood with ash body and maple with alder, just to counterbalance one another
(ash = bright/rosewood = mellow; alder = mellow/maple = bright)

second comes the finish appearance to me

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[UK Philip]

Interesting. The thread between maple and rosewood that I saw yesterday was overwhelmingly in favour of rosewood, but now it's maple.

I'm reluctant to get into the whole "they sound different" debate, but the feel does impact on the sound to some extent because of how it inspires you to play. Rosewood feels better to my hands, and I swear that I can hear more warmth and less treble than on a maple board! That's the theory, right?

It could just be mind tricks, but this looks like a funk machine:

Spoiler

And this looks like a rocker:

Spoiler

 

[Greigboy]

Maple for me every time.........although both my current basses have rosewood boards

 

[40Hz]

Maple, Rosewood, Ebony, Bubinga, Wenge...? I have no preference really. If I like a particular bass, and the way it sounds, I'll play whatever fingerboard it comes with.

 

[RattleSnack]

My Fender P-Bass 70's reissue MIJ (with CS pickup) is my first maple-neck P, and definitely sounds different than any rosewood P that I played till now. Has a bit more snap and high-end than I expected.

 

[Petethebassman]

both: I use rosewood with ash body and maple with alder, just to counterbalance one another
(ash = bright/rosewood = mellow; alder = mellow/maple = bright)

second comes the finish appearance to me

Cheers,
Wallace

I use different strings to even the tonal differences: the ash/maple P is strung with TI Jazz flats to tame the highs a bit and the alder/rosewood P has Rotosound Swing Bass stainless steel rounds on it to give it more snap.

 

[Wallace320]

I use different strings to even the tonal differences: the ash/maple P is strung with TI Jazz flats to tame the highs a bit and the alder/rosewood P has Rotosound Swing Bass stainless steel rounds on it to give it more snap.

I hear you: makes total sense

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[lfmn16]

Maple for me every time.........although both my current basses have rosewood boards

+1

Maple or nothing so of course my go to bass is rosewood.

 

[Wallace320]

Interesting. The thread between maple and rosewood that I saw yesterday was overwhelmingly in favour of rosewood, but now it's maple.

I'm reluctant to get into the whole "they sound different" debate, but the feel does impact on the sound to some extent because of how it inspires you to play. Rosewood feels better to my hands, and I swear that I can hear more warmth and less treble than on a maple board! That's the theory, right?

It could just be mind tricks, but this looks like a funk machine:

Spoiler

And this looks like a rocker:

Spoiler

both look and - 1st and foremost - definitely are - differently yet equally - killers to me

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[Wolfenstein666]

Maple or Rosewood?


Rickenbacker.

 

[Wallace320]

that's maple + rosewood right?
I got it

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[zisme]

maple for me. look (especially on fenders) and feel