Studio DI recording, you could hear some differences. Blasting 500+ Watt through 4 speakers or more on-stage, few could hear any differences.
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Maple or Rosewood??
- Thread starter tat2clod
- Start date
I think this sums it up pretty well.
However, I will say that unless you have an increadible ear, you will not hear much, if any, difference when listening to the bass in the mix. JMO
I am using Maple on mij 5 string StingRay and 4 string Gibson Ripper and rosewood on my fretless StingRay 4. I prefer Maple for the slightly brighter sound, but on the Fretless bass the deeper and softer sound fits better!
I didn't buy my first maple necked bass for looks. I bought it because I could tell a noticeable difference in how it played compared to everything else I tried out that day. I've also tried maple & rosewood necks in the same body on the same day with the same strings/set up without an amp & with an amp on the same settings & could feel & hear the difference with both. The difference wasn't gargantuan, but it was there & came down to be personal preference for what I was looking to get out of it. I'm not seeing how "shiny object syndrome" came down to what I "heard" being that I was setting that particular bass up for play-ability instead of looks. It's been my experience that subtle changes add up & when you put enough of them together you can make a monster bass.
This is absolutely true. I have never walked out of a concert or a club and heard anyone say "Man that maple neck sounded awesome!" Although every once in a while you do hear "Man that guitar tone was awesome!" But that's not where I am coming from.
For me, when I hear even the slightest of tonal nuances, regardless of what is causing it, it inspires me to push the playing envelope in ways that maybe I wouldn't have otherwise. Perhaps others may not be able to hear it, but they probably sense that something sounds different or better.
I find a lot of contradictions on this subject as well. There are folks that swear up and down that wood does not sound different from one species to the next. Yet these same folks will swear that pickups and strings DO make a difference. Well what about the people that come back and say they don't hear a difference there either? Like I said, just because you can't hear it, does not mean its' not their.
I think this sums it up pretty well.
However, I will say that unless you have an increadible ear, you will not hear much, if any, difference when listening to the bass in the mix. JMO
True, but I am quite sure that the bass player who played on the track could. And the end result was a better overall recording. The sum is greater than the parts, but the individual parts do make the sum.
I used to own a fender jazz American standard deluxe. It is with a maple fretboard. When I boost the mid, there was a clunky sound that I don't really like.
I've changed it to Indian rosewood warmoth bass fretboard and bird eyes maple neck. Even i boost the mid, the clunky sound disappear.
Though maybe subtle, there should be different sound by using maple or rosewood fretboard.
I've changed it to Indian rosewood warmoth bass fretboard and bird eyes maple neck. Even i boost the mid, the clunky sound disappear.
Though maybe subtle, there should be different sound by using maple or rosewood fretboard.
I honestly can't believe people cannot hear the difference. I am a tiny bit hearing damaged from playing loud instruments in loud bands for most of my life, plus being in my 40's means I have less hearing than a 20 year old. and I can easily hear the difference between ebony, maple and rosewood.
Sure you can make a bright maple f-boarded bass sound more like a rosewood one if you throw some nickel strings on it. Or rosewood more zingy with roundwounds. But put the same strings on both?
Personally I prefer the bright sound of ebony over maple. It has a kind of notch in the midrange that lends itself to gainier sounds much better than maple.
(why you see so many heavy bands with ebony fretboarded guitars?)
I like rosewood only for distorted sounds, and then only sometimes. I find it too rolled off when compared to maple or ebony, and I always want to boost the highs to compensate.
Maple sounds really good clean but can be kind of "clacky" in a way that ebony isn't. In fact. When I check out a guitar or bass with an ebony fretboard that sounds clacky I suspect that it's "ebonized" maple or some other wood. Which some builders do.
Sure you can make a bright maple f-boarded bass sound more like a rosewood one if you throw some nickel strings on it. Or rosewood more zingy with roundwounds. But put the same strings on both?
Personally I prefer the bright sound of ebony over maple. It has a kind of notch in the midrange that lends itself to gainier sounds much better than maple.
(why you see so many heavy bands with ebony fretboarded guitars?)
I like rosewood only for distorted sounds, and then only sometimes. I find it too rolled off when compared to maple or ebony, and I always want to boost the highs to compensate.
Maple sounds really good clean but can be kind of "clacky" in a way that ebony isn't. In fact. When I check out a guitar or bass with an ebony fretboard that sounds clacky I suspect that it's "ebonized" maple or some other wood. Which some builders do.
Alrod said:Hay Dios mio, not this again
I am sure guitar builders all over the world are not lying to us when they say the wood (especially for the neck), makes a different in how a guitar sounds. All things being equal (bass model, hardware, pickups, strings, amp, speakers, settings, etc.) Play a rosewood neck then play a maple neck. You will hear a difference. Sometimes I actually wish i couldn't hear the difference so that I could buy cheap $100 basses and go about my business.
Nope. I have a parts bass. I have two identical fender necks for it and you guessed it- one is maple and one is rosewood. There's no difference in sound.
The thing is, the guitar/bass makers compare the sound with an unamplified instrument where you could hear tonality differences, even across the same model built different days and from different pieces of wood.
Plug that into a pedalboard and a pre-amp and a loud amp and most of those nuances start to go away when you crank it up. And as everyone knows, bass guitars need amplification....
Plug that into a pedalboard and a pre-amp and a loud amp and most of those nuances start to go away when you crank it up. And as everyone knows, bass guitars need amplification....
Guys thanks for all of your input Im going to take the advice of going and try to play both at the big box and then have my local guy order which one I like best.Was just on the fence having played all the cheaper stuff can finally get myself something nice and just wanted some others input Thanks again and enjoy playing whatever you prefer to play
For me it's all about contrast....light colored body, I like rosewood, dark body I prefer maple.
I'm willing to beat this dead horse a bit more, I have both Maple & Rosewood Am. Std. necks (my P has the maple, I have a Rosewood P neck on my Am. Std. Jazz) and both feel great. The tonal difference isn't that much, but if I had to pick one I'd choose rosewood. Just my preference.....
