Maple vs. Rosewood fretboard

[phodg]

I wanted a maple board with my white Precision, but I got a good deal on one with a rosewood board so I bought that. And I'm glad I did. With a black pickguard it looks cooler than the maple. Doesn't help you, but I just thought I'd mention it.
Just get the one that looks best on the color bass you want. I doubt you'll tell a difference sonically.

 

[zeffbeff]

I firmly believe that fretboard wood is purely cosmetic. I prefer glossed maple on my Fender instruments, and rosewood on my Gibson instruments.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

A while ago there was a video posted of someone playing two jazz basses, identical apart from the neck, and the warmer one was the maple. But then the bodies aren't the same so even then a full test would have included a swap of the necks. And someone here nailed a pickup to a lump of pine and recorded clips of this and a more traditionally constructed bass and as far as I remember there was no statistically significant ability of posters to say which was which. (Same pickups used AFAIK).

 

[-Asdfgh-]

In the context of a live band mix, with a blindfold on, no one is telling the difference.

Sometimes you could be playing a kazoo and noone would be able to tell the difference... sadly.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

One substantive difference is that maple fingerboards are usually laquered, which can make them "stickier" than rosewood, which is a bit naturally oily to begin with. A minor consideration to be sure, but I never liked how laquered fingerboards (even on my old Rick 4001) feel. Based on no empirical evidence, I'm guessing that the glued lamination effect of rosewood on a rock maple neck is inherently more stable than just a slab of maple with frets cut into it, but somebody will probably tell me I'm wrong about that.

Finger gunk shows up less on rosewood.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

There is some dude (Williseasyguitar) on Youtube who wrote out a blackboard full of equations that is supposed to "prove" wood does NOT effect tone. SMH

It would be tempting to model it perfectly with computer modelling and differential equations. As a first approximation I will assume a bass is spherical and homogeneous...

 

[shawshank72]

There is defenitely a difference in sound. It is a matter of taste.

Listen to this, close your eyes.
And pick the Maple neck with your eyes closed easily.

I prefer maple for looks and i can find my spots sight wise better on it.
But i would rather see a comparison using the same bass body and strings.
Those are all different p basses.

 

[Ken J]

Truth to the matter of this subject is you can’t win.
Every time I voice my opinion on the subject I find myself being stoned in the public square.
But here it goes
I’m a fretless player but had a number of fretted basses in the past. The brightest most sustaining and an absolute pleasure to listen to was the maple neck on my T-40. Nothing sounded like it in the same price range. Still pissed I sold it.

 

[lfmn16]

In the context of a live band mix, with a blindfold on, no one is telling the difference.

Most of our equipment choices are for ourselves. I agree that in a live band mix, a lot of nuance gets lost - and that's assuming that anyone is even listening to the bass!

 

[dincz]

The brightest most sustaining and an absolute pleasure to listen to was the maple neck on my T-40

Maple neck or maple fingerboard?

 

[Ken J]

Maple neck or maple fingerboard?

Both
A baseball bat sized neck solid Maple

 

[Alex Ernesaks]

Strings has more effect on the sound than the fretboard, that's my humble opinion.
So, it all boils down to an aesthetic choice.

I prefer Rosewood, Brazilian "cherry" or ebony.