I prefer rosewood. feels better and to me, my fingers slide on it instead of finished maple because my fingers just stick to it like glue. very hard to play like that.
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Not One Of The Typical Rosewood Vs. Maple Thread
- Thread starter M-Hawk
- Start date
scottbass
Bass lines like a big, funky giant
Maple - because it is easier for me under low-light stage conditions to see black edge markers on a light background than the other way around. Just me. YMMV
why are your fingers even touching the fretboard?
Aesthetically I like maple, but I really don't care.
I'll tell you what my LEAST favorite is, that ebanol crap on my Squier fretless. Rubbed through it day one, from the strings it shipped with
It's not even gouges, the lightest of scratches goes right through this stuff. I have 4 string shaped columns of white rub marks going down my fingerboard.
actually i noticed when looking at a sqquier fretless that it was strung in the shop with roundowunds i think, isn't it supposed to be strung with flats more like a double bass's strings?
Maybe their error is in the strings not the figngerboard material?
Most of my basses are rosewood. I have 3 that are maple but they don't get played as much as the rosewood basses. I don't really think much about it. Some good basses are made of either one.
Do you feel the fingerboard? Yes, in the sense the vibration goes through the string and fret and then the fingerboard, and yes with the palm of the hand.
I suspect fret dressing/choice has a much bigger impact on feel than we give it credit for. Not a big fan of the thin vintage frets, which dig into the palm during slides. Having said all that my best feel bass is pre-CBS Precision, which is Brazilian Rosewood and worn down frets.
I prefer Rosewood and my last 3 purchases were with Rosewood. I also own maple and ebony. Ebony is excellent with fretless for that URB tone. My maple neck is retired but not because of the neck. Old worn out maple necks look fabulous expecially on a 50's Precision.
Davo
I suspect fret dressing/choice has a much bigger impact on feel than we give it credit for. Not a big fan of the thin vintage frets, which dig into the palm during slides. Having said all that my best feel bass is pre-CBS Precision, which is Brazilian Rosewood and worn down frets.
I prefer Rosewood and my last 3 purchases were with Rosewood. I also own maple and ebony. Ebony is excellent with fretless for that URB tone. My maple neck is retired but not because of the neck. Old worn out maple necks look fabulous expecially on a 50's Precision.
Davo
I typically choose for appearance not tone, but my favorite basses for tone have usually had maple fingerboards... possibly because I usually get maple fingerboards.
I have never noticed a difference in feel. I'm not sure how anyone does, particularly on a fretted bass.
I'm just not a big fan of bound necks though I have a couple.
You left out the bulk of the rest of the wood in the neck that the vibration travels through.
I have all three. Doesn't matter to me. I'm so shallow that I normally base my preference for fretboard material strictly on aesthetics. Which looks best on that particular body color? ("Ooh, that looks awesome! Let me try it out!")
That being said, I have noticed a pattern with my basses. I'm sure it's just coincidence, but most of my Jazz Basses have rosewood; while all of my P's have maple. Probably just happened to work out that way though...
That being said, I have noticed a pattern with my basses. I'm sure it's just coincidence, but most of my Jazz Basses have rosewood; while all of my P's have maple. Probably just happened to work out that way though...
I prefer the feel of rosewood. You know, when I take my strings off and just rub the fretboard with my fingers? Then I definitely prefer the feel of rosewood.
I have absolutely no preference other than an aesthetic one, and that is dependent on the overall look of the bass. I have rosewood, maple and wenge basses. I have no issues with any of them, and I don't think the fretboard material has a material impact on the sound or feel of the bass - even for fretless basses I believe the coating has a much more significant impact than the wood.
I can go so far as to say that I have never considered fretboard (or even body!) wood when buying a bass.
I can go so far as to say that I have never considered fretboard (or even body!) wood when buying a bass.
