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PROOF! That fingerboard wood makes a difference.

#63
I would think that the only discernable difference, would be one having more or less dead/weak spots than the other, but that's usually from the neck shaft. Some makers put carbon boards on wood necks to lessen weak spots....
 
#64
Felken said:
Okay, okay, maybe not proof. :bag: There seems to be people freaking out every time I say the word "proof".

Anyways, here's the video.

And you might say "pish pish, it's because it's a different bass (same model)!"

But I've seen many videos of comparisons, so why does the maple neck always sound brighter than the rosewood one?? I've never seen a video where the rosewood was brighter.

This video may not be proof, but these are the only two results I've ever seen in these comparisons:

1- They sound the same. The player always plays very lightly in this type of video.
2- Maple is brighter and rosewood is mellower. The player plays with a harder, heavier pluck.

Besides, you will only ever hear a difference when you pluck harder. Fingerboards will all sound the same when you lightly touch the strings.

EDIT:

Look at this video. No tone difference BUT, he plucks with the power of a feather:
Click to expand...


Whenever this comes up, many old people with hearing loss get angry and say it's all lies, and then others who listen to bass on phone speakers join in and furiously agree with them. Then they are joined by people with a feathery touch and mile high action, and those who listen to their tone through 18 pedals and a dimed SVT, at which point the actual tone of your bass becomes almost irrelevant.

In any case this entire thing only matters if you like a dry signal, a low action and you dig in when you play.

If you want actual proof, and find out whether it has significance to you, don't bother with videos, swap necks on one of your basses instead and see what happens. I did and it made a big difference to me, but I get why it wouldn't to others.
 
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#65
Now I have often thought that the fretboard or any other part made from wood makes a difference. With accoustic instruments I would say yes. It would impact them drastically. Electric instruments not as much. But the different qualities of wood that make accoustic instruments different sounding, bright or warm, do play some role in the overall sound of the guitar. The electronics change the sound of the natrual guitar as well. But once the guitar is amplified it is eq-ed and differnt effects are used which change it to the point where different woods may not be signifigant in the sound coming out of an amp.

So I now think in my old age that it is more of how you personally like a wood, the feel the look and so on. Yes Maple is brighter than Rosewood so to some degree this can be used to eq yourself but it would be more of a preference thing... IMO
 
#66
S-Bigbottom said:
I wonder why my ads for this Thread are for Crocs shoes.


2100dd03dd98235abac2ffcdba410f04.jpg
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Adds are at times based on what you surf. I wear Crocs myself with no shame.
 
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#70
NoiseNinja said:
You know metal wire is very sensitive to wood, it's a scientific fact!

Also have you tried to play live in a pyramid shaped building?

Man, you should try that, makes you sound like Geddy Lee no matter what equipment you use, some claim it is due to his nose though, I know that's a lie.

Wearing a genuine mountain crystal around your neck might help too.

It's all about catching the right vibrations!
Click to expand...

Note to self: Download plans for pyramid of power.
 
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#74
Ghastly said:
No. I'm no Duck Dunn, but I didn't start playing bass the day I strung those basses, either.

Normally I can make either bass do what I want, within reason. I most certainly can make a jazz bass nice and mellow. But not with those strings. And that was my point. Strings probably affect the sound more than the wood of the fingerboard.
Click to expand...

I'd say strings most definitely affect the sound more than fretboard wood.
 
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#76
IMO maple seems to have a little more snap or pop coming off the fingerboard then rosewood. It's not the tone so much as the sound of the finger on the string being accentuated coming off the fingerboard. Just my opinion.
 
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#77
5544 said:
This video proves as much as the memes saying that if the earth was flat cats would have pushed everything off.

If you look very closely, you will see that on the bass with the rosewood neck, the control knobs have a white reference line. On the bass with the maple neck, the control knobs do not have a reference line. One can argue that the tone control settings were not equal.

I will go a step farther and say that even if both control knobs had reference lines and both were in the same spot, who is to say that the tone controls were set different but the knobs appear to be set the same?

I won't get into how the video could have used different pickups with the same covers or add capacitors / resistors to the pots or have effect pedals in the chain out of site.
Click to expand...
Yeah not to mention those fake moon landing videos, remember that guys?
 

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