Rosewood for Slap?

[atreyucurse]

Hey

Would a rosewood fretboard be better or worse for slap than a maple fretboard?

Thanks

 

[pickles]

Just different. A little more mellow in the upper mids, which can actually help dial in a really glassy top end if thats what you're looking for, since you can go a little farther before it becomes harsh. Maple has a little more attack and bite ... just depends on what you're going for. I've never heard a slap tone I like better than the one I get from my rosewood board sadowsky metro.

 

[Secondhandloser]

My experience with fretboard woods is that it is more about the feel and the looks than the sound. Two Fender Pbasses are more likely to sound different because the ALder was from trees in different regions than from the fretboard, and one set of pickups varies more from set to set than the tonal variation on fingerboard woods. That said, maple is a bit brighter, and rosewood a bit warmer. Both work fine ( which is probably why they are the most commonly used fretboard woods) its is all up to the tone you want, and the look and feel you prefer.

 

[Mud Flaps]

It would be less thumpy and more mellow. Better or worse is a matter of opinion. In my opinion... worse.

 

[shnapper]

I find maple to be alot more punchy and require less plucking force to bring out the twing and twang tones during high speed slap. I really love the sound of my pluck tones while muting(pups play a part also)over a maple neck, I really can hear a difference.

I can do the OHP (Open hammer pluck) exercises with a little less effort on my maple Marcus miller bass. I have a schecter C4 with a rose neck that I like the tone of, but it really sounds dead during the same exercises. So is maple better? I guess it depends on how harsh a punch, pop, plang, twing and twang you want while playing slap. I personally prefer the maple, but you may not.

Note: Each guitar is set up with the same brand and series of strings, obviously the electronics are completely different.

 

[vene-nemesis]

Ill tell you something, the string have a much more important role in your slap tone than the wood of the fretboard. You dun belive me go buy a set of warwick black labels (best of their line) and a set of DR marcus miller fat beams youll see the big diff.

 

[pickles]

Call me crazy, but I think fingerboard material makes a big difference.

 

[Rene]

The only good wood for slap is Ebony and EMG active pickups for slap.
Try it and you will beleive it
Ben...ben... oui! Try it
Rene
Luthier with 20 years as repair man and maker

Link Removed

 

[burk48237]

My Metro RV5, Rosewood/Alder has the best slap sound of any bass I've, owned. More thump then sizzle, although it can do sizzle, but that thump flaps pants legs. With there pre I have more then enough Marcus sizzle if I want it, I played it thru an EBS last week and it was Marcus without touching a knob. It depends a lot more on the bass, and I would admit if all I did was slap, I'd have an Ash/Maple.

 

[Bernie Connors]

Vic has an Indian Rosewood board on his '83 Fodera and I think it has a great slap tone.

 

[tommixx]

My NYC Sadowsky Vintage 4 has a Morado board and slaps like a mofo.....I also have (among other things) a Marcus Miller 4 that I send into a Sadowsky outboard pre and it is awesome....for slapping I prefer the attack of the maple better than the Rosewood or Morado (I do however agree with the statement that ebony is better than ALL of them in my opinion as well!!! I had a Pedulla MVP with ebony that was an unbelievable slap machine!)

Peace,

T

 

[vene-nemesis]

My vigier has phenonwood + it has the most advanced electronics out there (said by vigier himself not my opinion ) and it has a super treeble and full shaped slap tone.

 

[Hollow Man]

I prefer maple or pau ferro to rosewood, although it mostly depends on the sound you're looking for.