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Rosewood/Maple Finger Boards - Tone difference?

#382
SMASH said:
The post you reference is in a thread about basses in general not about his basses, it replies to a post made about basses in general not about his basses, he makes this statement "Absolute nonsense. [...] I can absolutely, positively tell you that maple is much brighter than rosewood and ebony has the most punch. [...] Show me a quote from any reputable bass builder who says otherwise." and in no way states he was only talking about his own basses (nor did he even claim it later when he clarified, or backed off on as the case may be, his position), and when he draws "any other reputable builder" into it this suggests that he's saying it's also true of other basses, or at least those built by "reputable builders".

As was pointed out to you, it's all been resolved now anyway. You're on your own.
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Huh?

It was in THIS thread. His FIRST post. He talked about HIS experience.

"I am in the position of basically building the same bass over and over and I can absolutely, positively tell you that maple is much brighter than rosewood and ebony has the most punch".

Do you really think he's talking about building his AND other basses over and over again?


Basses in general thread? I have no idea what you're talking about. You're on your own.
:hyper:
 
#387
Akami said:
This has what to do with Rosewood/Maple?
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Typical. Your tangent and you ask why it started. Duh.

Just in case you can't remember a couple of pages back...

You're also the most antagonistic poster here and you're now trying to see if you can turn another thread into a verbal fistfight like last year.

If you want to drag everyone through that again then go ahead. Maybe you can get us both banned next time on top of getting another thread closed.
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Ask yourself. You brought it up. Then again you have this odd habit of doing that. You picked a baseless fight with me because you'd been holding a grudge about something completely unrelated that (at least for me) was long forgotten.:rolleyes:


Whatever.

If you don't want to discuss the specific issue of this thread, do not talk to me. Got it?
 
#394
I'm not going to take the time to review all of the posts here, so if I'm raising something otherwise addressed by others, my apologies.


But if one plays bass with one's hands, isn't the FEEL of the fingerboard an important element in the sound one ultimately produces?

If you have slick, polished maple under your hands, you are going to have a very different feeling, and therefore play and sound differently, than if you have a grabby rosewood board that responds in a very different way when you dig in. This will have ramifications for how you shape the sound of each note with your left hand, and I think it ultimately influences musical decisions. If you get the positive feedback of a warm feeling and sound off of Rosewood, you're gonna be more inclined to play that way - and if you're slipsliding on Maple, with that hard surface responding to your vibrato and pressure in a very different way, you'll playing will probably follow suit.

Me, I think I'm leaning to ebony as a happy medium between these poles, but I try to be openminded. Nonetheless, I do think the fingerboard makes a significant difference in musical output, although that difference my stem more from the nature of the user-fingerboard interface than from tonal characteristics inherent in each type of wood.
 
#395
Joebone said:
But if one plays bass with one's hands, isn't the FEEL of the fingerboard an important element in the sound one ultimately produces?

If you have slick, polished maple under your hands, you are going to have a very different feeling, and therefore play and sound differently, than if you have a grabby rosewood board that responds in a very different way when you dig in. This will have ramifications for how you shape the sound of each note with your left hand, and I think it ultimately influences musical decisions. If you get the positive feedback of a warm feeling and sound off of Rosewood, you're gonna be more inclined to play that way - and if you're slipsliding on Maple, with that hard surface responding to your vibrato and pressure in a very different way, you'll playing will probably follow suit.

Me, I think I'm leaning to ebony as a happy medium between these poles, but I try to be openminded. Nonetheless, I do think the fingerboard makes a significant difference in musical output, although that difference my stem more from the nature of the user-fingerboard interface than from tonal characteristics inherent in each type of wood.
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Everything was fine until you just had to come along with more very valid points :)
 
#396
Yeah... the fun's over...:hmm:
But, I totally agree that maple and rosewood inspire you to play differently. A point to consider, though: if you want to dig in more with rosewood, to make the notes project, and you want to back off with maple, to "tame" it, doesn't that mean that you're not taking advantage of their different characteristics? You're compensating to make them sound the same? Or is it all about having your own "voice", and doing what's necessary to make the fingerboard sound like you?
(I think I was happier talking about pancakes...)
 
#397
It's a good thing we resolved this question. In the future, we can reference people to this thread and the whole question will become instantly clear. The thread could becaome a sticky for permanent reference!:eek:

OK, more seriously, doesn't the volume of diverse opinions from cats who have reasonable to advanced experience with these instruments in itself say there is synergy in the instruments' materials selection throughout, which ultimately becomes art and magic?
 
#398
bucephylus said:
It's a good thing we resolved this question. In the future, we can reference people to this thread and the whole question will become instantly clear. The thread could becaome a sticky for permanent reference!:eek:

OK, more seriously, doesn't the volume of diverse opinions from cats who have reasonable to advanced experience with these instruments in itself say there is synergy in the instruments' materials selection throughout, which ultimately becomes art and magic?
Click to expand...

No, apparently not. Some people clearly think a fretboard is tonally inconsequential. Some even think it's merely a sales tactic.


As far as range of experience, no comment.
 

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