rosewood vs maple

[Right_Butterscotch64]

Or maybe, just maybe, they understand that tone woods exist.

Have you watched any of the videos posted here? If you can't hear the obvious differences, the problem is yours, not ours.

I'm not saying anyone has a problem here. I'm just making a point that it isn't the wisest decision to blindly trust a pro luthier's opinion on the matter.

Is it not possible to discuss woods without one side telling the other that they clearly have some sort of problem?

What's with all the zealotry?

 

[tfer]

I'm not saying anyone has a problem here. I'm just making a point that it isn't the wisest decision to blindly trust a pro luthier's opinion on the matter.

Is it not possible to discuss woods without one side telling the other that they clearly have some sort of problem?

What's with all the zealotry?

I don't think it's zealotry.

It's a simple recognition of the obvious. If you watch the videos, you can hear the differences.

And it's not one luthier: it's all of them. It would be so much easier to source local ash or maple, and never have to deal with the CITES regulations, and they would probably have higher margins, because nobody knows how much the wood stock actually costs. Eliminate that paperwork along with international shipping, and they'd save a ton of cash.

Instead, they continue to bring in endangered wood at premium prices. Why? Because it matters.

 

[Yahboy]

Attack Vs Lame
Clear Vs smooth
Tight Vs Fat
Full Cream Vs Low Fat
Potato Vs Sweet Potato
Solid Stage Vs Tube
Poly Vs Snake oil
Round Vs Flat
Geezer Vs Stv Harris
Spider man Vs Venom
Ironman Vs Patriot
............................................................and Maple Vs Rosewood.

 

[tfer]

Attack Vs Lame
Clear Vs smooth
Tight Vs Fat
Full Cream Vs Low Fat
Potato Vs Sweet Potato
Solid Stage Vs Tube
Poly Vs Snake oil
Round Vs Flat
Geezer Vs Stv Harris
Spider man Vs Venom
Ironman Vs Patriot
............................................................and Maple Vs Rosewood.

You missed Worf vs Chewbacca!

 

[birminghambass]

Rosewood sounds nothing like maple, only a complete boob would disagree. I just said "roooooosewooood" like 10 times. No matter how I say it, sounds nothing like "maple".

 

[west al]

You missed Worf vs Chewbacca!

The most important one,........ Jazz vs Precision!

 

[tfer]

The most important one,........ Jazz vs Precision!

As a Fender hater, I'm gonna ignore that one!!

 

[AndreasR]

Tort VS inferiority

 

[megafiddle]

As I mentioned, the construction uses the same materials (alder body, the same proprietary Haussel Alnico2 pickups designed for the instrument). They even weigh the same. I doubt whether the colour of the pickup covers or body impacts much .
...

Unless you also demonstrate that the electronics (pickups etc) are identical, then all you have shown is that two different basses sound different. And they do indeed sound different. In fact, the difference is so great, that I seriously doubt it is due to the fretboard wood.

-

 

[Graham Douglas]

Neither, only ebony makes a difference!

 

[Binary1]

Attack Vs Lame
Clear Vs smooth
Tight Vs Fat
Full Cream Vs Low Fat
Potato Vs Sweet Potato
Solid Stage Vs Tube
Poly Vs Snake oil
Round Vs Flat
Geezer Vs Stv Harris
Spider man Vs Venom
Ironman Vs Patriot
............................................................and Maple Vs Rosewood.

9mm vs .45.
MIA vs MIM.
350ci vs 305ci.
Picks vs fingers.
Name brands vs generic.
Ford vs Chevy.
Redheads vs blondes vs brunettes.
Vanilla vs chocolate.
Decaf vs Caffeine.
Roundwound vs flatwound.
Superman vs Batman.
Jedi vs Sith.
Wall hanger vs stand.
Hardshell case vs gig bag.
Cheap vs expensive.




Dead horse-beating topics like maple vs rosewood et al should be taken out back and mercifully shot before the second reply.

 

[megafiddle]

It's actually so weird that people can't hear those differences, and they want to keep arguing about it even though there's a million players and luthiers to whom those differences are blindingly obvious. And there's a video right there that shows you those exact differences, and STILL its not enough. I don't see the purpose of arguing about it. It's like a deaf person telling the rest of the world that sound doesn't really exist.

I really don't think anyone is arguing whether differences can be heard in the various demonstrations, or even in simply playing a couple instruments with examples of each type fretboard. Of course they sound different.

Many simply believe that no one has yet to compare two instruments with no other difference than the fretboard wood; there is always something else different in the comparison. And therfore the comparison is invalid.

Many also believe that there is a difference, just as there is with any other part of the instrument, and that the difference is too small to matter, or at least can be compensated for with EQ.

-

 

[Binary1]

Unless you also demonstrate that the electronics (pickups etc) are identical, then all you have shown is that two different basses sound different. And they do indeed sound different. In fact, the difference is so great, that I seriously doubt it is due to the fretboard wood.

-

This.

To put this debate to rest, here are just a few of the things that would have to take place, in no particular order.

1. You would have to use the same body, strings, nut, tuners, string trees, and truss rods. Only the neck could change. And, you would have to torque the neck screws to the precise nM every change. And the necks would have to be spot-on; weight, dimensions, etc.

2. You would have to use a minimum of 100 maple and 100 rosewood necks (1,000 is better; lowers the error sampling rate). These two sets of 100 necks would have to all weigh, within miniscule amounts of tolerance, all the same. This is probably the best way to gather density data. All the rosewood slabs would also have to be cut from the same source, and the glue used would have to be from the same batch.

3. All these necks would have to be made from the same source woods; IE all necks cut from the same timber.

4. They all would have to be PLEK'd.

5. To eliminate player deviance (pressing too hard, etc.), the guitars would then have to be played via some type of mechanical means.

6. The audio result data from all this would then need to be peer-reviewed by audio engineers.

7. These experiments would then have to be (preferably) double-blind tested with bassists of similar skill levels.

8. The amps used must remain constant output and energy input with constantly measured voltages to avoid spikes and background noise.

9. All these test would have to be conducted in a chamber with the same air temperature, density, pressure and humidity.

Remember, elimination of variables is key. These are just some off the top of my head. If anyone has the time or money to make this a reality, I'd like to see it.

 

[BAG]

^^ This^^^

The reality is (on fretted instruments) as far as fretboard goes, pick what looks and/or feels nice. Then get your tone from your fingers, tone pots,amp settings etc.

 

[kasbrey]

Unless you also demonstrate that the electronics (pickups etc) are identical, then all you have shown is that two different basses sound different. And they do indeed sound different. In fact, the difference is so great, that I seriously doubt it is due to the fretboard wood.

-

I could swap the pickups (same design though) but I've been playing 40+ years and I've swapped necks before on Fender basses and I know what a difference a neck change can make. I'm pretty certain that I can "hear" a maple neck and that video backs up all my preconceptions.
I had a killer 76 P bass 15 years ago but the neck was unstable and I swapped it for a maple. I hated it, it sounded completely different.
As I say, i could swap pickups but I'm already 100% convinced so motivation is low.

 

[kasbrey]

In fact, the difference is so great, that I seriously doubt it is due to the fretboard wood.

-

One point to take into account, the fingerboard on Sandberg basses is about twice the thickness of, say, a Fender. This may be a factor.
In fact i would go as far as to say that rosewood Sandbergs can have a tendency to sound softer in the attack which I attribute to this.

 

[Mousekillaz]

Not my work, but a valid representation.

 

[kasbrey]

Not my work, but a valid representation.

No surprise that the maple jazz doesn't sound warmer

 

[megafiddle]

I could swap the pickups (same design though) but I've been playing 40+ years and I've swapped necks before on Fender basses and I know what a difference a neck change can make. I'm pretty certain that I can "hear" a maple neck and that video backs up all my preconceptions.
I had a killer 76 P bass 15 years ago but the neck was unstable and I swapped it for a maple. I hated it, it sounded completely different.
As I say, i could swap pickups but I'm already 100% convinced so motivation is low.

First, I need to say nice playing and consistancy; no doubt the differences were in the basses.

I would not try to suggest that you repeat the demonstration with the electronics swapped; I am simply pointing out that you did not do so. And therefore, anyone listening to the demo needs to be aware of that.

One point to take into account, the fingerboard on Sandberg basses is about twice the thickness of, say, a Fender. This may be a factor.
In fact i would go as far as to say that rosewood Sandbergs can have a tendency to sound softer in the attack which I attribute to this.

That's a fair point.

The closest anyone has come to in doing a true test, is swapping an entire neck. The problem is that this always includes the neck wood itself. If the fretboard is a larger portion of the neck, then it should have a larger contribution to the tone.

-

 

[BAG]

I could swap the pickups (same design though) but I've been playing 40+ years and I've swapped necks before on Fender basses and I know what a difference a neck change can make. I'm pretty certain that I can "hear" a maple neck and that video backs up all my preconceptions.
I had a killer 76 P bass 15 years ago but the neck was unstable and I swapped it for a maple. I hated it, it sounded completely different.
As I say, i could swap pickups but I'm already 100% convinced so motivation is low.

And yet the fretboard makes up less than 10% of the neck but you are 100% certain that the fretboard makes ALL the difference. Even necks made from the same tree will have different grain and density characteristics.

I will accept that fretboard material could possibly make some difference, but not to the such a degree that a little tone tweak couldn't rectify. Feel on the other hand.....that's a different matter.

I have a P bass with rosewood and a PJ with maple. The rosewood P is much brighter than the maple PJ. Does that prove anything. No. Does it disprove anything. No.

By the way. I'd also like to compliment your playing. Very consistent. I've just stolen one of your riffs.