Seriously, Mods, could we have this post stickied, and also some of the threads on P vs J, why is Fender so expensive, solid state vs tubes, and flats vs rounds?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Rosewood vs Maple
- Thread starter bassman03
- Start date
Seriously, Mods, could we have this post stickied, and also some of the threads on P vs J, why is Fender so expensive, solid state vs tubes, and flats vs rounds?
That doesn't really prove anything since they were made with different pieces of wood and that in itself can account for any differences.
Case in point: Two Fender AVS '75 J basses newly arrived in the store and setup prior to putting them out. One with a maple fingerboard, the other with rosewood. Otherwise they were as "identical" as can be. The bass with the rosewood fingerboard sounded considerably brighter than the maple, and the maple sounded warmer. I bought the one with the maple fingerboard.
Check it out...Looks like a maple fingerboard to me.
.
Agreed, the timbre is in the timber. The type of timbre makes a difference, but every piece of wood is unique, as is every body - bodies, being composed of multiple unique pieces of wood of sizes that vary from body to body, also play a role in each instrument's uniqueness. Any generalizations about the differences between rosewood and maple are just that - generalizations. Not meaning that they aren't true for a certain percentage of cases, but certainly not all cases. Choosing for sound first, playability second, and looks third is a wise thing to do.
Having said that, I bought my '08 P bass just because it was black with a maple FB, and have been wanting an Oly white with rosewood ever since.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I could have made a list that was 10 times as long...seriously, this question comes up every week. Each time I see the question, I'm going to repost the list.
Agreed, the timbre is in the timber. The type of timbre makes a difference, but every piece of wood is unique, as is every body - bodies, being composed of multiple unique pieces of wood of sizes that vary from body to body, also play a role in each instrument's uniqueness. Any generalizations about the differences between rosewood and maple are just that - generalizations. Not meaning that they aren't true for a certain percentage of cases, but certainly not all cases. Choosing for sound first, playability second, and looks third is a wise thing to do.
Having said that, I bought my '08 P bass just because it was black with a maple FB, and have been wanting an Oly white with rosewood ever since.
Prexactly.
You want Tort with that Oly?
Prexactly.
You want Tort with that Oly?
Absolutement! So pretty... but my guitar player's wife (his Strat is that combo) things it looks "gay."
Must be a musician's taste versus a non-musician's taste.- Sep 16, 2008
- 874
- 7
- Disclosures
- Master Luthier: Ironclad Bass Guitars
While not exactly on topic- I saw a bit on Vic Firth drumsticks over the weekend where they actually have a machine that sorts the sticks based on their pitch- and those don't always come from the same piece of wood, as the density of grain and moisture content can vary from piece to piece. If it happens with drumsticks you know it has to happen to bass components (bodies, necks, fingerboards, etc.)
I could have made a list that was 10 times as long...seriously, this question comes up every week. Each time I see the question, I'm going to repost the list.
You kill me!
Who knows, but the point is that different pieces of the same type of wood have different densities and volumes of moisture, and that at least one musical instrument manufacturer has adapted their packaging process around that, acknowledging that those differences translate into audible differences between pieces of wood.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I like this thread!
But it sounds to me that, with all the variables present in determining sound, and the relative inability to truly a/b the different necks while holding all other variables equal, the answer will be subjective at best. Especially when playing a bass from the manufacturer
But....
if you could build a bass, or have a bass built, and you had your choice of necks, which would you choose, and why?
But it sounds to me that, with all the variables present in determining sound, and the relative inability to truly a/b the different necks while holding all other variables equal, the answer will be subjective at best. Especially when playing a bass from the manufacturer
But....
if you could build a bass, or have a bass built, and you had your choice of necks, which would you choose, and why?
"Case in point: Two Fender AVS '75 J basses newly arrived in the store and setup prior to putting them out. One with a maple fingerboard, the other with rosewood. Otherwise they were as "identical" as can be. The bass with the rosewood fingerboard sounded considerably brighter than the maple, and the maple sounded warmer. I bought the one with the maple fingerboard."
....how unusual! That's not what my experience would lead me to expect. Glad you found an axe to love.
....how unusual! That's not what my experience would lead me to expect. Glad you found an axe to love.
Things like that have happened many times over the last nearly 40 years working with and on instruments.
My experience is ther are no hard and fast rules and that there are too many variables to predict anything about tone with any degree of certainty execpt that it can't be reliably predicted.
