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Sadowsky - Maple vs Rosewood Fingerboard

#5
If you are talking about metros other than the UVs, then remember that its actually pau ferro/morado ... not rosewood. I noticed that my RV5 was very bright, and have read elsewhere that morado is actually a fairly bright sounding wood.

What I'm getting at, is you should really base your decision on which body wood you want. Alder vs. Ash is a big difference.
 
#7
pickles said:
If you are talking about metros other than the UVs, then remember that its actually pau ferro/morado ... not rosewood. I noticed that my RV5 was very bright, and have read elsewhere that morado is actually a fairly bright sounding wood.

What I'm getting at, is you should really base your decision on which body wood you want. Alder vs. Ash is a big difference.
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IMHO, the difference between a maple and rosewood fingerboard is much greater than the difference between an alder or ash body. Also, Morado is rosewood---Bolivian Rosewood to be exact. There are many different rosewoods. Morado is not brighter than Brazilian Rosewood but it is brighter than East Indian Rosewood, which I don't particularly like.

Roger
 
#8
Sadowsky said:
IMHO, the difference between a maple and rosewood fingerboard is much greater than the difference between an alder or ash body. Also, Morado is rosewood---Bolivian Rosewood to be exact. There are many different rosewoods. Morado is not brighter than Brazilian Rosewood but it is brighter than East Indian Rosewood, which I don't particularly like.

Roger
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I stand corrected!

So what wood is on the rosewood UV70? I love mine, and it sounds and responds quite different than my RV5 did, even unplugged. I chalked that up to the Ash body, which is what I was basing my comments on.
 
#10
PIZZAcato said:
Invalid Link RemovedHere's something that might intrest you.
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That is vey accurate. No offense to Roger ( I love the man and his absses) but I have been told by MANY wood experts/dealers that Pau Ferro?Morado is not a rosewood at all.


I love Pau Fero/Morado. Have had it on a total of 8 basses.
 
#11
I've had the chance to be able to pick up and play multiple exact basses. No 2 sounded exactly alike.

Play a Maple board bass with flats and a Rosewood board with Steel Rounds wounds. Which is gonna sound brighter?

Play a maple passive bass with the passive tone rolled off and a rosewood board bass with the tone full on. Which is gonna sound brighter?

Play a Maple board bass over the neck pickup and a Rosewood board over the bridge pickup. Which is gonna sound brighter?

The tone is in your hands. :)
 
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#12
Nino Valenti said:
I've had the chance to be able to pick up and play multiple exact basses. No 2 sounded exactly alike.

Play a Maple board bass with flats and a Rosewood board with Steel Rounds wounds. Which is gonna sound brighter?

Play a maple passive bass with the passive tone rolled off and a rosewood board bass with the tone full on. Which is gonna sound brighter?

Play a Maple board bass over the neck pickup and a Rosewood board over the bridge pickup. Which is gonna sound brighter?

The tone is in your hands. :)
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Bastard! Great point. Find what works for you. I like maple, ebony and Morado. I don't like Rosewoods.
 
#14
BigMikeW said:
That is vey accurate. No offense to Roger ( I love the man and his absses) but I have been told by MANY wood experts/dealers that Pau Ferro?Morado is not a rosewood at all.
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I stand corrected in that it is not a "true" rosewood---meaning a member of the Dalbergia family. But two of its common names are Bolivian Rosewood and Santos Rosewood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalbergia

Roger
 
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#15
Sadowsky said:
I stand corrected in that it is not a "true" rosewood---meaning a member of the Dalbergia family. But two of its common names are Bolivian Rosewood and Santos Rosewood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalbergia

Roger
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Cool. I never knew that Pau Ferro/Morado was commonly referred to as Bolivian Rosewood or Santos Rosewood.

Whatever it is called, I love the stuff.

Thanks Roger. :bassist:
 
#18
cheezewiz said:
Do the metros (for example..my R5/24) use pau ferro, or actual rosewood? I just looked at the site and it says "rosewood". Either way, I like the material a lot!
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We use Morado (Pau Ferro) as our default rosewood for both the Metro Line and the NYC Line.

On the NYC Line, we offer Madagascar rosewood and Brazilian rosewood as premium options.
 
#19
I have always preferred maple boards. Before I ordered my Metro, I did some research (mostly here on TB). I ended up buying an RV4 (morado) and I couldn't be happier. It's plenty bright and punchy for fingerstyle and slap (IMHO). I'm glad I ordered the optional Vintage Tone Control to mellow it out some. I have never played a Sad with a maple board, so I cannot offer any comparisons.
 
#20
Sadowsky said:
We use Morado (Pau Ferro) as our default rosewood for both the Metro Line and the NYC Line.

On the NYC Line, we offer Madagascar rosewood and Brazilian rosewood as premium options.
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Thanks Roger! I thought that may be the case, as the board on this R5/24 looks a bit different than any other rosewood board I've had. It seems smoother to the touch, and a bit brighter sounding, not unlike ebony (in feel, rather than looks). Anyway, I like it!
 

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