What fretboard do you prefer for Precision basses?

[mikecd1]

I've owned both and love both. Completely partial to ash with maple and alder with rosewood as others have stated and just love black body with maple board and a white pickguard all day long. Sunburst or white with rosewood is also very sexy. If I can only have one it will likely be rosewood with alder body which is what I have now although this thread has made me want a black with maple all over again!!!!

 

[Salicete]

I like both, but my most recent Precision has rosewood. It was particularly nicely finished and had a great feel; that is why I grabbed this particular bass.

 

[jp8848]

Doesn't really make a hill of beans to me! They all sound the same regardless of ash/maple or alder/rosewood! Whatever floats your boat is my opinion. That why I mix it up! They all are great in their own way!!

 

[packhowitzer]

I like both, but i guess if i could only choose one - it would be maple.

 

[Dan_reeves]

All of the above.

For me it is purely aesthetic... I like maple with a darker colored body, rosewood with a lighter colored. Although I would play any and all.

 

[ac11367]

Maple, Maple, Maple, Maple, Maple...

That somehow conjured up an image of nothing but hot blonds.

 

[ThaCoast]

I voted maple, but do have both. I guess i prefer maple cause it boosts the punch & clarity in my notes, but rosewood is great for mellow impact. Also depends on the colour of the bass, but i feel maple works all round bit better than rosewood (burst or butterscotch blonde) but rosewood is great for those softer colours like sonic blue or surf green, even vintage blonde.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Alder/Maple as in the 57 or 58 reissue with flats is by far my favorite P bass tone.

 

[Kukulkan61]

I like both,5 P basses 3 have maple boards...

 

[Tom Howland]

Rosewood for fretless, and fretted with Flatwounds.

Maple with Roundwounds.

 

[pholli00]

Rosewood. Purely for the looks. But now I can't get the Trees out of my head.

 

[inthebassclef]

Rosewood for the tone. I like warmth

 

[Nev375]

Graphite for me thank you.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Maple. I'm sure we've all heard about the supposed brighter tone that a maple board results in, but I haven't heard a ton of actual evidence when I have switched out necks. Maybe if you literally had the fretboard on a particular neck changed it would sound a bit different, but I'm willing to bet that the actual bulk of the neck and the physical dimensions will have more effect on tone. Not to mention every single piece of wood resonates differently. But I DO love the way maple looks!

I originally would be in your camp on the sound thing, but not long ago, I happen to have two Ps together at the same time. They were fairly the same except the maple one had GHS Boomers and the rosewood one had DR High Beams.
Playing alone, I could hear a bit of click from the maple that wasn't there with the rosewood. Granted, it could be the strings, but the click sound is what I hear people talk about with maple.
I prefer maple because it looks better to me in most cases. There are colors that I prefer with rosewood.

 

[Tampabass]

Maple and bacon.
Although my Tony Franklin fretless has an ebony board, because that was the only choice.

 

[noahw1]

I voted Maple but my new bass has a Pau Ferro (aka morado) fretboard. Looks like Rosewood but with qualities similar to maple just not as bright. It also has really tight grain.

 

[BASSnSAX]

I've got a maple fingerboard (Mighty Mite replacement neck) on my MIM P-Bass. I love the sound and feel - it seems to add some extra definition and character, compared to the rosewood fingerboard on the original neck. The first neck had a great shape, but ultimately twisted and became unplayable; the new maple neck does have a bit more satin feel, which is also appreciated.

The bass is still has the original Midnight Blue color (nearly purple in some light!) and a black pearloid pickguard...so the maple fingerboard looks a little goofy. That all being said, I will never part with this bass!

 

[bassbully]

I have both one maple , one rosewood both with flats.

 

[Batmensch]

Maple, pretty much just for aesthetic reasons. Just as an extra, though, I find it easier to clean and maintain a clear-coated maple board than an unfinished rosewood one.

 

[seang15]

Maple for P, rosewood or ebony for J.