Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Hello Lou...Doc nailed it on the short and sweet for ya buddy...My take on the differences(I think)...On the same overall guitar but only the neck diffences,I'd say the rosewood is a touch warmer...The maple snappier,brighter,and maybe the notes have a bit more clarity? I Like both necks the same,but on certain body colors rosewood looks great..Sometimes when playing in darker places I find the neck dots to be hard to see on rosewood,but this is a very trivial problem really..I don't find maple to be any faster,but I think the finish on maple makes a difference...I can get around on rosewood as quick as the maple...Great posts guys!~

John
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

I just find rosewood feels and looks 'classier', but that's just my opinion. It does feel softer but I think that is mainly in your mind.


Lee
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Lee said:
I just find rosewood feels and looks 'classier', but that's just my opinion. It does feel softer but I think that is mainly in your mind.


Lee

Could be that I associate darker coloring necks to darker tones huh Lee? :smack: :32: :) I Play both and I Guess either or is fine... :dance:
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Yeah but just look at your avatar. It just oozes class.
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Lee said:
I just find rosewood feels and looks 'classier', but that's just my opinion. It does feel softer but I think that is mainly in your mind.


Lee

Agreed, also I believe it is better to have a color contrast between my white stubby fingers and a dark board (I've always loved ebony for this). Especially when you play fast.
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

sweet_lou said:
Someone describe the diff in tone. Why would you want one or the other in a Strat or Tele.

Thanks

Lou

Lou! How ya been hangin', brother?

I have both rosewood and maple fretboards on 2 Strats of mine, and there is a brighter tone to the maple board in comparison to the Strat with the rosewood. But, the maple guitar has Antiquity's in it, where the other has Hot Stacks at the moment but will have a whole different set of s.c.'s in it by the end of this weekend.
I would venture an opinion that rosewood sounds better, at least in my guitars, for blues, rock, and jazz....a warmer, richer tone - with maple sounding best for rock to hard-rock guitar playing....slightly brighter and sharper. Each neck has it's own "vintage" sound to it when played clean, as both types have been in use for quite a few years.
I don't feel much of a difference as far as speed goes and playability, which depends a lot on how well the fret wires are polished up anyways.

And, it could depend on what kind of amp you're using, too. Actually it's all too relative to base a general opinion on. You'd just have to play both and hear what sounds best to you.

-Bob
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Lee said:
Yeah but just look at your avatar. It just oozes class.

Thanks Lee..Appreciate the compliment...That guitar you see in my avatar is a 99 Crimson red american deluxe strat loaded with Antiquity Texas Hots that Lew recommended and sold me...So far these pickups are my favorite single coil pickup...I'm getting a set of the Surfers next for my recent blue strat guitar and I'll post my tonal findings for all of us...Hang in there Lee.... :wink:

John

Lee....Here's my recent put together....2003 Highway 1 alder body in saphire blue....80s 12" radius maple neck with medium jumbo frets,vintage bridge,APS2s in the middle and neck and an A2 "Hybrid" in the bridge with series/split/parallel...Mint green guard...I'm going to be putting a white pearl guard on this guitar loaded with Surfer Antiquities as mentioned above...I Love the resonance of this body alot... :dance: I've changed the mint green knobs over to white now and I think it looks better... :)
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stratdeluxer602003/album?.dir=/17e4


John
 
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Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

It's a very nice looking guitar. Do they come well set up or do they need setting up?


Lee
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

I majorly prefer maple necks on guitars. ;)
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Despite what anyone says, I really think rosewood gives a much nicer tone out of a strat.
It sounds much warmer, really good for the stuff I play. Besides, maple to me just doesnt look right on a guitar. It just hurts, to see a beautifull guitar, like a blue flametop with gold hardware, then you see an ugly maple neck. It just ruins the whole face value of a guitar to me. Maple is just...too....80s :smack:
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

^Actually there where more rosewood guitars in the 80's!
I like the sound of a maple neck with a maplefingerboard glued on like a rosewoodboard.
Makes it a bit warmer.
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

It really depends on what you want to play and what your feel is like.

Maple is bright and snappier and is easy to get your licks and fingers around, so that notes will be easier to play. Rosewood has a warmer sound and will give you more sustain, it will also allow you to dig in more.

Lou - your Hamer Artist Custom has a rosewood board and when you play it you should be able to feel the notes sustaining under your fingers, this is a natural characteristic. If it was a maple board that sustain would need some fairly excessive vibrato techniques or putting in an overdrive or compressor pedal or just letting that amp take over to get that sustain.
 
Re: Maple or Rosewood (Tone) Strat

Hey all
Thanks for the great posts. Good info .

Hey Bob, John thanks for joining in

Yes Norman, I love my Artist and I always like the look of Rosewood. I do like the vintage color maple though.

I might try peacing something together. I will be checking in.

This has got to be the best forum there is. :dance:
 
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