I ordered a new ESP M-2. It has an alder body and maple bolt on neck with a rosewood fret board. When I orderd, I specified a JB/Jazz combo. Now it turns out I can only get the duncans on the maple fret board or stick with the rosewood and go with EMG 81's. I have never owned a maple freted guitar, I expect it to be brighter? Would it be to bright with the JB? I guess if it's good enough for eddie! What do you guys think?
Maple or Rosewood?
- Thread starter sac
- Start date
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
I don't buy into rosewood being brighter than maple....Both necks are maple,but one has a rosewood cap over it....I Use both maple and rosewood capped necks and love em both...I do prefer one over the other depending on the body color,but I also get around as well on either of the 2...
Rosewood "might" be ever so slightly warmer? I don't swap necks around on the same guitar,so if folks say they hear rosewood as being warmer,I'll have to go along with it then....
sac said:
I don't buy into rosewood being brighter than maple....Both necks are maple,but one has a rosewood cap over it....I Use both maple and rosewood capped necks and love em both...I do prefer one over the other depending on the body color,but I also get around as well on either of the 2...
Rosewood "might" be ever so slightly warmer? I don't swap necks around on the same guitar,so if folks say they hear rosewood as being warmer,I'll have to go along with it then....
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
You're going to get alot of opinions on this one....Let me say this...I've been a strat player since the 70s....Anything I think I hear as far as difference would be "maybe" the rosewood cap is warmer.....But: Is it warmer sounding really,or do we think rosewood sounds warmer because the color of rosewood is warmer than maple? Think about the possible placebo effects? I use both and it's not an issue....
You literally would have to swap the 2 necks and see if you in fact hear the differences,but the frets,and the hunk of wood in itself is a subtle enough difference,so is it the rosewood cap or the entire neck that we hear different? Very subjective stuff?
I do know for certain that the size of the frets do influence that same neck between vintage nail frets and jumbo frets!
I prefer maple with a black body strat for sure!
sac said:
You're going to get alot of opinions on this one....Let me say this...I've been a strat player since the 70s....Anything I think I hear as far as difference would be "maybe" the rosewood cap is warmer.....But: Is it warmer sounding really,or do we think rosewood sounds warmer because the color of rosewood is warmer than maple? Think about the possible placebo effects? I use both and it's not an issue....
You literally would have to swap the 2 necks and see if you in fact hear the differences,but the frets,and the hunk of wood in itself is a subtle enough difference,so is it the rosewood cap or the entire neck that we hear different? Very subjective stuff?
I do know for certain that the size of the frets do influence that same neck between vintage nail frets and jumbo frets!
I prefer maple with a black body strat for sure!
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The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
I firmly believe the sonic differences between identical instruments with different fretboard wood is the difference of two instruments, not the fingerboard wood. Choose on feel and appearance.
I subscribe to that "not much different in tone" camp. I think there's probably more sonic difference in the difference in 2 chunks of maple used for the necks. I remember a blind tone test from the LPF years ago- according to the person doing the test, the LPC was the "warmest" sounding of the bunch, which goes against conventional wisdom that the harder ebony would be the "brighter" sounding wood.STRATDELUXER97 said:
I firmly believe the sonic differences between identical instruments with different fretboard wood is the difference of two instruments, not the fingerboard wood. Choose on feel and appearance.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
Thanks for agreeing with me....I feel strongly that the piece of wood and the harware and frets is what would make a difference we could say we actually heard,but not just the thin layer of rosewood veneer on top of a maple neck..
Just my opinion naturally!
The Golden Boy said:
Thanks for agreeing with me....I feel strongly that the piece of wood and the harware and frets is what would make a difference we could say we actually heard,but not just the thin layer of rosewood veneer on top of a maple neck..
Just my opinion naturally!
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
I've never once heard anyone seriously say- "that sounds like a late 62 Strat, one of the early Brazillian Rosewood veneers, as opposed to an earlier 62 with the 'slab' rosewood fingerboard." I'd figure a 1/4" lamination of wood would make more of a tonal difference than the type of wood used on the veneer lamination.
I've never once heard anyone seriously say- "that sounds like a late 62 Strat, one of the early Brazillian Rosewood veneers, as opposed to an earlier 62 with the 'slab' rosewood fingerboard." I'd figure a 1/4" lamination of wood would make more of a tonal difference than the type of wood used on the veneer lamination.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
LOL......Good point! :beerchug:
The Golden Boy said:
LOL......Good point! :beerchug:
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
C Mon Mike start typin! :friday:
XSSIVE said:
C Mon Mike start typin! :friday:
rocksoldier
New member
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
Maple sure would look sweet with the black body.
Maple sure would look sweet with the black body.
Telesexual
New member
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
maple necks look better. I have both rosewood and maple, cant tell a friggin difference.
maple necks look better. I have both rosewood and maple, cant tell a friggin difference.
Robbiedbee
New member
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
I always thought that the difference in tone between maple and rosewood was to do with the fact that the rosewood was indeed a cap, and the maple was a one-piece. That's what I assumed for Strats at least. I'm not sure if ESPs would have a maple cap or one-piece maple necks.
I always thought that the difference in tone between maple and rosewood was to do with the fact that the rosewood was indeed a cap, and the maple was a one-piece. That's what I assumed for Strats at least. I'm not sure if ESPs would have a maple cap or one-piece maple necks.
mrfjones
New member
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
i just switched out a maple neck on a tele for one with a rosewood board.
If there is any difference, it could be warmer but i can't say for sure. I know i have more sustain now because i had to put all my body weight into getting the neck in the pocket correctly which means i have a tighter neck joint.
There are really too many variables to tell if it is warmer though, even with the same hardware on the neck. One piece of maple would be brighter than another and rosewood is a very hard wood which means it could add highs depeding on the piece of rosewood though i have never actually heard that .
I think you will be just fine with an alder body and a jb, if not take it out and sell it here, with that money pickup a new bucker from someone else
i just switched out a maple neck on a tele for one with a rosewood board.
If there is any difference, it could be warmer but i can't say for sure. I know i have more sustain now because i had to put all my body weight into getting the neck in the pocket correctly which means i have a tighter neck joint.
There are really too many variables to tell if it is warmer though, even with the same hardware on the neck. One piece of maple would be brighter than another and rosewood is a very hard wood which means it could add highs depeding on the piece of rosewood though i have never actually heard that .
I think you will be just fine with an alder body and a jb, if not take it out and sell it here, with that money pickup a new bucker from someone else
Corbic
New member
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
Go for maple! There's hardly any tone difference at all, plus a bolt-on maple neck is practically SCREAMING for a maple fretboard! I think the "difference" in tone might just be the placebo effect as STRATDELUXER97 said below, see darker colored wood, think warmer. It might just be my untrained ears, but I find no difference between the two.
Go for maple! There's hardly any tone difference at all, plus a bolt-on maple neck is practically SCREAMING for a maple fretboard! I think the "difference" in tone might just be the placebo effect as STRATDELUXER97 said below, see darker colored wood, think warmer. It might just be my untrained ears, but I find no difference between the two.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
Every strat I've played with maple had a "snappier" tone unplugged. I don't think it's gonna be so much brighter that you couldn't "fix" it by turning down the presence or treble.
Every strat I've played with maple had a "snappier" tone unplugged. I don't think it's gonna be so much brighter that you couldn't "fix" it by turning down the presence or treble.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Maple or Rosewood?
Are you comparing apples to apples though brother and are both necks the same fret wire,same tuners,etc....If a guitar seems snappier,it's not just the neck,but the sum of all parts....I've played both for many years and it's everything else including the neck that matters,not just 1 component...
JB_From_Hell said:
Are you comparing apples to apples though brother and are both necks the same fret wire,same tuners,etc....If a guitar seems snappier,it's not just the neck,but the sum of all parts....I've played both for many years and it's everything else including the neck that matters,not just 1 component...