Maple vs. Rosewood

[zamdrang]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I'd have to agree in general rosewood is warmer and maple is brighter. Its very apparent unplugged.

But plugged in .....I still feel its the same comparison in general.....but like someone here said a little eq can really help compensate for tone.

Feel though is a different story. I like the "in" and "on" analogy. Add ebony to the far end of the "on" category.

I'd add that rosewood boards vary a lot. Nowdays theres a lot of ho-hum rosewood out there. For me personally what comes on a lot of guitars nowdays....high end included..... is too dark, boring and "hard" feeling.......not enough of the "in" thing.

My son has one of those cheap BC Rich agathis warlocks......it has a wonderful rosewood board i'd rate higher than any current production LP or Strat ive played in the last few years. (and comparable if not better fretwork) It just feels killer.

Maybe lighter and "softer" means cheaper....but whatever.....I like 'em. Light colored, visibly grained, swirly, "soft" feeling rosewood board.....theres nothing like 'em (although the pao ferro(sp?) on the SRV strat is a VERY nice feeling wood)

My earliest experiences with maple were all heavily lacquered...(old fenders) which I hate. But an unfinished maple board feels pretty good.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

To me:

When I play a maple fingerboard, it feels like I'm playing ON it; with a roseboard, I feel like I'm playing WITH it.

I know this is totally unscientific but I feel that the rosewood board gives microscopically to my touch where a maple board is like fingering a brick.

As to the tonality of each, I can get either to sound exactly the same with a tweak of the amp.

Both boards are maple! One has a rosewood cap over it..:laugh2:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I'd have to agree in general rosewood is warmer and maple is brighter. Its very apparent unplugged.

But plugged in .....I still feel its the same comparison in general.....but like someone here said a little eq can really help compensate for tone.

Feel though is a different story. I like the "in" and "on" analogy. Add ebony to the far end of the "on" category.

I'd add that rosewood boards vary a lot. Nowdays theres a lot of ho-hum rosewood out there. For me personally what comes on a lot of guitars nowdays....high end included..... is too dark, boring and "hard" feeling.......not enough of the "in" thing.

My son has one of those cheap BC Rich agathis warlocks......it has a wonderful rosewood board i'd rate higher than any current production LP or Strat ive played in the last few years. (and comparable if not better fretwork) It just feels killer.

Maybe lighter and "softer" means cheaper....but whatever.....I like 'em. Light colored, visibly grained, swirly, "soft" feeling rosewood board.....theres nothing like 'em (although the pao ferro(sp?) on the SRV strat is a VERY nice feeling wood)

My earliest experiences with maple were all heavily lacquered...(old fenders) which I hate. But an unfinished maple board feels pretty good.

The only way to validate these statements would be to swap a rosewood cap neck over to a maple on the same guitar...The hardware,body,strings,tuners,frets,and etc.would have to be the same...Then you'd be able to tell,but to just say rosewood capped necks over maple are brighter,punchier,and snappier....I just don't buy it guys! :13:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Just looked at 2 of my Fender strat history books about the maple vs rosewood over maple necked strats....Fender switched over to rosewood capped necks in the summer of 59 because the nitrocelluose they were using to spray over the necks would break down quick and show wear on the maple boards..They then go on saying how Leo liked the beauty and asthetic look of the rosewood board neck like Gibson and other companies were using...

After that there's talk about the pickups from the rosewood capped maple neck era being mellower sounding and that this influenced what might be percieved as the rosewood cap being warmer sounding? At no time does the book state in any fact that maple is brighter,snappier,or punchier,and so far I've looked into only 2 of my many stratocaster/Telecaster books...aLL of my strats are brighter than my Gibson instruments and they all possess the strat sounds whether I pickup the maple or the rosewood over maple necked axe...

But that's just me? LOL I've played strats alot of years and I'm just not totally sold on the cap making things mellower,warmer,but I'll agree that rosewood sure looks darker and warmer! Guess we'll never really know the truth because this is one of those subjective topics and we'll agree to disagree strickly on what we "think" we hear...:laugh2:

 

[big_black]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

After that there's talk about the pickups from the rosewood capped maple neck era being mellower sounding and that this influenced what might be percieved as the rosewood cap being warmer sounding? At no time does the book state in any fact that maple is brighter,snappier,or punchier,and so far I've looked into only 2 of my many stratocaster/Telecaster books...aLL of my strats are brighter than my Gibson instruments and they all possess the strat sounds whether I pickup the maple or the rosewood over maple necked axe...

From what I understand, a lot of the innovations Leo Fender came up with in the beginning were not exactly calculated, but are recognized later as genius. I can say there is a definite difference in the feeling between the two neck woods in every maple/maple neck and every rosewood/maple neck I have played.

 

[zamdrang]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

The only way to validate these statements would be to swap a rosewood cap neck over to a maple on the same guitar...The hardware,body,strings,tuners,frets,and etc.would have to be the same...Then you'd be able to tell,but to just say rosewood capped necks over maple are brighter,punchier,and snappier....I just don't buy it guys! :13:

I didnt read where anyone was claiming rosewood is brighter, punchier or snappier. Just the opposite actually.

FWIW I have A/Bd identical rosewood/maple guitars and I stand by my opinion. This has just been my experience.....your mileage my vary....

Ive always assumed this is why most accoustics have rosewood fingerboards.....??

I commenting more about feel ....which is purely personal.....no way to validate that

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

From what I understand, a lot of the innovations Leo Fender came up with in the beginning were not exactly calculated, but are recognized later as genius. I can say there is a definite difference in the feeling between the two neck woods in every maple/maple neck and every rosewood/maple neck I have played.

I was talking about tone and not the feel though....Warm vs brighter...:laugh2:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I didnt read where anyone was claiming rosewood is brighter, punchier or snappier. Just the opposite actually.

FWIW I have A/Bd identical rosewood/maple guitars and I stand by my opinion. This has just been my experience.....your mileage my vary....

Ive always assumed this is why most accoustics have rosewood fingerboards.....??

I commenting more about feel ....which is purely personal.....no way to validate that

I'm saying that I don't buy into maple being brighter,punchier,and snappier than rosewood...:smack: Re-read my posts to see what I'm trying to convey.:laugh2: My own opinions are tonal opinions and no mention of the feel?

We should do a poll and see what the concensus is on this?

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I find the same thing as far as feel. Yes, maple feels more like playing on top of it, rather than in it. This may be why I like taller, relatively freshly dressed, frets on maple. I can tolorate worn frets longer on rosewood.

I'm with you. Maple boards are very sticky and so don't go well with low frets. They also seem to somehow attract more gunk to the strings than rosewood, thus needing more wiping down of both strings and board.

But I like the look of a maple board on a v-burst Strat better, and I dig the snap and spank it gives you. I just need some tall frets...

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Guys please vote on my poll on this topic!

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

What tangible differences have you experienced?

I have both, but the guitars that they're on are at a serious disparity when it comes to build quality / price range so I cannot compare fairly.

I want to hear that there's something beyond aesthetics!

TIA

Maple is brighter, definitely, but also feels better than rosewood in my opinion. However, my "first love" is ebony (played a viol-bass and viola, and they both were ebony fingerboard).

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Maple is brighter, definitely, but also feels better than rosewood in my opinion. However, my "first love" is ebony (played a viol-bass and viola, and they both were ebony fingerboard).

I Like the feel and look of the rosewood cap but don't feel maple is brighter? I'm pushin this guys! :laugh2:

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I Like the feel and look of the rosewood cap but don't feel maple is brighter? I'm pushin this guys! :laugh2:

I'm confused. I think rosewood is definitely darker than maple, and so do a lot of other people as well, people we trust. I mean, do we have to get all scientific and frequency test samples of wood? :laugh2:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I'm confused. I think rosewood is definitely darker than maple, and so do a lot of other people as well, people we trust. I mean, do we have to get all scientific and frequency test samples of wood? :laugh2:

Yeah we do....Vote on the poll and stop complaining! :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

I'm not confused.....Now vote! :chairfall :yell:

Your sentence is kind of oxy moron though brother....

I think rosewood is definately darker than maple

? Is it though or not? You don't trust me? :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: This is all in fun now ok?

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

..I'll have to look again at my strat books,but I remember reading that Fender switched over from maple to rosewood cap in 59 to compete with the nice looks that Gibson had...I don't remember reading that Fender switched over to rosewood cap to soften or warm up their guitars,but I'll check on that..

Leo himself said that they switched to rosewood because after being played a lot, a maple neck will show wear and pick up dirt which looks bad, whereas rosewood just needs to be cleaned to look new again. I find it funny too, how many things that we think were a "tone genius at work" which were actually simply done out of practical nessesity during the manufacturing and marketing process in those early days at Fender. I also remember reading about why Leo decided to put three pickups on a strat. He simply wanted to out-do Gibson with their two pickup guitars. Lucky for us.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Leo himself said that they switched to rosewood because after being played a lot, a maple neck will show wear and pick up dirt which looks bad, whereas rosewood just needs to be cleaned to look new again. I find it funny too, how many things that we think were a "tone genius at work" which were actually simply done out of practical nessesity during the manufacturing and marketing process in those early days at Fender. I also remember reading about why Leo decided to put three pickups on a strat. He simply wanted to out-do Gibson with their two pickup guitars. Lucky for us.

Right but no mention of the rosewood cap being darker or warmer than just the maple neck is kinda my point on this...If it was a factor,you'd think it would have been mentioned? Right?

None of the guys at the Fender factory heard the tonal differences?

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Rosewood (or ebony) is 1/3 of the reason I play guitars from the "Gibson" side of the universe. The other two are humbuckers, and the 24-3/4" scale. I just simply dislike the way maple just lets sweat get pushed around. With rosewood/ebony, the sweat just seems to wick away from the fingertips. It's like the difference between cotton or polyester socks on your feet in summer. Finished maple just feels unnatural and a tad cheap, IMO.

As I get older, I do find my hands are drier, so maybe the maple thing is less of a prob.

 

[zamdrang]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

I'm saying that I don't buy into maple being brighter,punchier,and snappier than rosewood...:smack: Re-read my posts to see what I'm trying to convey.:laugh2:

Actually you said just the opposite........

but to just say rosewood capped necks over maple are brighter,punchier,and snappier....I just don't buy it guys! :13:

But im with you........:beerchug:

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Not to be rude, but the tonal differences between maple and rosewood are already documented, regardless of why Fender "switched to Rosewood" (because they make several models and not all of them are rosewood, much less that any marketing or budget considerations don't even really matter to how they sound different from each other). Why is this thread still open?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Maple vs. Rosewood

Not to be rude, but the tonal differences between maple and rosewood are already documented, regardless of why Fender "switched to Rosewood" (because they make several models and not all of them are rosewood, much less that any marketing or budget considerations don't even really matter to how they sound different from each other). Why is this thread still open?

The thread is still open because we want it to be! :laugh2: