necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

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Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

Kind of a misconception about the fretboards actually. Rosewood has more lows AND highs while maple adds this kind of more defined upper midrange cluck. Very very subtle though, nothing a tweak of the tone knob won't obliterate so I usually don't factor it in TOO much when choosing tone but I usually tend towards brighter things anyway so maple just works out for me across the board, no pun intended.
Also keep in mind that if the fretboard is just a thin veneer then don't expect much tone difference. Thicker ones have more prominent differences.
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

Falloffthebonetone said:
Kind of a misconception about the fretboards actually. Rosewood has more lows AND highs while maple adds this kind of more defined upper midrange cluck. Very very subtle though, nothing a tweak of the tone knob won't obliterate so I usually don't factor it in TOO much when choosing tone but I usually tend towards brighter things anyway so maple just works out for me across the board, no pun intended.
Also keep in mind that if the fretboard is just a thin veneer then don't expect much tone difference. Thicker ones have more prominent differences.
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Indeed. Measure your fretboard by visuals first IMO. A tone cap, dull string, different amp, different pup height, etcetcetc will weigh more on functional tonality.
That's a different tonality than the perceived difference by the player. Miles different, sometimes.
My want of a heavily inlayed neck makes wood choice moot anyway. Mostly playing on abalone/MOP.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

dg27 said:
FWIW, Warmoth's neck builder site shows everything related to maple as being brighter on their "Tone-O-Meter" than anything related to rosewood (they are all shown as "warm" on the scale).

http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/Necks/BassNeckWoods.aspx

Obviously they do not differentiate with regard to other factors at all.
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Warmoth screws most of their necks up with their preferred heavy truss rod anyway so that doesn't count.
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

uOpt said:
Warmoth screws most of their necks up with their preferred heavy truss rod anyway so that doesn't count.
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An all rosewood tele sounds leagues darker than the standard alder one too. I just think it's different when applied to a fretboard.
 
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Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

Adieu said:
Maple.... Truely a pity that, unless custom ordering new stuff, theyre hard to come by. Especially at good prices & on your config of choice...ever the compromise, it truly is
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hmm my SR500
had the option of a maple neck when I bouhgt mine last year
the SR500M
images
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

A maple just "feels" faster to me. I can't explain it. On a guitar I won't buy anything but maple, on a bass I can go either way.
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

uOpt said:
It's not, e.g. John Suhr also says rosewood is brighter. There was a large discussion on TGP.

And you compared different guitars. You often find one-piece maple necks in guitars that are otherwise made 50s style and have other elements making them brighter.
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Uh, NO... I compared the same identical 70s Matsumoku-built LP Custom copies w/ Super 70 pickups, my blonde maple fretboard vs GC's rosewood fretboard. Same model. Same tuners, same bridge, same everything (well OK you got me, their hardware was gold plated mine wasnt).

Rosewood - balanced rock tone, more even
Maple - bite & bright upper mids, sparklier cleans... edgier under distortion & more aggressive
 
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Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

Adieu said:
Uh, NO... I compared the same identical 70s Matsumoku-built LP Custom copies w/ Super 70 pickups, my blonde maple fretboard vs GC's rosewood fretboard. Same model. Same tuners, same bridge, same everything (well OK you got me, their hardware was gold plated mine wasnt).

Rosewood - balanced rock tone, more even
Maple - bite & bright upper mids, sparklier cleans... edgier under distortion & more aggressive
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Awww come on man. You did that test in a Les Paul?

So first of all that isn't a one-piece maple neck then, with skunk stripe. It is an actual maple fretboard. And on a mahogany neck?

Second, this way you don't get a chance to put the two different necks on the same body which is really the only way to go here. Which I did, BTW, with a blazer.
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

I prefer rosewood or ebony to maple because i prefer the feel of wood under my fingertips rather than a layer of laquer and most maple boards are lacquered.
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

I prefer ebony fingerboards. I have two bass guitars that have them.
 
Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

uOpt said:
Awww come on man. You did that test in a Les Paul?

So first of all that isn't a one-piece maple neck then, with skunk stripe. It is an actual maple fretboard. And on a mahogany neck?

Second, this way you don't get a chance to put the two different necks on the same body which is really the only way to go here. Which I did, BTW, with a blazer.
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MAHOGANY 3pc neck (actually a bolton, but i didnt own the other one, so no neck swaps, sorry)...

Still...Perfect for fretboard comparison, imho, on account of not having an overabundance of maple elsewhere skewing results (afair, the caps were 7-ply mahogany & smthn lighter coloured)... but I didnt test em for posting - i tested it cuz i was curious because I saw a rosewood version of a maple fb instrument i really liked. Which are kinda rare, both of em, on account of being 40 or so years old.

And though the name says "necks", I thought the post meant BOARDS only? Cuz rosewood necks, whats that all about?

PS it was definitely BRAZILIAN rwd, too. Which may or may not have been "ebonized" (tinted dark) back in the 70s, but was simply excellent natural dark rosewood today...as to the maple, yellow-blonde finished, light flame, and hard glossy clearcoat of some kind (intact and sturdy still)
 
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Re: necks: rosewood (or other) versus maple

Adieu said:
And though the name says "necks", I thought the post meant BOARDS only? Cuz rosewood necks, whats that all about?
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I meant fretboards, actually...sorry for the confusion!
 
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