Rosewood/maple for different kinds of music...

[menvafaan]

There's a lot of threads about general rosewood vs. maple preference, but let's put it into context!

If you prefer one of the two, what music are you playing, and what makes that particular fretboard tonewood best suited for that music and your playing style? If you prefer both depending on the situation, when is the rosewood better suited, and when do you go for the maple?

Often when I read reviews and opinions on music gear I have no idea if the person plays jazz or black metal, which can often be a little misguiding...

As some of you might have read in other threads, I'm in a funk band and am about to get myself a Silo Special but has yet to decide if I'd go for rosewood or maple. I find my MM90 AL to be way too "woody" and "snappy" for funk, but I believe that's more due to the ash body than the maple neck...?

 

[Slingy]

I think your right about the ash body. I also don't think the fingerboard is going to be such a big factor. I could be wrong of course.

 

[colinboy]

i only have a rosewood guitar at the moment but im looking at getting an ASS or a silo special next and have been looking at the different fretboards.
I heard from guys here that the maple fretboard is that bit brighter than rosewood.

 

[Ripper]

The maple board being one with less pores (grains) may be hard in nature that results in less transcending of string vibration into the wood through the frets, hence, creating a "brighter" sound which sustain shorter than that of a more porous rosewood board.

But it seems funny to me that, since you want some funk tone, I supposed you want short and snappy chord tones and sound, rather then a long sustaining note which is of the blues/metal domain? Maybe a AL SSS will do you good?

 

[candid_x]

I couldn't break it down across the board which is best suited for what style of music, except possibly in the most general of terms, i.e. a standard country gig, I'd prefer the maple, but could easily deal with the smoother, mellower rosewood. For SRV type blues I'd go with rosewood. Overall I'd be really hard pressed, to choose which one I like better.

A differentiation I will make, however, is that I definitely prefer the HSS configuration in rosewood, and the SSS in maple.

 

[Astrofreq]

Get whatever LOOKS better with the body color. That's all that matters.

 

[Ripper]

Get whatever LOOKS better with the body color. That's all that matters.

Right, trooper.

The funk tone can easily be achieved with a compressor...

 

[morsecode]

Tonewise, I really don't notice a difference. Feelwise, I prefer a rosewood or ebony fretboard over a maple board. I can't say exactly why but it is likely more because that's just what I've come more used to. I'm still trying to gel with the maple board on my 20th Silo.

 

[D.K.]

Tonewise, I really don't notice a difference. Feelwise, I prefer a rosewood or ebony fretboard over a maple board. I can't say exactly why but it is likely more because that's just what I've come more used to. I'm still trying to gel with the maple board on my 20th Silo.

How does the maple 20-th feel? and BTW, If You can not bond with that one - I would have to buy it from You and save You the torture

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I have both on almost identical guitars, and there is hardly any difference in the sound. Maple is slightly brighter, but that's about it. By the time your noisy drummer is bashing away the subtleties are totally lost!

 

[Astrofreq]

By the time your noisy drummer is bashing away the subtleties are totally lost!

True Dat!!! In fact, if you can tell a difference, then your band isn't rocking hard enough!!!

 

[Pablo]

My personal preference is alder body with a maple fretboard, it just gives amazing snap and clarity. Moreover, with the alder body you still get the mids that I sometimes miss with the swamp ash body / maple neck combo.

I actually think fretboard wood makes quite a bit of difference in the tone of an instrument, but agree completely with the notion that the difference becomes moot to most live audiences (I'll still hear the difference, but probably just because I know it's there).

So: it's a maple fretboard for me and I play mainly hard rock and metal.

Cheers

Eske

 

[andynpeters]

Difference is probably also hard to discern when recorded via Pod onto computer, uploaded to YouTube, downloaded & played via computer speakers or IPod earphones......I'm always impressed by people able to identify the different tonal characteristics of every component on the guitar.....I read an article once where someone claimed to be able to differentiate between a Duracell & an Everready battery in his effects pedal. Guess I've spent too many years standing in front of cymbals!!

 

[Rod Turtle]

Difference is probably also hard to discern when recorded via Pod onto computer, uploaded to YouTube, downloaded & played via computer speakers or IPod earphones......I'm always impressed by people able to identify the different tonal characteristics of every component on the guitar.....I read an article once where someone claimed to be able to differentiate between a Duracell & an Everready battery in his effects pedal. Guess I've spent too many years standing in front of cymbals!!

That's nothing close to Eric Johnson:He took a screw of his fuzz face because he said it was making it sound too trebly.

 

[JohnnyD19]

Difference is probably also hard to discern when recorded via Pod onto computer, uploaded to YouTube, downloaded & played via computer speakers or IPod earphones......I'm always impressed by people able to identify the different tonal characteristics of every component on the guitar.....I read an article once where someone claimed to be able to differentiate between a Duracell & an Everready battery in his effects pedal. Guess I've spent too many years standing in front of cymbals!!

That guy was Eric Johnson. He could tell you why maple boards sound different than rosewood based on the molecular makeup of the wood he's that picky.

That's nothing close to Eric Johnson:He took a screw of his fuzz face because he said it was making it sound too trebly.

Thats a true story.

 

[candid_x]

Difference is probably also hard to discern when recorded via Pod onto computer, uploaded to YouTube, downloaded & played via computer speakers or IPod earphones......I'm always impressed by people able to identify the different tonal characteristics of every component on the guitar.....I read an article once where someone claimed to be able to differentiate between a Duracell & an Everready battery in his effects pedal. Guess I've spent too many years standing in front of cymbals!!

Great point, Andy. It always sorta shocks me when players say they can't hear the nuance differences in woods, but if you're doing like you said, who could tell anything about the orignal sound of the amplified guitar? I think you can definitely get carried away with what you think you hear, I know I sometimes do, such as when I A/B'd a Silo Silent Circuit back and forth, like 12 times, to hear the difference. I heard a difference, I think. But where wood and pickups, and even strings are concerned, if your running straight to an amp which isn't set to distort like a legato train, it's pretty easy to hear the differences.

There's an AL with Fralins for sale, trying to find out which ones, but here's a good example. Fralins, especially the more vintage sounding ones, are bright, which is nice. But on a swamp ash body and maple board...mmm... overshoots my mark. If they're blues specials, it might work, but vintage hots or 54's, no thanks. On an alder body with rosewood board, oh yes, that works for me.

 

[beej]

Sometimes there's truth to the craziness. Older batteries have a different capacitance than newer alkalines, so they can have a significant effect on some pedals.

Bruce- you can always use a few cents in parts (new pots, a cap here and there) to tame those highs if they're a problem.

 

[spychocyco]

To be honest, I don't hear a lot of difference in neck woods. Then again, when I first started playing, I was told I was tone deaf and would never be able to play, so maybe I'm not the guy to ask. (As it turns out, that teacher was wrong, but that's another story.)

I've always been a hardcore rosewood guy. Never wanted a maple neck, and still don't want a lacquered maple neck. Just don't like the feel of them. My Axis, however, has completely won me over.

That said, when I order my ASS in the year 2025 or so, it will likely have a rosewood board on it.

 

[candid_x]

Sometimes there's truth to the craziness. Older batteries have a different capacitance than newer alkalines, so they can have a significant effect on some pedals.

Bruce- you can always use a few cents in parts (new pots, a cap here and there) to tame those highs if they're a problem.

That's cool to know, Jay. But isn't part of the object to be as close as possible to the tone you're after, without having to add things? I learned from having suits fitted, it's always best to find the closest fit right off the rack, and then fine alter to personal taste.

 

[beej]

Well, sort of. The whole guitar setup is adding things ... everything affects your signal, from soup to nuts. Throwing a capacitor in there to take off highs is exactly like using a longer or high capacitance cable, y'know? Or having a tone-sucking pedal on your board. It's all part of the equation, and what works for one guy doesn't work for the next.

So I'm just saying, if you get something you like the basic tone off, but it's got a little to much of "that", you can usually get rid of the "that" pretty easily. It's easier to tame a bright pickup than it is to put missing highs back in.