All rosewood axis vs. maple top rosewood board

[Crazy Jay]

Could somebody please give me the pros and cons of the all rosewood axis super sport vs the maple top, maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard super sport model. I am looking to purchase my first music man in the next few months and it will be an axis super sport of some kind.

Thanks,

 

[roburado]

Yesterday, I tried out both of these. Here's what I thought.

First, I tried out the Rosewood ASS with hard tail. Got to try it through a Mesa F-30, which is what I have at home. Awesome guitar. I would love to have this guitar, and I may sell my +aylor to get it. It's a really warm-sounding guitar. Pretty clean tones. Everything from jazzy to strat-like (especially those in-between/out-of-phase/parallel tones). Then, boom...hit it with some distortion, and it just sings through the neck pick up. It growls and barks through the bridge pickup. I sort of expected those things. What I was kind of surprised about is how good the clean sounds are.

Next, I tried a very nice Cherry Burst ASS with the regular maple top, rosewood board and trem. It was a brighter sounding guitar in general. I got to try it through a '57 Twin Amp. Just an incredible clean. Much like the experience with the Rosewood ASS above, but it was brighter. No less beautiful, though. Then, I got to try it through a Mesa F-30. It didn't have quite the same warm, flowing tone that the other guitar had through its neck pickup under distortion. Still, it was beautiful. It still sang. Just brighter. Same with all the rest of the sounds.

The necks felt a bit different to me. The Rosewood ASS's neck felt a bit rounder. That's probably psychological. The regular ASS's neck felt like the edge of the rosewood fretboard was a little more sharply demarcated. The edges of the fretboard on the Rosewood ASS felt more rounded.

For me there were no cons really. Just pros and the differences between the guitars.

Both are great guitars, and I want one of each. For me, however, the edge goes to the Rosewood ASS.

 

[Roubster]

First off, welcome to the forum . And good choice goin with EBMM.

I think that you have to be a little bit more specific on what you are looking for in a guitar or what kind of tone that is.
I have not played these 2 extensively, but the all Rosewood Axis Super Sport (ASS) is much warmer sounding to my ears. It has a pretty distinctive tone, but I cant say exactly what it was since I only played it once.
The regular ASS is a bit more brighter sounding. Also the necks will feel different since one is all rosewood and the otehr is maple. So you have to kind of try em out to see for yourself. Again I have not played them AS much, but both were comfortable. I dont think there is any cons to these guitars, just depends wether it's the guitar for you or not. Sorry if this is vague.
I'm sure some others that have both will give you a better description.
BTW, I am gettin me a regular ASS myself .

 

[roburado]

just depends wether it's the guitar for you or not.

I totally agree.

BTW, I am gettin me a regular ASS myself .

Aha! I'm GASsin' hard for the Rosewood ASS.

 

[darchirnoj]

I've played both and really liked the maple top ASS with maple neck/rosewood board..........but I LOVED the Rosewood Axis! The neck was perfect in fit and feel, for me, at least. Of course, I made the mistake of asking my wife what she thought about it, and she didn't like it because of the glossy rosewood top. It makes it easier to get her opinion (dare I say 'approval') when I blow a grand plus on something that I'm not very good at doing. God, I hope you guys don't rag on me for that one. What am I saying? Of course you will .
But it sounded great through a line 6 amp, both clean and distorted. Other than the p/u selector being faulty, there was nothing wrong with it at all. I really wanted that guitar and almost got one on ebay. When I played it at GC in Austin, I had my wife, brother, and one of his friends; both brother and friend are both into Slipknot, NothingFace, SoilWork stuff so they both laughed at the guitar.
Damn them!

 

[Astrofreq]

Buy them both. Everybody else around here does.

Seriously, I have both and really love the darker tone of the rosewood Axis. If you do ANY drop D tuning at all, get it. Get it with mm90s, if you want a more biting sound.

 

[Big Mike]

There's some sort of Low - mid bump grind thingy in the RW model that gives me a bigger chubby than the other one does.

That saod, I do plan to get a maple top one too some time.

 

[augustyn]

little bit off topic....are there ASS w/rosewood neck but maple top out there? i dont like the rosewood top....

 

[Lucidology]

The all Rosewood one is a truly wonderful sounding guitar in many ways (also should mention, that the Rosewood neck feel's great on your hands & is very comfortable)...

I almost bought it over the Luke and kept going back & forth between the two... I too was amazed at how good, and workable, the coil taps sounded. However, the single's on the Luke are more solid in nature... as any true single coil is when compared to tapped humbuckers..

My female friend, who was hanging out with m, really disliked the top of the Rosewood Axis... she said it looked like "cheap trailer paneling"...

(However, I liked it a lot .. )

 

[phatduckk]

little bit off topic....are there ASS w/rosewood neck but maple top out there? i dont like the rosewood top....

nope, sorry

 

[67tele]

This is coming from a Telecaster lover my whole life. I've tried and owned about every type of guitar but always came back to my Teles. Nothing ever felt like those guitars-Until I tried an Albert Lee years ago. Loved it but never saw another one. Went to a local Music store a little while ago and tried out a Rosewood ASS Bought it right there! Havent stopped Playing it since. Love the feel and the tone and I'm not a humbucker lover. This may be the nicest guitar I own now! Get one you won't regret it! PS: (Got an Albert Lee on Order)

 

[augustyn]

...better asked: is it possible to ORDER an ASS w/rosewoodneck and mapletop?
thx again and sorry for hijacking that thread...

 

[J-Nick]

...better asked: is it possible to ORDER an ASS w/rosewoodneck and mapletop?
thx again and sorry for hijacking that thread...

nope...

 

[SteveB]

...better asked: is it possible to ORDER an ASS w/rosewoodneck and mapletop?
thx again and sorry for hijacking that thread...

I don't think you can order that combination right now. But wait until next year and maybe it will be available. Big Poppa keeps dropping hints about rosewood necks.

 

[augustyn]

..mist....
i love the rosewood neck since i had an IRW McCarty a few years ago.
but dunno like the rosewood top (optical!). well. i can wait. of course!

thanks again for your help

 

[Crazy Jay]

Thanks for the help!

You guys have been very helpful, I had the chance to play the all rosewood version, and was blown away at the neck and sound. Clean and dirty, but before pulling the triger I needed a comparison w/ the maple top version. The only downfall w/ the all rosewood is possibly the looks, but I like many guitar players have purchased a guitar on looks only to be dissapointed about the feel and sound later. One of the comments earlier asked me to be more specific, about what I want out of a guitar. and it is a fast comfortable neck, w/ warmth and enough harmonics. but above all it has to feel good, I am sick of the extra wide necks of Ibanez and PRS.

Thanks

 

[darchirnoj]

Gold top ASS with rosewood neck. Oh yeah, baby!
I personally liked/didn't mind the look of the rosewood axis. Besides, it's worth purchasing for the neck alone. I was stupid not to purchase that one at GC that day.

 

[Music Man]

You guys have been very helpful, I had the chance to play the all rosewood version, and was blown away at the neck and sound. Clean and dirty, but before pulling the triger I needed a comparison w/ the maple top version. The only downfall w/ the all rosewood is possibly the looks, but I like many guitar players have purchased a guitar on looks only to be dissapointed about the feel and sound later. One of the comments earlier asked me to be more specific, about what I want out of a guitar. and it is a fast comfortable neck, w/ warmth and enough harmonics. but above all it has to feel good, I am sick of the extra wide necks of Ibanez and PRS.

Thanks

I have played both, the rosewood more than the regular. I am not as knowledgeable as some of the other gents here because I don't own one. But just from playing them they are both comfortable, and have great harmonics but the rosewood, IMHO, wins it with the warmth. I also love the feel of the rosewood necks and would love it if EBMM made it an option for all their guitars, although with recent talks of Limiting IRW this might not happen. I know what you mean as far as looks but the top definitely grows on you. Anyway good luck and whichever you decide just know that you can't go wrong.

Axis rosewood with piezo is the next on my list.

 

[Big Mike]

I dig the look of the rosewood top. Very 'George Harrison'

if I ever find another whilst I have cash, I may do a refin to Goldtop though. That sounds like it would be killer!!!

Are they no longer for sale new?

 

[philiprst]

I have a Rosewood ASS that I purchased from someone here on the forum. I have also tried several maple topped Axis models and own a JP6 and a 20th Anniversary. I will preface my comments with a story. Back in 1998 I was looking at PRS guitars and a large store near me had a buttload of Brazilian rosewood neck McCartys price the same as the regular ones. I completely hated the neck and the sound so I didn't buy one. Of course, today those particular guitars are worth a fortune!

But... back to the Rosewood ASS. Like everone has said the neck is completely brilliant. It is a very verstatile guitar with a lot of clarity while remaining quite balanced. Tonewise I find it to be quite unique and so I am not sure, right now, if I will hold onto it. That's nothing negative about the guitar, I am just not sure this is a tone I will use a lot.