• Security notice: Ernie Ball staff will never send you a direct message about a prize or giveaway, and will never ask you to click a link to "claim" anything.
    If you receive a message like that - even from an account whose name looks official - do not click the link. Please report it using the Report link on the message so the moderators can act. A scam campaign impersonating admin accounts was blocked on 29 July 2026; those accounts are banned and their messages have been deleted.

maple or rose?

skabassist13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2004
Messages
1,209
Location
Houston, Texas
i want a new stingray, and more than likely im gonna go down to my local guitar center and custom order a brand new one(im a picky little punk like that, i want to be the first one to touch it). but the thing is i cant decide wether to get a maple or rosewood neck. i have a squier p-bass with a rose neck and a seymour duncan pickup and when i chord it doesnt sound very clear. im a clarity freak as well. so in ya'lls opinion how does maple sound? and what are the pros and cons of this wood maintainence wise? thanks
Travis
 
i say u get a maple neck. i dono much about which sounds better but i no a maple neck looks great and depending on what color ur ray body will be maybe even a matchin headstock
 
I'm a rosewood fan... who's burnt out on the look. Do you notice that all starter basses have a rosewood fretboard? It sounds nice and dark, but it gets old. that said, I'd say get maple, because to be honest that's what my next axe's neck will be. Maple will give a nice woody 'cra-a-ack' to the high end as well. It's also sort of a status thing, e.g. most of the Fender basses only have maple fb's on the American Series.
 
skabassist13 said:
i want a new stingray, and more than likely im gonna go down to my local guitar center and custom order a brand new one(im a picky little punk like that, i want to be the first one to touch it). but the thing is i cant decide wether to get a maple or rosewood neck. i have a squier p-bass with a rose neck and a seymour duncan pickup and when i chord it doesnt sound very clear. im a clarity freak as well. so in ya'lls opinion how does maple sound? and what are the pros and cons of this wood maintainence wise? thanks
Travis

maple - tend to be brighter
rosewood - warm and volume
 
Maple produces a bright, sharp sound that enhances the sound of slap. However, some people have found rosewood to suit their taste for slap. In the end, try both out. :)
 
ive tried the build a bass thing on the mm website, but all the pics look really bad. so i cant decide. and i havent played the two yet, so im not gonna pick one without knowing what it sounds like. so i have yet to do that before i decide. what about maintanence? how does it differ from rose and what do you have to do to take care of it?
 
My preference for boards depends on what kind of sound i want to hear.

I find my maple neck stingray to be bright, yet incredibly balanced and clear. While the rosewood tends to accent the lower frequencies a little more, it's not a huge difference.

The rose wood is to me better for pounding bass, while the maple is better for percussive, snappy bass lines.

it's also a feel, maple is smoother and denser than rosewood, different feel all together.

you have to clean both woods, but a lot of people neglect their rosewood because you can't see the dirt...


did i confuse you enough with my hooligans?

i need cheesefries
joel D.
 
Back
Top