Rosewood/Maple tone

[:DChilis:D]

I'm going to buy myself a new Stingray
I live in Toronto, and I've never played a Stingray with a maple board....
I was wondering if someone can post soundclips. If someone has a maple and rosewood stingray, can you please play the same thing on each bass so I can compare.

Anyone know if the sound is significantly different ????

Thanks

 

[Moondog]

From EB FAQ:
"The general consensus regarding this question is that maple gives you a snappier, slightly brighter tone with more attack while a rosewood board gives you a darker, smoother tone with more warmth. Often the difference is subjective and subject to personal opinion. There are also other factors to consider such as playing style, what type of strings you use, tone settings, and amplifiers to consider. Try both maple and rosewood to form your own opinion"

Try a search too . .

Variables in wood/density/weight also affect comparisons.

Personally, I don't notice too much a difference so I'll buy whatever feels
good and looks best with the body color.

 

[:DChilis:D]

Thanks, Sorry I didn't read the FAQ

 

[strummer]

Wasn't it Phatty who recorded a maple/rosewood comparison on his Sterlings? I think so but I can't find the thread...

Anyways, Jack says maple is attackier

 

[carpedebass]

I, personally don't think there is enough difference to really tell. Nothing you can't overcome with EQ, anyway!

 

[sandman@midlife]

This is a little known fact....
I hope I don't get in trouble for letting this out.

It's not the fretboard that influences the tone. It's the color of the bass. A light bass will be brighter, and a black bass will have a darker tone.
Sunburst will make you sound like James Jamerson, and natural finish will have a flat response.


Don't tell anyone I told you.

 

[strummer]

This is a little known fact....
I hope I don't get in trouble for letting this out.

It's not the fretboard that influences the tone. It's the color of the bass. A light bass will be brighter, and a black bass will have a darker tone.
Sunburst will make you sound like James Jamerson, and natural finish will have a flat response.


Don't tell anyone I told you.

And green basses are the most soothing of all

 

[Frankie5Angels]

I personally don't think it's possible to tell the difference between maple and rosewood. I think people that say they can hear it are giving themselves too much credit for a talent they don't have. Any differences in tone are so subtle that you'd have to have the hearing of a dog to hear a difference. If you like the way maple looks, go for maple, if not go for rosewood. It's not like you will record a song and someone listening to it will say, "It's good, but it would be better if he had a maple fretboard."

 

[phatduckk]

Wasn't it Phatty who recorded a maple/rosewood comparison on his Sterlings? I think so but I can't find the thread...

Anyways, Jack says maple is attackier

yup.

Index of /music/etc/maple_rosewood

 

[ekb16b]

i honestly cant tell the difference between maple and rosewood, if u want a warmer or a snappier tone just play around with the EQ.

and seeing your going to buy a MM, its gonna be awesome no matter what coloured neck you have. buy whatever feels and looks good.

 

[phatduckk]

i think any difference in tone can be "made up for" with a different set of strings....

if rosewood's dark and you want a brighter sound then buy some stainless strings etc. and EQ bla bla... the variables are endless.

i pick the FB on looks alone

 

[Kristopher]

I've got a maple Sterling and a rosewood Sterling. I hear a slight difference, but that difference isn't as much as, say, the difference between new strings and week old strings. It's not a difference that I can describe in words, mostly because it's so subtle (to me).

If you have the option, I'd say try out both and try to hear it.

 

[RobertB]

Oh, there's definitely a difference if you play slap, no question. And even if you describe it as "subtle", when it comes to tone, even a subtly different tone is effectively ... a totally different tone, in my opinion. But I personally wouldn't even describe the difference as subtle. Again, I think a major factor in the "amount" of audible difference is in your playing style. Even among any 2 slappers, in no case will the 2 play the same way. Do you bounce off the string with the thumb, or thumb through it; do you thumb over the end of the fretboard, or back closer to a pickup; how much intensity do you use when you "pop", etc... Someone who pops the crap out of it with quick/intense attack, for example, is going to hear more difference between maple/rosewood.

Then again, I may be delusional, or otherwise full of shi'ite.

Robert

 

[oli@bass]

IMO, the contribution of the fretboard apales in regards to how much the body wood shapes the tone. I've two custom made (P/J type) basses with the same rosewood necks, but very different body woods: One is mahogany, the other is paduak. A world of difference! And even two bodies of the same wood will yield other results.

IMO, although many players and salespeople may tell you that maple is brighter, it's pretty useless to say until you swap two different necks on the *same* body.

There's no way of telling whether an instrument you order with the maple will actually have a brigther natural tone than the exact same you're looking at with a rosewood FB. Judge the whole instrument, and if you like it, take it as it is.

To me it's more like this: Certain colours look better with maple (e.g. white, black, graphite pearl, candy apple red, blue pearl, even honeyburst), other's I'd prefer with a dark neck (e.g. orange, buttercream, silver, black sparkle). And: I generally like the matching headstock with rosewood, but dislike it a lot with maple. So if the body colour looks great with maple, there will be no matching headstock, if I'd like to have a matching HS, I'll go for rosewood. Problem solved

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

IMO...any difference is BS. It depends on the strings and how fresh they are.

 

[Surly]

IMO...any difference is BS. It depends on the strings and how fresh they are.

I agree, no difference. Get which one you can, or think is prettier

 

[:DChilis:D]

Thank you so much

Thanks guys for all your replies, really appreciate it. Black Black with Maple it is.... now I have to find one.
A guy in my local guitar store says that EBMM have "color seasons" for example, April until June they'll be white and from July until September they'll be black is that true. I really want a B/B/M

If it is whens the next black season ???

BTW Phatty you got some nice chops

 

[strummer]

Thanks guys for all your replies, really appreciate it. Black Black with Maple it is.... now I have to find one.
A guy in my local guitar store says that EBMM have "color seasons" for example, April until June they'll be white and from July until September they'll be black is that true. I really want a B/B/M

If it is whens the next black season ???

BTW Phatty you got some nice chops

Never heard about those colour seasons, I thing they just build what is ordered?
Anyway, the BBM colour scheme must be top 3, so I think you'll find one right quick!

 

[phatduckk]

BTW Phatty you got some nice chops

thank u my friend

 

[kompressaur]

I know I prefer rosewood boards on my basses and maple ones on my guitars,but I'm not sure why that is.