Who do you say would win the "battle" of fretboards?

[TNT]

Give me your honest opinion (this has to do with a maple vs. rosewood fretboard).

If you were to attend a guitar/bass contest between two players, and if they both came out to do battle against each other at the same time (e.g., guitar against guitar and bass against bass), and one had a rosewood fretboard and the other a maple fretboard, here is my question:

Would you (before hearing a note) have somewhat of a pre-conceived notion on which player was better simply based on the fretboard wood?

What does the wood convey to you about the skill of the player or the style of music?

Remember, this is NOT about the difference between rosewood and maple! It's your pre-conceived idea of the PLAYER, not the board!

Any opinion? Remember just a "first off" impression.

 

[roburado]

Only would have pre-conceived notion that the rosewood fretboard player might have warmer tone. That's all.

 

[Colin]

put me down for rosewood! but that doesn't mean I won't play maple

 

[morsecode]

I never thought ever to be a competition of one being better than the other...really. I personally like them both. For me it mostly has to do with which board looks best with the body type.

Some say there is a difference in tonality (rosewood and ebony as well being warmer and maple being brighter), but I don't hear a difference.

 

[whitestrat]

Only would have pre-conceived notion that the rosewood fretboard player might have warmer tone. That's all.

OT a bit... I'm not even sure it'll be warmer. I seem to find that RW tends to have a beefier, looser tone, allowing more tonal frequencies to be carried thru to the signal chain, while maple tends to filter off the low-mids and bass, and gives the sound a "tighter" impression.

I have 2 guitars which are almost identical in dimensions (ok... they're both strats, and the same range. Both are Vintage Reissues) and they both have the SAME pickups, and the same mods (treble bleed circuit) done to it. The RW acoustically sounds brighter than the maple. But plugged in, the maple tends to give s bit me spark, while the RW, exhibiting the same amount of treble, seems to have more mids and bass. The maple is a very neat tone provider while the RW seems to be a bit wee bit not as tight.

All in all, I really can't tell the difference in a blindfold test. I like the look of maple, but the feel of the RW... (Maybe because Fender coats their maple with a layer of nitro, while the RW is bare)

 

[whitestrat]

What does the wood convey to you about the skill of the player or the style of music?

Any opinion? Remember it's pre-conceived, i.e., just a "first off" impression.

I like the look of maple, and RW seems to be really common (excluding EBMM. Do you know that the only OTHER brand that offers a 24 fret maple neck is Jackson? I've hunted for one, and could only fin these 2. Obviously, I'll go for an EBMM).

So, for me, the preconceived notion would simply be that the maple player would be someone I'd seriously pay attention to, and expect more, because maple seems to be played by guitarists who seem to know what they want. (Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Robin Trower, etc etc...) But that's me, and that's not a fair comment.

 

[Colin]

So, for me, the preconceived notion would simply be that the maple player would be someone I'd seriously pay attention to, and expect more, because maple seems to be played by guitarists who seem to know what they want. (Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Robin Trower, etc etc...) But that's me, and that's not a fair comment.

Eric Johnson has been using a rosewood board recently and a new EJ model is about to come out with rosewood

 

[whitestrat]

Eric Johnson has been using a rosewood board recently and a new EJ model is about to come out with rosewood

Thanks for the heads up... Personally, I seem to be migrating towards RW as well. I ordered a maple silo mainly because I want to have at least one HSH guitar with 24 frets in maple. After I sorted that out, I went hunting for a RW ASS or a RW 20th... whahahaha....

 

[TNT]

. . . So, for me, the preconceived notion would simply be that the maple player would be someone I'd seriously pay attention to, and expect more, because maple seems to be played by guitarists who seem to know what they want. (Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Robin Trower, etc etc...) But that's me, and that's not a fair comment.

Fellow knuckleheads, Whitestrat has the RIGHT approach here!!! Not that the others were wrong though.

This is NOT about the difference between rosewood and maple! It's your pre-conceived idea of the PLAYER, not the board!

What do you immediately conclude if you were to see a guitar battle just getting underway, of two guitarists, one with a rosewood board and one with a maple.

Before a note is played would you silently pick a winner? Would you think you could predict the playing style of each? etc. . . . .

 

[guertzi]

I would sympathize with the rosewood player on the spot!

Don't really know why, for some strange reason I would assume his sound to be a little fuller and warmer as well as his style of playing to be more melodic and fluently...

I don't even like to see myself on pics where I am playing a maple neck Strat...

 

[ashman]

I am not a fan of maple boards for purely aesthetic reasons (I know, stupid reason) so would initially respond to a rosewood player. However, as soon as the music starts, all bets are off.

 

[mikeller]

I never liked maple boards whatsoever....that is until I bought my first EBMM. I now have two and its all I play.

My dislike had nothing to do with the sonic differences, it was playing. But the EBMM maple is very comfy, and I find it very rewarding to play

 

[rlarino]

if you're going to sit there and judge a guy based on the wood of his guitar's fretboard before you know anything about the guy or hear him play then YOU ARE AN ASS


/THREAD

 

[morsecode]

Fellow knuckleheads, Whitestrat has the RIGHT approach here!!! Not that the others were wrong though.

This is NOT about the difference between rosewood and maple! It's your pre-conceived idea of the PLAYER, not the board!

What do you immediately conclude if you were to see a guitar battle just getting underway, of two guitarists, one with a rosewood board and one with a maple.

Before a note is played would you silently pick a winner? Would you think you could predict the playing style of each? etc. . . . .

For me there is no "preconceived" notion around the player based on the type of fretboard.

 

[Spudmurphy]

It would never enter my head to judge or preconceive the merits of a player based on the colour of his fretboard. So it's a non starter for me on this one, sorry!

 

[mbgreene]

The fretboard would make no prejudicial difference to me. But you also have to define the type of battle you're conducting.

Because then

The guy with the biggest hair and tightest pants would be the fastest
The guy with the cowboy hat would be the pest picker
The old blind guy who stays in his chair would be the bluesiest
The balding guy with small round glasses would be jazziest
The middle aged fat guy in the tuxedo would be the smoothest
The guy with the full sleeve tats and lip rings would be the loudest
and
The woman would be the most versatile because she's had to work twice as hard at everything to have the judges notice her.

 

[Colin]

that's clever

 

[roburado]

For me there is no "preconceived" notion around the player based on the type of fretboard.

Same here.

 

[TNT]

The fretboard would make no prejudicial difference to me. But you also have to define the type of battle you're conducting.Because then
The guy with the biggest hair and tightest pants would be the fastest
The guy with the cowboy hat would be the pest picker
The old blind guy who stays in his chair would be the bluesiest
The balding guy with small round glasses would be jazziest
The middle aged fat guy in the tuxedo would be the smoothest
The guy with the full sleeve tats and lip rings would be the loudest
and The woman would be the most versatile because she's had to work twice as hard at everything to have the judges notice her.

That's it!!!! This proves the point!!!

Even if you say you don't have any pre-conceived - you do!! We all do!! It doesn't mean we "judge" anyone, we just form an opinion about a player's style (even before he plays) based on the guitar, the amp, effects, his attire, etc. . . . .

Don't think you do that??? Think again? What if he doesn't play an MM guitar??

 

[emkey]

The fretboard would make no prejudicial difference to me. But you also have to define the type of battle you're conducting.

Because then

The guy with the biggest hair and tightest pants would be the fastest
The guy with the cowboy hat would be the pest picker
The old blind guy who stays in his chair would be the bluesiest
The balding guy with small round glasses would be jazziest
The middle aged fat guy in the tuxedo would be the smoothest
The guy with the full sleeve tats and lip rings would be the loudest
and
The woman would be the most versatile because she's had to work twice as hard at everything to have the judges notice her.

hahaha I agree Cool post.