Some bassists swear that maple boards sound brighter and more aggressive than rosewood, which tends to have a darker, more mellow tone they claim. Maple, they feel, sounds crisper and snappier, while rosewood can sound more “woody” and round.
Simply so, do maple fretboards sound different than rosewood?
One of the commonly accepted “truths” about guitars is that maple and rosewood fingerboards produce distinctively different tones. Maple supposedly sounds punchy and provides note clarity, while rosewood is warm and spacious-sounding.
Thereof, does fretboard wood matter? As you can tell, there’s definitely more that matters when it comes to the wood used for fretboards. Some guitarists may over-exaggerate the effect on the overall sound, but no one can deny that each type of wood looks uniquely different.
Hereof, does maple fretboard affect tone?
Although the different variations of figured maple won’t really affect tone, they will certainly affect the look of your guitar. It’s generally uncommon to see these used for fretboards on anything other than higher end guitars.
Does wood affect bass tone?
Generally, the more resonant the wood, the broader and smoother the tone will be from the lower to higher frequencies. The denser the woods, the more you’ll get a more focused, narrower frequency band.
Is maple a good tonewood?
In addition to its stunning visual appeal, maple is also a highly regarded tonewood. The tone and sound maple instruments produce are unique because the tonewood has amazing strength and is quite dense. The unique curls or strips in the bigleaf maple wood make it visually appealing and desired by instrument builders.
Is maple good for bass?
Because of its density and weight, hard maple tone wood is very bright with a lot of bite and a good sustain. It pronounces the upper-mid and high frequencies most evidently, although the bass frequencies do tend to be clearly articulated.
Is Pau Ferro better than rosewood?
Pau Ferro has a tighter density than rosewood, meaning slightly less frequencies are absorbed into the fretboard. This results in a brighter, snappier tone, while still retaining the depth of rosewood designs. The feel of pau ferro is comparable to that of ebony, meaning an effortless, smooth playing experience.
Is rosewood fretboard better than maple?
Compared to maple the difference is notable, as rosewood will soften the sound, even for guitars with maple necks. This is one of the reasons some guitar players prefer Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters with the option of a rosewood fretboard. The rosewood takes a bright guitar and mellows it out a bit.
Is rosewood harder than maple?
Although, Rosewood is a very hard wood (harder than Maple) it’s porous and “greasy” nature gives it a warmer tone in general.
Which wood is best for bass?
Maple, bubinga, rosewood, oak, wenge, walnut, ash and mahagony are some of the most popular types of wood for bass bodies and necks.
Which wood is best for fretboard?
The Big Three Fretboard Woods
- Ebony. Considered the supreme tonewood for fingerboards due to its solidity, resiliency, and firmness, ebony was the primary fretboard wood in use from the 15th century till very recently. …
- Rosewood. …
- Maple. …
- Indian Laurel. …
- Ovangkol. …
- Padauk. …
- Pau Ferro. …
- Walnut.
Why can’t you use lemon oil on maple fretboards?
It’s intense stuff. Despite being an oil, pure lemon oil can cause drying of your fretboard and, with excessive or long-term use, can break down any adhesives that might be holding your frets or fretboard binding (if yours has it).
Why did fender stop using rosewood?
Fender Musical Instruments is officially moving away from using rosewood fingerboards in the manufacturing of its Mexican made instruments due to the recent CITES regulations (see our previous post on CITES here).