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Post subject: Fretboards - Rosewood Vs Maple
Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 6:06 pm
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I'm looking to buy my long overdue guitar upgrade but I'm wondering is there a significant a tonal difference between rosewood and maple fretboards and if so how will it affect my sound if when I play heavier rock?


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 7:36 pm
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Some folks swear that there is a tonal difference, rosewood being warmer and maple being brighter. I myself can't hear it. I also favor the maple (just for looks) Hope this helped Also try a search on this topic, I think theres a ton of info on this...

Bill

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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:13 pm
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Hello Huck,

Firstly welcome to the Forum.

For me it's gonna be a rosewood board,
I like the way it looks against the maple. :wink:

I doubt I'll ever be convinced of any tonal differance,
but many feel just the opposite, Heck, Eric Johnson
can probablely tell what sawmill cut the lumber. :lol:

For more reading there are many threads on this subject. :wink:

Cheers.


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:47 pm
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I like maple necks on alder bodies and rosewood on mahogany.

I read an article about Jimi Hendrix that was on a link from this board. Jimi eventually played nothing but maple necked when it came to electrics.

Every song I ever heard and liked *and* got my attention was recorded on a maple necked tele or a maple necked strat.

Based on what I'm reading, I guess some people have trouble hearing the difference. I can hear it immediately.

I find rosewood to be...non-inspirational and maple to be highly inspirational.

8)


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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 9:27 pm
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I own a '69 solid rosewood telecaster (no caster on the head) and the neck is like a maple neck however it is all rosewood. The finish is worn and I like the "bite" especially for playing blues, bending notes. My '68 telecaster bass has a maple neck which is also quite worn on the fret board. For the bass I like the maple neck although I have been playing it for almost 40 years. It is also a different neck than on our rosewood fretboard precision bass.


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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 4:38 am
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There is no difference. Sorry but it's true. I have 3 different fingerboards, rosewood on the '71 strat, ebony on the Strat Ultra, and maple on the Baja. The different pickups on the guitars make ALL the differences.

I've read on Harmony Central that my Strat Ultra is a dark sounding guitar that is due to the ebony neck. I think its due to the hotter output from the Lace Sensors, especially the red sensors (14.5 K resistance) in the bridge position. All the pickups are above 12K, except for the single gold in the middle position, which is in the 5.8K (classic) range. Both '71 Strat and Baja Tele are more twangy in sound because of the low output pickups.

I think the aesthetic appearance is what's important. So if you like the maple neck's appearance, with your guitars' finish that is all that is important. Different strokes for different folks, I'd say. Personally, I like all types, but I enjoy the maple the most.

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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:13 am
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RCBGotTeleToo wrote:
Based on what I'm reading, I guess some people have trouble hearing the difference. I can hear it immediately.

I find rosewood to be...non-inspirational and maple to be highly inspirational.

8)


Look, you can have faith in any religion you want,. but please stop inferring that anyone who disagrees with you is somehow deaf.

I have been recording and producing music for many years. I have my hearing checked regularly and I can hear well across the entire spectrum. ANd I can tell you there is no audible difference between maple and rosewood boards. The difference is in how one plays.

Rosewood is "non-inspirational?" Man, you're scraping the bottom of the barrel with that.

Besides, by the time you're hearing a recording of a guitar, you have no idea how the tone has bee affected by the room, the mic, the EQ, the tape, the mix down, the mastering.... you couldn't hear the difference if you'd been standing in the room, but by the time you hear it on a record... well, you're just kidding yourself.

Not that I care... as I say, believe anything you want. But I hate misinformation, especially when presented as some kind of righteous truth.

qblue and others have it right. There is no difference that can be be heard above player's technique, amp choice, string choice, pickups, mic, processing, etc., etc., etc.


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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:42 am
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SlapChop wrote:
RCBGotTeleToo wrote:
Based on what I'm reading, I guess some people have trouble hearing the difference. I can hear it immediately.

I find rosewood to be...non-inspirational and maple to be highly inspirational.

8)


Look, you can have faith in any religion you want,. but please stop inferring that anyone who disagrees with you is somehow deaf.

I have been recording and producing music for many years. I have my hearing checked regularly and I can hear well across the entire spectrum. ANd I can tell you there is no audible difference between maple and rosewood boards. The difference is in how one plays.

Rosewood is "non-inspirational?" Man, you're scraping the bottom of the barrel with that.

Besides, by the time you're hearing a recording of a guitar, you have no idea how the tone has bee affected by the room, the mic, the EQ, the tape, the mix down, the mastering.... you couldn't hear the difference if you'd been standing in the room, but by the time you hear it on a record... well, you're just kidding yourself.

Not that I care... as I say, believe anything you want. But I hate misinformation, especially when presented as some kind of righteous truth.

qblue and others have it right. There is no difference that can be be heard above player's technique, amp choice, string choice, pickups, mic, processing, etc., etc., etc.


You're making the assumptions that I've never been in a recording studio and that I don't know about all the intricacies of sound. ...I've been playing since I was a kid, I've studied music in college, I've been in recording studios, and I know all about the intricacies of sound and *I* can hear an audible difference between a tele with a maple neck and a tele with a rosewood neck. *To me*, there's a huge difference in sound, feel, and inspiration while playing a maple neck.

This has nothing to do with religion.

That don't mean you can't hear the difference...you've said several times you can't. Okay. Please don't be angry with me because I can hear the difference!

I'm just answering the guy's question with my perspective on the issue!


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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:20 am
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How many thought J. Page used a LP on Led Zeppelin I? I did until it was proven to me that it was a Tele. What kind of fingerboard did that Tele have?

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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:50 am
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:26 am
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Yeah.. Yeah..LOL! But could you hear or feel a difference or hear more or less inspiration?

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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 1:31 pm
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...he was hawking the rosewood!

Here's what JP loves to play (two maple necked teles):

Image

Image

As Jimi H did, Jimmy P turned to the maple neck for inspiration and tone and playability!

The rosewood dealy was given to him by Jeff Beck. It got him started down the tele road. But, once he went maple...he kept it a secret, same with Alex L.

Maple is the way to go!


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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 2:15 pm
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that blue guitar in the first pic, Danelectro?


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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 6:37 am
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Dude, don't be a dick. Maple vs Rosewood is an individual and personal choice. Neither is better. I like Rosewood better FOR ME, because it has a warm tone to it, it looks good, and I find it easier to play because of the contrast between the strings and fretboard. yeah!


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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:48 am
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My 2 Strats have rosewood boards and my Tele is maple. Now all of a sudden I want a maple fretboarded Strat. The reason . . . I think it looks nice.

Tonal difference? Sorry, I don't hear it. Maybe if you're playing unplugged there is a discernable difference between the two woods (I'm still doubtful). But once the string vibration passes through your pickups, and effects, and amp, (lions and tigers and bears oh my) it's the electronics that you are hearing.

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