discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 It's all in the fingers, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1429275257' post='2749932'] It's all in the fingers, anyway. [/quote] ... So much of my tone comes from my fingers that I don't even need a bass... Edited April 17, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1429275691' post='2749938'] ... [/quote] ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='iamtheelvy' timestamp='1429273702' post='2749909'] Clearly, the only sensible solution is to own one of each.... ...in every colour. [/quote] Definitely this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='iamtheelvy' timestamp='1429273702' post='2749909'] Clearly, the only sensible solution is to own one of each.... ...in every colour. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I have no idea on any wood, and it`s tone, but i have always hankered after a custom made bass with a purpleheart fingerboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 All my basses are rosewood. Acoustically they sound all different. The Ibanez and Yamaha sound very similar plugged in but the Sire V7 I have is a totally different animal. Even now the strings have lost a bit of their brightness it's still incredibly lively (even in passive mode). I personally think it's all irrelevant anyway, you either like the sound of the bass as a whole or you don't. Regards having some sort of blind test I don't think bass players would be the best people to be the guinea pigs. We all have little prejudices' and are aware of the debate. It would be best, if a test were going to be carried out, to get people who are totally unaware of even the debate. That way they are completely impartial and carry no baggage into any test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1429278243' post='2749977'] ...It would be best, if a test were going to be carried out, to get people who are totally unaware of even the debate. That way they are completely impartial and carry no baggage into any test... [/quote] What, the public you mean? The best among them can just about tell the difference between a bass guitar and a tuba. Most can't even separate the different strands that make up a single piece of music. You'd be better off asking lemmings about their views on, er... car insurance. Or something. Edited April 17, 2015 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Arkadin Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Up next, tuning reference should be 432Hz. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1429258768' post='2749673'] If you want maple to sound less bright, fit flats ... [/quote] Nailed it again Jack, good work sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 For what it's worth, I prefer maple boards to rosewood simply because they take less maintenance. Actually, they take *no* maintenance, as opposed to oiling the rosewood every couple of years - how lazy does that make me look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1429260811' post='2749702'] I think some sort of test of this is on the cards for the hearts bash. [/quote] We did this at last hears one Rob - was quite interseting. For what it`s worth, when I had Precisions with both maple and roseood boards, from the same series so only the fretboard material was different, I could tell the difference at home rehearsal volumes. But there is no way I could walk into a venue and hear a bass being played and identify as to maple or rosewood, nor in the mix on a recording. Only found it possible with basses I was familiar with, and with me playing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1429285875' post='2750075'] For what it`s worth, when I had Precisions with both maple and roseood boards, from the same series so only the fretboard material was different, I could tell the difference at home rehearsal volumes. But there is no way I could walk into a venue and hear a bass being played and identify as to maple or rosewood, nor in the mix on a recording. Only found it possible with basses I was familiar with, and with me playing them. [/quote] One example which always blocked up my rational thought on the matter is arguably the best example of "bass you can hear in the mix," and that's the contrast between The Who [i]Live at Leeds [/i]and [i]Live at the Isle of Wight 1970. [/i]Judging by photos and footage, Entwistle was playing a maple Precision on the former, and a rosewood Precision on the latter. The bass tone is unmistakably Ox on both of them, but it's a much brighter tone on [i]Leeds - [/i]in fact, I think I slightly prefer the darker tone he has on [i]IoW.[/i] For the longest time I let myself this was down the wood of the fingerboard - after all, it was the same player, who would have slapped on a fresh set of Rotos and plugged into the same amp...but eventually logic took over and pointed out that his amp settings could have been completely different between those two days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 From what I've seen in bass demonstration videos, maple sounds brighter than rosewood and quite rightly the question has been asked why this should be when rosewood is both harder and denser than maple (and we expect harder, denser woods to be brighter). However, rosewood has a more pronounced grain structure than maple; I see long open pores in rosewood whereas with maple it looks more uniform with small tightly packed pores and it might be this structure that influences string vibration and tone more than density/hardness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1429289434' post='2750136'] I see long open pores in rosewood whereas with maple it looks more uniform with small tightly packed pores and it might be this structure that influences string vibration and tone more than density/hardness. [/quote] See, this is what baffles me somewhat... if the string is held at one end by the nut and at the other end by the bridge, and when the strings are fretted they don't actually touch the surface of the fretboard in any meaningful way... how can the fretboard wood have any bearing on tone or how the string vibrates? And my 2p: I generally prefer maple boards simply because I like the look of them. Edited April 17, 2015 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 No one has mention construction. Many all maple necks are one piece some are two piece separate fret board on top. Im willing to bet thats where any sound difference comes from since most rosewood etc fret boards are glued on, where as said maple necks come in two types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 What about ebony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1429292052' post='2750170'] What about ebony? [/quote] And Ebonol..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1429292052' post='2750170'] What about ebony? [/quote] And Ivory? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1429290473' post='2750153'] Many all maple necks are one piece some are two piece separate fret board on top. Im willing to bet thats where any sound difference comes from since most rosewood etc fret boards are glued on, where as said maple necks come in two types. [/quote] I've had a couple of P basses with one-piece maple necks, and thought that any difference in sound must be the maple/rosewood thing, but you're probably right... the difference could easily have been between capped and non-capped necks. Just as likely as any other theory, anyway. Edited April 17, 2015 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) The string might not be touching the board, but the fret transfers vibration directly to the board. The softer, more flexible or porous this board material is, the greater the damping effect on the vibration. Imagine if your board was made of sponge. The frets would wobble about, taking energy away from the string, which then gets dampened by the sponge. It would have a similar effect to playing with foam mutes. Since rosewood is more 'spongey' than maple, this is exactly why it sounds darker, it's just that the difference is a lot more subtle. Edited April 17, 2015 by dannybuoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der JD Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I have noticed a difference between different fretboard woods. Maple boards do seem slightly brighter to me. But...what accounts for that perceived brightness? There are a lot of factors that could lead that besides just an increase in "treble" frequencies. If there is less low end or low mids that could do it (that's the explanation my ears are telling me). Or, if the notes have more attack and definition. Ebony is altogether different. It's by far my favorite fretboard material, for several reasons. It seems brighter than rosewood for sure but I think that's strictly due to ebony boards having more definition and being very articulate sounding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_m Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1429274162' post='2749916'] Wow... a thread about tonal differences between basses on BC and 50 posts in so far noone has trotted out "it's all in the fingers anyway" yet [/quote] Or "What fingerboard material for Metal?"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1429294483' post='2750237'] The string might not be touching the board, but the fret transfers vibration directly to the board. The softer, more flexible or porous this board material is, the greater the damping effect on the vibration. Imagine if your board was made of sponge. The frets would wobble about, taking energy away from the string, which then gets dampened by the sponge. It would have a similar effect to playing with foam mutes. Since rosewood is more 'spongey' than maple, this is exactly why it sounds darker, it's just that the difference is a lot more subtle. [/quote] This is how I imagine board material contributes to tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I know a top pro player (with very good ears indeed!). He's always been a maple board P player and spent months trying to find a rosewood board bass that was as similar as possible to his maple board bass. He finally found one, took it out on a recording session and a gig and decided that rosewood boards just didn't work for him How much of this was 'perception' I really can't say but he really does have an excellent ear and felt he could hear the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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