Maple Fretboard vs Pau Ferro

[BassAdder60]

I have two Player Series PBass one has the Pau Ferro fingerboard the other is maple. 
 

Both strung with same strings the Pau Ferro is a darker sounding bass. 
 

Does the fingerboard really make this difference or is something else the cause ? 
 

Pickups all set the same, as is action etc 

[Gareth Hughes]

If your ears say yes, then yes. Roger Sadowsky has said before that he can hear the difference between maple/pau ferro fingerboards much more clearly than between different body wood types.

[BassAdder60]

16 minutes ago, Gareth Hughes said:

If your ears say yes, then yes. Roger Sadowsky has said before that he can hear the difference between maple/pau ferro fingerboards much more clearly than between different body wood types.

I can definitely hear a difference.. assuming both basses are made using the same wood for the body ? Which I believe are both Alder 

Edited May 5, 2023 by BassAdder60

[fleabag]

It's all cow manure till a blind test is done.

 

Line up ten of the same bass, same pickups, same everything, maple board, except one of the ten has a different board. Choose which wood out of 1000's

 

You play each bass behind a curtain, then ask the question.

 

If anyone can pick out the odd one, i'll eat my pet goat

[Paul S]

It's kind of an accepted thing that maple boards are brighter. but nice to have proof.  I changed the neck on a bass from one with a rosewood board to all maple and difference was amazing. 

[PaulThePlug]

Lacquered Maple... untreated Pau Ferro.

Wonder how a lacquered both, or untreated both would sound side by side?

[SurroundedByManatees]

I think it's hard to say, and one test would be not enough due to all the variables.

 

Like mentioned in practically every discussion like this; no 2 pieces of wood are the same.

Take ash bodied Fender jazzes from the late '70s per example, they can vary between let's say 4.2 and 5.4 kg.... So there is some big difference (in density?) Between them that should reflect in a different sound. So it seems plausible to me that one fretboard doesn't have the same charistics as another made from the same wood. Maybe a more harsh sounding pau ferro could be brighter than a mellow maple board...

 

Personally I think the fretboard material doesn't make that a difference in sound. It's just a feeling, not more than that🙂

Edited May 5, 2023 by SurroundedByManatees

[Lw.]

I do generally buy into fingerboard wood making a difference to tone, I just don't think it's as cut and dry as x is darker than y. 

To do a fair blind test you'd need to swap your two necks between one of the bodies you have, probably switch the machine heads too. 

[fleabag]

On 05/05/2023 at 18:14, Lw. said:

To do a fair blind test you'd need to swap your two necks between one of the bodies you have, probably switch the machine heads too. 

 

 

That's a good point

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by fleabag

[BassAdder60]

5 minutes ago, fleabag said:

 

 

That's a good point, since wood is so organic, even bodies/necks from the same tree will have small differences.

This makes sense 👍

[msb]

I used to believe that rosewood was much better than maple , and then realized that the two basses I was playing the most at that time both had maple fingerboards.

oops 

So now I’m not that fussy , but the ones I mostly use these days have darker fingerboards.

[Beedster]

17 minutes ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

I think it's hard to say, and one test would be not enough due to all the variables.

 

Like mentioned in practically every discussion like this; no 2 pieces of wood are the same.

Take ash bodied Fender jazzes from the late '70s per example, they can vary between let's say 4.2 and 5.4 kg.... So there is some big difference (in density?) Between them that should reflect in a different sound. So it seems plausible to me that one fretboard doesn't have the same charistics as another made from the same wood. Maybe a more harsh sounding pau ferro could be brighter than a mellow maple board...

 

Personally I think the fretboard material doesn't make that a difference in sound. It's just a feeling, not more than that🙂

This 👍

[Waddo Soqable]

I've always preferred maple, but I suspect that's probably because I prefer the look of it.. Doubtless I'm a knuckle dragging oaf but I'm very sure I couldn't identify and name, on an electric bass guitar, from the sound, a maple fb from any other wood. 

[fleabag]

18 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Doubtless I'm a knuckle dragging oaf

 

 

You'd make a good pal for my goat

[Waddo Soqable]

1 minute ago, fleabag said:

 

 

You'd make a good pal for my goat

Does he like kebabs? (and beer) 

[TheGreek]

We did a blind test at one of the Herts Bass Bashes where there was a consensus that people (in the room) could tell the difference between Maple and Rosewood boards much to the dismay of @Lozz196 and @bassface2k10 who had both brought basses with Maple fretboards.

 

[bubinga5]

I bet one thing. Alot of maple necks are lacquered so thus giving a brighter imo harsher sound.. no bass maker ever lacquers a rosewood  fretboard. As always with these discussions it comes down to a sum of the parts. Put a lacquered passive necked jazz bass vs a Rosewood jazz bass. You could tell the difference slightly. You put active an preamp in the mix and start fiddlydidling. No chance. Personally i couldnt give a monkeys ball bag.im more interested in the music. They both sound great.

[ezbass]

2 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

no bass maker ever lacquers a rosewood  fretboard

Ahem… Rickenbacker. 

[TrevorG]

Tried the Pau Ferro on the Fenders. It is just not the same wood as the Pau Ferro on my 24 year old Spector. Back then Pau was rare and expensive. Seems it's got very popular over the years which suggests to me someone invested in a lot of planting. Since two basses made from the same spec and materials can sound different I'm not going to jump down the rabbit hole with you.  I know  little about woods but have read that two pieces of maple/ash etc can sound different pending on what part of the tree they're cut from. Add all the other variables and I'm lost. There are days I think I know the difference. There are days I look down and I'm not playing the bass I thought I was because I can't feel or hear any difference. I'm just grateful they all sound good.

[SurroundedByManatees]

42 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Ahem… Rickenbacker. 

Aren't these padouk? 

 

[msb]

They used to be bubinga.

 

[neepheid]

Oh no, not this again...

[Woodinblack]

I try and just use the frets to connect to the strings so the wood covering the neck makes very little difference

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Aren't these padouk? 

 

Descriptions on Anderton’s say rosewood, as does the Ric website.

[jezzaboy]

By the time you put the bass through a cranked Ashdown and have 2 Marshall valve amps and a hard hitting drummer, who can tell the difference?

 

I`m not knocking anyone by the way, I just find it hard to tell subtle differences during a gig. But maybe that`s because I play in a loud band, whilst wearing ear protection I must add.