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+--- Thread: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard and Alder vs Swamp Ash body on Strats (/thread-371.html)
Maple vs Rosewood fretboard and Alder vs Swamp Ash body on Strats - jtkung - 05-22-2023
Same old argument and myth:
* Maple brighter and snappier than Roseood for the fretboard
* Ash is brighter, Alder more "resonant"
This is from ChatGPT which derives this information from all the myth and incorrect shit on the Internet.
But really it comes down to personal preference, visual look, weight, etc. Not really on tone. Physics says that the woods here make a small difference, but overwhelmed by the pickups, electronics, amp, speakers, etc.
See here:
https://www.petelacis.com/2010/07/08/alder-vs-swamp-ash-maple-vs-rosewood-and-a-neck-swap-the-definitive-comparison-with-audio-clips/
This was done back in 2010. Listen closely and you might hear subtle differences, but almost all very small. And most definitely can be compensated by a twist of a knob on the amp. I listened to these samples on a very high-end DAC and headphones, and my hearing goes up to 15kHz (more than you can say than most older folks on TGP!).
And of course, the samples are labeled so you already know what they are and you own bias kicks in. A listener understood this, so he downloaded the samples and randomized the playback so that he did not know which was which. A good test, like a double-blind test. Here's what he did and the conclusion:
Marcel November 19, 2013 at 2:56 am
The problem with this here is that you can see which sound sample is which guitar.
So because of personal preferences the people will definetely hear what they want to hear. See such comments like “I didn’t listen to maple necks.” Lol-Why? Does rosewood sound better? Definetely not.
So what I did for a plain objective result is this:
I downloaded your sound samples and wrote a software that does basically randomize this sound samples (divided in the 10 categories (clean/dirty)).
I ran this program like 20 times on different days and noted the results.
This may be one of the most interesting tests because it is perfectly objective.
The final result shows exactly what I thought it might. Although I always had I sample I liked the most, eventually this was every time a different sample.
So the final result was that all 4 combinations got nearly exact the same points (maple slightly more than the rosewood ones).
Why is that? Electric guitar sound (on the contrary to acoustic guitar sound) is affected by the guitar’s wood very little to almost zero. You will find guitars that have extremely small bodies and no headstock but they blow you away with their bass etc. So forget about buying the “right wood” for you guitar. It doesn’t make any difference.
My suggested combination: Alder/Maple.
Why? Alder ist usually lighter that Ash (more comfortable to wear).
And maple is a bit more resistant to dirt and damages than rosewood.
If you want to test this yourself using my software I can give it to you.
Too many times, listening tests are not conducted properly. They have to be randomized, double-blind so no bias is introduced. Once this is done, it is usually easy to see that these myths collapse.
RE: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard and Alder vs Swamp Ash body on Strats - jtkung - 06-19-2024
There's lot more discussions on tonewood these days ever since PRS said it makes such a huge difference, which is really BS. You can say everything makes a difference, but it is a matter of DEGREE. Pickups and electronics, and the signal chain downstream make much more of a difference sonically on an electric guitar than the fingerboard wood!
Here are some YT videos, both strengthen the argument that a Rosewood fingerboard is "warmer." Yet the differences are subtle and can easily be matched using a small amount of compression or EQ on the amp. Not to mention any changes in pickups, pickup height, etc. Get the fingerboard that feels and looks best! But not for any sonic difference.
RE: Maple vs Rosewood fretboard and Alder vs Swamp Ash body on Strats - jtkung - 07-18-2024
If you ask most acoustic guitar builders, most would say that the fingerboard doesn't have a large effect on tone. And this is on an ACOUSTIC GUITAR. Here's a response from one luthier on the AGS forum:
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5526113&postcount=13
#13
Old 11-03-2017, 04:12 PM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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I have opinions on these things!
The fingerboard makes so little difference to sound that I have never discerned any. The issues that matter are wear, ability to hold frets, and as a substrate for inlay. Most ebony wins on all counts.
Ebony is something like 33 different species, and they aren't even all black. I have black ebony on hand that is only about 3/4 the weight of typical Brazilian. Not all ebonies sound like cardboard either, though most do. Malaysian Blackwood, while fairly heavy, rings very nicely.
The difference in sound we often attribute to the bridge's wood choice has probably got less to do with the wood's resonance than it has to do with the weight of the bridge itself, regardless of the material. Same thing with bridge pins, by the way.
As I said, ; opinion . . . based on direct experience rather than hearsay.
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