Ebony Vs Maple Fingerboards… make a difference or BS?

Today I’m unboxing two AMAZING Canadian-made F Basses, and I’m giving one of them away! But deciding on which one is going to be tricky, since they are both very similar in so many respects.
This is where a side-by-side comparison video will definitely come in handy, but first, I want you to let me know in the comments which one should be in our next giveaway.
As always, see you in the shed…
Scott :)
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[@devinebass]

PLEASE READ - It's come to our attention that there are some comments on this video trying to scam our subscribers in relation to a bass giveaway. None of these comments are official or from us. We will never reach out to contest winners via the comments of a social media channel. We're doing our best to remove the comments and flag the accounts in question. Team SBL

[@drkangel1134]

It almost got my hopes up too 😡

[@MJTbreww]

Yup I got a reply, looked fake af lol. Low life scammers

[@andrewmorris8855]

Damn, I was getting all excited over nothing. Oh well, who ever wins one of those basses will be very lucky indeed.

[@IggyYTube]

I had a brief second of hope there too ;-)

[@philipcoats335]

They were doing it on Darrel Braun’s channel as well.

[@brunocyclist]

Both sound and look top notch, but that coffee burst with ebony just looks absolutely gorgeous and sexy and I love its sound just that bit better as well. Love the fullness! The winner of either of these will be one extremely lucky dude(tte)!

[@mikeash1978]

100% agree.

[@gregwoolsey2215]

Yup. For me too!

[@craigbachman5765]

Likewise

[@philipcoats335]

Love the look of the ebony fret board bass! Looks like it would be much more comfortable to play because of the rounded edges.

[@BenjiFaith]

I’ve always been a P bass maple neck guy but that ebony is stealing it for it. Plus it looks amazing

[@ragebru]

Love that dark one's tone !! And it would be soooo Amazing to play on it at home, working grooves with SBL groove trainer !!

[@njazzman]

Agree with what you said at the end, both of them sound fantastic and I’d love both. For me I’ve got to go for the ebony, the biting tone just does it for me.

[@dermaxhalt]

I think both are very cool basses, but the finish of the Coffee one is just amazing

[@TheRliefhebber]

Ebony, definitely. The warmth and the sharpness of the sound complement the look of the bass. Beautiful!

[@rejerh8731]

Surprisingly I think I agree. The other one had a great tone etc. But somehow the ebony had something more... Maple fretboard for the give away though, that thing is a beauty...

[@MrClassicmetal]

Yeah, there's always a bunch of people who claim that the darker wood sounds "warmer"...😁

[@ktown0173]

@@MrClassicmetal I always heard due to the density and tight grain of ebony it was bright like maple lol

[@MrClassicmetal]

@@ktown0173 There was a poll in the Talkbass forum to find out if listeners could tell the difference between a Fender Jazz and a Rick 4003. Right before the reveal the results were 50/50. And keep in mind that many who got it right were also simply guessing. 🙂 So experienced bassists couldn't even tell the difference between 2 completely different instruments. And yet some claim to be able to tell what kind of wood the fretboard is made of... right!😁

[@gregwoolsey2215]

I'm with you 100%!

[@lucas_fontes]

The one that I found the sound more appealing was the BN5 Maple, sounds sooo good.

[@thabowalter2056]

The E-Bony is definitely the one, I love the aggressive tone on it.

[@oscarskjoldan]

Man I love the snappiness of the white one. Both look absolutely killer, but the white body and mapple board also really does it for me

[@lorandszabo9163]

The ebony finish looks awesome! And the sound is incredible!! I'm 15 years old, just started playing bass a few months ago.. SBL is a huge help for me!! Thank you so much!

[@yodlum]

They both sound incredible, but I can't help leaning towards the Maple

[@duncanmathers76]

The ebony is the work of master craftsman for sure. Just an absolute thing of beauty!

[@samfreedman6108]

Ebony all the way 😀 Sounds nicer, looks gorgeous and has more comfortable contours if playing for 2 hours or more in a show. 😀🤘

[@J_I_M_M-Y]

I'd love that ebony version :) more clarity in the video. And the rounded corners and finish look awesome.

[@guntherlehner901]

I like the sound of the ebony fretboard (a little bit) more, although I think it depends on the music you want to play with. Both are wonderful instruments.

[@ameydbarry]

It is a scam , be xtra careful !

[@tspicks4360]

Ebony board with the contoured "coffee burst" finish looks beautiful. That'd be my pick.

[@ameydbarry]

Scam ??? Beware my friend .

[@HornGuyRy]

Great video, looking forward to checking that app out! Thanks Scott! 👍

[@thesavvybassist]

They are both beautiful instruments. I’d be proud to own and gig with either. Aesthetically I’m drawn to the grain in the brown bass. And the curved body is more comfortable. As for tone, I’m down with the ebony fingerboard. Loved that growl.

[@vitalityden1]

Oh, the Dark Coffee with Ebony looks stunning & that growling fat tone rips! Definitely put this one up for the give away 👍

[@moetophat6597]

Definitely prefer that ebony ones tone, just seems to have more grunt, it looks amazing too. If I had to choose between the two, that would definitely be the one.

[@rlostraatmusic8622]

The ebony with the coffee burst and matching pickup covers is gorgeous!

[@handsomeone75]

They both sound great but the look of the ebony fingerboard is so sweet! Just an added note love the ability to go from active to passive on these bases!

[@swanofnutella4734]

I've been totally de-converted on the religious mythology of "tone-woods" at least in relation to electric guitars. This example is largely what i expected: A subtle difference that can be attributed entirely by the electronics, even with the exact same components and set up.

[@michaelsnydermusic]

Totally dead on. This was not scientific at all. Check out SMG for a great tone wood debunking video. A tiny bit of eq on the bass itself would make these identical. Oh and of course the ebony board is going to “sound darker” to people. We hear with our eyes.

[@RyRyTheBassGuy]

@@michaelsnydermusic Yeah, Warmoth has some really eye opening videos on the subject. Tone wood doesn't exist on electrics.

[@dezene]

Yep. You could make them out of plexiglass (and in fact I’ve seen that) and it wouldn’t make a difference.

[@michaelsnydermusic]

@@RyRyTheBassGuy really? I’ll have to check that out. Literally just minutes ago I was looking to see the difference between mahogany and basswood (price and weight) but all I saw were threads dated 6 years ago saying Warmoth has a great guide on tonewoods on their site. Then the typical bs about this wood is great for high mids and so on. I’m glad they changed their tune. After all, wood is not an eq or a filter.

[@RyRyTheBassGuy]

@@michaelsnydermusic Yeah. They have a body shootout and a neck shootout on their KZbin page.

[@bryandautreuil1620]

The Ebony board has more growl to it. The Maple has a much warmer tone. I’d like to see the Brown bass up for grabs.

[@ameydbarry]

Scam , watch your steps don’t get fooled

[@bkjazz6700]

@@ameydbarry I believed it smh I was sent the same thing

[@luquann]

Crazy how I just posted a demo of the seafoam green fbass BN5 earlier today; clicked to watch this Scottsbass video and he's reviewing the same basses🤯 The tones are superb!

[@sjpiasko]

I prefer the sound and looks of the white F bass, Scott! I’ve been with SBL since it’s inception. It just keeps getting better with age! Happy and Healthy 2022 to you and your lovely family!

[@killianhgrl4728]

Ebony is fine, love the grain, love the sound. More dynamic than rosewood. But maple is beautiful, sound great, perfect for slap (for example) and looks very good on a clear body ! Personnaly I prefer maple fingerboard. And the white maple Fbass is awesome, reaaally awesome. Love the white body with the black stripping around, the block inlays...A beauty

[@sebg2086]

he should give both....he dont have to be cheap

[@piercejenkins13]

Same here. I love the sound of a maple fretboard and you right, the white one is gorgeous. The binding is beautiful

[@robertnicol7128]

Both sound great, though I'm inclined towards the maple fingerboard purely on looks. I also prefer the exposed pickups and fret inlays, probably as I'm a newbie. Maple 'feels' more raunchy and immediate versus the fat and more mellow sound of the ebony bass.

[@craigmoran893]

I thought the Maple sounded warm. The Ebony an edgier and dryer sound.

[@jamcam9]

I'm the opposite: I found the maple sounded almost "shy" compared to aggressiveness of the ebony.

[@pmsousa986]

Have the pickup exposed pole pieces, on the white/maple bass, some influence on the sound for more clarity instead of the wood?

[@benzakonium]

This surprised me that I actually preferred the maple board, especially as I don’t have a single maple board bass or guitar in my collection. Time to rethink that one!

[@IAMMASONDAVIDSONGOBIN]

DEFINITELY EBONY... ITS SO BEAUTIFUL... I'M GONNA HAVE TO STOP WATCHING THESE VIDS UNTIL I CAN AFFORD ANOTHER BASS THEY MAKE ME WANNA CRY... SOLD MY WARWICK FOR BILL MONEY DUE TO COVID... UGH... I'LL PROBABLY NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD ANOTHER BASS OF THAT QUALITY.... THE EBONY IS AMAZING... /😭

[@gregoryjohnson4319]

Bruh! Your Words have Power... Circumstances change constantly. I believe you will get the Bass of your dreams, simply because of your desire and passion to Play. Stay positive. Things will get better...

[@IAMMASONDAVIDSONGOBIN]

@@gregoryjohnson4319 THANK YOU SO MUCH MY BROTHER... I DO HAVE FAITH... BASS HAS BEEN MY ONE CONSISTENT PASSION AND HAD NEVER LET ME DOWN... I'M JUST UPSET WITH MYSELF FOR SELLING IT... I HAD TO THOUGH... THANK YOU AGAIN... YOUR WORDS MEAN THE WORLD TO ME...

[@stevenmacintyre5912]

Truly sad to hear and almost had to do the same myself as this particular holiday season has been difficult. Starting over from a house fire from which my bass miraculously survived during the Christmas season, and the astronomical costs of EVERYTHING due to corrupt government inflation. I pray you catch a break and acquire your dream bass!

[@phillippasteur3904]

Brother I have exactly the same story. I had to sell my Pedulla MVP 5 to catch up on my house payment, so I definitely understand. I feel the same... that I will never be able to afford a dream bass like that again.

[@IAMMASONDAVIDSONGOBIN]

@@stevenmacintyre5912 im so sorry... May you and your family be blessed... We bass players are a rare breed ... Huge hearts to go with our big strings.

[@francescogregorace8465]

Both beautiful, I love the crispness and the brightness of the sound of the ebony one, and the dark wood look is killer, definitely my choice! BTW thank you very much for the amazing app you guys gave us, a very nice Christmas present, very useful and priceless to be able to jam with all these great drummers. Big hug from Italy, byyyyyeee

[@StewBakkaa]

The maple looks and sounds amazing! And i really like the binding

[@cedarandsound]

There is a difference. Maple's character seems more pronounced in the low mids, while the ebony seems to have more bite in the 2-4khz range. Both would be versatile as far as the primary purpose I view basses for (recording, performing). However just off the first listen I'd probably go for the bass with less presence (maple), it'd stand a better chance of fitting in a mix and while it is a little too stylish for a studio bass I think it'd be easier to think of grabbing for it during a session than the ebony bass, because the ebony bass has a tone that just demands your full attention, so other than solo bass lines it might be a little too forward for most tracks being recorded. I'd like to see the maple to be given away.

[@BigJimeSlade]

Well said. I totally agree.

[@barthvapour]

I thought they sounded almost exactly the same, certainly with tiny tweaks of the EQ knobs you could get each of them to sound identical. The maple seemed to have more inherent bass than the ebony with the tone flat, but only to the extent where you would find minor variations in any two basses. No two, even supposedly exactly the same, will ever sound identical.

[@AleksanderWarski]

"with tiny tweaks of the EQ knobs you could get each of them to sound identical" say what? For me, characteristics go beyond eq.

[@karenmacneil3678]

I love the sound of the ebony board best. That low growly sound from a bass is what drew me to the bass in the first place. I downloaded Groove Trainer as soon as it was released to my iPhone. I absolutely love it and showed it to my instructor. I love playing with the groove tracks. You're right, Scott, playing with groove tracks has definitely increased my confidence on the bass. I'm now willing to play with other people than just my instructor. For reference, I've been learning bass for just over a year, so I'm a newby. Merry Christmas, Scott.

[@hotdog4927]

They both sound phenomenal! But the finish on the ebony is just beautiful, man. I'm a big fan of how they did the Brownburst

[@WilDBeestMF]

Love ebony. Love 100% maple Love rosewood. Love purple heart. Tone wood is BS on electrics. A dude loaded pickups and strung up a piece of MDF board and it sounded awesome. SD QPs will do that. The wood didn't matter for bupkis.

[@johnb9316]

I really like the Ebony sound with the strings that came with the bass. Also like the looks of the darker wood and the rounded approach to the to the body shape, however, I would never turn down either of these fine instruments. Thanks!!!

[@mr.force1036]

Thanks Scott, I would love to own either one of these beauties. I like the look and tone of the maple fretboard. Plus the white body with black trim is sweet.

[@marc-antoinefournier5705]

Man do I love the looks and sound of the Maple Neck BN5 ! It sets itself apart from the basses I own, so it would be a nice one to get in the shed! Happy holidays!

[@joshlikesbass]

I'm really digging that white one! That maple neck and the blood wood inlays on the trans white looks incredible!

[@richardelliott9807]

Definitely love that brown bass look as well as playability sounds

[@jamesthomson7047]

Both sound incredible but I love the Maple neck sound and its warm tones. Beautiful 😎👌

[@stevenjhayes4909]

I love love love the F bass! The Ebony fretboard sounds amazing, it really does have a warmer growl to it.

[@paulrodriguez4649]

Most definitely the ebony bass she’s gorgeous! That low B/V-string just sings!

[@JanVanderKuylen]

Wow the coffee burst one with ebony fredboard would be bonkers to have in my modest collection. Thanks Scott for this review.

[@MC-xy5cu]

I prefer the sound of the maple neck but the coffee and ebony bass looks drop-dead gorgeous!

[@tomrogers6328]

I'm for the coffee burst with the ebony neck. Love the growl it brings!

[@videoangelus9359]

Totally 100% the brown for me! 🙏🏻 Purely for the aesthetic...they both look and sound absolutely 💯 % KILLER 🥰

[@pimcramer2569]

Hey Scott, tnx for making the app free. Could you list the academy pricing on your website. It currently says "starts at 54cts a day". I need more info on the conditions to make a good decision. Thnx again

[@ianblank7440]

I’ll definitely have to check that app out. Although I don’t have a bass yet I’ll have to loop the bass on my guitar for now. Both these basses sound sweet, but that coffee burst looks unreal!

[@2015phobia]

Never had a maple fretboard bass and still wonder how does it feel. Does it feel any different than rosewood or ebony?

[@jodyhendrix5876]

Both are beautiful and sound awesome, i just love the look of the maple neck best

[@gary999t]

Honestly, couldn’t go wrong with either. The fact that they are so different, and both so bloody good, makes it so tempting to feel the need to own more basses.

[@greendrake686]

Those are some gorgeous basses I just started learning bass last week

[@justingarnell8355]

The Ebony one for sure! Such grunt & a dark bite matching the sexy coffee-brown colours as well.

[@tommccaslin1153]

They both look very beautiful and I can’t decide which one I’d pick based on looks. I have to say the coffee flavored one had a raspier growl that I like. The coffee number is my pick. Nice demo and I’ll have to check out the groove trainer!

[@Brother_Dave]

Both are awesome in their own right. Ebony sure is a looker that sounds great, but I have to go with the Maple for the giveaway. Looks + style +warmth. Winning that Maple is going to make someone's decade!

[@aaronherman1618]

They both sound amazing. The ebony sounds much more aggressive to me. It's like a great rock singer with just an extra added touch of raspiness. Would love to have either, but if I had to choose, I would say the ebony. But that white bass is definitely unique and would stand out almost anywhere.

[@markocotictrojer8282]

Ebony neck! Love the sound an the coluor of the body! Thanks for presentation!

[@joshbeer414]

You rock Scott ty for all you do. I love that ebony neck one but that white is calling my name. That ebony has a bit more growl and girth

[@kerryburnz7853]

How do you remove the human element? I think I heard Scott play just a bit more aggressively on the 2nd bass?

[@ReidarBass]

The tone and look of the ebony is amazing. My favorite for shure.

[@sylart57]

Those are some gorgeous instruments!! Especially the brown one!! I wonder what the it would sound like with the maple neck!!

[@jasonsanders2218]

Both sound great, but I love the look of the one with the ebony board.

[@jamesyee1103]

I'm rooting for the ebony! I have to say you gave less air time on that one. I'm sure that the tone is definitely as good as the white one, given a customized set up.

[@ltee12658]

Ebony. I love the grunt of this bass!! The look is phenominal

[@mattalamond478]

Love the tone of the ebony. That one would be a great bass for the give away, would make someone very happy.

[@riccardoscuri7837]

The ebony one look amazing but the tone clarity of the maple is perfection

[@amenmimou6191]

I love how the looks complement the sound, the ebony would take for me for sure, Ps: mindblown how the app is free, awesome work

[@matthewchestney7185]

Gotta be the maple neck for me, I just love that warmer tone that still has a bit of bite. Love the videos man learned so much and I'm definitely downloading the groove trainer

[@andregarcia4737]

Great basses! Maple is incredible, but to my ears, ebony sounds killer. Well, greetings from Brazil, Scott! Cheers! Merry Xmas! 🎅 🎸

[@elmanoazul]

Great app. Scott!! And I’m definitely diggin the ebony! Be well Brudda

[@michaelcrawford8]

Absolutely love the look of the brown burst and the way the grain shows through. The tone of the maple board sticks out with more warmth and midrange. The ebony board sounds more scooped mids but has a nice growl with the rasp. This caught me by surprise, would have assumed the opposite with tone. It would be really cool to see the brown burst with a maple board!

[@ameydbarry]

Scam ,watch out , be xtra careful

[@gregwoolsey2215]

I love the brown & ebony bass, for looks, shape, and sound. Beautiful!

[@ameydbarry]

Be careful it is a scam don’t pay

[@elflowious]

I’m going to jump on board with that ebony. The tone is so bright and spectacular. And those curvy edges are so much nicer then that binding.

[@derekrakestraw4561]

You make both sound great, but that brown burst is beautiful.

[@DGSteig]

Love the look of the ebony, wonder if the tone would match the walnut by just dropping the tone knob a bit on the ebony?

[@MichaelJ023]

Do they have the same type / age strings? The ebony one sounds like it has fresh strings, and the maple sounds like they are 2 weeks old.

[@stephenbatey9902]

Really tough choice; they both had great qualities and you could hear it straight away. I preferred the bottom end sound off the ebony board but when you slid up to the higher notes the maple one was soo sweet.

[@tnmando]

I would take either one as they would be a big step above what I am currently learning on. Visually the brown is awesome.

[@BrianDeLay1]

The white body with maple neck is beautiful, but, oh, that ebony fretboard sounds amazing!

[@richardmilner9355]

love the sound of the maple neck. I think it looks killer too!

[@ridwanmailoa8932]

Always love the sharp attack of the Maple, but what a great finish of the sunburst one!!! Including matching element covers!!! 😍 And it looks like you bought them in nu country, as I saw "breekbaar" taped around the box.

[@terlu]

I have a fender Maple and it is warm and comfortable. But I loved the ebony sound in the comparison, I would love to try one.

[@stephenbobic3226]

I agree, Scott, I like both basses. But I think the ebony has that grit and deep tone I like better. But both of those basses are things for beauty!

[@michaeljonessr5236]

I love the ebony fretboard tone. Plus that bass is absolutely beautiful

[@hedreamt9455]

im kind of a beginner but i love the tone on the ebony bass, would love to try it so much!

[@Thunderstorm351]

That coffe brown is just gorgeous…and the ebony board sounds fuller to me..

[@Maxiamaru]

Holy cow that white is amazing with the maple that bass looks and sounds phenomenal

[@k8ikins]

The ebony….ugh I’m in love! That’s one gorgeous bass!

[@andrearusso7765]

Marvellous Ebony BN5 ! The white I do not know but remember the Steve Vai guitars maybe ! Enjoy a merry Christmas with a better and happy new year to all !

[@NobodyNewsNetwork]

When I was 16 I sold an ebony fingerboard, Olympic White, Gibson les paul bass with Bartolini pickups from the 70s for $300. I didn't know any better, and still remember the "salesman" that took advantage of my ignorance. I swear if I ever see him again I'm going to thank him for teaching me the value of a good instrument. Never got suckered again!

[@joshuastephens4430]

Long time lurker on the comments and lessons. Man oh man I would not have learned as quick on the bass without your KZbin channel. So glad I found it about a year ago when I first got my bass. It helped that your lessons had help me fast track all of those years of guitar playing. That going aside: The look, absolute gorgeous. I would love to see if they could swap the fretboards between the two. I think the mocha look going into a maple would be absolutely gorgeous for the flow of color. Even for the light, it could use the ebony board as showing some contrast with the edges. Playing, I have realized that I enjoy the feel of ebony and rosewood over the maple. Some finishes just don’t feel right since I do sweat and cramp under a lot of playing. Some lacquers don’t fair well under scrutinizing hands. The ebony has brighter tones and will really shine under solo playing. Downloaded the app and will use it for practice this week. Thank you for your free content.

[@ahilgaz]

The wood color with the ebony fretboard F bass, definitely! I want that one!

[@Kenmmoo]

That Ebony Fretboard Bass is sooo beautiful 😍 AND it has that bright n clear sound 😃👍

[@frankortega4280]

Lovely instruments. I personally like the Brown fade finish model.