ROSEWOOD vs MAPLE - Guitar Tone Comparison!

One guitar body - two necks! Maple vs Rosewood tone comparison!
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The neck riff was from "Lay My Burdens" by Disciple
The picking was from "The love of God" by Lincoln Brewster
The bridge riff was my own :)
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Enjoy!

[@isaactuscano7470]

While everyone is busy looking for difference.... I'm gonna appreciate ur effort for changing neck and then tuning it again on guitar...which as a guitarist I know how hectic is....Thanks man....

[@nevereatencake]

Changing the neck on a tele is not hard at all. Maybe its a little "hectic" your first time changing a neck, but Darrell could probably to it with his eyes closed.

[@JayK20]

How is changing a guitar neck... hectic...?

[@mateotaboada579]

Bruuh it's 4 screws and a little adjustment for the axion

[@keithadams812]

Great point.. that's why we're all here because he takes the time

[@xeazlouro]

This man was doing god’s work.

[@pcb8059]

The maple sounds more yellow with semi-sweet rectangular square berries, while the rosewood sounds more like octagonal dark green in a crispy cube of a mellow platonic triangular spice

[@sandwichdude97]

Wtf

[@TheSproox]

Whatever you're on, I want some.

[@TheEchelon]

sandwichdude97 It's a joke...

[@ataraxia4526]

my yellow in this case is not so mellow

[@thetincan_man]

@@ataraxia4526 you're quite bold

[@bestguitar11]

The rosewood sounded rosey and the maple sounded mapley.

[@dutchvanderlinde6448]

Yes... yes it does

[@clbdyc]

I'm craving pancake now 😂

[@SuperBroncosguy]

😂😂😂

[@guitarmusic7619]

also, the rosewood sounded woody

[@puyuem4695]

🤣🤣

[@timgermanyjr]

I swear people say it sounds different because they clicked on the video already believing it would sound different. They are so identical that any difference you might hear could be as minute as the fretwork from neck to neck.

[@jefflg1967]

All I know is that a guitar with a neck sounds better than a guitar without a neck. 😜

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+jefflg1967 hahaha!

[@willflint5014]

You just made my day.

[@MikeAndersonvinyloldies]

Placebo effect man...it's all in your head!!

[@StephanSandiares]

Well, you clearly haven't heard me play. You'll be voting no neck ,,, trust me.

[@collyqually6486]

Now I want to see a guitar that goes straight from the body to the headstock, no neck in between XD

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

Definitely best to use headphones or a good set of speakers for this one!

[@Stpddmbfck]

+Darrell Braun Guitar I have quite good studio speakers, and i clearly hear the difference. Furthermore I really like your videos, keep up the good work! Yet, you should try to avoid the overdrive of the high frequencies. There is definetly a strong saturation and it is cracking quite strong. E.g. check 4:16. Nevertheless nice comparison!

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Erdbeer Käse Thanks! Sorry about the clipping :(

[@twohornedpuppet85]

I did but I still coudn't tell!

[@OneMoreMileAnHour]

I didn't and I could tell...and I'm not fussy or sensitive about tone and stuff...

[@KhachatryanTech]

And, again I can hear some distortion in video, with Sennheiser + creative audigy 2 platium.

[@AndrewUnruh]

Thank you for this video. I worked in audio algorithm development and acoustics for many years. One issue with these kinds of listening tests is that often our expectations play into perceptions. To get around this, there are a number of listening protocols that are used. One is called the ABX test. In this test there are two audio samples, A and B which do not change. X randomly switches between being A and B. The user is instructed to determine if X is A or B for each trial. At the end of the test (typically 16 trials), a confidence score is given indicating the probability that the listener was guessing. It is an incredibly sensitive test that can reveal if even the subtlest details are audible.

[@LyinginSilence]

It's all about the electronics. I heard a guy play a shovel that sounded amazing...

[@pelimies1818]

Great amplifier sounds great, no matter if the guitar is just middle-of-the-road, plain okay.

[@grievouserror]

I think I know that guy and he also *kills* it on oil cans, jerry cans and cigar boxes.

[@simonlloyd7557]

was that at one of meth parties?

[@joracer1]

It's all about the hands, check out pride and joy on the hello kiddy guitar...

[@Roctiv-xo9qc]

Yeah justin johnson is a beast

[@electoplater]

Clapton said it was the feel made the difference

[@sadrace]

There is some truth to this though, especially if the maple one has a finish on the fretboard while the rosewood is just plain naked wood.

[@utooberblooper]

no,actually there isn't any difference or if there is it is so subtle that you couldn't tell the difference without expensive calibration and comparison instruments.

[@britvox95z]

+ trillriff-axegrinder Why do people who don't believe in "tone woods" always talk about comparisons using elaborate testing gear? - the only relevant thing is whether the woods sound different to your own ears.

[@mattriley3550]

+trillriff-axegrinder Fingers are pretty expensive, and you can calibrate things with them, which is probably why a finished maple fretboard feels different then rosewood and people have a preference.

[@cmkilcullen8176]

agree. The feel to the player for me matters.

[@pigjubby1]

Eyes closed, and several tries. Zero difference. When I knew there were different fingerboards, I could make myself hear the difference. The best comparison. Time consuming, but the best way to test it out. Thanks for the effort.

[@shawnleach]

Anyone who places an AT-AT in the guitar room obviously knows his stuff.

[@matthewmjb6860]

I play guitar and have a Lego AT-AT in my room!

[@Dang...]

Now, back again 5 years later...Darrell, thanks again for this excellent comparison!

[@johannesgutenberg5993]

As a luthier I appreciate videos like this. The guitar industry has perpetuated so much BS and snake oil for so many years. They are pushing a product, and will try to make money in any way shape or form.

[@angelcarrilfernandez1537]

ok

[@moimeme7839]

Johannes Gutenberg yup, that’s called capitalism😂😂😂 everyone wants money😎👍

[@edwardmonsariste4050]

Well, one day a was reading a Guitar World (I think) that had an interview of Leo Fender. One part got to the neck wood decisions..... Leo said that he was watching television one evening. A guitar player was playing a Stratocaster with a maple top neck. It was chewed up from digging in. Leo thought it looked awful, so he really began to push rosewood topped necks because they looked better on television. Leo was more concerned with looks.

[@vettehogan2584]

It’s not capitalism that’s behind this. To real expert there’s surely a slight difference and a niche for it. The problem is a lot of guitar “experts” are basement dwellers hoping to look sophisticated.

[@carlsmith1263]

Highs are brighter on maple, crisper as well. More dirt and a fuller tone on rosewood. Every weapon has its application, every tool as well.. Same with a strat

[@user-rf5px3gh3p]

You have the ultimate collection of “vs.” videos. Every comparison I search, you have a video for it, thanks man.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+John C No problem ☺ I'm glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@JR-mk6ow]

80% pick-ups. 10% strings. 10% multiple factors including wood. But cables, picks, and amps / pedals make a bigger difference than wood type.

[@paulj0557tonehead]

There is definitely a player feel difference with maple versus rosewood. Which, for certain music styles and amp settings it changes how the player responds to that feel, and ultimately what he/she is hearing from the speaker.

[@JamesAllenJr]

We're forgetting the Players hands/fingers. That's really more like 65% right there.

[@oldsaintvic13]

10 percent luck...

[@rikardocarvalho]

pickssssss ?????

[@JR-mk6ow]

@@rikardocarvalho plastic and wooden pick make a warmer sound compared to metal ones

[@51MontyPython]

2:12 Maple; 2:39 Rosewood 3:47 Maple; 4:06 Rosewood 5:12 Maple; 5:34 Rosewood Bind test: 3:12 Guitar 1; 3:28 Guitar 2 4:30 Guitar 1; 4:48

[@venkateshr6031]

👍👍👍

[@murryw]

I have never maintained that the two types of fingerboard sound different. But they feel different, and THAT is everything.

[@motonegearchannel1510]

Well put. The necks are very different, but it is a feel and aesthetics thing more than a tone thing.

[@user-ko3sd9qj2h]

Yeah I agree, tbh I never cared what tone rosewood offered. I simply fell in love with strats that had rosewood frets cause 1. Strats sound godly, look godly and 2. Rosewood on a strat makes it look godlier. But coming from playing my own strat and the one at school, aka rosewood vs maple, the feeling was very different. In fact I absolutely hate the feel of maple fretboard. Rosewood feels much more smooth and right. Maple feels like it's hollow and just wrong. But that's my opinion

[@martintaper7997]

Rosewood is slipperier? That's what I think. It's better if you want your fingers sliding, but if you don't, maple may be better.

[@LeglessWonder]

Yea. After you add distortion and effects any difference in sound of the wood is negated. But how it feels is what's important, and they def feel different

[@jamescarter3196]

@@LeglessWonder To some degree that's true but you're not really going to make a Danelectro sound like a Les Paul just by putting it through distortion, and definitely not with less-destructive effects like chorus or flange.

[@EdwardCBurton]

You do a lot of work to present these videos and it clearly shows. In my own little world of making music with my guitar I always come away watching, feeling a little bit smarter. I just subscribed. Thank you for your efforts. Keep up the great work!

[@farbodmehdizadeh6337]

3:47 I was like oh yeah that's shape of my heart but it wasn't

[@sethaleman6033]

thought it was lucid dreams

[@npBOgory]

@@sethaleman6033 you mean shape of my heart

[@snottyboy9983]

Same. I was like that's the shape of my lucid dreams

[@travis6339]

I had the same thought, but with the first riff being yellow ledbetter but not really

[@addicted2tone349]

I like maple because my ears can't tell much of a difference and I love the way maple ages. It just gets a cool mojo to it on the fretboard.

[@johnmcclinton9124]

Love that riff you're doing at the beginning. Way cool.

[@jessd1952]

i do like the maple but hardly noticeable. But before I watched this video I liked maple waaay more for its brightness and clarity. damn you and your accurate comparisons defunkting my maple neck arrogance.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+jess d 😄 I do what I can :)

[@MrJacobrezac]

I honestly never knew there was supposed to be a difference in tone between the two. I always just thought it was about feel and playability. I’ve always preceded maple because it always feels better to me.

[@omnipotentnickname8918]

The maple has a faster decay, especially in the lows, making it sound clearer after the attack. The rosewood sounds louder and warmer and fuller after the attack because the lows don't decay as fast. The more pristine sound of the maple come from the lower quickly leaving room for the top-end to shine.

[@truthserum9157]

That’s exactly the way i heard it as well.

[@DerekSantaMonica]

At first read, I cried BS. Then I went back to listen and s/he's right.

[@The_Dusk_Sage]

Thank you my good sir

[@HarryS77]

lmfao

[@Chrishagen]

Its more about the feel than the tone. Maple is smoother and more slippery, especially when sweating onstage. Rosewood is more raw, unfinished but also resists more bending strings. You need to oil rosewood and treat it to keep it in peak condition. Maple you just have to keep clean occasionally. I have both and prefer my Clapton strat with a maple neck.

[@robertg.durant8489]

You mean squier bullet with maple neck?

[@clbdyc]

I happened to be at guitar center today test driving some guitars. Couldn't have said it better. I like to play more blues style like BB and Buddy. My favorite was the telecaster with the maple neck. Fingers glide easy and bends have little resistance. The rosewood is more grabby. If I ever play live. Like a bar gig I doubt any customer is going to notice the difference in tone between the two.

[@crushedit1497]

Yeah, I agree

[@tobytoxd]

Interesting information!

[@eggwater_wolfbear]

I remember watching a Trent Reznor interview where he talks about how Atticus Ross taught him the benefits of rearranging the studio. Somehow, even though the instruments were the same with the same sounds, the different aesthetic differences or arrangements of the instruments would change their approaches to those instrument. I think this is probably what people experience when they talk about maple vs rosewood, etc.

[@mikeexits]

Makes sense, you're dealing with the human psyche after all. Subtle changes alter your subconscious processing.

[@GianmarioScotti]

Exactly. The sound is the same, but your approach to playing will be slightly different.

[@philoalpha369]

I love your down-to-earth approach to tone and the tropes that go with it.

[@LoneWolf-ni1zj]

I preferred the Maple... go figure! I've always liked Rosewood Fretboards both for their sound and looks however, after watching your comparison... I think I've found a new appreciation for the one Maple on my Mexican Strat. Love your Video's, Lots of useful and unbiased information in a fun and easy to follow format. You're a Natural at this... Good on you!

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Solid maple has always been better.

[@killawhale8726]

I literally only care about the fretboard wood for the looks (and usually i like maple better)

[@ArtDonna84]

Wow I was wrong all the way even after playing three times. You made a very convincing comparison for me at least that the difference is so subtle that I have to agree that it would be visual preference now for me and the feel. Thank you for this "Outstanding" comparison. The fact that you used the same body and hardware really was important. I'm assuming the amp settings and amp itself were also the same.

[@TroyBoyleAtheistAdvocate]

Extremely late to the party, but I was surprised that, to my ears, the maple bass notes sounded better every time. More resonant. I expected the opposite.

[@isabelledexing7455]

Loved the video and I loved the comments even more. There is a slight difference in tone between maple and rosewood fingerboards, there is no doubt.. Some of it is caused by the wood directly, but I believe its more because we play them both differently. They both have different surface textures, which offer different resistances to our fingers.. So its logical that we play em differently to play same notes. I have to work harder to bend notes on rosewood fingerboard, thus bends are more aggressive... And that I am sure affects tone.

[@saedt]

As far as I know, the fingerboard material is a matter of preference for feel

[@Ramiobomb]

Apparently not, listened to lots of guitars, it affects the sound as well, sometimes KZbinrs even ruin their pick up comparison videos because of it, Rosewood is more bluesy and deeper-warmer where maple can be more country-ish and bright-direct sounding, both work for metal :P.

[@mc495150]

I feel the same. Both my fingers and eyes prefer maple

[@jamescarter3196]

Well you should watch this video instead of leaving a comment first.

[@CorneliusSneedley]

Kudos for taking the time to swap out necks, thus forestalling any debate regarding differences in instruments. It's funny, go to any guitar forum, and you can find endless debate regarding various woods and their _vast_ effect on tone, whether they be on fingerboards, bodies, or even just the headstock cap. I think most of those folks, though, would have to involve a luthier if it came to swapping necks. :) And what most of them seem to leave out is the one and absolutely most important factor regarding tone: the player.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Cornelius Sneed Well said!!

[@OneMoreMileAnHour]

Damn right. A poor workman blames his tools.

[@CorneliusSneedley]

As a bass player, I worked with a great guitar player for many years. He had a '58 Strat body, with an early-sixties Tele neck on it. It looked a bit weird, but sounded wonderful. And as things go, after you got used to Pat with that guitar, it just looked like Pat. Unfortunately, one night he got hustled by one of those "You sounded great! Here, let me give you a hand carrying your gear out." guys. And before he had a chance to notice, the old Strat was gone. He wound up buying a Squier Tele as a temporary replacement. And of course he noticed a difference, but I think that difference was mostly in feel, and in his head. I'd stood next to him for years on stage, and to me he sounded pretty much exactly the same. Blindfold me and I would not have noticed any difference at all. Another example is a guitar player (named Ron) who used to play around here in Top 40 bands in the early eighties. He had that slithery, legato Holdsworth style, and his tone, sustain, and all that stuff were amazing. And the amp he played through was an old Fender Bassman head, of which the bottom half of the cabinet had been cut away. He set it upside-down on his speaker cab, and there it sat, with all its guts exposed and sticking up. :) All the local guitar players flocked to listen to him, and once he admitted he had modded his Bassman, many of them ran right out and bought Fender amps and begged him to hotrod them. He did so for most of them, reluctantly. And I was present when one of those guitar players tried out his newly modded amp for the first time. And, boy, was he disappointed. He sounded nothing like Ron! So he called Ron up, and Ron came over. He strapped on my buddy's guitar and played through my buddy's new amp. And suddenly, there was that Ron sound all the guys were after but couldn't get. Once you develop your own sound, you're pretty much going to sound like you, and all the gear mods or replacements are probably not going to make you sound like anyone else. :)

[@CorneliusSneedley]

In that vein, the thing I often find is that newer players often go in search of that "perfect tone" without actually learning to play first. I think this is why articles that list all the gear of "guitar gods," even down to their picks and cables are so popular. New players often seem to think that if they can just get all the same gear, they will sound just like their heroes. This, to me, would be rather sad if it were true, because what it says is the player makes no difference whatsoever. Play on the same plank, with the same wires, through the same signal modifiers and amplification, and you can't help but sound a certain way, whether you are a rank beginner or a seasoned pro. Fortunately this is not at all the case, but the mythology persists, and drives the sales of lots of gear.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Cornelius Sneed Yup, it's all about selling gear. Practising is hard work - buying a new pedal is easy!

[@vintageguitarz1]

I worked for Fender from 1972 - 1999 (Luthier, Floor Super, Prod Mgr, Off-shore Prod Mgr). I was also a studio musician during that time. I have both Rosewood and Maple in my extensive collection of Strats and Tele's from the 1950's thru 2000 and while I love both my ALWAYS go to is ALWAYS a Maple neck/board Tele and Strat. Reason? You can always diminish the brightness and note clarity of a Maple neck with your amp (or distortion) or "the board" you are recording thru, BUT, you can't add that Maple brightness back when the guitar has a Rosewood or Ebony board. Period! BTW, my favorite studio Gibson guitar is my 1972 L6S that has a one-piece maple neck and maple body and 7-selection rotary selector switch like a ES-335 "Lucille" model

[@artysanmobile]

Vint Guitarz I disagree with you that amp, or any other kind of, tone controls can compensate the very subtle differences between fingerboard material. The differences are much more substantial than frequency response, which is all that tone controls can affect. The volume envelope of every note is noticeably different on a maple fingerboard. That has nothing to do with tone.

[@danrebeiz4598]

Vint Guitarz hmm... that’s a great point. Thank you for diminishing my regret for having a maple fretboard on my strat. After this video my wheels were turning, but your point makes sense. I pretty much always roll down the treble knob as most strat players do

[@MacPro8CoreMan]

I have an American Strat HSS that shipped and still has a RW fretboard. I also an EVH Wolfgang with Maple and a newer one that has Ebony. I realise that this comparison is not apples to apples, but... I have never loved the RW in my mind it does not have the bite during aggressive playing that the Maple does. In my findings, especially when used on a pure Rock machine like an EVH Wolfgang special with Ebony FB, the Ebony is the best materrial for Rock and Metal. You mentioned that you equate Ebony with Rosewood. In you opinion; why is Eddie Van Halen and a large percentage of Pro gigging Metal players have made the switch to Ebony? Cheers!

[@stabgan]

@@danrebeiz4598 you should regret

[@Sirstarfish]

Very well said

[@poarag]

Thanks brother for all the cool vids. You are a myth buster....

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Faz Poarag No problem! In glad you like the channel :)

[@zepp3lin]

very subtle difference but i love maple looks in fender

[@bisaillion]

I definitely hear a difference. It’s mostly in the high end. I find the maple neck brighter and certainly that the rosewood is smoother and warmer.

[@XxStonedImmaculatexX]

I’ve had rosewood neck guitars for the last 20 years and just picked up one with a maple neck. I thought the PUPs made the difference but my maple neck guitar does sound brighter!

[@kylelikeskjvbible]

Maple has a trebly harshness that i really like

[@tubedude1077]

I like the looks of a maple fingerboard and also the feel.I do not think there is a tone difference between the 2

[@trevorsaunar3158]

But maple wears out right?

[@suvindraickybicky1216]

Solid wood body guitars age beautifully and sound better overtime unlike laminated guitar bodies because the wood fibres will in time VIBRATE sympathetically with the vibrating strings. In multi-laminate guitar fingerboards/bodies the wood fibres cannot align easily with the sound waves and are broken up by the glued interfaces. Hence laminate cheap chipboard guitars do not improve with age. Solid wood will always be more sonorous and carry better sustain than laminate guitars. Try this! Put a vibrating tuning fork on a solid body guitar compared to a laminate body guitar, the difference in sustain is markedly noticeable👏 Even more marked on cheap laminate classical guitars compared to solid wood tops there is a huge difference in tonal and dynamic range at all frequencies.

[@calebproductions5970]

@@trevorsaunar3158 tony iommi laminated his fingerboard

[@orgillmathew]

Mmmmm Mapel

[@vincentlok8894]

@@trevorsaunar3158 I think if you played so much that you wear down your fretboard, you can just get a new neck every decade. Plus if you wanted to, you could probably refinish (ie; re-laquer/varnish) the fretboard when you start wearing through it to the wood.

[@bluerock5351]

It actually does make a difference. Thanks so much for this time consuming test. Cheers mate 😊

[@fearbabyriffs]

I can hear the rosewood as being warmer less trebly, but surprised by how close they sounded to each other. Thanks eye opening.

[@frankiek733]

When choosing a certain neck, when all choices are types of wood, it isn’t sound you should be using to determine which to get, but feel. Maple is much smoother, and easier to play, for me anyway. Plus, much of the vibration through the neck is being muffled by your hand anyway.

[@malcolmlowe1935]

Very interesting. I agree with your summation, but a fly landing on the tone knob would make more difference to the sound in my opinion. Thanks for your video

[@elnyoutube123]

No it wouldn't. Thats like saying you can record two different peoples voices and roll off the treble on the EQ in a mix later and they would sound like the same person. There's way more to the tone of a guitar than just EQ.

[@guitarwolf1000]

2020....youve come a long way baby!....because your good at what you do!...another blast from the past.....both sound the same to me!

[@franknguitars7671]

Ah, beautiful clarity ... nicely done, thank you! I was totally convinced that I could hear it clearly in the blind test ... and got it totally wrong

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

If you would like to check out my tonewood comparison between Alder and Basswood Strats, you can check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3qvnp1-qbBji6s

[@chronic_johnson_a.r.a.b]

I can hear a difference, though not too massive. I think I prefer Maple in almost all of these tests. But it depends on the style of playing, genre, etc. Was getting some great Baroness vibes from the earlier tests, really enjoyed it.

[@Conkee1711]

What a great video. Surprised I preferred the maple and the difference was very noticeable.

[@temik215]

Wow, I'm really surprised! Even though the difference in tone is minor, I've noticed it. I loved the rosewood neck tone, it sounds a bit warmer and more well balanced than that of the maple one. But as for how do they look, to my mind, a mapple neck guitar looks more genuine. So, now I've got a dilemma between a perfect tone and a prefect look 😬

[@Archangel0804]

Exactly what I thought too

[@GianmarioScotti]

You probably noticed the difference in playing, not the difference in fingerboard material.

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

Rosewood is my favorite guitar wood 😌

[@jimoverly5386]

Rosewood is a softer wood, i believe, and, i have 2 guitars with rosewood, where the wood is quite worn. Or, maybe, i play those guitars more?

[@DwightMS1]

The only difference is in my imagination.

[@politicalkaffir9095]

agreed, it borders imagination, he could fool us and tell us it was always the same guitar and I would not second guess it.

[@andyreasoner5289]

May be in quality of elaboration during production, but not in sound, IMO. The influence of neck wood is rather weak, other factors are stronger, the strongest is that of pick-ups (here the same).

[@AJCzarkowski]

Yep, physics of sound waves prove the wood's got nothing to do with tone (save sustain). But hey, let's let them take some more designer drugs so they can "hear the wood".

[@DwightMS1]

Ha haaaaaaaaa!

[@bloomi5387]

+antonius augustus go back to school to study physics,as a audio engineer i can give a explanation of how wood affect tone,but first your studies please ;D

[@marcorepiso5379]

I like maple for cleans. It resonates in my chest in a way that makes me smile and pleases me.

[@TheDealRonaldTrump]

Darrell Braun has come a LONG way in 2022. Good job DB. 😊

[@RandyLott]

There are subtle differences. You would never hear it in a mix.

[@kpag3030]

Randy Lott You’re right. In a mix, the difference would be a lot more difficult to pick out.

[@mdlindsey]

Awesome video comparison, but remember guys, while there is a slight audible difference, it could be attributed to the neck wood itself as well. Every piece of timber sounds different, even in the same species. Tone is about 80% player, 10% amp, 5% scale length, 4% strings, 1% wood in my opinion.

[@CorneliusSneedley]

I would put scale length at a close second to player, ahead of the others, but basically I agree with you. At least you realize that the player is far more important than the gear. :) Also, an instrument's tone, and even its perceived and expected tone, can influence the way someone plays it. So, really, the only way to do these tests accurately would be to blindfold the player as well.

[@mdlindsey]

Cornelius Sneed Perceived tone does have an effect on mentality and playing style, never thought of that though, but certainly does! I agree, scale length can make a huge difference, but with proper amp/electronic settings, it can be reduced to a negligible difference as well, unless playing clean.

[@britvox95z]

+ Dan L "Every piece of timber sounds different, even in the same species" Exactly right - which is why you can go into a Guitar Center and try every one of a new batch of supposedly identical Strats or Teles they've just got in and they'll all sound slightly different, and sometimes one will stand out as sounding head and shoulders above the others.

[@CorneliusSneedley]

britvox95z Most often the difference between identical Strats in a store is setup, not sound.

[@britvox95z]

+ Cornelius Sneed I used Guitar Center as a example, but I can guarantee you'd find the same thing in a store that has all their guitars set up before putting them on the sales floor. FYI, Jack Person (ex Allman Brothers) said he tried all the Strats in a store before walking out with a Squier Bullet. He said it had such a natural resonance unplugged that he just just knew it would sound great. (There are videos of him playing that same guitar on youtube).

[@edgeyt1]

The maple sounded noticeably nicer to my ear, I was surprised there was so much difference. However, I can't stand the feel of a maple fingerboard so I'm a rosewood fan.

[@playthechanges]

Feel/look/personal preference. Glad to see this was the conclusion in the video

[@souzal22]

Congrats Darrell ! Your videos are amazing, now I am sure what guitar I am going to buy!

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Luiz Carlos Souza Awesome! I'm glad the videos are helpful 😀

[@souzal22]

Darrell Braun Guitar do you have instagram ? Here in Brazil I am sharing your videos but i dont have you official hash tag!!!

[@souzal22]

i am writing #darrellbraun there.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Luiz Carlos Souza Thanks for sharing! I'm just on Facebook (DarellBraunGuitar) and here on KZbin :)

[@mr.minicranium5541]

+Darrell Braun Guitar what was that first song you played

[@Mauitaoist]

The difference was so subtle it's not worth arguing about, now the way it looks and feels is different. I have maple on my Strat and I love it. But I love the feel of ebony the best.

[@Ra3D]

For the comparisons, got the "neck" and "bridge" positions correct and felt fairly confident when choosing my answers for them. The middle position I got incorrect and found it more difficult to choose an answer. Anyone else had a similar experience? Just about to enter the electric world and this comparison changed my perception for sure. I was pretty dead set on Rosewood (100% for looks), but for "this comparison" at least, I much preferred the Maple, especially in the neck position. Great comparison video!

[@Gottiline_Ace]

Two years later, and the debate is still going strong.

[@dahliafiend]

Same I got the middle pickup wrong. I’ve owned two telecasters. One with rosewood the other with maple. I prefer maple for sure but I almost never use the middle pickup.

[@jwdesqiii]

Man I stumbled on an ancient DBG video. Man you've come a long way since this was originally filmed.

[@jamesallen5591]

One of the best 'comparison' videos I've seen as you eliminated as many variables as possible. We've all seen videos of someone using two different guitars for comparisons like this. As others have posted, I think the eyes lead the ears in this case. First of all, I could rarely hear a difference and when I could, I had the two necks reversed! Generally, guitars that have maple necks are quite different from guitars with rosewood necks. My Gibson Les Paul (rosewood) sounds different from my Fender Telecaster (maple); but the pickups are, obviously different. Yeah, get what looks and feels good to you!

[@triledink]

that telecaster is like a mirror wow.

[@cmfany2k3]

The clip first played- "lay my burdens" intro by disciple. Love your taste of music dude.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Eben Aaron 😀👍👍👍

[@aussiefarmer8741]

Thanks , I really liked that piece, I wondered what it was

[@johnc.8298]

Thumbs up. You did a lot of work switching necks and restringing to do this video for us. You're right, the differences are subtle and I was wrong 2/3 times. I do think the maple is ever so slightly more trebly, and the rosewood slightly smoother sounding. I agree with you however, it's the pick ups that make the biggest difference. Thx for this video sir.

[@brettsommer]

One thing I absolutely hate about maple boards is how sticky they get from sweaty fingers. Rosewood soaks it up, and is still smooth.

[@christopherbako]

You're right dude.😀

[@Benderbot50]

cleaning maple is much less work. A quick wipe with cleaner and you're good. Cleaning rosewood means getting out all that sweat and finger cheese thats in the wood, which is more work. Then you have to oil it after you clean it so it doesn't dry out.

[@c.varela]

This is not a big deal with "satin" finish maple necks/fretboards. But when it is "vintage lacquer"... Not great.

[@neighbourninja]

That was an interesting comparison. I've always been a rosewood player, because of the feel and the sound. I guessed correctly everytime whenever I heard rosewood. :D To me it sounds different to Maple, a bit fuller. I can't really explain it, except say that maple has a twangier sound and whenever I play on it I feel as it my fingers just slide off the neck. Yuck. Thanks for the video!

[@WhiteNacho]

The rosewood is warm and creamy. The maple is bright and shiny. I prefer the look of maple but I play rosewood.

[@trollssuck7814]

But, for all of the guitar manufacturer snobs who sell you guitars, they will say that they used a Rosewood fingerboard because it is BRIGHTER than Maple. So, you are simply hearing with your eyes. Thinking that a brighter color sounds brighter and that a darker color sounds darker. This mistake happens every time that someone looks at the color of the fingerboard. So, your eyes and ears lie to you. Simple as that. It's not just you, it's most people that see dark sound etc.

[@trollssuck7814]

You looked it up......lol, so, wherever you looked it up at was incorrect. Just trying to help you out.

[@lancefielden]

I use your videos to help support different discussions on Social Media. I just posted this one because we're in deep about the rosewood, maple difference. Thanks for such valuable information across the board.

[@GazMoz78]

The difference is tiny, I found I could hear it most in the held more sustained notes, the rosewood sounded a fraction warmer. But man these video's are busting preconceptions!

[@glennkrzeminski7539]

Barely noticeable and I was surprised that although I like a warm tone, I liked the more defined sound of the maple better.

[@GazMoz78]

dreddjenkins your not wrong, there are people who do have ears that finely tuned that it's a big noticeable difference. But for the rest of us....

[@mikeaustin4138]

I doubt it. I have 2 G&L ASAT Specials from roughly the same time period. Once is a Special Deluxe and has a mahogany body and a maple top. The other has a swamp ash body. Otherwise, they're essentially identical. You can't tell the difference side by side.

[@Andreus9733]

All the differences between guitar parts are tiny, my boi.

[@mickjagger8904]

The choice of wood in the neck does not affect the sound, as this video proves. The choice of wood in the body also does not affect the sound of an electric guitar. Only the pickups, and their adjustment affect the sound of an electric guitar, assuming the strings and all other adjustments are a constant.

[@thehotsixer1]

People who say they can hear a significant difference, I think are wanting to hear a difference, and so they do.

[@untitled8365]

thehotsixer1 the placebo effect

[@untitled8365]

thehotsixer1 😂

[@isodoublet]

Placebo doesn't explain how people can get the blind tests right. For example, I got all three. The question is not whether there's an audible difference (there undeniably is -- *you* may be unable to hear it, but others can) but rather whether it's due to the fingerboard or some other factor.

[@BluePi1313]

thehotsixer1 It's all about ear training. It's not about hearing different notes, but different overtones/timbre. Some people's ears are more trained than others. To an average person, this would not make a difference, but to a trained musician/audio engineer, it's very significant. It's not to say people can not gain the ability to hear the difference, though. Everyone starts somewhere.

[@quantametric]

The same can be said for those not wanting to hear a difference.

[@DavidMFranks]

Can I just say: interesting comparison - but sublime playing too.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+David Franks Thanks David! ☺

[@SuzanneNuttall]

AGREED!!! Sometimes, I think all the difference is in the fingers! We focus too much on the gear.

[@michaelsteven1090]

ok Jimi thanks

[@rafaelllach9606]

There's quite a noticeable difference between them: the maple is brighter, the bass and treble stand out and it sounds clearer; the rosewood highlights the mids more and the sound is a bit darker and more pasty with less definition when you play multiple strings together. I like maple more, at least on that guitar.

[@Croftbr]

@DISGRUNTLED DEWEY wdym?

[@LongNguyen-lx8if]

They sound the same to me. It’s just the variance in play is what you might be hearing

[@TheReignss]

@DISGRUNTLED DEWEY You guys are deaf...

[@Marco-ho3cy]

I like how rosewood sounds with the bridge pickup and how it feels on my fingers but I like how maple sounds on middle and neck pickups.

[@mfledermauskonig8949]

I agree about the “nasally” and increased definition on single notes maybe, of rosewood. I would like to see the frequency graph, because it seems to be bumping up certain frequencies that remind me of old portable transistor radios. I hate to say I prefer maple, due to the fact that one is solid wood, and the other is a fretboard. We need the solid vs solid, comparison. It’s a good video though.

[@doggfather123]

i love maple because its one piece and its looks better than the rosewood.

[@955rocket]

I agree but rosewood doesn' t get dirty as easily. Or show it as quickly as rosewood. I think that is why most guitars manufacters us rosewood for their products. All my Fenders have maple fretboard. I just think they look more traditional. My Opinoin.

[@mcqueen7584]

955rocket i couldn't hear A LOT of difference between woods, but I want your opinion guys on the look, I'm gonna buy a modern player Jag in crimson red body and basing only in looks, should I go with all maple or maple/rosewood? I'm more prone to the maple but I want your opinions :)

[@nickhartley9699]

Your guitar, go with whatever you want. I think some guitars look better with a maple fretboard others rosewood. Personally for dark reds I like rosewood though seeing as you asked, although colour of the pickguard can sway me, it really is dependent on the general look of the guitar.

[@mcqueen7584]

Nick Hartley I just picked the body because it's cheap and all mahogany, it's a modern player Jaguar in red. It's missing the p90s and for me only in looks I'm torn with the colors, also it hasn't got a pickguard it's all plain wood

[@mmartinisgreat]

Denis Ho you are incorrect

[@Remu-]

To be fair both maple and rosewood are pretty much equally hard woods so big part of the tone difference is due to the fact that maple is covered with hard lacquer and the rosewood is just bare wood. And even still it's not really a big enough difference to sway you either way sound-wise in my opinion. Just get what looks the best to you.

[@Jamalama555]

From my experience I agree. The feel and look are a more significant difference then tone.

[@poyodiazmusic]

i agree with this too

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

I dyed my maple fretboard darker to look like ebony, because i can't stand the color and look of maple on a guitar, looks like construction wood I love the dark color of ebony but I don't care for its fragility/susceptibility to temperature changes, or the high maintenance it requires having to oil it all the time so it doesn't crack. So I just "ebonized" my maple fretboard, it worked pretty good Overall rosewood is my favorite and the color looks amazing to me

[@luismudry]

Siento una gran diferencia entre un mastil y otro . El arce suena más brillante y chillón y el palo de rosa suena con más cuerpo y más graves. Hay mucha diferencia entre una y otra

[@poyodiazmusic]

@@luismudry yo también siento un poco de diferencia pero sí me parece que depende más de que uno tenga poliuretano encima y el otro esté natural, o te refieres a ambos al natural?

[@ellennixonwaln4162]

The solid comparison i was looking for. I own both on two strats but they are slightly different guitars, different pups. Here we realize there is actually no tone difference with rosewood or mapple fretboard, only a feeling difference under the fingers (which is, yes, a lot). Brings me back to a sort of "play more, wonder less" about guitars...

[@Artty-fl8ul]

I can't tell any difference.

[@OneMoreMileAnHour]

To me, the rosewood was slightly warmer sounding. However it's such a small difference that actually, who cares. Guitars are for playing, can't stand it when people get obsessive over little minute details!

[@doug4522000]

Pretty much how I saw it.

[@rodneyracoon]

Me either and IMO anyone that says there is a big difference is FOS. I like rosewood myself simply because it looks better. It's also a more expensive wood and used on the vast majority of fretboards. I've always been told that maple varies greatly so don't get a cheap guitar with a maple fretboard. Isn't ebony supposed to be the best? Maybe the fretboard material would have a bigger impact on an acoustic than an electric which is 90% pick-ups and amp (maybe more). However I don't know of any acoustics that use a maple fretboard. If it wasn't for the popularity Fender, I doubt anybody would be using maple for fretboards.

[@StevieRich]

Actually, I have an 197?'s ALL maple Ibanez acoustic... Google Ibanez M340, NW40 or a Concord 699.. They are awesome guitars, playability and sound wise, one of my favorite for recording.. and getting harder to find. If you have clamy hands like I can get, playing a rosewood fingerboard is a nightmare because of it porosity. Because of this, I also think rosewood is a warmer sounding fingerboard and that was my conclusion after listening to this comparison. Put a maple fingerboard on an all maple body and you have a brighter guitar... no doubt in my 60 yr old ears.

[@blackops2isreallybad]

Listen through better speakers bro

[@HaydenMZ79]

Wow! I can definitely hear the difference! I’d been torn between a maple neck and a rosewood color nice I’m able to afford a Telecaster! The maple had more of that classic jangle to me. Great video! Thanks!

[@HaydenMZ79]

DISGRUNTLED DEWEY ...some people naturally have a keener sense of tone, pitch and different auditory nuances.

[@keithrowe6608]

Wow, the differences are almost nothing. I plugged in to the headphones, and did the whole thing blind. I guessed right most of the time, but I had to hear both of them. If he just played one, on a black screen, and asked whether it was a maple or rose, I couldn't pick it out. I don't think anyone could, other than 50/50 guessing.

[@WindOnMyWings]

That's right.

[@ParabolicDavid]

Awesome video! Thanks for taking all the time it required to do this. I’ve always just liked the look of the maple, but appreciated the warmth of the rosewood.

[@jeffharrison2840]

It is, in fact, fun to hear these. But first, this was about fretboards, not necks. Both necks were maple, but the fbs were the different feature. And I still think you have to have a theory how that is even possible. The neck is anchored to the body through the maple wood only, not the fretboard. The string is isolated atop a metal fret on one end and the metal bridge on the other, and the bridge is anchored to the body wood. The fretboard is isolated from the neck by a layer of glue. Anyway there's also a potentially more significant factor that those two specific necks were 1-2 years apart in age (based on serial numbers). So any number of factors could come into play that are more significant than the fretboard material. Good, positive exploration of the issue, though, for folks to take from it what they will!!

[@gabrielazzopardi6037]

I always assumed that tonewood was a joke, but I can hear the difference! Thanks for the information!

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+Gabriel Azzopardi 👍😀

[@timnoble4137]

I don't think the tonal differences are big enough to make me choose RW or Maple. More important is the feel under the fingers. And a bigger diff here is the amount and type of lacquering you get on some maple necks. You make great vids, BTW.

[@whatstrangetimeswerein3087]

I totally agree, some rosewood necks feel dry to me, they tend to bite (even if only a little), whenever i play a maple, its like my fingers tend to glide with the only resistence being my beginner to intermediate ability! Have love, do love and will always love the finish on a maple.

[@Bass-guitarist]

I really enjoy your presentation style and your vids Darrell. Thanks 👍

[@will.a.benjamin]

The difference is almost unnoticeable to my ear. I always preferred the feel and look of maple on a Fender. Never really liked the look of rosewood on Fenders, much in the same way maple looks odd on a Gibson.

[@modelcitizen1977]

Pickups, strings, electronics, nut, tuners, frets, fingers. Wood doesn't make noise unless you hit it with something.

[@AD-kv9kj]

A guitar is designed to resonate with the strings, which does affect the strings and therefore the tone and sustain via the pickups - moreso the better the guitar gets. The wood makes a great difference in tone, both the body and the neck. This was only the fingerboard being changed here - the rest of the neck is the same wood and construction so tone was barely different. The fingerboard choice is more about personal preference in the feel of the board and simply the look, not for tone, though it does make a subtle difference to tone also. But the overall wood and construction of an electric guitar is the entire basis for the tone that resonates through the strings and gets picked up in the coils.

[@lentil5176]

+Austin Dyer No, that's a myth. Unless you use a huge bass string your wood makes no difference. I've never seen a real scientific test by any flat earther nor any tone wood believer. Wood makes no difference in tone at all. Only makes a difference in hollow body/semi hollow body if it has an f hole

[@modelcitizen1977]

Correct. Wood has acoustic properties, not magnetic. There's a cardboard Strat out there that sounds so beautiful you'd swear it was a vintage NOS Custom shop special made of alder or maple.

[@NamnetHar]

Yeah but don't forget pickups has acoustic properties also. Sure they're magnetic but turn up the volume and sing into the guitar pickup and you'll hear your voice through the amp. Or just turn up and scratch the pickup with something not magnetic, like your finger nail, it'll come through the amp. So of course the wood matters. But in guitars there's a whole plethora of things that matters. Wood type and combination, guitar model, neck joint, fingers, picks, strings, bridge, saddles, tailpiece, tuners, nut, wiring components, wiring methods, wiring quality, pots, caps, pickups, pole pieces, pickup height, cables, amps, settings on amp, the size of the room, amount of people in the room, etc, etc… not even mentioning pedalboards… So yes wood type changes tone. But not much. I'd say you'd get a lot mot change in tone if you just, say, moved your amp from your small practice room to your living room. That'd make a big change in tone.

[@AD-kv9kj]

Eh?? Have you ever even played a guitar in your life mate? Your fingers dictate the strength of a note, the vibrato of a note, the bends and subtleties.. of course fingers make a difference in tone. They make more difference in tone than the gear you use. The gear is not playing itself - tone is an outcome of you playing the strings and the way you play them. Give the same cheap Fender Squire to Jeff Beck and another to Eric Clapton and the tone that comes out will be wildly different.

[@naashimdovi2272]

Fair comparison......Maple sound bit bright and clear........Rosewood bit dark +bass.... Maple- solo Rosewood - band

[@empireentertainmentevents1353]

excellent imagination. keep it up!

[@Дмитрий-ъ9й5г]

I bought my guitar 3 years ago and I love it, and after this video I am steel happy I have the maple neck

[@ciaonihao9240]

I vote for maple 🍁 Not only for the sound but the feel. Just can’t stand rosewood. I feel maple is lighter brighter colder and firmer which feels good 😌 Thank you! Great job 👏

[@klonklone7787]

Good answer, too bad it’s wrong.

[@robertm2000]

The BIGGEST difference was caused by the doughnuts I was eating when I watched this video! One was a jelly doughnut and the other was a plain, no frosting or other decoration doughnut. I found myself deciding that I liked the jelly doughnut better, and went to get another jelly doughnut! So I pretty much missed most of the video! THAT was unfortunate!

[@chezuchadnezzar7429]

maples brighter, rosewood darker litterallyy

[@laneanderson9433]

I have always seen it this way my friend

[@rootrriddr6181]

It's psychological, you approach, handle, and attack the instrument differently as the imagery of either the maple, or rosewood fretboard impregnates your soul birthing tonal offspring. May music overpopulate the planet

[@Inibur]

Great video, and very very nice the idea of the blind poll! Thumbs and big toes up :-)

[@DevilTheoryRS]

There's a tiny bit of difference, but so incredibly unnoticeable I wouldn't hear it if I wasn't watching a comparison

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

+DevilTheoryRS True, and if you were playing in a band setting with drums and bass it would be impossible to tell any difference at all!

[@KingLoopie1]

I think they sound the same but the playing is slightly different between the 2. What I know for sure is that guitar looks killer with a rosewood neck!

[@AvroBellow]

You can't tell the tone difference of fretboard wood through an amp. Now, if this were a test with acoustic guitars, that's a different story.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

You just don't see any decent acoustics with maple fingerboards though, do you?

[@ivan_talivan]

Others try to make the same comparison, but very few are as accurate in the experiment as you, that's why I love your channel.

[@tman6495]

Don't forget the picking (guitar pick too) and style of your playing effect the tone as well.

[@dylanwestrand9507]

*affect

[@martinet1985]

absolutely!

[@utooberblooper]

really?

[@Nintendude2013]

definitely, angling the pick gives playing a punch if you practice it and depending on pick.. well, I like thin picks personally but I hear from great guitarists that they use pretty thick picks even with a grip or something