Settling the Maple Vs Rosewood Fretboard Debate

#guitar #music #guitarist #shorts
yessir. revisiting the most famed question in the guitar community: Maple vs Rosewood. can you dig it

[@Red-pv3tw]

electric tonewood people are the guitar equivalent of astrology girls

[@Meta9871]

Extremely accurate comparison

[@elnyoutube123]

I think you're closer to the astrology girls than you think

[@SterbiusMcGurbius]

I'd like to get close to some astrology girls

[@darkflash32]

thank you

[@abiss8867]

Thankyou. finally someone gets it!

[@kylehill9653]

personally i just pick whatever looks the best bc there's an eq on my amp for a reason

[@gnoogie]

timbre and eq are different things. a naturally darker guitar eqed to be brighter and a guitar that's just brighter naturally will still sound different and have different harmonics

[@MattGOG666]

​@@gnoogieman, it's this type of misinformation which drives me nuts

[@BrentRushton]

@@gnoogiethey literally won’t but okay

[@gnoogie]

@@MattGOG666 explain how its misinfo

[@gnoogie]

@@BrentRushton why?

[@bthonk]

*Ebony has entered the chat*

[@greenfly1264]

Entered the chat but not my price range

[@EdwardVanHalen_16]

@@greenfly1264 lol 😂

[@datboi-ui9ci]

Love ebony. Oh wait, we are talking about wood

[@ozzku]

*purpleheart sits in a corner*

[@bthonk]

@@ozzku poor purpleheart

[@newgunguy4176]

Of course they're going to sound different. You're picking closer to the neck on the rosewood and closer to the bridge on the maple. Slight as it may be, there is a difference.

[@Meta9871]

Also string height if you ask me

[@gorgonflemming3551]

Im sorry but I watched this multiple times and he picks the same way for both examples. I personally think it sounds the same. Either way. I do get your point that picking closer or further from bridge changes the tone but hes at the middle/neck for both examples.

[@mrphantastic519]

No he dose not lol on the last cord of the bar he dose but that's on purpose

[@michaelhaydenbell]

@@mrphantastic519 Who is getting dosed with what and why now??? Or are you trying to say "does"?

[@mrphantastic519]

@michaelhaydenbell you know what I was trying to say you're being facetious I type fast and don't spell check it's the internet get a life

[@AwkwardHypernerd413]

The rosewood one looks good with darker colored guitars

[@John--]

Yeah, I think it's mostly down to esthetic

[@samouellette5130]

I’m actually a pretty big fan of how that rosewood fretboard looked with that guitar

[@JumpinJackClash]

@@samouellette5130Agreed man, I love the contrast. Olympic white with a rosewood board is one of my favourite combos for a Strat.

[@salildeshpande7]

Rosewood collects a lot of dust and grime. With maples you never have to clean or condition it.

[@bababoey.]

​​@@salildeshpande7 that only depends if it's a finished maple fretboard though. Unfinished requires even more attention than a rosewood because it can get discolored and nasty looking pretty quickly without proper maintenance. Grime still builds up on finished boards so it would be wise to atleast wipe it down with a wet cloth every string change or so. Even on finished boards, the finish wears off eventually. There's also the problem from some of the 90s and early 2000s fenders where the finish will flake off the fretboard into little shards, which I've had happen before, and it's not fun.

[@j_lemy]

It's been basically already proven that fretboard wood doesn't affect sound. The sound "difference" you hear relies entirely on how you expect the sound to change. If you close your eyes and don't know when the fretboard wood gets switched you won't hear a difference. If you don't believe me, make a video where the fretboard wood randomly changes back and forth and don't tell us when it does. At the end of the video, reveal the correct answers.

[@Tommy-1989-]

Ngl this is a really good idea

[@ronnynono7272]

i hear a clear difference though edit: youre right i just listened with my eyes closed and didnt hear a difference in tone, except he just plays it differently

[@j_lemy]

​@@ronnynono7272 That's what the placebo effect does. If we can get Mikey to make a blind comparison video you will see what I mean.

[@foxman8882]

The riff wasn’t played the same. He focused more on the E with the rosewood.

[@gummostump4217]

Make sure the strings are the exact same both times, and perfectly fresh both times as well. Perhaps the neck profiles or differences in hardware could play a role, too?

[@MisterMacky]

Warmer low end with the rosewood, sounds nice! Never seen a side by side comparison before

[@spreadwuvokay]

Connor Dean is the perfect name for someone who believes in tone wood

[@SilvaEevee]

​​@@spreadwuvokay I mean, they did sound different.

[@spreadwuvokay]

@@SilvaEevee They actually didn't. You'd never be able to tell them apart in a song

[@Rain593]

​@@spreadwuvokay you're high if you don't hear a difference

[@spreadwuvokay]

@@Rain593 You're high on placibo

[@ricklee9473]

Micro variables are endless as far as tone. Maple seems more comfortable to my individual touch and applied pressure. So all about tactile comfort for me . Any small tonal differance can be tweaked With mild EQ . Can tell by your restrained smile which one you prefer.

[@joshferguson9703]

Rosewood is warmer and has a more mellow anger type sound I love it

[@noahhudelson2447]

Mellow and angry? I kinda get it

[@Nickzzzera_]

placebo

[@tzelegend9783]

wood makes no difference it’s proven it’s just what you think looks and feels better

[@joshferguson9703]

@@tzelegend9783 well then explain how a Sitka spruce top on an acoustic guitar sounds brighter than a mahogany top tone woods do exist I have been playing guitar for 31 yrs and have heard all types of guitars vintage new gear custom builds and the wood makes a difference some have more resonance than others etc

[@drunkiwilizardbruh7660]

@@joshferguson9703 it makes a difference on acoustics obviously but a neae unnoticeable difference on electrics

[@VikCain]

Always do rosewood fingerboard for bodies painted with light colours, maple when you have a dark colour guitar. That's how you make them look cooler.

[@NigelOdinson]

100%

[@joshL28]

Dude 100%, idk why the comment above yours saying lighter colors are better with maple and rosewood is better with darker has more likes… Ofc some lighter colors do indeed look better with maple and vice versa but the general “rule” with colors should be what you said, it makes the body color pop more with the contrast, this is basic art/aesthetics 101.

[@hitnrun66]

fr my strat is a sunset dark emerald sunset with a maple neck and it looks sick

[@andrewmoseley4029]

This except the opposite

[@smokingnuns]

Worst take ever. Cool is in the eye of the beholder. Duh.

[@levrider9558]

People in this comment section are the reason why we have a youtuber calling guitarists troglodytes.

[@Meta9871]

Exactly. Finally found my soul brother among a sea of absolutely demented and delusional tools

[@gumbly4174]

So please explain how the wood of which the fretboard is made off, magically changes your tone slightly. It doesn’t, tone wood isn’t a thing, biggest change in tone is gonna be in your speakers.

[@jonathangahnsnordahl6750]

All in all, maple is too bright for me, rosewood all the way

[@hatimusic5716]

honestly I'd have never though there was such a big difference, the maple being that full of high frequencies and sounding so slinky and thin and sharp, and the rosewood with those thicker low frequencies sounding so much more precise. and in the end there's is only on correct answer to that: ebony.

[@eilliwwasniahc]

One day, while arguing such things in the internet, I realized I was spending my precious time pointlessly, instead of doing something I really enjoy, like actually PLAYING guitar. Looks like I am doing it again.... dang.

[@JTakasa]

In the acoustic world, we know that 2 different pieces of the same type of wood can also sound completely different. So there's still a possibility that the perceived change in tone can come from maple necks rather than the fretboards. The only "true" test would have to be changing the fretboards on the same neck. Since this is super impractical without a specifically engineered solution, I'd propose an alternative of applying this method with as many necks as you can get your hands on seeing how much variation there is between each. If maple IS brighter than rosewood, THEN all the mapleboarded boards SHOULD be brighter than ALL the rosewood boards. Tldr: different pieces of the same kind of wood can also sound vastly different. The sound difference isn't necessarily only in the boards.

[@MarkZabel]

Same. Not the best method. A double blind experiment is best. "People hear with their eyes", as Les Paul said.

[@thwoo-]

The “normal” notes sound exactly the same, but it sounds like your palm muting differently on the rosewood

[@44gg37]

yes, it was played differently

[@Grey-the-gey]

Dude no, the rosewood is so much sweeter and warmer and (to me at least) feels like summer And it might have been played a bit differently

[@drchipmunk3247]

@@Grey-the-geywhat are your big 3?

[@Grey-the-gey]

@@drchipmunk3247 i have no clue what you mean by big 3 tbh. Sorry if thats something i should know

[@Wes-10]

Gotta make sure the pick attack point/velocity is uniform in both tests and string spacing from the pickups is the exact same with each neck setup. That could be the difference in tone in this test. From the looks of it, seems like you are strumming closer to the neck in the rosewood demo.

[@Wes-10]

Strumming closer to the neck gives you less of a pick attack sound because the tension is tighter by the bridge.

[@chrissturley823]

Yeah. You gotta reduce those variables.

[@__Rob]

What about ebony? It's smooth, fast-playing, and has an elegant darkness to it tonally. (I also love rosewood's warmth though, couldnt live without 1+ of each personally). Maple fights you on long finger slides and sounds too twangy for the kinds of music I usually play.

[@thomdushane]

Dude i totally didnt think there would be a difference but rosewood sounded warmer! Same exact strings??

[@junkiedropouts3186]

Did just sound like fresh strings to me so that's the clincher, if he reused them

[@saywhat4314]

@@junkiedropouts3186 maybe so cause there have been videos done on this comparing full guitars with just the pickups and a plank of wood and it literally makes 0 different so yea im kinda thinking something else is going on here

[@saywhat4314]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGGVpXyjmMpmd6c this is the video. Its WAY more detailed than this one and its definitely worth a watch if your interest in this topic

[@improvingguitarist1595]

@@saywhat4314 I think it's the frets?

[@Meta9871]

String height. Obviously it's going to sound different. The sound has got nothing to do with fretboard wood. This guy is a hack who wants to look clever

[@bruhmingo]

Tone wood is the biggest myth/scam in electric guitar history. It literally can’t have any perceivable effect given how they function.

[@nunyabusiness9695]

For me, it’s about the feel and durability of said feel of the fretboard. Personally I’m far more of a maple fretboard guy these days, I love the slickness and I’ve never had any issues with it feeling sticky or anything, plus maintenance (cleaning) is so much easier and convenient than a darker wood like Rosewood or even ebony. I do love the look of a rosewood fretboard though. Stick some abalone fret markers in that bad boy and damn it looks so good with most guitars 😅

[@davedavvy4157]

You should do if “Tom misch played”certain songs

[@hlf3vil245]

Ou that's a great request. I agree!!

[@xezpra]

Tom misch 🐐

[@davedavvy4157]

@@xezpra this guy gets it!

[@bflo5210]

I like min half & half....rosewood on the D A E for the warmth & maple for the G B E for the sparkling highs to cut thru the mix 😉😉🤘🤘

[@common_voodoo_doll4291]

i personally would pick the maple but only because it doesn't need to be oiled or cleaned so often 😅

[@salembendeck]

It makes absolutely no difference, who would've thought😐

[@alexluvzfire3567]

i do love how bright and clean the tone sounds with the maple. Rosewood makes a heavier warm tone. It's all great, depends what you like.

[@Meta9871]

Keep on listening with your eyes

[@alexluvzfire3567]

@@Meta9871 and smell with your ears

[@teofiloljubisavljevic7943]

You know that it does not matter what material the guitar is made out of when it comes to electric guitars? It would sound the same if it was made out of plastic, so long as all the electronics are the same. Literally has been testet. No difference. Like, 0 at all.

[@Meta9871]

@@alexluvzfire3567 I'm sure you do

[@alexluvzfire3567]

@@teofiloljubisavljevic7943 the question was if it sounds different when the neck was changed, IMO it does when listening with a nice pair of headphone, yes you can hear there is a difference. is it the wood? most likely not. I do not have the PhD to explain but there are probably so many factors that affect the physical attributes of sound/tone. Will anyone notice any changes in a live setting? Probably not. but thank you for keeping the world turning.

[@AnArmoredMarch]

I cant hear a difference in tone here *at all* through my $600 studio headphones. It sounds like he played it a little differently. The issue with testing tone in a guitar is that *it sounds slightly different every time you play it.* On an acoustic, the vibrations resonating through the wood and building and releasing air pressure through the sound hole is what makes it louder, and thus has a direct effect on the tone. In an electric guitar, the pickups interface with the strings directly, so any variance in tone that could be gotten from the wood is completely bypassed. The thing that the string is bolted to matters slightly, but the thing the string is bolted to is bolted to? It's like complaining that your car has 5 lug wheels instead of 4 lug wheels or being welded to the car. As long as its structurally sound enough for the application, it means jack shit

[@kettle_cat]

I really like the feel of rose wood it's not too slippery and not too rough

[@jacoblopez517]

I hate maple fretboards. They just feel so uncomfortable to me.

[@NickLumley]

Did you make sure to measure the distance from the pick up to each string upon each restring? It makes a bigger difference than wood type typically.

[@We_Seek_Truth]

How would that distance vary if the same bridge and pickups are used with both necks? The only way that variable could change between necks is if the heights of the string grooves was different in both nuts, and that would cause one to fret out or be too high to play easily. And even then, that would not change the distance of the strings over the pickups that much. But there are a lot of other variables that could easily change the sound, as well as the playability, which is the #1 reason for choosing maple or rosewood, not sound. Some other variables are listed here... Radius of the fretboard. Shape of the back of the neck. Thickness of frets. Fret material. Nut material. Configuration and number of string Ts. Tuners, especially how strings are attached to the posts. Even between necks that are of same type of construction, the same type of wood can vary greatly. Not all maple has the same musicality, or musical qualities. All these things and more affect the sound and/or playability - to various degrees. A simple comparison as this video attempts to do, does not demonstrate nor perform an exacting bench test.

[@jonathanfurtado7611]

Neck angle

[@illitero]

@@We_Seek_Truth > "How would string distance from pickup be changed?" > Lists ways that string distance from pickup would change Haha, c'mon

[@We_Seek_Truth]

@@illitero I can't "come on". I don't where you're coming from. Can YOU answer that question? I've already explained my position. Changing necks would not change the string height over the pickups without changing the height of the action over the fretboard as well, and that would make it too difficult to play (higher), or cause it to 'fret out' (lower). I've set up enough guitars to know those basic things. And, if the joint where the the neck bolts on to the body is different, it could cause the height/action to change, but that would still result in the problems I described. So, c'mon and explain your rebuttal. If you have some valid points that dispute my assertions, I promise you I will admit it. I'm not a "win at any cost" kind of person.

[@illitero]

@@We_Seek_Truth Neck angle like mentioned above by someone else. Maybe different radius neck. Without knowing measurements of final setup between necks, a simple "that'll do" setup could easily yield these kinds of differences in sound - especially if the pickup poles are staggered like they tend to be on Strats, I couldn't really tell. Sound changes when adjusting pickup height by mere millimeters, so it stands to reason that applies to minute changes of string distance from ANY source; including the ones you listed. I don't know why you took my joke as some kind of adversarial challenge. You _literally_ questioned it, and then answered your own question in detail. Twice. It was funny to me, not at all a big deal haha.

[@connorgamer96]

No difference (chill out I’m a bassist)

[@VVarlock_]

y’all are lying to yourselfs if you say you hear a difference. listen without the visual cues and they’re identical

[@peterwilson8039]

I tried it, and you're right. It sounds different when your eyes are open, but close your eyes and you can't tell the difference. Cool!

[@jakerinker8522]

every time you do these videos you play differently for each thing you do. it’s not consistent. you’ll change the styles or tempo, or dynamics, or accents, to fit your predisposed idea

[@ZorrotheArtist]

Honestly, idc which wood type you prefer, as long as you like it and you think it sounds good, but I personally love rosewood. All of my, THREE, guitars have rosewood necks. I emphasize the three because compared to other people those are nothing numbers to their collections of like 20.

[@jimmygee3219]

People who argue about tonewood in electric instruments are hilarious.

[@chuckpotockimusic2288]

On any Fender, it's Maple all day all night every day all I gots to say...better feel, better sound. Of course, anything guitar related like this and all else under the sun is totally subjective and depends on the individual player, but straight up...it's Maple or nothin'...

[@suratirthamusic9604]

Rosewood sounds and looks the best

[@angelisfpv]

Rosewood everyday

[@seconddaymusic8393]

guys, we all know it's not the fretboard wood that matters it's the paint. Gold paint sounds the best

[@bigbo1764]

Sounds the exact same, play the clips without visuals and see if ppl can tell the difference

[@mrseaweed88]

Love a good rosewood fretboard

[@anthonyiafrate7183]

Sounds the same. If you want to change your tone change your speaker. Not the wood on the frett board

[@euphoriam4020]

I like the rosewood, but maybe that's because it's what I have.

[@Buttsmoker]

And I definitely didn’t adjust my amp !

[@kronikhs9322]

Why should he tho..?

[@henneburymarc]

​@@kronikhs9322 To make him feel smart for pointing that out

[@Meta9871]

@@backwardslash exactly. Here's an idea for this idiot's next video: What Color Amps Sound Best?

[@Augrills]

@@backwardslash it’s in the middle position with both. Very easy to see it’s the same

[@the_null_man]

or push away a mic by accident! Any micro-movement will change the sound

[@benjaminbregnbaek5443]

Rosewooood!

[@johndaugherty4127]

easily rosewood. I had a Firebird and that was the best sounding guitar I ever heard.

[@ryanvanhazen2997]

Great tone makes me want my blackstar again. Course the guitar wood doesn’t matter lol

[@backyardboy5236]

They sound ever so slightly different but one is not better than the other but rose wood looks better on most guitars

[@jesusfollower6698]

Rose wood just hits different

[@alejandroblanco2071]

Verdict is : "Mathafakka you sound great on both necks" 🔥👏🏼👏🏼

[@TheStrangr2112]

It’s simple, rosewood both looks and sounds better

[@the_desert_hobo6965]

In the end the tone isn’t in the wood but ok, if it feels good then good for you. (Glenn from Specter media disproved that myth)

[@patriknessboLemoran]

Literally no noticable difference. Tonewood only look nice

[@jcedrez]

The diner has located its new dish washer.

[@Meta9871]

LMAO

[@MechanicallyMusical]

Id always heard solid maple necks are brighter but this demonstrates that perfectly.

[@lorraineming4590]

Rosewood is like playing tennis on clay, and maple on a hardcourt

[@lewiswalker8499]

This is a good analogy. The difference to me is in how it feels to play on each neck.

[@Rapture-Farms]

Rose wood...maple feels taky

[@brycebolender1963]

Tone wood is a myth

[@richardlucascronley5128]

Maybe on electrics

[@ShaunakAkotkar]

Satin finish feels more easier to play personally

[@midnight6284]

The Waffle House has found a new host

[@rokumi1424]

The waffle house has found its new host.

[@RedBeardReaper]

The maple neck sounded more crisp and clear with a broader range of tones. The rosewood was very bass heavy

[@Bob_Greasy_The_3rd]

Rosewood is always the best, cuz it looks good.

[@brainfartmaster5980]

This is untrue. Wood doesn't affect the tone. He simply modified the EQ in the two recordings just to fool us

[@johnmoser1162]

Crap ... you might train your ears ...

[@Christian-97]

@@johnmoser1162Tone wood is only a thing for acoustics and classical guitars. No need to train your ears for a “difference” that isn’t there.

[@johnmoser1162]

@@Christian-97 Do you know what physics is ? If not then learn basic physics. Read the chapter about dampening, resonance bla bla of materials. If you don't get it, I can happily assist.

[@johnmoser1162]

@@Christian-97 And ... you are mixing 2 different topics as many idiots do - a) the "impulse response" of the guitar and b) the built in "amplifier" of acoustic guitars which transforms the wave energy of the strings into sound energy.

[@johnmoser1162]

@@Christian-97 And re. a) it totally depends whether your guitar is built from jelly or titanium. But most ppl will not hear the the difference of woods. But if you have spent ten 1000s of hours exercising (=pro), then you will notice anything ...

[@glo2ube786]

I can hear the difference. And it was as I expected. I’ve done that very same experiment. It was a cool validation. Thanks

[@xavierblanche3093]

The Waffle House has found its new host

[@10bunks12]

Maple. I like the look better. That’s all.

[@lastnamefirstname3696]

Also, you should avoid having one left handed neck and one right handed neck because the difference in string length and tension might also affect tone. Good video though.

[@Meta9871]

Reverse headstocks are a thing

[@lastnamefirstname3696]

@@Meta9871 I know, I just meant that he should keep it consistent for better results cause having one headstock be reversed and the other not may affect the tone. I also just kinda forgot what reverse headstocks were called.

[@cooldude8685]

Me who knows it has literally no affect in tone

[@vegasaxeman]

Rosewood = Rock Maple = Blues Nice job bro! Nuff said...

[@Meta9871]

What the fuck lmfao

[@vegasaxeman]

@@Meta9871 🥴

[@misterghee1]

Try baked wood pleasesSir

[@andybaldman]

The Waffle House has found it’s new host.

[@monkey_finest2642]

The waffle house has found its new host.

[@bluehotsauce767]

The waffle house has found it's new host

[@whenindoubtchill55]

The Waffle House has found it's new host

[@bababoey.]

The Waffle House has found it's new host

[@johndardi1334]

Absolutely no tonal difference whatsoever. There…. I settled it. 😊

[@Meta9871]

Rare based comment

[@slixnoir]

The Waffle House has found its new host.

[@personwhohasyoutube]

The Waffle House has found it’s new host

[@chaptermastertree8214]

​@@personwhohasyoutube Oh god not here

[@bababoey.]

The Waffle House has found it's new host

[@LithiumExile]

no differencrefrecence

[@peepock7796]

The verdict is, the two are identical.

[@clown454]

so there’s like, no difference

[@shaunryanthompson]

Strange it sounds like the maple neck added some gain to the final sound, rosewood neck sounded more clean. I've always been a fan of maple necks although admittedly having never owned a maple neck guitar myself.

[@Meta9871]

Added gain? Are you kidding? Tell me you're kidding.

[@godzilla964]

I just prefer rosewood because I find it’s easier to do bends than maple.

[@viniciuseduardobomfim]

Ain't that curious. If you go online, you will see a lot of (if not most) people claiming it's easier to do bends on Maple. To each one their own.

[@moistj69]

Rosewood on the 3 high strings and maple on the 3 low strings. It sounds like a dream

[@michealnotmichael6595]

My man used the guitar neck as a mic 💀

[@windazonthewrld]

TONEWOOD DOES NOT MATTER!!!!!!

[@gregcoates4281]

The biggest difference is actually stability. Rosewood is a relatively open pore type of wood. It requires more maintenance than maple, which is often sprayed, lacquered, or finished with some sort of finish. Rosewood tends to shrink and swell with climate and humidity changes. If you look at the Strat players who used tremolo bars, aggressively, Hendrix, Van Halen, David Gilmour and others you’ll notice that many of their finger boards if not all of them were maple. That’s usually the thing I point out when discussing fingerboard differences on Strats or any guitar with regard to tremolo use. Maple is more rigid, has more attack and doesn’t shift and move around as much a rosewood does. On the other hand, rosewood is slightly warmer in the lower mid range, and can help a glassy Stratocaster have more warmth.

[@santinocervantes2454]

What’s even the point 😭

[@ahamad69]

The waffle house has found it's new host.

[@kz.productions]

It’s a design choice

[@zackglickert4495]

i’m a piano player who’s recently gotten into guitar, the whole tone thing is absolutely ridiculous and makes me love piano even more

[@maykolllopez1585]

All solid rosewood neck!!

[@mniklos]

Greg Koch rules 👍👍🤘

[@EnigmaOnStrings]

Literally not at all notorious and the differences are pretty straight forward. 😹

[@Meta9871]

As straight forward as changing pickup positions. It's almost like... he changed pickup positions!

[@monsieurjellie3753]

E B O N Y

[@ninjamonkey1]

Lol in a band setting it would make literally zero difference 🤣

[@yobrethren]

It makes just about the same sense in a solo setting as well, guitar signal is comprised of a lot of stuff and wood is on the lower register of things. AND i meant priority, NOT the frequencies HAHAHhhh

[@Zarfilms2007]

Maple fret boards can have checking on the top with frets where as Rosewood won’t except maybe on the back as they age. The feel of maple is better in my opinion.

[@emefcue]

For me, i have to go with the dark color regardless of sound. Its like having your cellphone in dark mode. Easier for me to see

[@Jaggerbush]

Bass rosewood every day

[@ashpreet.singh07]

maple

[@doomerquiet1909]

Rosewood all the way

[@Thez7882]

I like the rose wood because it looks a lot better than the maple and sounds better too

[@danhope77]

I hear the difference, very distinctive sounds IMAO. Love both

[@normcote270]

100%