Maple, Mahogany & Rosewood: when?
- Thread starter P90s
- Start date
veinbuster
Zombie Three, DFZ
This is an interesting question.
I feel the different necks give very different sounds, but I've never really associated them with a type of music.
I consider mahogany the baseline, and will play anything on it.
I really like rosewood for blues type leads - it has a meatiness to it that appeals to me when playing blues.
I tend to use maple for more 'jangly' music - usually rhythm, but I almost always play SRV on maple - I know this is counter to what I said before, but that's just hwo it is for me.
I feel the different necks give very different sounds, but I've never really associated them with a type of music.
I consider mahogany the baseline, and will play anything on it.
I really like rosewood for blues type leads - it has a meatiness to it that appeals to me when playing blues.
I tend to use maple for more 'jangly' music - usually rhythm, but I almost always play SRV on maple - I know this is counter to what I said before, but that's just hwo it is for me.
jfb
Plank Owner
Mahogany always.
Maple when not Mahogany.
Rosewood for something different.
That's my personal take. I think they any of them work for most all styles.
Maple when not Mahogany.
Rosewood for something different.
That's my personal take. I think they any of them work for most all styles.
I think you can use all 3 woods interchangeably without the average people noticing too much. The differences are there, but it really doesn't matter that much, just choose what you like. I loved maple necks myself, for the snapping tone, and I use it for any kind of music. Rock, blues, jazz, metal, you-name-it... It all boils down to your personal preferences. I think our own playing style influences how we sound more, and also eq-ing the amps will affect the tone even more.
You can experiment with different woods. By all means, go ahead if you want wenge or rosewood neck to be different. Or stay with the conventional maple or mahogany if you love the way they feel. IMHO, choosing the wood that you like or prefer actually makes you play (and possibly sound) better. Psychology can explain that
You can experiment with different woods. By all means, go ahead if you want wenge or rosewood neck to be different. Or stay with the conventional maple or mahogany if you love the way they feel. IMHO, choosing the wood that you like or prefer actually makes you play (and possibly sound) better. Psychology can explain that
All the neck woods are great, and sound different from one another, but of course it all depends what the neck is attached to!
Example: a maple neck and ebony board are a bright and articulate combination on a solid body, but on a big ole L-5 CES like Wes Montgomery played, it's plenty warm sounding and not jangly.
And then there's the whole question of set neck versus bolt-on, and there are more differences to talk about. My feeling is that even on a solid body, all the neck woods work fine for whatever I play, and it's really a question of finding a personal voice, whatever that may be. I tend to prefer mahogany necks with a solid body, but my acoustic is all maple, and I love its sound.
I've had a few with rosewood necks, and they sound warm and great, too.
Example: a maple neck and ebony board are a bright and articulate combination on a solid body, but on a big ole L-5 CES like Wes Montgomery played, it's plenty warm sounding and not jangly.
And then there's the whole question of set neck versus bolt-on, and there are more differences to talk about. My feeling is that even on a solid body, all the neck woods work fine for whatever I play, and it's really a question of finding a personal voice, whatever that may be. I tend to prefer mahogany necks with a solid body, but my acoustic is all maple, and I love its sound.
I've had a few with rosewood necks, and they sound warm and great, too.
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