Maple vs Mahogany as a neck - tonal impact?

[Isaac cruz]

I'm interested in an artist package PRS that has a maple neck instead of Mahogany. What tonal impact should I expect from this change?

 

[Huggy Love]

Brighter, less mid punch.
It's subtle but tone addicts can tell.

 

[markd21]

With PRS guitars, I find they lose the "PRS-ness" with a maple neck. I have two with maple necks and there is a brighter tone. I also feel there is a hardness to the sound that isn't there with the mahogany necked guitars. It's still a GREAT sound, but just not what I equate with PRS.

While you would have to account for the bolt-on vs. set neck attachment here, the best way I can say it is that my maple necked PRS' respond the way my Jackson PC-1 guitars responded. The PC-1s had the mahogany body and a 3/4" maple cap, a HUGE maple neck with a quilted maple fretboard. There was more warmth than a typical shred guitar, but no-where near the smooth, thick tone of the PRS. The Jackson still had snap, extra clarity and was a little "firm" in the way notes were delivered.

 

[Isaac cruz]

With PRS guitars, I find they lose the "PRS-ness" with a maple neck. I have two with maple necks and there is a brighter tone. I also feel there is a hardness to the sound that isn't there with the mahogany necked guitars. It's still a GREAT sound, but just not what I equate with PRS.

While you would have to account for the bolt-on vs. set neck attachment here, the best way I can say it is that my maple necked PRS' respond the way my Jackson PC-1 guitars responded. The PC-1s had the mahogany body and a 3/4" maple cap, a HUGE maple neck with a quilted maple fretboard. There was more warmth than a typical shred guitar, but no-where near the smooth, thick tone of the PRS. The Jackson still had snap, extra clarity and was a little "firm" in the way notes were delivered.

Very good observations, thanks for sharing!

 

[Tag]

With PRS guitars, I find they lose the "PRS-ness" with a maple neck. I have two with maple necks and there is a brighter tone. I also feel there is a hardness to the sound that isn't there with the mahogany necked guitars. It's still a GREAT sound, but just not what I equate with PRS.

While you would have to account for the bolt-on vs. set neck attachment here, the best way I can say it is that my maple necked PRS' respond the way my Jackson PC-1 guitars responded. The PC-1s had the mahogany body and a 3/4" maple cap, a HUGE maple neck with a quilted maple fretboard. There was more warmth than a typical shred guitar, but no-where near the smooth, thick tone of the PRS. The Jackson still had snap, extra clarity and was a little "firm" in the way notes were delivered.

Are you comparing a prs bolt on maple neck compared to a prs glued in Mahogany??? If so, that would not be a good comparison at all. Bolt on gives a very different sound.

 

[markd21]

Are you comparing a prs bolt on maple neck compared to a prs glued in Mahogany??? If so, that would not be a good comparison at all. Bolt on gives a very different sound.

I currently have two bolt-on PRS' but previously had an AP with a set maple neck that didn't do it for me. It was early on when I was still figuring out what I like/dislike in my PRS "recipe". Turns out it's ALL about the mahogany neck/body for me!!

 

[Tag]

I currently have two bolt-on PRS' but previously had an AP with a set maple neck that didn't do it for me. It was early on when I was still figuring out what I like/dislike in my PRS "recipe". Turns out it's ALL about the mahogany neck/body for me!!

Thanks for the clarification! The maple necks look so cool, but I avoid them worrying about the exact reasons you state. I love my Rosewood necks for what they do, but all around, I think Mahogany with a RW or Ebony fingerboard is the best.
Imo, ymmv etc etc.

 

[dogrocketp]

Although my current number one is a mahogany neck, it has a katalox fretboard to give it a bit more bite. The majority of my guitars are maple neck, rosewood board. I feel that there is a little greater clarity above the octave with that combination.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

In my limited experience, maple has more upper midrange with a snappier response.

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I have a custom 24 with a maple neck, rosewood fretboard and swamp Ash back. If I had to describe the tone I'd say it's bright but very articulate and you can really hear every note in a chord. It's definitely much different from my mahogany back/neck guitars but I personally love it for its unique tone.

 

[Ironwolf]

it's very subtle, I've owned PRS 594 with a mahogany neck and I now own one with a maple neck, you have to really be paying attention to figure it out.
ever so slightly more string attack with a maple neck, slightly more string clarity, just a slight bit more low end with mahogany. and you can really only hear the differences with low to moderate gain, as soon as you crank the gain up, you just don't notice it anymore. on a moderate gain setting I think the highs die out a little quicker (after 4 beats) on the maple neck so they sustain slightly differently, if you play them head-to-head you might start to figure it out, but if you just pick up the guitar and start playing there's no way you could tell that it was maple or mahogany, they are that close. I think you would get the same difference between an artist package and a regular core model the quality of the woods would cause the 2 guitars to sound that same slight bit different, in EQ and sustain. all I can say is that my 594 probably be with me for the rest of my life super excellent guitar.
you'll probably not like some other feature of the guitar more than noticing any tonal differences. extremely nice musical guitar with amazing tone.
of course swapping out pickups way more dominant tonal changes.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

it's very subtle, I've owned PRS 594 with a mahogany neck and I now own one with a maple neck, you have to really be paying attention to figure it out.
ever so slightly more string attack with a maple neck, slightly more string clarity, just a slight bit more low end with mahogany. and you can really only hear the differences with low to moderate gain, as soon as you crank the gain up, you just don't notice it anymore. on a moderate gain setting I think the highs die out a little quicker (after 4 beats) on the maple neck so they sustain slightly differently, if you play them head-to-head you might start to figure it out, but if you just pick up the guitar and start playing there's no way you could tell that it was maple or mahogany, they are that close. I think you would get the same difference between an artist package and a regular core model the quality of the woods would cause the 2 guitars to sound that same slight bit different, in EQ and sustain. all I can say is that my 594 probably be with me for the rest of my life super excellent guitar.
you'll probably not like some other feature of the guitar more than noticing any tonal differences. extremely nice musical guitar with amazing tone.
of course swapping out pickups way more dominant tonal changes.

I agree with most of this, I disagree that the differences are lost as the gain goes up.

In my opinion, the attack and snap of maple cuts through the distortion. Feels faster with more of a defined edge on the note.

This difference is probably more noticeable through some amps than it is through others. On mine it really stands out.