You are are a fantastic player , i just bought a silver sky se in moon white , so your tone examples inspired me very much, and now i have a lot to explore , thank you man, rock on !
Thanks for the head to head. This is really great content. I'm a maple neck Strat guy, I prefer the sparkle and snap, but I find a rosewood board lends itself better to the 635 S pick-ups in these SEs.
Definitely hearing the difference on that gorgeous position 4 comparison. I'm also looking forward a comparison between the two versions of the PRS NF3 SE.
Got the Ever Green Rosewood, it's awesome but I wanted a classic colour so I eventually got the Moonwhite Rosewood too. Wishing to sell the Ever Green if I can.
It’s taken me 30 years to understand the difference between maple and rosewood, but you summed it up saying the maple is tighter and more focused and the rosewood is warmer and broader. The maple pushes upper mids that are missing on rosewood and this becomes more noticeable with gain.
Fantastic video,Jonathan! I have a maple board Silver Sky and a rosewood Silver Sky. Tonally, the maple is brighter than the rosewood version. As for the neck, both of mine feel VERY similar to each other. I do prefer the rosewood just a little bit. I think that I’ve recommended this to you before, but I think that you’d be surprised by how much nicer the Core version is. It’s certainly worth the price.
What’s really cool about these videos is that it’s clear you are enjoying the process and the sounds. Not sure who’s having more fun- us or you! As always, thanks for the great content!
Nice Video! Very high quality content. In 3 months time I'll be able to get my SS SE as they releasing lefty versions! I think I'll go for grey with maple neck. But piano black is also tempting! Wondering how manufacturing process looks as some necks are quite dark (which I love BTW) but some of them are so bright!
You play beautifully!! To me they all are very similar. I just found the rosewood fingerboard the best looking one. I had a PRS SE custom with an amazing rosewood fingerboard. So I probably will double down on that 😄
In the context of the hybrid picking passage, the maple board does fit the myth that it sounds brighter and snappier, (subtle), but in the recording, it somehow sounds louder than the rosewood. In the mix context, I think if you played the whole mix and was never told that there were two guitars, I doubt anybody would notice. An interesting experiment would be to see what EQ and compression would be needed to get the maple SE to sound like the rosewood SE and vice versa. My guess is that it would not take much to get them to sound the same. The differences are already rather subtle. To the RW, apply a little comp using a Cali76 which can also boost the treble a bit and you are there! This is my main tonewood point -- The woods do make some difference, but the post signal chain: pickups, electronics, effects, amp, EQ, speakers, cab, mic, mic pres, etc. have much more impact to the tone and thus make it a moot point. Get the one that looks and feels best! BTW, great playing as always!
Thank you, Joseph! I appreciate your thoughtful reflections and resonate with all of it. I find all of this subtle stuff is more for the player's inspiration than what the audience hears.
The fretboard doesn’t have any direct contact with the strings, so I don’t know why maple and rosewood would sound discernibly different. But just try to convince my brain of that. I always think maple sounds snappier and rosewood sounds warmer. I guarantee it’s my eyes hearing the difference and not my ears! Personally, I think my playing “mood” is altered one way or the other depending on what I see when I look down at the fretboard. Not better or worse, just slightly different. Maybe that affects the tone? By the way, you’re right about the unheralded middle position of Strats. You do get a nice percussive affect, I’m assuming it’s because the pick is right in the pickup’s face. As always, great video.
In my headphones the brighter and faster attack of the maple board is quite noticeable. I like the maple board. Which bugs me because I own the rosewood neck.
Johnny, another amazing video with great content and passion. Not only are you a great guitarist and content creator but Kudos to you for your video editing skills. The visuals of your videos keep the viewer engaged and wanting more. Keep um coming 🎸🤘🏼🔥
The perceived wisdom from guitar magazines was always ‘maple - brighter, rosewood - warmer’ when it came to their sounds. I think there’s a likely logic to that in terms of maple being relatively hard and rosewood softer. There’s certainly a difference in look and feel and sometimes we can hear with our eyes, as well as our ears (!) but your demo demonstrates that there is a tonal difference too 👍
Thanks for sharing, David - it’s amazing how easily our eyes can trick our ears (e.g., adjusting the wrong knob but perceiving it changing the parameter anyhow). That said, I agree the conventional wisdom seems correct here.
Excellent playing! You had a great mix of styles and tones. I found the maple to have a bit more presence than the rosewood. Whether that was better or not depended on what you were playing. I feel that the rosewood sounded better to me on the clean and bluesy pieces. The maple seemed to cut a bit better on the rock. I think the difference was clearest on the clean tones. The biggest difference between the two for me is feel. I have owned one maple boarded guitar. My fingers always felt like they were sticking to the fretboard whenever I did a vibrato.
I prefer the rosewood for the colour, the grain feel, but too because Mayer plays the rosewood, so it's his replica look. I notice the maple sounds more brighter, more treble, tinny, snappy or with quack, the rosewood seems softer or warmer, that's how I feel about their tonal comparisons. Maple is more smooth to touch, the same pick ups will just be reflecting to the boards differences. I feel since the maples brighter, it kind of overcompensates in some unproven way that it might be possible the rosewood can be more articulate or with clarity or definition with single note melody, no wonder you mentioned the rosewood stands out with the bluesy pieces. When you say maple has more presence, a guy in a music store was saying to me too how maple makes the notes sound more punchier. It's surprising how when you figure out the right presets or settings your wanting, if you play them side by side, you might like one more than the other, even if you genuinely lean to one most of the time, having both is just more versatile.
The overland gray with gray birds and knobs with maple fretboard looks great under low light. I love both guitars you demonstrated, I have the dragon fruit but wish the black or gray was out before I bought it since I love those looks but I still love mine. Great playing and video.
Thank You for doing this! Your playing is so smooth and inspiring! I was excited for this video because I'd like to learn more about the Neck! Sound wise the Maple version speaks also more to me. And because there is no guitar store near me I'll order the Maple version and give it a try. The color is also beautiful and matches great with the Maple fretboard.
@@RatherBeRiffingWhat are the differences between the 2023 PRS Silver Sky SE and the 2024 besides colours? My very first guitar is currently on its way to me a Storm Grey Silver Sky SE. I almost went Summit Purple or Nylon Blue as Purple is my favourite colour certain tones of Blue as my second (that or Fuchsia but Fuchsia would be closer to Purple so perhaps 1. Purple, 2. Fuchsia, 3. Miami Blue) I’ve been looking at Guitars for a decade now, programming midi Guitar isn’t quite as easy as I’d like it to be. Other than the Silver Sky, my other choice was the Blueberry Burst Les Paul Standard when it first dropped in 2017? I love a Les Paul, but I think what I bought is better for a new player, considering how LP’s tuning can be problematic. I can’t wait to plug it into my UAD Apollo Twin X. I finally get to use all my software on a real Guitar. 😂 I was thinking of getting a set of the real locking Tuners (PRS has a set that are direct replacements, they aren’t that much either) and getting them swapped out after a year. Do you have any opinions (if you have experience) on the Helix or Quad Cortex? I’m probably going to eventually end up with something that doesn’t require a computer. I was looking at the Rackmount Helix since it will nicely slide into one of the empty units and look nice next to my Rackmount Apollo unit.
They both sounded great. More lower mid on the rosewood and upper mid on the maple. I have a number of guitars with each board and I pick each for how they feel and sound in the context of what I am playing. The differences in your case are very smal and either guitar suits your excellent playi. A good play adapts his approach and ity is the feel of the board that can matter more in the end as you allude to'
I hear the typical differences … but they are subtle imho . And with amp or other eq adjustments you could probably get the characteristics snap or warmth out of the either of them . The neck feel would likely make up my mind . My main guitar for decades is a real ‘58 Strat … So for a modern alternative … I’d try to find a rosewood that I loved the feel of .
I always hear more high mids and a more focused (as you said) tone overall with maple boards. It’s actually more like rosewood subtracts some high mids information compared to maple.
Well said. I remember a clinic where Paul talked about concept of designing guitars to subtract as little from the sound as possible. Your comment reminded me of that.
I thought the RW sounded a little sweeter playing the pretty stuff. As I typically play pretty clean, I'd take it for that reason, though I'm sure I could probably get the same thing out of the other with a little tone knob spinning.
In my opinion it is a combination of string guage, pups, and the player style that contributes to the sound and not necessarily the wood material of the fretboard, at least not so that our ears can differentiate. Thanks to Johnathan for the video!
Great video, thanks! Still, I decided for myself that it would be better to have a Fender like this, Silver Sky sounds strange. It's like a failure in the middle.
I have to say, I agree with what you heard. Both are great, but I’m partial to the warmer tones. But if more of an EVH thing or the Who, definitely maple. Rhett Shull did a similar comparison a little while back and came up with similar results. He also included roasted maple. th-cam.com/video/DS-F_5FEQaE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=W6wZU99UP1IyU2nt Cheers and subbed!!
You are are a fantastic player , i just bought a silver sky se in moon white , so your tone examples inspired me very much, and now i have a lot to explore , thank you man, rock on !
My pleasure and thank you for the kind words! Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for the head to head. This is really great content. I'm a maple neck Strat guy, I prefer the sparkle and snap, but I find a rosewood board lends itself better to the 635 S pick-ups in these SEs.
My pleasure and thank you! I lean maple myself.
Definitely hearing the difference on that gorgeous position 4 comparison.
I'm also looking forward a comparison between the two versions of the PRS NF3 SE.
Got the Ever Green Rosewood, it's awesome but I wanted a classic colour so I eventually got the Moonwhite Rosewood too. Wishing to sell the Ever Green if I can.
Beautiful playing!
Thank you as always!
It’s taken me 30 years to understand the difference between maple and rosewood, but you summed it up saying the maple is tighter and more focused and the rosewood is warmer and broader. The maple pushes upper mids that are missing on rosewood and this becomes more noticeable with gain.
Fantastic video,Jonathan! I have a maple board Silver Sky and a rosewood Silver Sky. Tonally, the maple is brighter than the rosewood version. As for the neck, both of mine feel VERY similar to each other. I do prefer the rosewood just a little bit. I think that I’ve recommended this to you before, but I think that you’d be surprised by how much nicer the Core version is. It’s certainly worth the price.
Thanks as always! I have my eye out for a core. I like the new colors so you never know!
What’s really cool about these videos is that it’s clear you are enjoying the process and the sounds. Not sure who’s having more fun- us or you! As always, thanks for the great content!
My pleasure and love the observation - rings true! Thanks as always for the thoughtful comments.
If all is same - then Maple is a more balance sound across frequencies - Rosewood is a little Bass heavy. If I had to choose one - it would be Maple.
Thanks for your observations!
Nice Video! Very high quality content. In 3 months time I'll be able to get my SS SE as they releasing lefty versions! I think I'll go for grey with maple neck. But piano black is also tempting! Wondering how manufacturing process looks as some necks are quite dark (which I love BTW) but some of them are so bright!
You play beautifully!! To me they all are very similar. I just found the rosewood fingerboard the best looking one.
I had a PRS SE custom with an amazing rosewood fingerboard. So I probably will double down on that 😄
Thank you! When you find one you like, I say go for it!
In the context of the hybrid picking passage, the maple board does fit the myth that it sounds brighter and snappier, (subtle), but in the recording, it somehow sounds louder than the rosewood. In the mix context, I think if you played the whole mix and was never told that there were two guitars, I doubt anybody would notice.
An interesting experiment would be to see what EQ and compression would be needed to get the maple SE to sound like the rosewood SE and vice versa. My guess is that it would not take much to get them to sound the same. The differences are already rather subtle. To the RW, apply a little comp using a Cali76 which can also boost the treble a bit and you are there!
This is my main tonewood point -- The woods do make some difference, but the post signal chain: pickups, electronics, effects, amp, EQ, speakers, cab, mic, mic pres, etc. have much more impact to the tone and thus make it a moot point. Get the one that looks and feels best!
BTW, great playing as always!
Thank you, Joseph! I appreciate your thoughtful reflections and resonate with all of it. I find all of this subtle stuff is more for the player's inspiration than what the audience hears.
The fretboard doesn’t have any direct contact with the strings, so I don’t know why maple and rosewood would sound discernibly different. But just try to convince my brain of that. I always think maple sounds snappier and rosewood sounds warmer. I guarantee it’s my eyes hearing the difference and not my ears! Personally, I think my playing “mood” is altered one way or the other depending on what I see when I look down at the fretboard. Not better or worse, just slightly different. Maybe that affects the tone? By the way, you’re right about the unheralded middle position of Strats. You do get a nice percussive affect, I’m assuming it’s because the pick is right in the pickup’s face. As always, great video.
Thank you and well said. Agree - our minds can play tricks on us, but if they are good tricks, I’m all for it.
In my headphones the brighter and faster attack of the maple board is quite noticeable. I like the maple board. Which bugs me because I own the rosewood neck.
Justification to get a maple one too!
Although I just purchased the maple one. I think the rosewood sounds great in its own way.
Johnny, another amazing video with great content and passion. Not only are you a great guitarist and content creator but Kudos to you for your video editing skills. The visuals of your videos keep the viewer engaged and wanting more. Keep um coming 🎸🤘🏼🔥
Thank you for the kind words - it’s a labor of love and glad to know it is appreciated!
Really an excellent demo, you play very good! Thx
Thank you - much appreciated!
The perceived wisdom from guitar magazines was always ‘maple - brighter, rosewood - warmer’ when it came to their sounds. I think there’s a likely logic to that in terms of maple being relatively hard and rosewood softer. There’s certainly a difference in look and feel and sometimes we can hear with our eyes, as well as our ears (!) but your demo demonstrates that there is a tonal difference too 👍
Thanks for sharing, David - it’s amazing how easily our eyes can trick our ears (e.g., adjusting the wrong knob but perceiving it changing the parameter anyhow). That said, I agree the conventional wisdom seems correct here.
Excellent playing! You had a great mix of styles and tones. I found the maple to have a bit more presence than the rosewood. Whether that was better or not depended on what you were playing. I feel that the rosewood sounded better to me on the clean and bluesy pieces. The maple seemed to cut a bit better on the rock. I think the difference was clearest on the clean tones. The biggest difference between the two for me is feel. I have owned one maple boarded guitar. My fingers always felt like they were sticking to the fretboard whenever I did a vibrato.
Thank you! Appreciate your observations. I know that feeling you describe about maple. I like having both options depending on my mood.
Thank you! Appreciate your observations. I know that feeling you describe about maple. I like having both options depending on my mood.
I prefer the rosewood for the colour, the grain feel, but too because Mayer plays the rosewood, so it's his replica look. I notice the maple sounds more brighter, more treble, tinny, snappy or with quack, the rosewood seems softer or warmer, that's how I feel about their tonal comparisons. Maple is more smooth to touch, the same pick ups will just be reflecting to the boards differences. I feel since the maples brighter, it kind of overcompensates in some unproven way that it might be possible the rosewood can be more articulate or with clarity or definition with single note melody, no wonder you mentioned the rosewood stands out with the bluesy pieces. When you say maple has more presence, a guy in a music store was saying to me too how maple makes the notes sound more punchier. It's surprising how when you figure out the right presets or settings your wanting, if you play them side by side, you might like one more than the other, even if you genuinely lean to one most of the time, having both is just more versatile.
The overland gray with gray birds and knobs with maple fretboard looks great under low light. I love both guitars you demonstrated, I have the dragon fruit but wish the black or gray was out before I bought it since I love those looks but I still love mine. Great playing and video.
Thank you, Robert!
Thank You for doing this!
Your playing is so smooth and inspiring!
I was excited for this video because I'd like to learn more about the Neck!
Sound wise the Maple version speaks also more to me. And because there is no guitar store near me I'll order the Maple version and give it a try. The color is also beautiful and matches great with the Maple fretboard.
My pleasure, Chris - I appreciate the kind words as always. Hope you enjoy your SS SE!
@@RatherBeRiffingWhat are the differences between the 2023 PRS Silver Sky SE and the 2024 besides colours? My very first guitar is currently on its way to me a Storm Grey Silver Sky SE. I almost went Summit Purple or Nylon Blue as Purple is my favourite colour certain tones of Blue as my second (that or Fuchsia but Fuchsia would be closer to Purple so perhaps 1. Purple, 2. Fuchsia, 3. Miami Blue) I’ve been looking at Guitars for a decade now, programming midi Guitar isn’t quite as easy as I’d like it to be. Other than the Silver Sky, my other choice was the Blueberry Burst Les Paul Standard when it first dropped in 2017? I love a Les Paul, but I think what I bought is better for a new player, considering how LP’s tuning can be problematic. I can’t wait to plug it into my UAD Apollo Twin X. I finally get to use all my software on a real Guitar. 😂 I was thinking of getting a set of the real locking Tuners (PRS has a set that are direct replacements, they aren’t that much either) and getting them swapped out after a year. Do you have any opinions (if you have experience) on the Helix or Quad Cortex? I’m probably going to eventually end up with something that doesn’t require a computer. I was looking at the Rackmount Helix since it will nicely slide into one of the empty units and look nice next to my Rackmount Apollo unit.
Those guitar are all awesome and beautiful my dear friend!!
Love and respect Kyle!! 😊🥁🇵🇭
Many thanks!!
They both sounded great. More lower mid on the rosewood and upper mid on the maple. I have a number of guitars with each board and I pick each for how they feel and sound in the context of what I am playing. The differences in your case are very smal and either guitar suits your excellent playi. A good play adapts his approach and ity is the feel of the board that can matter more in the end as you allude to'
Well said, David - I think you nailed it with the point about adapting. Thank you!
I hear the typical differences … but they are subtle imho . And with amp or other eq adjustments you could probably get the characteristics snap or warmth out of the either of them . The neck feel would likely make up my mind . My main guitar for decades is a real ‘58 Strat … So for a modern alternative … I’d try to find a rosewood that I loved the feel of .
Man I’d live to try a vintage ‘58! (I’ve tried a ‘64 and ‘65, but they needed frets)
I have always thought of Maple vs. Rosewood of more of a feel thing than an obvious tone difference. I can see now that the Maple is a bit brighter.
Agree - the feel is a big factor!
I always hear more high mids and a more focused (as you said) tone overall with maple boards. It’s actually more like rosewood subtracts some high mids information compared to maple.
Well said. I remember a clinic where Paul talked about concept of designing guitars to subtract as little from the sound as possible. Your comment reminded me of that.
Hey Jonathan
Thanks for this video
Me as a rhythm player i go with the maple sound in my ears dirtier and more present
My pleasure, Michael - I lean maple for my style as well.
Want make a comparison between your EJ 1 and your maple silver sky?
That would be very interesting
Great vid Jon! See you at the shop soon.
Thank you!! See you soon!
Do you mind sharing your pickup heights?
I thought the RW sounded a little sweeter playing the pretty stuff. As I typically play pretty clean, I'd take it for that reason, though I'm sure I could probably get the same thing out of the other with a little tone knob spinning.
Thanks for your observations! I'll have to try to see how close I can get them with the tone knobs.
Very well done, thanks !
Thank you!
Maple brighter, sparkier - more twang. Rosewood deeper - more resonant.
Well said - agreed!
In my opinion it is a combination of string guage, pups, and the player style that contributes to the sound and not necessarily the wood material of the fretboard, at least not so that our ears can differentiate. Thanks to Johnathan for the video!
My pleasure! I agree those factors have a more meaningful impact on the sound.
Great video, thanks! Still, I decided for myself that it would be better to have a Fender like this, Silver Sky sounds strange. It's like a failure in the middle.
Thank you!
Maple sounds better
I bonded with the maple
I have to say, I agree with what you heard. Both are great, but I’m partial to the warmer tones. But if more of an EVH thing or the Who, definitely maple.
Rhett Shull did a similar comparison a little while back and came up with similar results. He also included roasted maple.
th-cam.com/video/DS-F_5FEQaE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=W6wZU99UP1IyU2nt
Cheers and subbed!!
That fretboard is so dark it looks like ebony on my iPhone.
It really does, David - that’s why I chose it!
It’s absolutely beautiful!
Do you use an amp or software for your tones?
Both. Real amps with software for cab simulation as it allows me to record silently.
@@RatherBeRiffing Thanks brother!!!