Maple adds emphasis to the upper mid range. It supports clarity and fast transient speeds. Maple is too bright to be used by itself. It works best when blended with woods that focus on the lower mid range. Because of the brighter sounding PLA body, maple by itself does not work with Transcend or Ethereal. In Ethereal, the maple inlay balances the lower mid range emphasis of walnut or rosewood. In Explorer, maple slows the tonality swings caused by differing woods.