Mahogany is going to color the sound and you will get enhanced bass and mids, more tone and more sustian, it is more forgiving of cheap pickups. As you might guess, red alder is the one used for guitars in general — and Fender guitars in particular. Mahogany has been used as a soundboard or acoustic guitar top since the 1920 at least. They play a huge part in the sound of your instrument, not to mention the aesthetics and feel. Now if your talking about SG's, your TOTALLY wrong. Poplar. The green then looks brown. The type of wood, along with how it is treated in the factory, will determine what the instrument looks, sounds, and plays like. Its relatively inexpensive of all the usual guitar woods, and it’s easy on router bits in the factory, easy to sand, and easy to seal and finish. Its tone is thick and concentrated with a forceful mid range. Not all woods are suitable for use in all parts of a guitar. Maple is a very hard type of wood with good tonal qualities and good sustain. Breedlove Guitars makes many different acoustic guitars (such as the Frontier Series) featuring mahogany tonewood, but recently has released a USA series featuring lots of beautiful mahogany. Highly desirable for steel-string acoustic tops because of its rich, full, clear and loud … The top end is clear, but does not 'sparkle'. © 2014-2020 Stringjoy, LLC. Since it grows from Southeast Alaska to Central California and almost always within 125 miles of the Pacific Coast, a plentiful and affordable supply existed practically in Fender’s backyard. From Brazilian rosewood to Sitka spruce, get the lowdown on popular tonewoods. Lets start with the hardest first: Mahogany: 2200. chadi e. Updated March 23, 2017 03:03. hello guys . John Suhr, founder of Suhr guitars and a former luthier at the Fender Custom Shop has said many times that one of his favorite wood combinations for bodies is basswood with a maple top. Basswood is my favorite guitar tonewood by far. I'd imagine that's why a lot of mahogany guitars (or at least, in my experience) are coupled with a maple top; to give it back some of that "snap". or more. Swamp Ash has good sustain, firm bass tones, bite in the midrange, and airy highs. however I like seymour duncans or bill lawrence "wilde pickups" xl500's Its hard to go wrong with mahogany, Basswood is bright, and doesnt color the sound much at all. The tone is warm and full with good sustain. Basswood is a very “full” sounding wood, and it makes sense as adding the maple top gives the overall package more cut and brightness. Danelectro, for instance, make a frame out of Poplar and cover it in Masonite. I'd like to hear thoughts on how basswood compares to poplar tonally. Many guitar and bass bodies are made from Mahogany. Medium brown in color with a red or orange hue, this mid to mid-heavy weight wood has a mild grain pattern that looks great with many transparent finishes. It responds very well to the low tension and energy of the Nylon strings to create a really warm, 'earthy' tone. The relative disadvantages of poplar are that it is not well suited to use with transparent colours, and that on average a guitar body will weigh about 1/2 lb more. Mahogany became popular in guitars because it is attractive and cheaper to get than rosewood. Almost all Sapele exhibits strong "ribbon" figure that is much coveted, and for an additional charge sets exhibiting intense fiddleback or quilt patterns are available. Mahogany. Japanese Ash isn’t really related to any other form of Ash, but it looks similar. Hi All: I haven't been around much these days. it's twangier but not as brilliant. Maple necks can impart a bright, poppy tone that can do much to reinforce the top end of a large-bodied guitar, while mahogany necks help push the overall palette into a warmer, more woody tonal range. Pao Ferro vs Rosewood: Rosewood is darker, more traditional, but feels very similar to Pao Ferro. Archtop Tonewoods: Maple vs. Mahogany. The response of mahogany is often described as 'quick' meaning that it is extremely dynamic, while the tone is very warm and rounded with an emphasis on the mid range. While that might be true from a certain point of view, musicians know that instruments come alive in their hands. Many American guitar factories use Swamp Ash because the wood is lightweight, pretty, and has a pleasant timbre. There are 49 types of Mahogany, but many are practically extinct because of the wood’s popularity for furniture and musical instruments, and the types used today are not the same as the Mahogany used in guitars in the 1940s or 1950s. Hypothetical situation: So you’ve just stumbled across some sort of “mahogany” wood, and you’re wondering if you have the real deal. I've assembled lots of custom guitars and found I also like mahogany and ash. Mahogany lends more of a parlor kind of tone to the guitar. Un-jumbling the Mahogany mess. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ebony is a beautiful and very hard wood popular for fingerboards, though it is not seen as commonly because it is both rare and expensive. It is beautiful yet light, and gives a warm and balanced sound with good sustain. A heavier, flat-sounding and often beautiful wood of which there are several species, maple is used in acoustic guitars because of its sonically âtransparentâ qualities, which let the tonal character of the top ring through without significant tone coloration from the back and sides. It is a medium to heavy weight wood with a Strat® body averaging 5 lbs. https://musicvilla.com Sapele is an African mahogany that is beautiful, plentiful, and produces wonderful guitars. Looking for a beginner guitar? Disscuss anything you want about wood! Fender PlayStep-by-step lessons. Laminate guitars, on the other hand, can be made to acce… Guitars made from The Tree routinely sell for $30,000-$40,000. At least, that's how I understand it. But IMO the feel is SLIGHTLY more hard than rosewood. Maple-poplar-maple in the case of Gibson back in the day, were their mahogany laminates hog-poplar-hog? Guitar necks are traditionally made from maple, in part because of its strength, and in part because the material can highlight and amplify the wood in the body. Many guitar and bass bodies are made from Mahogany. Since it grows from Southeast Alaska to Central California and almost always within 125 miles of the Pacific Coast, a plentiful and affordable supply existed practically in Fender’s backyard. One question that is very common and quite relevant to most archtop players is the difference between maple and mahogany when used on the back and sides of an archtop. Many guitar manufacturers as a substitute for alder are using this wood, as it is quite similar in tone. A unique guitar built of woods from the dawn of civilization (featured in the June 2016 issue of AG). Later years hace seen restrictions in Rosewood import and usage, and other materials are becoming popular instead. Above all, the wood matters. The woods used to build guitarsâacoustic guitars in particularâare called tonewoods, and they have enormous effects on the sound and price of an instrument. Mahogany back and sides often emphasize bass and treble, with more overtone coloration and a âwoodyâ sound (as opposed to the more metallic sound of, say, rosewood back and sides). Maple Used for: Back/sides. Required fields are marked *. Mahogany guitars have long been recognized by the world’s greatest guitarists as making some of the finest sounds around. A side effect of being soft is that it also dents easy. Mahogany may also be used for the solid bodies of electric guitars, such as the Gibson Les Paul. You might have to try many before you find one with a voice that resonates with you. For me, the paulownia is far too soft. Installed some decent pickups and it was a wonderful player with great tone. MORE INFO:Give us a call at (406) 290-9390 or email us at sales@musicvilla.com for more information. All very impressive, but what does it mean? Mahogany. Mahogany Why Is Mahogany Used For Guitars? dave Poplar and alder are very similar tonally. For this reason, what has become known as the “parlor guitar” was born. Sometimes also seen on Steel Strung Guitars. Cedar has been popular for years with classical guitarists. Sooooo If ya like Basswood, go for it . Your email address will not be published. The way it’s cut, for instance, will affect both its workability for a guitar maker and its sonic performance. Very popular, although supply is sporadic. If this is what you after, then this is a great wood option for you. Used for: Back/sides. Some types of wood that were commonly used in the 1950s are close to extinct today, and can no longer be used for mass production. Basswood: Basswood is a soft wood with tight grains. Share Tweet. Mahogany is a fine grained wood with great musical properties. Mahogany can be found on a lot of vintage instruments and is very popular among old school metal legends! In fact, I will go out on a limb and opine that if you had two identical guitars in opaque finishes -- one poplar and one ash -- it would be difficult to tell the difference in tone. i.e. Similar in tone to Brazilian Mahogany, with slightly more mids. Strong and clear at the low end, rich and sparkly at the top end, with a reverberant quality. Some guitars have both neck and fretboard in maple, and they will typically have a bright and open sound. That said, Id much rather have a good poplar body of few pieces, … It s that head thing . Very similar to the Brazilian variety, but with thicker, more midrange-y tonality. the Rio Grande tallboy pickups produced the perfect 'grind' to the guitar as well. How about Nomex laminate cores in double top instruments? Structurally: no, but if you are thinking “Tonewood” just don’t! Flame Maple on an acoustic guitar back—image c/o Josred Handmade Guitars . Some instruments are made from Aluminum, and some use Aluminum for the necks and fret boards. As far as price goes, I haven't noticed a huge difference in the price of basswood vs. alder, (cheap) mahogany, (cheap) ash, or maple but that might just be the way prices are here. Mahogany is a wood that became popular primarily being used on 24 3/4" scale length guitars since the 1950's. Other popular guitar woods include Korina, which was made popular by Gibson in the late 1950s. You can find them in both electric and acoustic guitars, and the tonewood is highly resilient against wood rot or warping over time. Used for back and sides, koaâs tonality resembles mahogany. (Parenthood + music gigs = not a lot of spare time.) Disscuss anything you want about wood! the poplar seemed to produce that really nice woody tone you want from a strat. Here, the most commonly used variety is known as Honduras mahogany, a relatively plentiful and cheap wood thanks to extensive plantations intended to maintain stocks. As you might guess, red alder is the one used for guitars in general — and Fender guitars in particular. The natural resiliency of poplar yields to saw blades, router bits, chisels and knives more easily than the brittle consistency of red oak. Common steel blades work fine on poplar, but red oak lumber will dull steel blades causing burning, chattering and splintering on a table saw. While the rich tones of solid wood remain unmatched, a layered wood construction can yield great sound in a beautiful, durable and affordable instrument. You get mahogany’s smooth, appealing lows with good sustain, as well as the extra clarity, definition, and bite added by the dense maple cap. Your email address will not be published. the Rio Grande tallboy pickups produced the perfect 'grind' to the guitar as well. The Gretsch Jim Dandy line is a totally vibey recreation of these quirky instruments. or more. How do I love thee, mahogany? Basswood vs mahogany Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by Wakizashis, Dec 2 , 2019. Nato/poplar/alder: this is tough to understand. Read more about tonewoods here. Either way, RW looks nicer up close, IMO. A Fishman Presys II preamp gives an honest portrayal of the guitar’s acoustic qualities and includes bass … One of my all-time favorite strats was a poplar-bodied Wayne's World model. Mahogany back and sides often emphasize bass and treble, with more overtone coloration and a “woody” sound (as opposed to the more metallic sound of, … I'll be using the published Janka Wood Hardness Scale. A dense hardwood that, when used for guitar tops, produces solid tone, particularly at the high end, with pronounced midrange-y quality. There are guitar manufacturers who don’t use wood. A Red guitar doesn't sound any better than a Black one except to someone that prefers the color of choice over the other. The "holy grail" tones tend to be guitars built a long time ago with old technologies, so that … Sound Pure Luthier. Region: Africa Ebony is especially popular on fretless guitars, where it is more durable than softer materials that are easily worn down by the strings. Sitka Spruce is used more than any other species for guitar soundboards. 1000s of songs.START YOUR FREE TRIAL. Poplar: one of the softer hardwoods, nicely resonant with a meaty tone. Maple, mahogany, and rosewood are three of our most popular acoustic guitar tonewoods, appearing all across the Taylor line. dave Physically lighter than rosewood, maple or koa, mahogany is no less popular as a tonewood. Youâre not going to be tested, but here are the ABCs of tonewoods â various woods and the sound qualities theyâre noted for: As a guitar top, dense mahogany has a solid, punchy tone with low overtone content and good high-end response. Maple is also often used as a top for the guitar body, partly because it is beautiful (think flame, or quilted maple tops), and partly because it can brighten a sound that would otherwise be murky. Sturdy and lightweight, itâs known for imparting clear, powerful tone. It depends on where the tree grew, how quickly it grew, and how the wood was treated once the tree was cut down. Spruce vs Mahogany vs Koa – we take a look at the differences between the woods on the Taylor GS Mini and how they sound When it comes to the best travel guitars, there are many options out there, but there are very few that have garnered such a good reputation … Others use Carbon Fiber, and others yet take another path away from traditional tone woods. fulfillment is delayed due to weather // see current lead times // free shipping on orders $20+ details. One of the most popular woods for acoustic guitar tops. I made several speaker cabinets out of poplar and after the finish yellows, it looks like any other hardwood. A walnut bound mahogany body paired with Washburn's Scalloped-X bracing makes this an elegant guitar with a clarity that makes it great for the detail of fingerstyle playing. Basswood comes from Linden trees, and it is soft and easy to work with. Most of the guitars in this series have the thinnest finishes ever on a Breedlove acoustic guitar. Mahogany (Khaya ivorensis): We use African Mahogany in our body production. For instance, import and usage are restricted for certain types of Mahogany, Rosewood, and Ebony, and large guitar manufacturers in the US have been raided by the justice department on suspicion of using illegal materials. Youâll be well on your way to finding the right guitar for you. Most of us arenât wood experts, so what exactly do different woods have to do with the sound of an acoustic guitar? Each of the main tonewoods has its own place, and is chosen for its particular characteristics. Alder body vs mahogany . Each instrument is different—that’s part of what makes them so great. Well as we can see by the chart that "Hard Wood" is just a relative term as the numbers very quite a bit, and according to the numbers when compared to Mahogany both Poplar and Bass wood are way to soft to build a guitar body from and forget about Paulownia that stuff is a Bad joke some one played on guitar … Strings matter, hardware matters, the type of paint matters. Les Paul type guitars often combine a mahogany body with a maple top for a total that is balanced overall. I did some reading: Agathis is like very plain mahogany, and Basswood is like very plain Alder. As a guitar top, dense mahogany has a solid, punchy tone with low overtone content and good high-end response. Most mahogany guitars are just mahogany bodies, and not mahogany topped guitars. Life is busy. These days, many luthiers have started using woods like Pau Ferro and Cocobolo instead of rosewood, with good results. Today, according to Thalia, mahogany guitars come in three main varieties of hardwood. Sitka’s combination of strength and elasticity translates into a broad dynamic range, yielding crisp articulation and allowing for everythi… Mahogany used as the body and top wood on a Gibson Les Paul. Tonally Sapele is very similar to Honduran Mahogany, but cosmetically it tends to exhibit more figure. To qualify as a good guitar wood, a wood must be strong enough to hold up structurally, but also have the tonal characteristics that a luthier is looking for for a particular project. Revisiting the styles of department store plywood guitars from the 1930s and ‘40s has become an increasingly popular trend in the guitar world. Rosewood will give a darker tone than maple alone. Each instrument has a unique voice and feeling, and two are rarely the same—even if they might look alike. The solid maple/mahogany body is characteristically rich, warm, and resonant. Fretboard materials also exert an influence on overall tone, although they probably act more as icing on the cake than as a layer of the cake itself. Guitar Advice, Recent update | Archtop Guitars, Article, Mahogany, Maple, Tonewoods. Let me count the ways: L‑00, D‑18, O‑22, J‑45, Les Paul Junior…. Mahogany gives a warm timbre with a lot of bottom end. Hard Maple: 1450. Expect your guitar to sound twangier, but not quite as big sounding. Mahogany Guitars. Boutique builders will often utilize more exotic wood species, such as Brazilian rosewood, cocobolo, or koa, but the limited supply of these materials means that these options – though visually striking – are simply not available at the more modest price points. Very popular across the range of guitars, particularly Sitka Spruce. Every part of an instrument matters. Spruce, for example, is often used for tops in acoustic guitars, but is not an ideal material for electric instruments. Mahogany is the cornerstone tonewood of the fretted instrument world. The body chipped when I was tapping the ferrules in, and it dents very easily. Back in my SRV-wanna-be days! Personally, i'm a ginormous fan of Mahogany bodied guitars. Priced under $200, these little axes are suited well to both kids and beginning - or couch-playing - adults alike. In terms of sound, mahogany adds a parlor type of warm tone. The top end is clear, but does not 'sparkle'. The response of mahogany is often described as 'quick' meaning that it is extremely dynamic, while the tone is very warm and rounded with an emphasis on the mid range. It's commonly thought that you'll need a brighter top wood/fretboard to add a little bit of snap back into the tone for rock/metal. Basswood used for the guitar body on an Ibanez RG7. Rob Sharer. Installed some decent pickups and it was a wonderful player with great tone. It is a medium to heavy weight wood with a Strat® body averaging 5 lbs. Learn how your comment data is processed. the poplar seemed to produce that really nice woody tone you want from a strat. Alder used to be very popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and many Fender guitars from that era are made from Alder. Basswood has a warm, balanced sound with great mid range and good sustain. Be the first to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways. Maple vs. mahogany electric guitar necks. Physically lighter than rosewood, maple or koa, mahogany is no less popular as a tonewood. The material in the neck and fretboard also matters. Mahogany may be used in the tops of some guitars as well as the back, sides, and necks of instruments of the mandolin and guitar families. Red Spruce. I have also used Basswood in a guitar kit I assembled a few years back. Mahogany. This is an expensive guitar wood with bright highs and midrange, good bass, and great sustain. Besides the type of wood, individual pieces or blanks each have their own unique characteristics in terms of feel and tone. Mahogany gives a warm timbre with a lot of bottom end. Theres a plethora of Gibson SG's that are the farthest thing from a "budget" guitar, and 99% of them are all mahogany-bodied guitars, without a maple top. how do they differ.... and is basswood not as good as Mahogany, as commonly mentioned? Due to lack of availability other similar woods are used as mahogany replacements, such as toona, khaya, meranti, Agathis, nato wood and sapele. Share Tweet. I absolutely do NOT like alder. A great deal, actually. Certainly one of the favourites for bodies and necks here at Ormsby Guitars. What it lacks in dramatic visual appeal and breathless testimonial from wood-sniffers, it more than makes up for in suitability for instrument construction. Mahogany is the most commonly used material for the top, back, and sides of acoustic guitars. In this thread, I hope guitar players and luthiers could share you valuable first-hand experience on Okoume's tone characteristics, as well as the tone comparison between Okoume, Genuine Mahogany, African Mahogany and Spanish Cedar. “The veneers will still color the tone, but the guitar becomes more of a reflection of the design,” Andy says. Poplar is easier to mill, cut, sand and nail than red oak. It can enhance the mid range tones and add meatiness/thickness to the sound.
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