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Post by kevmc1180 on Jan 14, 2016 13:18:04 GMT
What do people prefer as their back and sides tone wood? As spruce as top wood what is the opinion of the back sides? Mahogany, Rosewood, or something different like trembasi or koa.
What would be the better tone wood for someone who strums more than picks?
Does it matter or is one better?
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Jan 14, 2016 13:42:15 GMT
My current favourite is English Walnut
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alig
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Post by alig on Jan 14, 2016 14:31:58 GMT
It will matter to your ears.
For myself, I have two Tarans, one in Ziricote/Adirondack, the other in Cocobolo/Adiondack and a Goodall in Mahogany/Adirondack. They all lend themselves to strumming.
The Tarans are triple and double sided, respectively and the Goodall is a traditional 'American-style' guitar. The Goodall has wonderful ringing trebles and really sings in alternative tunings. The Tarans do everything very well. When I asked Rory to build the Dread (Ziri/Adi) I wanted a guitar for all things and that's what I got.
To answer your question is difficult. I would say that no one tone wood is better than another. What I would say matters more is the individual guitar. If you're lucky enough to be able to order a bespoke guitar it will be as much about the builder as the woods. Your style of play - e.g., I'm quite a percussive strummer - will be important to what the builder makes for you.
Other than that, it's the guitar on the wall. If you play one you really like, one that speaks to you, then that's the one. The woods don't matter.
That said, for myself, I really like Adirondack. I think I'd like almost any tone wood so long as it was paired with Adi. I just love the response of it and I say that from experience of two bespoke guitars and the more generic Goodall.
70%+ of the sound will come from the soundboard.
Were I to order another guitar it would be in African Blackwood/Adi. I love Martin's Taran in ABW.
That's my penny-worth from where I am now. Probably have a different opinion in a few years...
All the best.
Alasdair.
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Post by andyhowell on Jan 14, 2016 14:47:40 GMT
I have two guitars in indian rosewood which are still great guitars. I take the point about the top being the most important but the back does shape sonic colour. My latest guitar has wenge back and sides and these certainly do seem to be both rich and to suit finger style well. The other two — a Martin J40 and a Santa Cruz OM — are great all rounders with the extra resonance that rosewood is known for. I would like a mahogany guitar though. If commissioning a new guitar I would almost certainly look at Walnut seriously!
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Post by lavaman on Jan 14, 2016 15:12:51 GMT
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jan 14, 2016 16:02:30 GMT
Although there are generalities that can apply to b/s woods, I suspect most of the result is dependent on the builder. Does seem to be true that harder back timbers seem to project the sound more than the relatively softer ones.
As Iain said, try lots (and don't worry what the wood is).
Keith
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Post by vikingblues on Jan 15, 2016 8:24:37 GMT
I keep being surprised by the variety of sounds from different guitars with even the same soundboard wood. SO I find myself not drawn to any particular woods for back and sides - it's just a case of trying what is available. This does not mean too many possible guitars for me to try as I do have the advantage of playing smaller size guitars - so my choice is limited anyway. There is a plus factor to being able to try all possible guitars in a city in just one day. Good point too about the strumming v picking which will have a big impact on the best suitable guitar - no idea how much that might have to do with the wood on the back and sides though! Mark
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Post by jonnymosco on Jan 15, 2016 12:23:49 GMT
I agree with Iain too - in the past I have commissioned two guitars with brazilian rosewood and one with wengé (similar attributes to BR and due to the guitar coming from the States and fear of CITES) - they've gone to pastures new; now I have a Koa guitar, not a wood I had ever considered, but I fell in love with the guitar, irrespective of the back/sides wood. I shall soon have a new Sobell with Malaysian Blackwood, again, I fell in love with the sound.
TNAG has just posted a video about a Julian Gaffney dread designed for playing with a plectrum, interesting to see if this influenced his choice of woods.
Jonny
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Post by andyhowell on Jan 17, 2016 10:50:34 GMT
As I've mentioned before, one of my favourite guitars at the first Holy Grail Berlin Show was made out of spruce and plane or birch I think!
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