What about this mash up of tone woods?

[Mr 9finger]

I'm just kicking around some ideas here. I found out my tax return is probably going to be more than I thought, so I'll have a bit more $$ to work with.

I'm trying to envision might sound.

Alder body
Mahogany neck
Ebony or Rosewood fretboard
Scale length is undecided

The body I have is routed for bridge and neck buckers and a recessed Floyd.

Pickups aside, Alder has a brighter sound and Mahogany has a warm tone to it. Ebony has a little more snap and note clarity, while rosewood kind of rounds off the notes and smooths them out.

I'm thinking with this odd combo of woods, the scale length and pickups are going to play a major role in the tone of the guitar. What do you guys think?

[Metalblaze]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Interesting what kind of construction? Bolt-on, neck-through, set-neck etc?

[Mr 9finger]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Interesting what kind of construction? Bolt-on, neck-through, set-neck etc?

Ah! Good question! It would/will be a bolt on. The body I have is a Kramer Pacer Imperial body I had refinished a long time ago and the neck will come from Warmoth or USACG depending on the scale length I decide to go with.

[Metalblaze]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

In my small experience alder will give that classic rock tone which is even on the spectrum (lows,mids,highs) while mahogany will emphasize the lower end a bit. If ebony: it will add the clarity and definition needed. Rosewood may go too much towards the darker side.

Maybe it'll be a guitar with a low mid voicing rather than a high mid one but with enough highs for definition. Just my thought...

[Mr 9finger]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

In my small experience alder will give that classic rock tone which is even on the spectrum (lows,mids,highs) while mahogany will emphasize the lower end a bit. If ebony: it will add the clarity and definition needed. Rosewood may go too much towards the darker side.

Maybe it'll be a guitar with a low mid voicing rather than a high mid one but with enough highs for definition. Just my thought...

Probably have to go with some brighter voiced pickups then.

[Metalblaze]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Probably have to go with some brighter voiced pickups then.

Yeah but the amp plays its part too.

I would imagine a Splawn Quickrod for example as a good match to that guitar....

[MetalManiac]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Alder body and Mahogany neck? Hmmm..Nah.

[Mr 9finger]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Yeah but the amp plays its part too.

I would imagine a Splawn Quickrod for example as a good match to that guitar....

Way too much power for me. I was thinking small Egnater, Blackheart, or Jet City.

[Mr 9finger]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Alder body and Mahogany neck? Hmmm..Nah.

Why not?

[Metalblaze]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Way too much power for me. I was thinking small Egnater, Blackheart, or Jet City.

Ah cool. I'm talking about EQ voicing anyway...

[MetalManiac]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

Why not?

well, I had an alder body with a Maple / Ebony neck, and it didnt work. Ive never heard of Alder and Mahogany. Alder is usually paired with maple or Rosewood, or some new style exotique woods that have been proven to work with Alder (,which is very balanced , but not unforgiving)- like 'Pau Ferro'.
Go to the Warmoth forums, but beware, anything goes with a lot of those guys, sort of like like your thinking.. and thats really not true .
I'd go with a Mahogany body, with a Maple Rosewood neck, or ebony Maple neck. Foolproof with a litel higher output single coil or Humbucker pickups. Just my take on it.

[Metalblaze]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

But also consider that what we're not used to doesn't mean it doesn't work. Well I like being controversial.

[MetalManiac]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

But also consider that what we're not used to doesn't mean it doesn't work. Well I like being controversial.

^but it does mean it aint likely to work.
Theres been enough stuff done now with tonewood matchups to have a decent idea.

[Metalblaze]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

^but it does mean it aint likely to work.
.

Maybe it's true but when I think about things like that I try not to fall into stereotypes created by the market with money and profit in mind.

[Dr.K]

Re: What about this mash up of tone woods?

I think I would try a Wenge neck from Warmoth. Not as bright as Maple but not as dark as Mahogany. It's middle of the tonal range like the Alder body. Ebony is the nicest fingerboard wood I've ever played, but if I was to choose Rosewood I'd go for the Brazilian over the Indian any day.