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What's your Favorite Tonewood?

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  • What's your Favorite Tonewood?

    Hey all!

    At the risk of starting a trollwar, I have to ask - what's everyone's favorite tonewood for an electric geetar? Or, put another way, what's the wood that gets you closest to the sound in your head (given the right pickups, amp, etc)?

    Here's me admitting my bias; you all may feel differently, but we can still have a civilized discussion: I'm actually someone who believes that most of your sound comes from your pickups, and a sizable chunk of the remainder comes from the construction (bridge type, saddle material, scale length, etc.), and that the wood is a less important ingredient than some of these others. That said, we're all tone geeks, and an additional 10% here and there definitely adds up, thus we've all found ourselves diving down deep gear rabbit holes...

    I ask because of an interesting discovery recently. While I mostly consider myself a Les Paul guy, and I was over the moon when I had my Wayne's World moment with used Gibson gold top and I actually had the cash snag it, two of my favorite guitars are anything but high-end masterpieces. One is a Jackson JS32 Rhoads V, and the other is a Tele partscaster. Both of them have always sounded amazing to my ears, regardless of what pickups I've put in them or what I plug them in to. And, while I'm NOT someone with a strong preference for lighter guitars (in fact, the gold top that is my #1 is over 10 lbs), I definitely noticed that both have feather light bodies. Amidst all the quaranTime I have, I recently catalogued all of my gear, and realized something that got me thinking: they're both stringthrough bodies with brass saddles, 25.5" scale lengths, poplar bodies, maple necks, with dual humbuckers.

    Now, I have other 25.5" scale length hardtail guitars. Most of my axes have brass saddles (except my RG with a floyd rose). I switch pickups and magnets compulsively between one guitar to the next, because this is my hobby and I love experimenting. The only constant, besides how good both of these beater axes sound to my ears, is the fact that they both have poplar bodies with maple necks. Maybe this is a recipe I should stick to!

    Of course, there will always be variability between slabs of the same species of wood with respect to density, water content, etc. For that matter, and the range of tolerances within a particularly species might be as high as the variability between two species. I don't know much about wood / trees, so I don't know what's true here, and my experience with an N of 2 guitars with the poplar / maple / 25.5" combo may not be representative at all. Nevertheless, I'm definitely happy with what I've heard so far!!!
    Last edited by zizyphus; 05-11-2020, 09:53 AM.
    Gibson LP, Burstbucker 3 A6, 490R A4
    Gibson LP, Pearly Gates A6, Sentient A4
    Gibson LP BFG, Burstbucker A8, P90
    Gibson SG special T, GFS Crunchy Mini, Gibson mini A3
    Strat SSS, SD STK-6 , SSL1 middle, Bootstrap Sparkle Neck
    Strat HSS hardtail, Perpetual Burn A6, Bootstrap Sparkle mid/neck
    Tele, DMZ Area Hot T, Gibson Mini A3
    Tele, DMZ Pegasus A2, Gibson Mini A3
    Jackson V, SD Pegasus bridge, 490R A5
    PRS SE CU24: Air Norton A2, 490R A3

  • #2
    Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

    Wood doesn't make a huge difference, but in the tests I've done I consistently prefer the sound of maple necks/fretboards. I have been happy playing these necks on Ash, Alder, and Mahogany bodies though. Skinny necks seem to sound better to me than fat necks too, but they're less comfortable to play.
    Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

    Originally posted by Douglas Adams
    This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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    • #3
      Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

      This thread should be limited to one or two words - simply the species of your favorite, not the whys and wherefores, and all that other crap.
      So in that spirit, I offer my favorite tonewood (with no editorials).
      MAHOGANY.
      aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

        Originally posted by GuitarStv View Post
        Wood doesn't make a huge difference, but in the tests I've done I consistently prefer the sound of maple necks/fretboards. I have been happy playing these necks on Ash, Alder, and Mahogany bodies though. Skinny necks seem to sound better to me than fat necks too, but they're less comfortable to play.
        Hmm I see the opposite on slim vs larger necks. Examples are my prototype / employee non production Washburn USA MG 122 and my Carvin ST 300. Both have thicker neck profiles than normal for those guitars and both sound better ( noticeably thicker tone more sustain ect) than my other guitars from the same companies. However the thicker neck profile I just don't care for in feel so they get played less than the others.
        Guitars
        Kiesel DC 135, Carvin AE 185, DC 400, DC 127 KOA, DC 127 Quilt Purple, X220C, PRS Custom 24, Washburn USA MG 122 proto , MG 102, MG 120.
        Amps PRS Archon 50 head, MT 15, Mesa Subway Rocket, DC-5, Carvin X50B Hot Rod Mod head, Zinky 25watt Blue Velvet combo.

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        • #5
          Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

          On the woods depends on the type guitar. Neck through or set neck I prefer Mahogany or KOA for both the neck and body with an ebony board, bolt on prefer Swamp ash or Poplar body and a Maple neck with a rosewood board.
          Last edited by Ascension; 05-11-2020, 10:27 AM.
          Guitars
          Kiesel DC 135, Carvin AE 185, DC 400, DC 127 KOA, DC 127 Quilt Purple, X220C, PRS Custom 24, Washburn USA MG 122 proto , MG 102, MG 120.
          Amps PRS Archon 50 head, MT 15, Mesa Subway Rocket, DC-5, Carvin X50B Hot Rod Mod head, Zinky 25watt Blue Velvet combo.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

            Mahogany with Ebony.
            Go buy my book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/198405564X

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

              I believe wood does make a huge difference and I think Gibson and Fender got it right in the 50's and 60's.

              I like lightweight ash and a maple neck on Teles and Strats. Rosewood or maple fingerboards - I like both.

              For Gibsons or PRS I like Honduras mahogany bodies and necks, and rosewood fingerboards. Not crazy about ebony fingerboards. Too pure sounding. I do like a maple top on a mahogany body.

              I don't like maple bodies. Too heavy. Not enough warmth.

              For acoustic guitars I like Appalachian spruce or cedar tops. Rosewood bodies, with Brazilian being preferable. Mahogany necks with rosewood fingerboards.

              Although a mahogany body sounds fine with electric guitars, for acoustic guitars I'm rarely impressed by those with mahogany bodies. They don't seem as loud or as full in the bass as Rosewood, and if the top is also mahogany they usually don't sound very loud or resonant to me.
              Last edited by Lewguitar; 05-11-2020, 10:42 AM.
              “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

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              • #8
                Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                I don't know that I really have a favorite. Mahogany is the most prevalent body wood in my solid-body collection (5/8), but lately my #1 has been an alder-bodied strat.
                Duncan Pickups in currently in use: '59 (rewound to PATB-3)/'59, Custom/AP2H, Tapped QP set for Tele, Crazy 8/Cool Rails, Screamin' Demon/Stra-Bro 90, Custom 5/Phat Cat, SP90-1/SP90-2, SMB-5D

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                • #9
                  Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                  Basswood and maple is my favorite combo.
                  The things that you wanted
                  I bought them for you

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                  • #10
                    Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                    basswood body and skinny maple neck

                    thicker necks probably sound better
                    and other body woods might resonate better
                    EHD
                    Just here surfing Guitar Pron
                    RG2EX1 w/ SD hot-rodded pickups / RG4EXFM1 w/ Carvin S22j/b + FVN middle
                    SR500 / Martin 000CE-1/Epiphone Hummingbird
                    Epiphone Florentine with OEM Probuckers
                    Ehdwuld branded Blue semi hollow custom with JB/Jazz
                    Reptile Green Gibson Custom Studio / Aqua Dean Shire semi hollow with piezo
                    Carvin Belair / Laney GC80A Acoustic Amp (a gift from Guitar Player Mag)
                    GNX3000 (yea I'm a modeler)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                      Originally posted by ehdwuld View Post

                      thicker necks probably sound better
                      Yes (And I have a proof to this at home !)
                      Smartphone Zombies won't shred

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                        Originally posted by 80's_Metal View Post
                        Mahogany with Ebony.
                        This is me usually too for electrics

                        Although for acoustics, I've heard all kings of great things, -in London last year, I played an Irish guitar made from Bog Oak that was unbelievably good sounding.
                        “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                          Aluminium.
                          green globe burned black by sunn

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                            For me :
                            Three woods for body : Alder/Ash/Mahogany, all great (I am refering to the type of mahogany used in the old Gibsons, not Khaya. And Ash : both Swamp and Northern)

                            Maple for neck but also mahogany (the old type. From Honduras maybe ?)

                            I am not a fan of basswood but it can be OK with hi-gain and for metal
                            And maple for body is very snappy !!! (OK for funk)

                            All my guitars except 4 have a rosewood fretboard. I won't discuss this too much. But I love it, especially with the beautiful (slightly violet) black veins.

                            When saying tonewood does not matter remember those instruments can be played with lots of distortion + modulation but also unplugged. You won't see the difference through an Airplane Flanger with Regen at 11. But with a light crunch or a clean sound.
                            Smartphone Zombies won't shred

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?

                              Originally posted by Ascension View Post
                              Hmm I see the opposite on slim vs larger necks. Examples are my prototype / employee non production Washburn USA MG 122 and my Carvin ST 300. Both have thicker neck profiles than normal for those guitars and both sound better ( noticeably thicker tone more sustain ect) than my other guitars from the same companies. However the thicker neck profile I just don't care for in feel so they get played less than the others.
                              I've found that thinner necks have something slightly softer in the high end that is pleasing to my ears - especially with single coils. YMMV though, it's very much a personal preference thing.
                              Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

                              Originally posted by Douglas Adams
                              This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

                              Comment

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