Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

[Diminished Triad]

Here's the proposed Warmoth combination for a neck design:
Shaft Wood: 3A Birdseye Maple
Fingerboard Wood: Ebony (Macassar)

The guitar body will be mahogany with a wenge laminate top.

Any recommendations for specific pickups and what you might think these combinations will lead to in tone and sound?
Thanks!

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Interesting...I normally think of Ebony being paired with a Mahogany shaft. I personally don't have any experience with Ebony on Maple, I would think that would be a pretty bright combo but the Mahogany body will probably tone it down.

What style of music are you wanting to use this guitar for? Are you looking for more of a high gain sound or clean sound...?

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

A range between classic rock and 70's R&B. From Grand Funk and Dire Straights to the Funk Brothers and Nile Rogers.

Thanks!

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

A range between classic rock and 70's R&B. From Grand Funk and Dire Straights to the Funk Brothers and Nile Rogers.

Thanks!

I might be going with a generic route here...but have you thought about SD '59 set?

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Should've asked this first...are you looking for single coils or humbuckers?

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

HUMBUCKERS! Sorry missed that one too!

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

I might be going with a generic route here...but have you thought about SD '59 set?

Interesting...........on the Warmoth virtual build site I actually have a set of gold 59's lined up. Of course everyone here knows so much more so before I push the button wanted to see if anyone had more recommendations. I might change out the neck to mahogany instead of maple if others feel the same?

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

On the Warmoth virtual build site I actually have a set of gold 59's lined up. I might change out the neck to mahogany instead of maple if others feel the same?

I think the SD '59 Set is a very well balanced set that people have used from blues to country to jazz to rock etc. Just a good balanced set of pickups.

Well, I have zero experience with Ebony on Maple...both Ebony and Maple are brighter toned woods so it seems to me that that may be a very bright combo. I saw partscaster for sale on Craigslist that had a Maple neck with Ebony fretboard...he said it didn't get the tone he was after.

I would recommend the Mahogany neck–I just finished an all Mahogany Strat (except for the Rosewood fretboard) and it has incredible sustain and even rings out forever even unplugged.

View attachment 56415View attachment 56416

I was going more for Rock to Metal sound...so a little different than your route–I highly debated Ebony for the fretboard. I personally have loved Electrics with Mahogany and Ebony combos. I like a warmer sound which is why I went with Mahogany and Rosewood. But you have to go with the sound, look, and feel you are looking for.

 

[Kostas]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

I can't speak for the mahogany body - maple neck combo but korina body and flame maple neck/macassar ebony fretboard worked great in my case. Different guitar though, tele with single coils.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Its going to be almost impossible to fully predict how these might combine.......that goes for a lot of combos. If you start with something generic then that will give you a good idea of where to go....almost to the point of temporarily ripping out a set from a guitar you know/like and seeing how they respond in the new build.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Yeah dont get too hung up on how you "think" wood combinations will sound. The Robin in my avatar is a birds eye maple neck with ebony board on a mahogany body with a 1/2in thick maple cap. Internet wisdom says this should be bright as hell... but its not. The guitar has a clear but not bright presence to it with a snap on the initial attack of a note but other than that is actually very balanced.

The wenge veneer that warmoth uses is so thin is almost a non factor in the sound. Really this combo isnt radically different from an all mahogany body with an all maple neck.

For pickups I would go SH55's or A2P's for what your doing. Though my mind says Brobucker with a PG neck would be way cool too.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Tom Anderson once wrote that he's had the best luck using mahogony neck shafts with mahogony bodies. He thought that a maple neck shaft and mahogony body kind of fights itself. I have used a maple shaft/ebony board with a hog body/maple top tele and it worked great though. One idea is that woods should not be too contrasting. However, my best sounding guitar hands down is swamp ash with an all rosewood neck.

A maple shaft ebony fingboard neck isn't any brighter than a regular all maple neck in my experience. Its a cleaner, more articulate, sound than all maple though.

What I'd be interesting in here if it was me; is a wenge shaft with an ebony board.

 

[Oinkus]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Maple neck is better wouldn't do birdseye though , figured wood doesn't make for straight necks sometimes. Want it quarter sawn hard rock/eastern maple. When paired with ebony and mahogany body don't think that it really matters that much what wood you use in any of these options. A lot of what guitarists say, think and do is just because they think it has some kind of effect on the sound. Human ears don't have that great of a range, just because you can see something with expensive testing gear does not translate to what you hear. Mostly it is about taking your money from you , buy what you want and enjoy it.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Maple neck is better wouldn't do birdseye though , figured wood doesn't make for straight necks sometimes.

bull pucky stop spreading internet rumor, here's a quote from warmoth themselves

"There seems to be a recurring rumor that Birdseye maple is unstable and not suited to guitar necks. Having made tens of thousands of Birdseye necks, we can assure you that it is no different in stability than plain maple."

This is the neck on my Robin its been stable and perfect for 19 years

 

[TIGEREYELASER]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Maple neck is better wouldn't do birdseye though , figured wood doesn't make for straight necks sometimes. Want it quarter sawn hard rock/eastern maple. When paired with ebony and mahogany body don't think that it really matters that much what wood you use in any of these options. A lot of what guitarists say, think and do is just because they think it has some kind of effect on the sound. Human ears don't have that great of a range, just because you can see something with expensive testing gear does not translate to what you hear. Mostly it is about taking your money from you , buy what you want and enjoy it.

Ahhh, a realist... I think what you hear comes from the pickups, if it's any kind of guitar I see the wood affecting the acoustic tone of said instrument but not the electronic signal.

 

[t1r12003]

Re: Ebony on Maple; Wenge on Mahogany?

Yeah dont get too hung up on how you "think" wood combinations will sound. The Robin in my avatar is a birds eye maple neck with ebony board on a mahogany body with a 1/2in thick maple cap. Internet wisdom says this should be bright as hell... but its not. The guitar has a clear but not bright presence to it with a snap on the initial attack of a note but other than that is actually very balanced.

I second this. Warmoth's explanation of tone woods is a nice generalization, however, each piece of wood will sound different. Here's an interview with Dave Weiner about his PRS guitars. Go to 12:00. Ash body, maple cap, maple neck, ebony fret board. What do you think that should sound like...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7lcYzY04A0