Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

[Metalblaze]

How much, a flat maple top, affects the tone of a neck-thru guitar entirely made out of......mahogany for example?

Does it have significant impact on it? I know it depends on how thick it is but how thick can the flat top woods be on neck-thrus? :scratchch

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

So much, a flat maple top, affects the tone comparitively to the rest of the body.

Everything affects everything but if you use tons of gain and high-output pickups you really shouldn't worry yourself about wood tone.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

It does affect it alright but the thinner the top, the less pronounced the effect.

I have a Mahogany neck-thru with an Ebony top, the top is about 7mm thick, I can hear it but not THAT much, especially under heavy gain...

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

it will have an effect but how much is really up to the thickness, fretboard material, pickups, bridge, amp etc.

what is your real intention with this guitar? knowing that some of us can suggest a thickness that might have the right effect.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

I know high gain is hiding tone a bit, but after all these years messing around with high gain I can see the difference.

Also, there are high gain tones that I don't like at all (Children of Bodom) and high gain tones that I really like (Overkill, Exodus). I know it's not only the electronics behind this.

I just want a guitar with the right amount of low/high end. To have a deep yet clear sound. I don't want versatility etc.

Ok I'm down to these two possibilities:

Soloist style guitar. Neck-thru, Floyd Rose etc.

1) 5p korina/maple neck (3pcs korina/2pcs maple), ebony fretboard, korina body wings

2) All korina neck, ebony fretboard, korina body wings, flat maple top.

I just can't leave maple out, I like its sound characteristics. So the question is where should maple go? Neck or body?

It's just for metal.

But I wanna have a good wood tone foundation to start with. I just can't say "It's alright I'll crank the gain up so let it be plywood."

However plywood is the most ecological material. You don't have to kill trees to make your guitar.......:scratchch lol

 

[CTN]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

I'd go with the all-Korina neck if you want a deep sound.

the brightness of the ebony fingerboard will add clarity and a bit of brightness. and the maple cap on the body will add just a touch more.

In a neck through, not much of the tone comes out of body wings. most of it comes from just the neck woods.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

I think option two would be a good one I would go with a 3/8ths inch top.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Hmmm...what I was exactly thinking about the second case.....

I'm thinking it seriously. Most possibly maple + ebony is a bit too much if you think that body sides' effect is minimum.

The only thing that makes me still consider the first option is that Jackson SL1s are maple neck-thrus with ebony boards and they sound great. But maybe not my kind of "great"....:-/

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

I think option two would be a good one I would go with a 3/8ths inch top.

So that's around 9.2mms. Almost 1cm. Yeah it makes sence....

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Maple caps/tops affect the acoustic tone more than the amplified tone. I've got a Jackson CS SLS with a 1/8" thick maple cap on a mahogany body and it doesn't sound any different amplified than my similar import models with the thin maple veneer over mahogany body.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Maple caps/tops affect the acoustic tone more than the amplified tone. I've got a Jackson CS SLS with a 1/8" thick maple cap on a mahogany body and it doesn't sound any different amplified than my similar import models with the thin maple veneer over mahogany body.

Yeah 1/8'' is a very thin cap I guess. I'm thinking about 1cm or so.

Also option 2 supports my second finish option which is a dark transparent black on quilted maple instead of solid metallic black. Interesting....

 

[jacksonrr]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Trans black Jacksons look amazing. I personally like the feel of maple with an ebony fingerboard. Specially oiled maple. Only thing I played faster was raw wenge. If you're worried about the neck/fingerboard being too bright, why not choose beefier pickups? Regular blackouts would do the trick..... Just my opinion.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

that's easy to figure out. go play some gibson faded les paul studios, then go play a standard or studio depending on when the faded is from it'll either have BBpros(same as a standard) or the 490/498 set(studio set). that way you can compare the full mahogany fadeds against their maple capped counterparts. within a few minutes of playing each type, you'll immediately hear the difference. to me, you get a softer attack and more warmth from all mahogany, while the maple cap will usually add some good clarity in the highs/upper mids along with a more pronounced pick attack.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Trans black Jacksons look amazing. I personally like the feel of maple with an ebony fingerboard. Specially oiled maple. Only thing I played faster was raw wenge. If you're worried about the neck/fingerboard being too bright, why not choose beefier pickups? Regular blackouts would do the trick..... Just my opinion.

Yeah beefy pickups are an option....Although I'm just thinking to have an already "heavy sounding" wood once the guitar is gonna be mostly for rhythm playing. Heavy riffing etc... I'd like the low end to be strong but also to be clear.

I don't know if that's true but I feel that when the guitar is bright and you try to warm it up with the pickups the low end is not as deep as that of a warm guitar. Maybe it's because the low-end is not that low in that case....?

Also low-mids play a big part in a heavy sound in my opinion. So a wood with good lows and low-mids is gonna be the most suitable....Just my thoughts....

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

that's easy to figure out. go play some gibson faded les paul studios, then go play a standard or studio depending on when the faded is from it'll either have BBpros(same as a standard) or the 490/498 set(studio set). that way you can compare the full mahogany fadeds against their maple capped counterparts. within a few minutes of playing each type, you'll immediately hear the difference. to me, you get a softer attack and more warmth from all mahogany, while the maple cap will usually add some good clarity in the highs/upper mids along with a more pronounced pick attack.

Yep that can be kind of a nice guide but set-necks behave differently than neck-thoughs I guess...But anyway I'm gonna try it.

 

[jacksonrr]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Well not to toot my own horn, since I'm still waiting on the neckthru neck from Soulmate Guitars, but I did a crapton of research for this build and I'm going with wenge. Wenge neck wood, wenge wings, ziricote fingerboard and stainless frets. As far as I can tell, I'll be in metal tone heaven. I thick, but defined, low-end. A cutting mid-range and crisp highs. Sustain out the A$$ as well. Ziricote is in the rosewood family and should sound mellow evening out the SS frets brightness. I want the SS frets for durability, feel and the super clean pinch harmonics I've always gotten out of them. I'll start a new thread on this build once it gets here. Should be by mid Sept he said.
Didn't mean to hijack or anything. It's just my recent obsession.

 

[jacksonrr]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

It's gonna be pretty heavy. About the same as Mahogany with an ebony board. Even with the Jackson neck profile and the recessed Floyd route. Weight.... ughhh

 

[jacksonrr]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Oh, I forgot some other things.
It has a comb-filtering effect on the upper mids. I like to take my upper mids and play them down some. Sounds like what you're looking for EQ wise.
The open pores on it make the neck feel a lot faster. Less surface area. Kinda like non stick pan technology only natural and from Africa. Gotta wash your hands before you play though, if you don't fill that grain. You'll clog it pretty fast.
Downside, it's an oily wood. Difficult to paint. You're at least gonna have to wipe it tons with acetone if you want that kinda look. I wanted an almost pitch-black brown tone with my black hardware and that's what's gonna happen naturally. I'm going all quartersawn, but flatsawn has some cool tangential patterns that show a lighter grain. Doesn't need much of a finish if you go the tung-oil or boiled linseed oil route.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

Yep that can be kind of a nice guide but set-necks behave differently than neck-thoughs I guess...But anyway I'm gonna try it.

that is true, however all of the variables except for the top and finish are the same, meaning the main differences you hear will mostly be in the tops.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Flat top wood on neck-thru question.......

that is true, however all of the variables except for the top and finish are the same, meaning the main differences you hear will mostly be in the tops.

Yeah I know a store here that has 3 LPs right at the front of the shop. One of them being a faded studio....