Maple vs Mahogany neck

Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

It is a set neck with the neck contoured down to feel like a neck throught. It's a guitar being constructed by Musikraft.com

The exact reason I like ebony is because it adds definition not so much brightness. Notes tend to stand out more instead of being slurred together. So I agree with what people said as far as ebony fretboards are concerned.
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

Your best bet would be to go down to your local music store and try out a bunch of Les Pauls: the all-Mahogany Studio Faded, a Standard, a Custom, and a Zakk Wylde model. Try them unplugged and find out which one sounds the best.
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

Yeah I planned on it when I get off work monday.

However, as of right now I think I might just go mahogany neck/body with a maple top and ebony fretboard. It should get me the thick and powerful tone I desire with the ebony fretboard giving me the extra note definition I want as well.
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

ACH91332 said:
Yeah I planned on it when I get off work monday.

However, as of right now I think I might just go mahogany neck/body with a maple top and ebony fretboard. It should get me the thick and powerful tone I desire with the ebony fretboard giving me the extra note definition I want as well.
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That sounds like a pretty solid combination that you can't go wrong with.

If you really need massive definition, you'll want a maple neck, but there's snap, a sharp attack that also comes with that definition (a big part of that "spank" you hear from traditional Fenders). You're looking for a thicker, probably smoother, more traditional Les Paul tone so I think a maple neck could counter what you're trying to achieve.

The few mahogany body with mahogany/rosewood neck guitars I've owned were really warm and (dare I say it) muddy. That's where having a maple cap and/or an ebony fretboard helps out. Some people have gotten along with the all mahogany combos just fine, but I've done it and not been crazy about it.
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

Yeah I mean my Les Paul was my holy grail of tone. The only thing I didn't like was how the notes slurred together a lot under gain. It wasn't horrible but it was there. I didn't have an issue with mud. When I got my Mockingbird it didn't have that problem. It had a maple neck through and an ebony board. The Mock didn't have that definition problem but it wasn't as ballsy and it had the same electronics in it. I think it was the fact it had a maple neck and that it was neck through especially. Correct me if I'm wrong but having the same piece of wood sense all string vibration all the way down the guitar and have the pickups in line with it as well makes it probably the most important factor tonewise on that guitar.

But anways I think I made my decision. Thanks everyone for your help and advice.
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

Yeah I'm resurrecting this. It's nearing that time I'm going to build it I just started working the job that will finance this guitar.

Just out of curiousity, would the Ebony board be enough? Would an all mahogany guitar with an ebony board sound similar to a an all mahogany guitar with a maple top and rosewood board? I've heard of some Les Paul being too bright with a maple top and ebony board I'm just trying to make this guitar just right ya know?
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

I had a 78 LPC with a maple neck and ebony board, and they put maple tops on them at this time as well. T-top pickups. I never had any problem with it not being ballsy or powerful sounding, yet I could run the volumes and tones down to 5 and still have decent clarity.

If you go to my sig and click the soundclick tracks and play How High?, you can hear how that combo sounded under med gain through a pretty clean running '68 Bassman, goosed with a tube OD pedal.
 
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Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

I've had many LPs throughout my 28+ years career.

Several STDs, Customs and two De Luxes. Both De Luxes were mahogany body and maple neck. Both were the worst sounding of all of them.

Best of the bunch: my 1968 LP Custom Black Beauty. 2nd best: a '59 RI. Things in common: both were Mahogany body and neck, with maple top caps. The Custom had an ebony board, the stds and de luxes were rosewood.

I'm just sayin'...
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

guitfiddle said:
I had a 78 LPC with a maple neck and ebony board, and they put maple tops on them at this time as well. T-top pickups. I never had any problem with it not being ballsy or powerful sounding, yet I could run the volumes and tones down to 5 and still have decent clarity.

If you go to my sig and click the soundclick tracks and play How High?, you can hear how that combo sounded under med gain through a pretty clean running '68 Bassman, goosed with a tube OD pedal.
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Ya know, I have a Mockingbird with the same deal cept the neck is neck through so it's mostly the maple's tone shining and its not too bright. I just want something warmer but not too warm I guess. I'm afraid of mud. I dont remember my Les Paul's tone. I just have a copy now which is made of basswood and its alright I guess. It was a free from a buddy so whatever right?
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

ACH91332 said:
So I'm making a custom guitar soon. In a nutshell I want it to sound a lot like a Les Paul but with more note definition. My original idea was just to get a mahogany body with a maple neck and ebony board. No matter what I want to use an ebony board for this guitar I just love the feel of it and the look. Another idea was to go mahogany body, maple top, mahogany neck, and ebony board. I'm just afraid maybe having a mahogany neck and body would be a bit boomy or muddy. My Les Paul isn't with me any longer and hasnt been for awhile so I can't run it through my rig to test it out. Right now I use a mahogany body and maple top Mockingbird with a neck through maple neck with an ebony board and a Floyd. It doesn't sound bad at all but isn't as full sounding as I remember my Paul being.

The reason I'm suck is because my Mock is not bad sounding but not as full sounding and it has the same woods as my first idea except for the fact that its neck through and has a maple top. Would a set maple neck sound that much warmer? and would the lack of a maple top be that warmer too? Will the maple neck have the added clarity I want? or would I need a maple top for that?

Now here's some tone factors to consider. The scale length of the guitar is going to be 24-3/4 scale and the neck will be a set neck. It's going to have an original Floyd and also will have stainless steel frets.

I play everything but I mostly play hard rock and my tone is very reflective of that. I'm a LP into a Marshall guy. I love the tone of a Les Paul. It's very full and powerful but it also can lack definition with my rig.

What woods would you use? No matter what it's mahogany going into the body and ebony for the fretboard.
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Couple of thoughts in random order:

  • Your LP presumably didn't have a Floyd. A Floyd changes everything.
  • Mahogany can be all over the place and can be very bright.
  • The truss rod construction probably has as much impact on sound as the wood species picked.
  • Neck-through changes everything. It's not comparable to a maple neck bolt on.
  • If you want more defined (more snap?) LP changing just the scale length to Fender scale might work.
  • why not buy a used maple neck and see how you like it? You can resell that one for the same price. Only go custom if you have to.
  • The angled neck plate plays a big role, too.
  • Companies like Warmoth only do angled neckplats as sleeve-on in a two-part neck.
  • A thin maple veneer like Warmoth puts onto Fender style bodies won't do the thing to the sound that a carved maple top does.

As far as I can tell a Tele with mahogany body and perfectly normal maple neck with ebony board will do what you want.

But as I said, when the Floyd goes in the LP sound goes out.
 
Re: Maple vs Mahogany neck

Warning: thread resurrection!!

I guess we should ask what ACH91332 decided to do.
 
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