What's your Favorite Tonewood?
- Thread starter zizyphus
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Erlend_G
New member
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
I think Koa sounds the best to my ears; (Martin baby koa, my own Wildkat koa)
it's warm, has alot of midrange, and sweet treble.
then all-maple guitars (like ES-335, or the old Yamaha SA-5 i used to own).
Never been a big fan of mahogany; but my wildkat is all mahogany (apart from top and fingerboard). Doesn't sound /bad/ though- but I'd rather had it made out of maple.
I think Koa sounds the best to my ears; (Martin baby koa, my own Wildkat koa)
it's warm, has alot of midrange, and sweet treble.
then all-maple guitars (like ES-335, or the old Yamaha SA-5 i used to own).
Never been a big fan of mahogany; but my wildkat is all mahogany (apart from top and fingerboard). Doesn't sound /bad/ though- but I'd rather had it made out of maple.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
Yeah, that's the problem with the whole "tonewood" thing. The individual piece of wood might matter . . . but trying to generalize based on species of wood is kinda a fool's errand. Mahogany is usually seen as being mid-rangey and maybe a bit darker. The brightest guitar I own is a thick mahogany slab though.
Yeah, that's the problem with the whole "tonewood" thing. The individual piece of wood might matter . . . but trying to generalize based on species of wood is kinda a fool's errand. Mahogany is usually seen as being mid-rangey and maybe a bit darker. The brightest guitar I own is a thick mahogany slab though.
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
Yea, fair
I've found myself on both sides of the tonewood debate, depending on the specific arguments of the person I'm talking to. The concept of tolerances lends itself perfectly to intraspecies variation for a given wood.
Yeah, that's the problem with the whole "tonewood" thing. The individual piece of wood might matter . . . but trying to generalize based on species of wood is kinda a fool's errand. Mahogany is usually seen as being mid-rangey and maybe a bit darker. The brightest guitar I own is a thick mahogany slab though.
Yea, fair
I've found myself on both sides of the tonewood debate, depending on the specific arguments of the person I'm talking to. The concept of tolerances lends itself perfectly to intraspecies variation for a given wood.
devastone
New member
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
Usually maple bodies are softer maple, but I built a 1HB strat with a floyd with a hard maple body and an all maple neck with an A2 JB in it, that guitar sounded awesome.
I agree, I like basswood a lot now, I miss my old IBZs, especially my rootbeer JEM. Basswood gets even better with a maple cap ala Music Man Axis, if those guitars have a neck that fit me better they would be perfect. Too bad I don't like the offset bodies of the Peavey and EVH Wolfgangs, still might have to bite that bullet someday.
Usually maple bodies are softer maple, but I built a 1HB strat with a floyd with a hard maple body and an all maple neck with an A2 JB in it, that guitar sounded awesome.
I agree, I like basswood a lot now, I miss my old IBZs, especially my rootbeer JEM. Basswood gets even better with a maple cap ala Music Man Axis, if those guitars have a neck that fit me better they would be perfect. Too bad I don't like the offset bodies of the Peavey and EVH Wolfgangs, still might have to bite that bullet someday.
BeKindRewind
New member
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
And I'll have to try an A2 JB some day. I'm about to stick a ceramic in one and see what that sounds like.
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Ah yeah, I think I would go with whatever is in the maple caps on a Les Paul, or whatever is in the neck. My favorite sounding guitars are my neck thrus with maple necks, so a great deal of their tone is coming from the maple and i just love the way it sings
And I'll have to try an A2 JB some day. I'm about to stick a ceramic in one and see what that sounds like.
Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
I can't believe some people don't believe in tonewood, there's a simple test to check for yourself.
Play a chord on your guitar unplugged. As the chord is ringing out push the body against another piece of wood, don't push the neck as that will effect tuning. Notice certain frequencies get bleed off through the second piece of wood and the guitar sounds different.
Repeat this experiment but plugged in, the same frequencies get bled out of the electric tone.
End of discussion.
Btw: to answer your question, Paulowonia neck and ash body.
I can't believe some people don't believe in tonewood, there's a simple test to check for yourself.
Play a chord on your guitar unplugged. As the chord is ringing out push the body against another piece of wood, don't push the neck as that will effect tuning. Notice certain frequencies get bleed off through the second piece of wood and the guitar sounds different.
Repeat this experiment but plugged in, the same frequencies get bled out of the electric tone.
End of discussion.
Btw: to answer your question, Paulowonia neck and ash body.
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
I have an old super strat that is all maple. It sounds great. There is nothing wrong with how it sounds and it sustains forever. Very Les Paul like. The weight can literally be a pain in the neck, though.
Use a brass block if it has a trem, and a thick, warm, bridge pickup like the Dimarzio Tone Zone.
I have an old super strat that is all maple. It sounds great. There is nothing wrong with how it sounds and it sustains forever. Very Les Paul like. The weight can literally be a pain in the neck, though.
Use a brass block if it has a trem, and a thick, warm, bridge pickup like the Dimarzio Tone Zone.
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Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
Swamp ash for me. Sadly.
Swamp ash for me. Sadly.
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
maple is my favorite by far. It is great for necks fretboards and bodies. Can be very plain and 'raw' or extremely luxurious.
Other than that: Spanish cedar bodies are amazing but ash is more versatile in looks and tone. ebony fretboards are the best for me. Neck shafts: solid Indian rosewood. Feels, looks, works the best to me. And sounds great too.
maple is my favorite by far. It is great for necks fretboards and bodies. Can be very plain and 'raw' or extremely luxurious.
Other than that: Spanish cedar bodies are amazing but ash is more versatile in looks and tone. ebony fretboards are the best for me. Neck shafts: solid Indian rosewood. Feels, looks, works the best to me. And sounds great too.
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
Surprised about the love for maple. That's cool, I love my maple guitar, but if my maple guitar was any bigger, it would be too heavy. I think maple can look the best, just because it takes dyes so well, and can have crazy figuring.
Surprised about the love for maple. That's cool, I love my maple guitar, but if my maple guitar was any bigger, it would be too heavy. I think maple can look the best, just because it takes dyes so well, and can have crazy figuring.
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
I think the 'problem' also extends to the typical of depth of understanding of the argument. So many people seem to have this binary/superficial level to their understanding. So a 'black or white' thing. If the wood-tone argument is neither universal, nor distinct, it therefore must be imaginary.
And of course because a guitar is made up of multiple bits of a wholly unique organic material, results can be variable.
Yeah, that's the problem with the whole "tonewood" thing. The individual piece of wood might matter . . . but trying to generalize based on species of wood is kinda a fool's errand. Mahogany is usually seen as being mid-rangey and maybe a bit darker. The brightest guitar I own is a thick mahogany slab though.
I think the 'problem' also extends to the typical of depth of understanding of the argument. So many people seem to have this binary/superficial level to their understanding. So a 'black or white' thing. If the wood-tone argument is neither universal, nor distinct, it therefore must be imaginary.
And of course because a guitar is made up of multiple bits of a wholly unique organic material, results can be variable.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
Mahogany body. Either with a maple top or not.
Maple or mahogany neck. Haven't tried anything else. Either works for me.
Rosewood fretboard. Love the looks of maple and ebony, but I find rosewood smoother and warmer-sounding.
Mahogany body. Either with a maple top or not.
Maple or mahogany neck. Haven't tried anything else. Either works for me.
Rosewood fretboard. Love the looks of maple and ebony, but I find rosewood smoother and warmer-sounding.
Re: What's your Favorite Tonewood?
I like ebony or rosewood, but I am sure there are a ton of other woods I would like for a fretboard, too. I mean, we use so few species... it is silly. There is a whole world of materials out there. The fretboard wood might not even matter if it is scalloped.
I like ebony or rosewood, but I am sure there are a ton of other woods I would like for a fretboard, too. I mean, we use so few species... it is silly. There is a whole world of materials out there. The fretboard wood might not even matter if it is scalloped.
