Wood for sustain and warmth

[Robert Delahunt]

All,

This is more of an opinion thread, but I was wondering something. I personally feel that sustain is king of guitar, as it's more like the human voice when it sustains. Anyways, so I was thinking today, since I know about construction techniques for sustain, but what if I wanted to pick woods for warmth and sustain?

Here's the deal. So far I'm thinking I want an archtop with a set neck, tune-o-matic locking bridge and tailpiece, and dual humbuckers (something with alnico II magnets). What woods would you recommend if sustain is the main desire, but they have to have warm tone? Thanks! The only wood I do not want as a body wood is maple. Maple neck and fretboard is ok, I can live with those, so long as they're paired with a good body wood. So far, I love the sound of Swamp Ash and Mahogany, but I'm willing to try almost anything.

PS: I'm open to various pickup combinations, but I'd prefer HH or mini-HH (think Gretsch pickups).

 

[big_black]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

It's more the quality of the wood and the construction method used that is going to determine the sustain of the instrument.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

It's more the quality of the wood and the construction method used that is going to determine the sustain of the instrument.

Ok, if so, thanks for telling me. But assuming that all woods being selected were of excellent quality and were comparable, which would you select?

 

[big_black]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

Ok, if so, thanks for telling me. But assuming that all woods being selected were of excellent quality and were comparable, which would you select?

If I were building an arch top, I'd stick with a traditional maple top, back and sides, mahogany neck and a rosewood....but more like an ebony fretboard for a sharper attack. A good arch top is an expensive piece, I'd rather stick with what is known to work rather than take a chance.

Mahogany is my favorite tonewood, but more often than not, it's dark.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

If only someone had come along, approx 60 years ago, and designed an archtop, solid body, fixed bridge, set neck instrument, with 2 humbucking pickups, a mahogany body & neck, maple cap, and a rosewood fretboard, all of which added up to a guitar that is warm and sustains for days.....

 

[big_black]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

If only someone had come along, approx 60 years ago, and designed an archtop, solid body, fixed bridge, set neck instrument, with 2 humbucking pickups, a mahogany body & neck, maple cap, and a rosewood fretboard, all of which added up to a guitar that is warm and sustains for days.....

Funky. I'd never be able to top that.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

Funky. I'd never be able to top that.

Is that not just embarrassingly funny?

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

If I were building an arch top, I'd stick with a traditional maple top, back and sides, mahogany neck and a rosewood....but more like an ebony fretboard for a sharper attack. A good arch top is an expensive piece, I'd rather stick with what is known to work rather than take a chance.

Mahogany is my favorite tonewood, but more often than not, it's dark.

Er, well, it's a solid body arch top ... :S

I'm just wondering if there's any reason to go with something other than the generic Les Paul of solid body mahogany and neck, rosewood fretboard, etc etc etc....

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

I'm just wondering if there's any reason to go with something other than the generic Les Paul of solid body mahogany and neck, rosewood fretboard, etc etc etc....

There's a reason the mahogany/maple/rosewood combo is so popular.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

If only someone had come along, approx 60 years ago, and designed an archtop, solid body, fixed bridge, set neck instrument, with 2 humbucking pickups, a mahogany body & neck, maple cap, and a rosewood fretboard, all of which added up to a guitar that is warm and sustains for days.....

LOL...I was thinking the same thing!

 

[Diego]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

Is that not just embarrassingly funny?

Painfully funny.

 

[firebirdV]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

If you want sustain and warmth get a mesa boogie mark 2c.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

a weird wood combo i have on my Godin is strikingly good!!!!! It has a Mahogany neck, 25 1/2 scale, Rosewood board, and a tilt back headstock.... but the body is 70% soft Maple core with Poplar wings. plus a fancy maple top....

the Mahogany neck is a thing of magic... It just seems to love being an instrument....

I know you do not want Maple as a body wood but one of my Warmoth plan ideas is to get an Alder body with a Mahogany neck.... I've always loved Alder bodies...

 

[tone?]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

The more guitars i play the more i come to the conclusion that Mahogany is a REAL good tonewood.

I do agree however that sustain is from the guitar build more than the wood choice.

 

[scottish]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

korina is nice and warm and i think sustain is definitely more about construction than wood choice

but as other people have mentioned...you cant really go wrong with the traditional mahogany/mpale combo

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Wood for sustain and warmth

you may consider a chambered body

that seems to add a good ammount of sustain