Rosewood Vs Mahogany

[mwebber_82]

hi all

just been pointed in the direction of this forum and now my eyes are all bloodshot from staring at my computer for the last hour!

just getting ready to order an L-03. woohoo!!

but.....

mahogany or rosewood?

(sorry, i know that wood-choice is possibly the oldest question in the book, but want my larry to be perfect. also, i won't get chance to compare the 2 myself so i'm relying on you guys n gals!)

ta very much

matt

[jimi thing]

Welcome to the forum where hours are lost in a field of information!!  :lol:

myself....

rosewood all the way!

cheers,
kit

[Randy_R]

You can't make a bad choice. I wish everything in life was like that.

I have an L-09 and L-10. Both are sweet.

[Pjmsj21]

While I was initially looking at a D-03, I opted to purchase an L-O3R and after a brief case of buyers reomorse lasting only a few days, I am really loving this guitar.  As everyone will no doubtly comment you can't go wrong either way, but for me I love the sound of rosewood and am even toying around with the idea of a rosewood parlor for a travel guitar. By the way it is likely that you will also love the L body which is one of the main reasons I chose Larrivee and is very distinctive.

Pat Mc

[bevo]

yeah, it's all personal but...if you want....

rich/complex and warm, then rosewood

clear and punchy/woody, then mahagony

different and a bit of both from mahagony and rosewood, then blackwood

GL!

[Randy_R]

yeah, it's all personal but...if you want....

rich/complex and warm, then rosewood

clear and punchy/woody, then mahagony

different and a bit of both from mahagony and rosewood, then blackwood

GL!

or Koa !  

[Macaster]

I do not want to start any contraversy with this statement but I am not fan of rosewood. That sound just does'nt do it for me. But if you can find a Koa either an L or a D you will not be disappointed.

[jimmyd]

You are going to get a great guitar no matter what you decide. What people like in tonewood is really subjective. I think Rosewood is more popular. One of our friendly dealers might be able to tell us their sales ratios. I agree w/ Randy about considering Koa. It is a great tonewood. Blackwood is not in production now and is going to be hard to find. I prefer Mahogany to Rosewood.  

[jimi thing]

yeah, it's all personal but...if you want....

rich/complex and warm, then rosewood

clear and punchy/woody, then mahagony

different and a bit of both from mahagony and rosewood, then blackwood

GL!

did someone say blackwood  

awww vee are on the lookout for zee dreaded blackwood......

[Dotneck]

Here is an interesting article describing many of the more popular tonewoods by a well respected luthier.

http://www.bourgeoisguitars.com/tapping_tonewoods.htm

I have a rosewood Lakewood that is about the size of an OM...so its a relatively small guitar. A few years ago I wanted another guitar...something larger so I commisioned a builder to make me a custom "small jumbo" in Koa and Adirondack. It is a beautiful guitar,  very well balanced from string to string, and a dream to play. It was much more expensive than my other guitars, too.  

But my rosewood Lakewood was louder and warmer...just a beautiful inviting tone. Which made it hard to pick up and enjoy the custom koa SJ. Ended up selling it.

Moral of the story is play a bunch of guitars and do what your ears tell you to do. I know...sometimes its hard...and I'm about to buy another custom guitar..this time a 12 fret mahogany OM.  :blink:  

[flaggerphil]

It just comes down to personal preference.  I, myself, prefer mahogany...followed by maple.  I don't like koa at all...just sounds thing to me.

For me, it's mahogany all the way.

[jazzalta2]

Been playing for 35 years and I always thought rosewood was the cat's a--: warm, big, mellow. But then I picked up a Myrtlewood Breedlove and it caused me to re-think tone woods. Not so clear cut anymore. A lot of folks like rosewood tho and I don't think you can ever go wrong with it. Both my Larrivees are rosewood and they're keepers. Good luck with your choice.  

[jankymutt]

Here is an interesting article describing many of the more popular tonewoods by a well respected luthier.

http://www.bourgeoisguitars.com/tapping_tonewoods.htm

Thanks for adding this great article, Dotneck. Examining different woods and materials from a physics standpoint was really interesting. I have always focused on improving my playing and never cared much about the stuff I was playing on.  

[AcousTronic]

Definately Rosewood for me... My main guitar (up until last week) was a Mahagony dread, which served me well, but when I bought it 6 years ago, I didn't know about tonewoods. It was a decent guitar at a decent price... Since then, every time I tried a rosewood guitar, I was blown away by the richness and depth of the sound verses my guitar and other Mahagony guitars.

I think Mahagony is great on the smaller body guitars that need a midrange punch and volume, but for my ears, and for my style of playing, nothing beats Rosewood!!! My new baby is an LV-09 and the sound is simply incredible!!! If you do an 03 series, do the 03R, you will be happy you did.

[SongMan]

YOu need both! I have both right now and can't part with either wood. I think all woods have it's cherecteristics and beauty.

I tend to think that Mahogany would better suit  in stage setting versus Rosewood better for couch all by my self, but thats just me.

If I had to choose only one guitar????  :huh:  :(    hmm... I don't know, and maybe that's why I am stuck with 4 guitars right now.

[Edavis]

I'm with Songman; you need both. I had an L03K which I ended up letting go in trade for a rosewood OM; then I got a pre-owned L03 mahogany and it has an incredible tone; I can just pluck open strings and be so pleased with it.

[ducktrapper]

I have a rosewood L09, a mahogany D05 and a rosewood parlor. I'm trying now to decide between the mahogany 000-50 or rw 000-60. Decisions, decisions. Good luck.  

[SongMan]

I have a rosewood L09, a mahogany D05 and a rosewood parlor. I'm trying now to decide between the mahogany 000-50 or rw 000-60. Decisions, decisions. Good luck.

Duck,
Why not OM-03 12 fret?? :D  

[tubeornot2b]

Just curious evrybody, if I may. Do you consider tone in terms of how you hear it is the player or how a listener will hear it. The two perspectives and sounds are pretty different most, if not all, of the time.

I was just wondering which perspective you refer to, when discussing tone. How many have someone else play the guitar for you, so you can hear it as a listener before buying?

Just curious,
Albert

[bevo]

good question.  
I think you have to choose based on what YOU hear.  Honestly, you play the guitar for yourself and if you do play for others, at such as at concerts or churches, then I hardly think the average person would know the difference b/t a mahagony or rosewood sound....I could be wrong but that's my
2 cents.    ;)