I've been following the discussions about this new IV guitar with some interest. Last night I read through all 51 pages of the responses after receiving the Forum III's (you guys can certainly chase a lot of rabbits!) The responses ranged from euphoria to I'm not sure. I saw where some loved spruce tops and some loved hog tops. I did see that some of you have purchased or at least have played both the IS and the hog topped models. If you have played both, which do "you" like best and why?
I've got both tops....on the F3 I have a rosewood/IS and a hogtop. My forum 1 OM is sitka spruce/mahogany. The OM and the LS are very close in tone. The spruce has a little more sparkle and the all hog is a little warmer sounding. The roseood is a different beast altogether compared to mahogany...
Don't know that I like one more than the other...they are just different. The hog tops seem to be getting popular (on this forum) over the past couple years....
Love my IS/Mahogany F-III...just put it down to type this..
You might PM or even call Photomat.
He has both IS and all Mahogany F-III's, and is selling the Mahogany right now in the For Sale section.
Photomat here...yep give me a call. I am in the Seattle Area, are you in washington State or DC ? (I saw a post once that you mentioned washington...)
All Hog, very clear, crisp and woody. Both seem to be as responsive as the other, both are quite loud with a clear bass, but the IS has more shimmer and more sustain, and most would agree a unique voice. If you are in Washington State, near seattle come on by....
Both are amazing guitars, and I am only selling because I think I am getting a more amazing guitar but not nearly the value of these FIII's (I am getting a Santa Cruz Dread for a deep vintage tone)
The Italian Spruce with mahogany was my favorite from the start and still is. There is definitely something very different going on with the IS. Not that the MT's aren't nice. Mt's a dark and woody tone, "IS" with mahogany is very clear and rings like a bell. Idf you make any mistakes it tells the whole world so. If you play it well everyone sighs.