I get asked all the time and the ? is asked here a lot so lets do this one more  time for all the see.Beyond the level ie 03,05,09,10.What wood are you playing and why where yu drawn to it.Letsspeak up kid's. :ph34r:  

OH boy........currently the rosewood OM is the one that is getting the play time (nearly all of it)   After playing a Goodall MHGC a few weeks back I am definitely going to be buying an OM or L (or MHGC) in mahogany again......there is something about the Mahogany that is so special.  The reason I like the rosewood OM that I have currently is that is has quite a bit of Mahogany sparkle to it.   Personally, I don't really care that much any more about the name on the headstock or the beauty of the wood, just want THAT sound (whatever THAT is :lol: )
 I should add that Sitka is normally my sounboard of choice, but I have owned a couple of Englemann tops that had their own special tone.....there is an upper midrange tone in the Englemann that is quite unique to my ear.    

I love the blackwood OM I got recently.  It's so clear and balanced.  Perfect for fingerstyle.  Then I pick up the L09 and love it's boominess and full, in your face tone that's never muddy.  Finally, I go back to the L05MT, that I'm probably foolish for trying to sell, a enjoy it's unique bluesy vibe.  Oh well, I can't commit, I love them all.

Tik thats cool if you noticed I didn't put anything down.I can't commit either.Thankyou for putting your thoughts down.This thread has had 35 view's and only 2 posters,come on gang your HO is needed for all to learn from.


I'm staying out of it as I own a lot of guitars.Oh what the heck.
Maple has very strong mids IMHO and I love mids.
Rosewood is just not my cup of scotch as its sounds to dark for me.
Mahogany  is a wonderful balance all purpose sound.
Koa and blackwood are just dark enough with a sparkle all there own for my taste. :blink:  

I am playing rosewood.  Why... cause thats all I got.  What's next is most likely mahogany although I am also very intrigued by walnut.  Whatever it is going to be smaller then my L-09. Maybe a a 00 or a grand concert.  I love the A series lakewoods but they are hard to find.
-josh

Well I've got the OM rosewood which I love for the overtones it produces, and the mahagony for it's warmth.  Down the road would like to add a 12 fretter (preferably all mahagony) and still like the sound of maple.  But whatever i add I will stay in the OOO/Om or concert size.

OK it seems size make's a difference....{keep it clean kids}

I like em all. They're just different. You knew I was going to say that.  ;)  

Quotebut I have owned a couple of Englemann tops that had their own special tone.....there is an upper midrange tone in the Englemann that is quite unique to my ear.

I have an Engelmann top on my walnut OM-03, and I'm not sure it is the upper midrange sound that I like, as fitness says, or even if that's what I hear, as I've never really been good at noticing or describing the nuances of midrange.  But that guitar has the best sound I've ever owned, of probably 20 acoustics over the years (no huge dollar guitars though).  Nothing else has measured up, be it RW or BW. Mahogany probably comes closest, but maybe it is the Eng. top that makes that one sound better than any sitka top I've played.  My mahogany L has a great tone, big, woody and with great bass, but the walnut/Eng. combination is just a unique sound, I guess.

I've been playing my spruce top ebony b/s dred....it's loud. I want to play my cedar top blackwood b/s more, but the strings I have are coated, and they just aren't loud enough...I need to put on some 80/20s and let that blackwood rock.

Anyone wanna buy (or trade for) 4 sets of Gibson hydrophobic 11's? I think I'll try and unload 'em.

I lean toward mahogany. My current favorite is my Sitka Mahogany H&D dread. It has the really clear sweet fundemental tone and great projection that mahogany offers. It is also the most articulate, and unforgiving instrument I've ever played, meaning you hear every note even strumming chords. Flubs and poorly fretted notes jump right out along with the good stuff. I think it is an excellent example of mahogany at it's best. Pure, clean bell like tone, cuts thru any mix, perfectly balanced, loud as hell if you dig in but can purr when you play it easy. I like my D03R alot too. Very different animal. Not especially loud but it really chimes it's overtones. Sustains forever. It seems to sound good even when I'm not playing at my best. It's sound is balanced toward the high end more than most dreads. The neck set on this unit is a couple of degrees back, like a Gibson, which I love. I have the nut slots cut real low, almost no relief, very low action at the 12th fret, yet there is a lot of saddle showing and a steep break angle. It plays mediums with no strain and no buzz. I wish all my guitars had this neck set.  

I think body size in combination with wood is key. Larger body mahogany's like jumbo's and dreads have enough volume and bass but small body mahogany guitars just don't cut it for me. Fot small body guitars to have the bass and volume I like give me rosewood anyday!

Sitka on Koa for me... such a perfectly balanced tone... nice firm bass, unique delicate midrange, and plenty of sparkle.  I love my LV-03K!  

For pure fingerstyle playing, I go with my cedar/mahogany Lowden.  Man, it's so clear and clean. It's LOUD when I want it to be, or soft and sweet that sounds like angels when played lightly. Like jimmyd said, it's very articulate and also very unforgiving.  When I'm playing well, it shines.  When I'm making mistakes, it lets me know it!  This guitar really inspires me to play better.

For just playing around and strumming, my sitka/rosewood Larrivee is great.  It's very balanced and I love the overtones it produces.  I'd like to try a cedar/rosewood one day ...

I'm just getting used to my Guild F212 12 string, but when I was auditioning 12 strings, the sitka/mahogany sounded better than the sitka/rosewood to my ears.  I just recently listened to Dave's soundclip of his J-10-12 Maple and it sounds great.  I've never really cared for maple on 6 string guitars, but that sound clip perked my interest ...

John in Japan

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is who the builder is.  Even if the same tonewoods are being used, the guitars from 2 different builders/luthiers will sound different.  As mentioned before, the shape and size of the guitar will also play a factor.

These variations are what make guitars so fun and interesting to play. Some guitars speak to you while others made with the exact same materials don't.  

John in Japan

Rob I am not very worldly on this topic.
Dave's generous recording post emphasized how subtle the differences are between woods. Although if you add up all the differences they seem less subtle say RW to MT for example.
For me I love the rich overtones my RW dread projects.
The crispy nature of maple is nice to.
My next one :unsure:  ...(check for wife lurking)...
will be a mahogany top probably a Larry.

my 2¢
Dave

Well Rob,
Since you turned me on to the Blackwood, and I have found the strings to make it fit my ear, blackwood (in an 'L' body) has that nice full bass, but with the rest of the range very dynamic.  I would like to have an L or GC size in rosewood to A/B for a couple weeks and really hear the contrast/difference.  One needs that much time, I think, to get a good idea of how a certain guitar fits with one's playing.  (I think this is what fitness has been doing this yr. as I see him going thru so many guitars!)
Since going to DADGAD on my OM, I am really liking the mahogany, and would really like to try a cedar/walnut combination (especially a Lowden!)--I am looking for that sustaining Celtic overtone-laden sound, which for a man on a limited guitar budget takes quite the searching.  Any maple I have played always is too trebly/bright for my taste.  And the Blackwood definitely won out over the Koa for that same reason.  Both of my 12 strings have been mahog. and never had a reason to change that--I did not care for a Guild rosewood 12 that I had the acquaintance of--too muddy.

I play an OM-03R.  Why rosewood?  Because that's what the shop had.  When I tried out this guitar, I just couldn't put it down.  I don't know if it was because it was rosewood instead of mahogany, and I don't care.  All I knew at the time was that I had to have this guitar!

I play solo fingerstyle, flesh and nail.  I have little dislike for woods combinations.  Put another way, I like just about any combination.  I pay more attention to the builder. body style and the playability.  I like mid sized instruments (OOO, OM, GA and similar), which are made well and play well.  Anyway, my current herd has the following wood combinations:

East Indian rosewood/Alpine spruce
Madagascar rosewood/Englemann spruce
Honduran mahogany/Adirondack spruce
koa/cedar
qulited maple/cedar
South American mahogany/sitka spruce

All of these guitars are different from one another.  I guess that's my point.  No one guitar does it all.  For example, if I want that dry, clear yet warm sound, it's the Webber maple/cedar OM.  The Tippin OMT (EIR/Alpine) doesn't do that.

I prefer rosewood to mahogany because I like the overtones, especially when playing harmonics. IMO playing a rosewood dread is like playing on a grand piano; it just fills up the room. OTOH I am starting to appreciate the merits of mahogany for more intricate picking. In the long run I would probably stick with rosewood though and go with a smaller body. I agree with fitness1 about the versatility of a rosewood Larry OM. So far out of all the guitars I've test-driven in the past 18 months the OM-03R seems to have the best of both worlds.  

My parlor is sitka/koa. Why, because it was available at a very good price at the right time. Would I trade it, never! It can sound bluesy, or ring like a bell. I'm not sure I would want mahogany in such a small size. Possibly too bright. I'm also afraid rosewood in such a small size might be muddy. The koa seems just right.

I have an OM-09 Koa that I have a love/hate relationship with. Sometimes I really like the sound. Other times it seems thin in the bass and too jangly for my taste. I would love to trade it for a mahogany/mahogany OM someday. I've heard that the mahogany top darkens the sound somewhat. I played a 412M Taylor once (all mahogany), that I fell in love with. Didn't bring it home because the asking price was ridiculous.

My current favorite is the sitka/maple 12-fret OM. It doesn't mind being strummed hard, fingerpicked hard, or delicately. Something about the sound just resonates with me. I love the deep bass, and the nice clear mid tones.

Deb

Oops. I almost forgot the spruce/walnut Yairi dread. I don't play it much anymore, but the tone is rich and sweet. Makes me wonder what a walnut L would sound like...

Well I dont actually have a wood guitar now. My dread is composite- I believe carbon fiber. Not sure what to compare it to just a well balanced tone(a real bell like clearness to it) my couch guitar is HPL from Martin. Still amazed that the LXM can have that Martin sound, actually think is heavier bass than my CA. Larrivees I'm leaning towards are mahogany(maybe even mahogany topped) in smaller body size. Might check out some koa if available or blackwood. Am hoping for a warm woodsy sound to do my folk boy thing on.

My wood of choice is mahogany.  I play my 510 and Forum a LOT.  Right behind them is maple and myrtlewood.  I play my 600 and Pelican a LOT.  I just got my H & D DS in walnut and am having a hard time taking to it.  I'm not sure why, because I played it at the factory and loved it.  I'm going to have the action lowered and see what happens...I'm hoping it's a playability issue and not a sound issue.

Mahogany is my main wood, though.

I have a hard time getting excited about koa. Blackwood "koa on steroids" is probably the best balanced guitar I've heard with a sitka top. For fingerstyle I like rosewood and cedar: tons of immediacy and overtones in your face. German spruce has been a favorite for years because of its warmth.

I continue to believe that no one does mahogany and sitka like Larrivee. The L05, OM 50, and SD 50 are prime examples I've had the pleasure to play.

Brazilian gets a lot of hype. Some people can hear a HUGE difference compared to other rosewoods. I definitely hear the warmth and projection and bell-like sustain.

It's a lot like ice cream. Each person has a favorite flavor, and everyone is glad someone invented it.  ;)  

Wood is good.  Different woods make for different goods...   :blink:


On the acoustic side, I own or have owned Indian Rosewood, Madagascar Rosewood, Cocobolo, Mahogany, Koa, Maple, Ovangkol, and Sycamore.  Of these, I would have to say my personal favorites are Cocobolo, Mahogany, and Maple.  All for different reasons...

Cocobolo -- What first drew me to this wood was the looks.  I love the distinct color and grain.  However, the rich tone has made me keep it around.  I was once told by a famous builder that he ranks Cocobolo just below Brazilian Rosewood in tone quality.  I would agree with him.  I own two Cocobolo guitars (One with Sitka, the other with Engelmann), and neither one of them will see another home.  Real keepers.  Rich and vibrant, but not muddy at all.  Great overtones.  Fantastic instruments...

Mahogany -- I don't think you can go wrong with a Mahogany guitar.  It's tone is so balanced -- Crisp, but not piercing;  Great lows but not boomy at all.  Nice balanced mids -- Really a perfect "Do It All" kind of tonewood.  A friend of mine has an old D-02 that is an absolute tone monster!!!  The first "good" guitar I bought after getting back into playing was a Taylor 514ce.  Traded it in for a Taylor LKSM-6 (More Mahogany).  I'm still kicking myself for selling them.  I'm sure another Mahogany monster will be in the collection in the near future!!!

Maple -- I love Maple for it's dry, pure, punchy tone.  Crisp and biting, with minimal overtones.  I currently have a Maple 12-string in the collection that is a regular player.  I think Maple is the best wood, bar nonoe, for 12'ers.  I also own a Maple dread that I'm not overly pleased with, but I think there are other issues involved with that guitar...

A couple side notes...

Koa -- Like someone else said, Koa is real hit-or-miss.  I've played plenty of Koa guitars that were absolutely stunning to look at, but sounded like a cardboard box.  Then again, others had the voice of angels.  Koa is one wood I strongly recommend you play before you buy...

Brazilian RW -- W-a-a-a-a-y over-rated IMO, especially for the price.  There are plenty of woods out there that sound as good, if not better, than BRW at a fraction of the price.  Especially now when all that's left is stump wood (Unless you're getting into the builder's private stash...).  Older BRW guitars sound great and are a great collector's item.  Personally, I can't justify the price on new pieces...

Top woods vary depending on what you want out of them.  I can see valid arguments for most of the ones used today -- Sitka, Engelmann, Adirondack, Cedar, and Redwood.  They all have different voices and, when paired up with the right body wood, all sound fantastic!!!

I have a D05 and love the tone of the mahogany. When I started looking for a new guitar I had in mind a Pro Series Simon and Patrick Flame Maple. I had tried one of these in another store and really liked the brightness of it's sound. It was on hold for someone else though so I kept looking and ran across the Larrivee. I still love the look and sound of maple and I feel the same about mahogany. Like Rob said, one's not better than the other - just different.

When I started playing I had somewhat of a bias, being as the people I would play with swore by Rosewood.  As I started to find my own sound I realized I didn't need the projection that the RW had to offer, I was more interested in a rich and soulful sound, so in a reasonable market, that lead me to MT guitars, and I realized that Larrivee used some great woods.  Since I'm playing fingerstyle for a small audience (a lot of times, only myself) I wanted something that was beautiful just to me.  I bet as I look even closer at more exotic woods, I'll find something that suits even better.

So for now, another vote for Mahogany

I want to thank all that responded to this post.Hopefully a search will now be made easier for people.Thanks again gang. :)  

My favorite to play at home and practice with is the PAOM03E. The 12fret magic compliments the maple body and sitka top perfectly. It is also the easiest to play.

I also have a maple jumbo (J60). Everyone ethat plays it loves the sound. The blues players particularly. I was not that crazy about the sound while I was playing it until I put an ivory saddle on it. Though I loved the sound from the other side (when someone else was playing it.)Thanks to those that spoke highly of Bob Colosi's products here. The saddle made a huge difference on it.

I use the D05 when I go to the local bluegrass jams. It just seems to fit the environment there better.  

Currently playing a rosewood/sitka L.  If I were to add something, other than a travel/beater guitar, it would be rosewood or mahogany and cedar combination.  I think a cedar top would offer a great contrast to the very crisp Larrivee sound. Unfortunately it doesnt sound as if Larrivee will quench my thirst for this combination, but boy what a geat forum guitar.

Pat Mc

my personal favorite is the mystery wood that's used to build esteban guitars. it sounds like NOTHING else out there!
;)  

Hey Pat,

Check out the Larrivee L-05 mahogany/cedar at Cotton Music. Sweet.

http://www.cottenmusic.com/inventory.html (http://www.cottenmusic.com/inventory.html)

About 3/4 way down the page.