the showdown...

[Randy_R]

I really like that deep-echo and metallic-ring that rosewood has, but when it comes down to it..... I BUY mahogany. :huh:

I buy one of each....  :GRN>

[DVGuy]

You need both.  Mahogany for warmth and the rosewood for clarity.  As far as the smell comment
my OM-03r never had any sort of woody distinctive smell that my Martin DM still has each time I
take it out of the case.  The Martin predates the OM by about 2 years.  But the smell of that OM case
still has a a nice new car smell though.  Yes you need both.

The smell of Martin guitars is not from the back/side wood. It is from the cedar kerfing strips, and they do smell great.

[fado]

I like them both and have one of each, but If I could only have one I think it would be Koa - somewhere in the middle.

Rob

[Darrell111]

As for me, I like mahogany for solo fingerstyle stuff and rosewood for serious strumming and flatpicking.

I am actually the opposite.  I like Rosewood for Fingerstyle and Mahogany for strumming.  I love the Balance of my LV-05 when im playing with other acoustics, its sound is so distinct and cuts through the other guitars. 

OTOH NOTHING compares to Plastic... 

[Denis]

OTOH NOTHING compares to Plastic... 

I believe Tragocaster refers to it as lyracord.  A fancy name for plastic.  If I remember correctly, from when I worked in a music store back in the late 80's, it was originally for use by NASA in the space program.  Funny, Larrivee is now the one with the guitar in space.     :GRN>

http://www.larrivee.com/flash/news/articles/2005_Space%20Station/article.html

[rounder]

I buy one of each....  :GRN>

JUST ONE?? :POL>

[dbirchett]

To borrow from Hangfire:

[Blue in VT]

As you can see from my sig. I'm a mahogany guy.  For the fingerpickin blues I'm into these days it just fits the tone and feeling that I'm looking for better then the RW guitars I played while shopping around.  The Parlor is great...a bit brighter and crisper than my hog top OM...but that baby oozes funk...and has a depth and richness that I find intoxicating...man just thinking about it here at work makes my caluses itch... .  All that said....now I would like to find and OO RW to complete my small guitar collection.  Too bad I've sworn off GAS for the next 5 years... :<>

cheers,

Blue

[joxter]

I love my hog OM

I love my rose Dread

'nough said.

[jimmyd]

Mahogany is my favorite all around tonewood but I do have a couple of rosewood guitars too. My next guitar will probably be walnut.

[aboss]

I'm partial to Mahogany myself... it just seems more crisp to my ear, if i'm playing with other acoustics i find it really sounds distinctive, where as rosewood blends in more. Just my 0.02  -_-

[Blue in VT]

Who says Rosewood is better looking than Mahogany???   :GRN>

Cheers,

Blue

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[Mikeymac]

Another mahogany player here...I have a rosewood LV-09, but if I could, I'd trade it on an all hog L-05 or LV-05...I prefer the note separation with mahogany, and my 13 year old OM-05 is VERY WARM in tone, without any mud...

:WNK>

[Denis]

Who says Rosewood is better looking than Mahogany???   :GRN>

Cheers,

Blue

show off... :WNK>

That's one sweet looking hog OM Blue.  I had a Martin OM-15 for a couple of years and it didn't look as good as an OM-03MT let alone the OM-05MT.  Bet is sounds as good as it looks too..

[dberch]

I have three mahogany guitars and no rosewood.  Well, three and a half if you count the Kay :GRN>.  Love the sound of rosewood, but for some reason, when it comes to take them home, rosewood doesn't make the cut.

Gorgeous pictures Blue!  What camera do you use?

[Blue in VT]

I really am smitten with this guitar...my parlor is fun but the OM is the bees knees...

These pics were actually taken on my Olympus camera...its about 4 years old now...only 2.7 megapixels...but it does a good job.  I think good pics are all about good light.

Blue

[rwnyc]

Blue,  beautiful hog top there.

I voted for mahogany too.  I've never owned a rosewood guitar, but would like one when the cash flow and guitar playing ability finally warrant it.  However, I'm with the pro-Mahogany viewpoint re: its tone and clarity.  I'm struck, though, by how differently people evaluate the two woods.  I guess model to model and builder to builder and style to styule and ear to ear, either might be preferable . . .

I DO, however, think that Mahogany looks better - by which I mean LARRIVEE mahogany.  The other guys' stained mahogany doesn't do anything for me, but Larrivee's natural Mahogany color is distincitve - I like the lighter color.  :GRN>

[Gemnoc]

Agreed. Didn't have the opportunity A/B side by side, but look wise I much prefer a Larry mahog-OM to say an 000-15 by Martin.

Blue, I am very envious. Gorgeous mahogany!

[Denis]

I don't even own a mahogany guitar but put mahogany as my favorite.  I love rosewood as well though.  My parlor's a beauty and I wouldn't trade it in for any other.  My OM is sapele mahogany which isn't "really" mahogany now is it?  Eventually, I plan on adding an L-03 or, if finances allow it, an L-05.  Every L-05 I've ever played was a dream guitar.  Great sounding, feeling and looking.  Truly one of Larrivee's signature guitars.  I am not sure how much difference there is, sound wise, between the L-03 and L-05.  Anybody ever A-B'd them side by side?

[suprswd]

to come to think of it,

i should have added some other tonewoods in the poll as well. koa blackwood and maple should be in there.

man, do i want to try out a blackwood guitar. ive heard nothing but good about em. what can they be descibed as?

...a little rosewood and a little 'hog fused together?



~Logan