pfox14 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've been wanting to build an acoustic guitar with more exotic woods for the back and sides. I have built all my guitars using pretty much the standard B&S woods like mahogany, maple, rosewood, and walnut, but never anything really exotic. What do you think of using this type of wood for a guitar? Do you think it enhances the beauty of a guitar without sacrificing tone and playability? Here's a B&S set of Pau Ferro aka Bolivian rosewood. What other exotics do you like or have on your guitars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 That is a pretty cut of wood.....if you're into such things. I personally like a guitar a bit plainer in appearance. There are some absolutely stunning guitars built, using incredible cuts of various woods which appeal to many. Such guitars come close in many cases to qualifying as art. While there is no doubt that there is artistry in guitar construction, I prefer my guitars appear more like the tools that they are, not art. But this, like so much else concerning guitars and guitar playing, is an individual choice......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Well obviously your a very talented person, being able to build your guitars, I envy you. Usually exotic woods drive the cost of guitars through the roof, and I can not afford them, but they are beautiful. Nice chice of wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I love the look of the wood in your pics. But would I buy a guitar just for that wood - nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I do like pretty wood, but wouldn't be interested in a guitar made with the slab cut back of the wood set in the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 I do like pretty wood, but wouldn't be interested in a guitar made with the slab cut back of the wood set in the photo. John, even though the sides are nicely quarter-sawn, you still don't like the slab sawn back pieces huh? I think it makes for a nice grain pattern. Hard to find quartered sides and backs when I'm looking for more exotic materials, or least that's what I'm seeing a lot of these days. Thanks everyone for the feedback. I guess the exotics are not everyone's cup of tea. Interestingly enough, it doesn't increase my costs a lot, so I wouldn't be charging an arm & a leg for the guitar. Don't know if that makes any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 When it comes to exotic woods, I think (if I had the opportunity to purchase one) would be birds-eye maple. Someone here on the Forum had a birds-eye maple guitar which I thought was the most beautiful grain pattern I've ever seen in my life! My vote is for birds-eye maple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 John, even though the sides are nicely quarter-sawn, you still don't like the slab sawn back pieces huh? I think it makes for a nice grain pattern. Hard to find quartered sides and backs when I'm looking for more exotic materials, or least that's what I'm seeing a lot of these days. Thanks everyone for the feedback. I guess the exotics are not everyone's cup of tea. Interestingly enough, it doesn't increase my costs a lot, so I wouldn't be charging an arm & a leg for the guitar. Don't know if that makes any difference. Paul, Yeah, I'm ridiculously traditional about stuff like this. But, lots of folks love that stuff, so if I were a guitar maker, I'd definitely be willing to use the slab back wood. I've got a Kirk Sand Brazilian classical, Kirk's 99th guitar, with a slab back. Sounds fine to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 [/media] Beautiful Bourgeois D-150 at Two Old Hippies in Aspen, Colorado $8,595 List Brazilian Rosewood with Sapwood, back and sides Adirondack Spruce Top 1 23/32 Bone Nut (what a great compromise between 1.75 and 1 11/16) Quik AB with the Martin D-45 sitting next to it, this guitar had more projection and better string seperation. typical Rosewood deep rich Bass, approachable Mid-Range, good Treble. Vibrations went right through my heart. Had to quit playing before I messed my pants, or made a disasterous financial decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 How about these tone woods for a guitar? http://www.cupboardsonline.com/2011/04/taylor-pallet-guitar-real-use-for.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 How about these tone woods for a guitar? http://www.cupboardsonline.com/2011/04/taylor-pallet-guitar-real-use-for.html I particularly like the forklift fretboard inlay and the sparkling remnants of nails. I know just what this one is good for...... "So, I lit the fire.....Isn't it good, Norwegian wood?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Hey PF - I like the pattern on this Rosewood you found. Back is classic gourgeous book-end, and the sides are distincitively strong - it would draw me to pull this down off the wall and try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchristo Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I've been wanting to build an acoustic guitar with more exotic woods for the back and sides. I have built all my guitars using pretty much the standard B&S woods like mahogany, maple, rosewood, and walnut, but never anything really exotic. What do you think of using this type of wood for a guitar? Do you think it enhances the beauty of a guitar without sacrificing tone and playability? Here's a B&S set of Pau Ferro aka Bolivian rosewood. What other exotics do you like or have on your guitars? that is beautiful, BUT, its not mahogany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Exotic woods can be beautiful but I have never played one that sounded as good as traditional tone woods. YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisA83 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 How about these tone woods for a guitar? http://www.cupboards...al-use-for.html I like the idea behind that. pfox14, I think that wood looks great. As others have said the sound is more important - if I had a choice between a great sounding and great looking guitar it's obvious which I'd go for. There's no rule saying a guitar can't be both though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 One of the great joys of an old J-45 is picking up this unassuming guitar with a straight-grain mahogany back--sometimes so dark that you can't see the grain--and a worn sunburst top, and strumming a few big open chords. Pure heaven! No fancy tonewoods required. Mahogany and spruce will do just fine. Not that I mind a bit of flash......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Except for some newer custom shop Gibsons, they never used anything too exotic back in the 30s & 40s with the exception of BRW. Since BRW is ridiculously expensive, I won't be opting for that choice. There's something to be said for traditional tonewoods being the best choice for guitars. Maybe I should just stick with the basics and be happy. The other problem with using non-traditional exotic tonewoods is you never know how the guitar will sound until you build the whole thing and let it age. That's a lot of work to do without any guarantee that you'll wind up with a great sounding guitar. I agree - tone is everything. I've never been disappointed with any traditional tonewood guitar I've built so far. Maybe that's really the answer to my question. Thanks again everyone for your kind feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 If birch was an exotic wood I would be living like a pig in clover. Got a whole lot of it on my guitars. One of the coolest things for me though is happning upon some run of the mill, off the shelf guitar, made in the day before custom shops started popping up all over the place, that has some nice bearclaw on the top or flame in the maple. The wood was not picked by design - just luck of the draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Except for some newer custom shop Gibsons, they never used anything too exotic back in the 30s & 40s with the exception of BRW. Since BRW is ridiculously expensive, Funny that while you don't see exotic woods on pre-War guitars made by the big companies, you do run into guitars, ukes and the like built by the Chicago and elsewhere jobbers in the 1920s and 1930s with koa, walnut and oak bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Funny that while you don't see exotic woods on pre-War guitars made by the big companies, you do run into guitars, ukes and the like built by the Chicago and elsewhere jobbers in the 1920s and 1930s with koa, walnut and oak bodies. I've seen a lot of figured Koa guitars from the 20s & 30s especially those made by Hermann Weissenborn. It was a very popular wood for Hawaiian guitars because that's where it comes from. I have some Koa, but it's not very pretty. Not enough figure to the grain to bother using it for a guitar. It's too bad because it's just going to sit in my shop forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 There is an all Koa Columbia parlor guitar on eBay right now. One of the odder ones is a no name palor a friend of mine owns - its has a body made with sycamore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 A birch tree and a Beech tree were arguing about a sapling below...The Birch tree claimed it was a son of a Birch, the Beech tree claimed it was a son of a Beech. The argument was causing so much commotion, that the forest animals sent the Woodpecker to resolve the problem. The Woodpecker, an EXPERT on woods, flew down to inspect the sapling. When he returned he gave this evaluation....."That is neither a son of a Birch, nor a son of a Beech....HOWEVER....that is the best piece of Ash I've had my pecker in, in a LONG time!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogeye Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I stopped in at Music Villa and they have a 1992 all Koa J-45. The thing is pristine. The Koa top is interesting. It isn't a powerhouse but the guitar has a thick buttery sound that is to die for. I've never been fond of anything but spruce tops but this is a very fine guitar. It seems that Gibson made 25 of them in '92. When I played it it actually had the original strings on it. I will go back when they restring it. This isn't the guitar for the flatpickers out there. I will tell you this. If it's quiet and your on the couch in front of the fireplace your lady will finally understand the romance of a guitar. It's really hard to describe. Some of the terms that come to mind are thick,rich,woody,butter. Elegant... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 I stopped in at Music Villa and they have a 1992 all Koa J-45. The thing is pristine. The Koa top is interesting. It isn't a powerhouse but the guitar has a thick buttery sound that is to die for. I've never been fond of anything but spruce tops but this is a very fine guitar. It seems that Gibson made 25 of them in '92. When I played it it actually had the original strings on it. I will go back when they restring it. This isn't the guitar for the flatpickers out there. I will tell you this. If it's quiet and your on the couch in front of the fireplace your lady will finally understand the romance of a guitar. It's really hard to describe. Some of the terms that come to mind are thick,rich,woody,butter. Elegant... Wow, all Koa including the top. I didn't know Gibson ever made these. Any pix you can post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Circumstances and inclination tends to make me a strictly an off-the-shelf kind of guy. Did once see a very pretty Gurian jumbo in with stunning koa back. Sound? no idea, but I've never met a koa that knocked me out. Nope, sticking to meat and potatoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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