EpiAlan Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Hello all! I own a fine AJ (advanced Jumbo) Solid Rosewood acoustic guitar, and love it very much. I have been considering buying a solid Mahogany AJ acoustic guitar, but I am not quite sure it would be worth the expense. ---I am also not sure if the Mahogany wood in an AJ would make it sound much DIFFERENT than my Rosewood. Also I enjoy singing while playing and was equally wondering which of these two tone woods, Rosewood or Mahogany, might better compliment the singing voice. Can anyone describe what they think the differences are between these two fine tone woods, and which of the two might best compliment vocal work? Thanks so much for your time and your help. I will devour every word ALL of you write, and it will definately help me decide what to do! My acoustic Vocal genre ranges in the 60's through 90's era (James Taylor, Cat Stevens.dillon. Doors, Eagles etc. if that helps.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 To-may-to and to-ma-to, mate! Only you can tell which you prefer, only advice I would offer is to try/order one, if it's a speculative order make sure they have a no quibbles return policy should it fall short of expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Morton Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Hello all! I own a fine AJ (advanced Jumbo) Solid Rosewood acoustic guitar, and love it very much. I have been considering buying a solid Mahogany AJ acoustic guitar, but I am not quite sure it would be worth the expense. ---I am also not sure if the Mahogany wood in an AJ would make it sound much DIFFERENT than my Rosewood. Also I enjoy singing while playing and was equally wondering which of these two tone woods, Rosewood or Mahogany, might better compliment the singing voice. Can anyone describe what they think the differences are between these two fine tone woods, and which of the two might best compliment vocal work? Thanks so much for your time and your help. I will devour every word ALL of you write, and it will definately help me decide what to do! Instead of an AJ with Mahogany I would suggest A Hummingbird or J-45. Both great guitars and it would offer another tonal palette that would give you options for different songs or depending how you feel on a given evening. Each type will also sit differently in a mix with other instruments. Hope this helps some. JM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I agree with Jeremy. Both these guitars are outstanding to accompany a singer. Personlly I much prefer mahogany as I find the rosewood overtones compete too much with the human voice (unless you have one of this whiney high pitched Neil Yong type voices), while mahogany sort of plays a 'supporting' role to the vocalist. I know my singer for example hates it when I take the rosewood SWD to gigs and wants to give me a big hug when I take an SJ. Instead of an AJ with Mahogany I would suggest A Hummingbird or J-45. Both great guitars and it would offer another tonal palette that would give you options for different songs or depending how you feel on a given evening. Each type will also sit differently in a mix with other instruments. Hope this helps some. JM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 You'll probably get answers all over the place on this one, but I prefer mahogany for singer songwriter types......I like rosewood for instrumentalists........more overtones which make the music sing......good luck on the hunt!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Seriously, having both is a good thing. It all depends on the song. I would endorse looking at a J-45 or Southern Jumbo - they really will give you a fine compliment to the Rosewood AJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markini Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Well in our Friday jam sessions, 3 of us sing. All 3 of us prefer the HOG Bird or HOG Pro to sing with. Not to say we don't jam with RW acoustics, the 2 RWs used most are a Timberline and an Alavrez, both Brazilion RW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 just completely depends on who is singing , and who us listening , and what song is being played. impossible question to answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Late to the ball. I think it's more about the mid-range. I'd be thinking that a balanced RW box, not too bass heavy (an AJ, to name one) would be appropriately supportive of vocalists. Maybe not as downright neighborly as a J45, but... friendly. As would a good maple box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchristo Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 dont dismiss the J-200 maple, its pretty dog gone good with singing also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTheSilver Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 In general, I prefer mahogany over rosewood or maple. I do have an AJ that I love, but I have to admit I love my J-45 more. I would love to try out a mahogany AJ. I think that would be a great guitar! But as others have mentioned, I would look at J-45s and Hummingbirds in addition to the mahogany AJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Mahogany for me, and it took 25 years for me to work it out! It also helps to have the right type of guitar as well, and for me that would be a Hummingbird, J-100 Xtra (Hog or Bubinga),or a good old J-45/50. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiAlan Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Thanks you guys, for all your helpful answers so far. I have just bought a new Masterbilt AJ500M,since they are now out of production and may never be available again. It cost just $424 on sale at Musicians Friend, and it is delighting me beyond my wildest dreams. I have owned many fine premium high priced acoustic guitars, including the Gibson Mahogany woody Guthrie AJ...the Gibson AJ Rosewood 30's reproduction, and the Gibson SJ-200 Maple Reissue, and none of them hit the sweet spot for me....but none has pleased me as much as this new Masterbilt AJ500M. It's sound is simply perfect. And I do mean, perfect!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 glad you're enjoying your masterbuilt . is there any chance of a sound sample/ video of it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodmeister Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I would think it depends on the singer, type of singer and the preference of the singer. But having said that, there seems to be a slight consenses on other guitar forums that mahogany is better for vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiAlan Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Yes I'm finding that mahogany does seem to be better for vocals, at least on this Masterbilt. Most of my work is vocal, however I have had other mahogany guitars that seemed colorless.Rosewood Martins that seemed too bloomy,and Maples that were just too dry. I play a wide array of 60's, 70's, 80's, and some recent acoustic pieces as well. From Dillon, to the beatles, from the Eagles, to Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven, Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens, James Taylor to name just a few...so I needed a guitar that could handle a wide array of variation and that would be responsive to my every strike. The Masterbilt came with PB strings and sounded simply breath taking. In 60 seconds I knew I had found God!! LOL! But generally I prefer 80/20 and I restrung it, and replaced the plastic pins with ebony pins. It simply lept to life. It is thick and rich, and allows my voice to shine through with out upstaging me. I don't think I have ever been so pleased with any guitar I have ever purchased before, and I have owned 23 guitars in my life, always searching for that perfect fit. I realize, after all these years, to my regret, the Masterbilt was the ticket. I had refrained from buying it for many years even with the spectacular reviews it recieved, simply because I could not comprehend how a $499 guitar could possibly sound and play as good as a $3000 guitar. Was I ever wrong! My stubbornness cost me thousands. Had I bought one of these years ago, I could have had the perfect guitar. Beautiful, stunning, glossy, glitzy, it is not. It is a true players guitar. It delivers right out of the box, and the fit was perfect from the first strike. (No I do NOT sell Masterbilts!!!) But I am telling you, this Masterbilt AJ500M simply knocks my socks off. Suttle and strong, delicate to thunder tone, both.. it delivers. Closing my eyes and playing it I simply can not tell its sound and tone from a $3000 guitar, except that to me, it sounds even better than those! I like it so much I have bought another Rosewood Masterbilt (AJ500R) and, well, it just seems like a dream to me, like I'm in the twilight zone or something lol! It is impossible how well these two guitars perform, and I am dancing on air after 30 years of playing. But I digress. I am not here to sell Masterbilts believe me! But yes, it does appear that Mahogany, at least on this model, is superior for the human voice!! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTheSilver Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I had refrained from buying it for many years even with the spectacular reviews it recieved, simply because I could not comprehend how a $499 guitar could possibly sound and play as good as a $3000 guitar. Was I ever wrong! My stubbornness cost me thousands. I try to keep this in mind when looking at guitars - if it sounds great and plays great, it is a great guitar! Regardless of the name on the headstock, the specs, materials, price, etc! I admit, it is often hard to keep this in mind, but I try. I mean, a BMW is better than a Toyota in every way, right? Right? Congrats on the guitar! It sounds like you are very happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Closing my eyes and playing it I simply can not tell its sound and tone from a $3000 guitar, except that to me, it sounds even better than those! Congrats on finding a guitar you love, Alan. As for the guitar sounding better than a $3000 guitar, well, it's purely subjective isn't it? Anything's valid where there are no absolutes. We all like to believe we have 'the one' which only further proves there's more than one out there. I'm sure your guitar has qualities not found on a $3K guitar, just as I'm sure a $3K model has qualities not present in your guitar. The main point is you've found a keeper. Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT Hurley Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 For years I have never given such aa a thought to anything of the sort. "What b/s woods go with vocals?" Recently a friend has suggested to me that we guitar player "unwittingly" choose what sounds good to our ear and in the process what also sounds good with our voice. This is individual as a fingerprint I would assume. I have tried all of the mainstream woods. Currently I have settled on rosewood and maple in the SJ200 configuration. I play solo mostly. And after consideration I have noticed that the guitars I pick out seem to match and compliment my voice. This took someone bringing it up for me to notice, however! I feel that I have to drive a J45 in mahogany too much, rosewood has the headroom I need. So in summary, experiment. Play them and decide for yourself. Blessings. GT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT Hurley Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Oh I see you found "The One." I guess I should have read through the thread. Sorry for the late response. Enjoy your Masterbuit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiAlan Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 There are those who say I speculate on my guitar. I would beg to respectfully dis-agree. In my view, and from MY OWN experience, those who have paid for and own a $3000 guitar check in regularly with it to make sure its was worth $3000. It's just my humble opinion but, but I think many like I in the past, have hypnotized themselves into firmly believing that they did not get cheated, and that their guitar was fully worth the price. It is funny isn't it? Listen to someone pridefully boast of their magnificient $3000 Gibson, or Martin, or Taylor. You can see in their eyes that they believe they have the best. There is a great NEED to do this after dropping such an enormous amount of money for 15 pounds of wood. Unless one forces ones self to believe this, there may be no way one could justify such an act. And so I speculate on your speculations! My guitar stall in the past has held over $50,000 worth of the finest guitars in the world, starting in 1977 when I bought my first guitar, a Guild D-50 solid Rosewood ...AJ Gibsons, both mahogany and rosewood, Gibson SJ-200, Martin HD-28, and at least 5 other Martins including a J-40. countless high end 800 series Taylors....are they good? Yes! Sure they are!!And if anyone has the ability to speculate correctly, it is me. They are all magnificent guitars! I have played them ALL. Do they SOUND or play BETTER than my Epi Masterbilt AJ500M?? I don't believe so. Not one musician in the world would know the difference if they were blindfolded and played, at least this particular Epi. And I have played and owned every one of them. Money was no object.It still is no object. But I tell you this. In my stall, among many others, I still have left a $3300 exquisite Martin J-40 aged sweetly to 10 years, and a stunning Taylor 815ce flawless rosewood Florentine cut away to die for.It sounds like a symphony in motion. I would sell BOTH of those before I would sell either of my AJ Masterbilts. You may speculate all you like about how I speculate on my guitars!They are my guitars to speculate about! I really am glad people buy expensive guitars to keep the guitar companies in business because guitars are a costly instrument to make in general. At present I do not believe Gibson will ever build Masterbilts again. They are simply too good, and they can compete neck to neck with many acoustic guitars in the world. There will be no more GAS for me. My tank is finally filled! What can I say? I am obligated to be honest in my speculations. I do this so that others may benefit from what I learned the hard way. It's just my opinion and not meant to be offensive. Some Masterbilts may sound as good as some Gibsons, but all Gibsons sound wonderful, and that's for sure!..Love you all! =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markini Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Very subjective, and those are some long posts. I have played a few Epi masterbilts and they did not float my boat. I do have two Epis I really ike though. an Ultra and an SG. You keep bringing up $500 guitars compared to $3,000. So you are saying a well set up Gibson Hummingbird or a J45, (both sell under $3000) do not sound as good as your masterbilt? I sense a little defensiveness here. As I said before tone is subjective. Enjoy your new guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpiAlan Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 I agree some things seem to be subjective. But money is not the issue. Quality is all that counts. I'm glad you like you Epi's as well! But yes I do believe my Masterbilt does rival a Hummingbird providing both are set up well. The choice as always, belongs to the owner. This in no way derides a Hummingbird however. A good guitar is a good guitar no matter what the head stock names says right? Enjoy your Hummingbird. There are few guitars a beautiful, or as delicious sounding, as a genuine Gibson Hummingbird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 And I thought this was meant to be a thread about rosewood or mahogany being better for vocalists .... ? :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 English Walnut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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