two new builds, help me with wood choice?

tjp · #1 03-02-2015, 01:22 PM

#7 is about to go into finish, and I will be starting two new builds soon. In the process of wrapping my head around them and planning. I've always loved Gibson shapes, so I've decided to build a slope shoulder dread, and a L-00. Bracing will be my own, I'm just stealing shapes.

I feel like branching out. All of my builds so far have been walnut or hog and they have been pretty successful, but I'm ready to explore the other ends of the tonal spectrum and see what happens.

So one of these will be some beautiful flamed maple that I recently acquired, the other some really nice quartered Jatoba that looks a whole lot like rosewood. Jatoba has a habit of looking rather like mahogany. This stuff looks a whole lot like rosewood, complete with dark black stripes.

But which size matches better with which wood? I lean toward jatoba dread and maple L-00, but am completely open to advice. Give me some input?

Jim.S · #2 03-02-2015, 07:09 PM

Either or, so I'm no help.

printer2 · #3 03-02-2015, 08:04 PM

Jatoba, see less of it than maple around here.

Aubade Acoustics · #4 03-03-2015, 06:12 AM

Maple makes a great sounding guitar. Jumbo, Dred, large body would be my choice. Bends might be easier as curly maple can be iffy sometimes in tight bends if you are not experienced bending it. Not familiar with Jatoba?

Ned Milburn · #5 03-03-2015, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjp

But which size matches better with which wood? I lean toward jatoba dread and maple L-00, but am completely open to advice. Give me some input?

Perhaps you haven't got answers from some of the heavyweights on this forum because you are phrasing the question wrong.

You can build ANY size guitar with ANY wood, as long as the wood is structurally sound (species & cut).

First, you need to identify what sound you are aiming for. A gibson j45 style body shape is only a body shape. The main reason a j45 sounds different than a Martin is the very different ways they handle the inner bracing. Some people would describe a j45 as a "bassy" sounding guitar, but in fact, the guitar has some of the mid and treble harmonic range "rolled off" in the mix, leaving the basses.

The sides and backs will affect the overall tone, but don't forget, they won't "create" the tone. Rather, sides and backs "color" the tone that is created by the soundboard. In general, dense sides and backs will enhance sustain and lessen damping, leaving clearer and fuller tones. Softer sides and back will dampen sustain in general, and can dampen certain areas of the harmonic response (like rolling some of the eq sliders DOWN). Also, to an extent, sides and backs color the tone due to their sonic reflectivity. Think of a home-made studio using egg cartons to dampen the sound versus plaster walls. One will dampen, one will reflect and sustain.

So, what type of sound are you after?? Decide this first, and then you can get more meaningful responses.

Certain woods don't "make" great sounding guitars or "poor" sounding guitars. Guitar builders "make" great sounding (and poor sounding) guitars!

tjp · #6 03-03-2015, 09:45 AM

Excellent points Ned. I guess my initial question was in fact too simplistic, and it makes sense that size may factor less into tonewood choice that the tonal target.

My tonal target is closer to Martin than Gibson. The L-00 will be for a female, singer/songwriter type. She fingerpicks, soft and pretty. It'll be mayber the more modern of the two. The dread will be for me at least for a while, then I might sell it (or not). So, versatile flatpicker. Something that impresses off the wall.

I've heard so many great Maple guitars lately...beginning to think that my notions of what a Maple guitar is were faulty. The Jatoba purchase was inspired by Bruce Sexauer, who is a big believer in that wood. I had my eye out for the right board, and when I saw it I had to have it.

Ned Milburn · #7 03-03-2015, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjp

Excellent points Ned. I guess my initial question was in fact too simplistic, and it makes sense that size may factor less into tonewood choice that the tonal target.

My tonal target is closer to Martin than Gibson. The L-00 will be for a female, singer/songwriter type. She fingerpicks, soft and pretty. It'll be mayber the more modern of the two. The dread will be for me at least for a while, then I might sell it (or not). So, versatile flatpicker. Something that impresses off the wall.

I've heard so many great Maple guitars lately...beginning to think that my notions of what a Maple guitar is were faulty. The Jatoba purchase was inspired by Bruce Sexauer, who is a big believer in that wood. I had my eye out for the right board, and when I saw it I had to have it.

If that's the case, I would likely want to build the larger guitar with the Jatoba and the smaller with the maple. But that's just me... Again, the main sonic definition comes from the soundboard (combination of wood choice, bracing pattern, & total thicknesses), with the resultant sound being colored by the sides and back.

printer2 · #8 03-03-2015, 05:42 PM

I misread the question as which to do first not the difference in bodies relating to the wood and thought it was which one to do first. Too excited about the prospect of seeing the wood being worked with I guess. I have some Jatoba and Maple about the right size for a smaller guitar. I have been keeping my eye out for some Jatoba for a bigger guitar and not Maple. So I guess my vote for the dred would go towards Jatoba.

Jim.S · #9 03-03-2015, 06:15 PM

Ha! "heavyweights" hope if they step in we see a clean bout. I guess Ned means American and Australians as we seem to have the most obese countries in the world.

Ned Milburn · #10 03-03-2015, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim.S

Ha! "heavyweights" hope if they step in we see a clean bout. I guess Ned means American and Australians as we seem to have the most obese countries in the world.

Canada is up in the running, too. There was a pretty blatant recent article posted on the net by a foreigner who recently visited Newfoundland and made some pretty frank remarks. ;-)

capohk · #11 03-07-2015, 06:01 AM

To the OP:

I would go maple jumbo and jatoba L00. Rev Gary Davis and Robert Johnson would too. (If you pretend that RJ played a jatoba L00)

I happened to play a Taylor jumbo in Maple the other day. I usually don't like Taylors but this was a cracker. I realize it's not a slope dread, but still.