I have worked a little too efficiently, and I find I have time to build an unsolicited guitar before my next commitment comes up. Or a violin. Or about 3 Ukes, but I just did that. This last guitar went fantastically smoothly (so far), and I'm think another guitar would be great.
I have about 450 set of wood put up over the last 35 years or so, dry as a bone, and ready to build with. Most of it is mundane rosewood (5 kinds, but mostly Brazilian), mahogany, pernambuco, maple, koa, and walnut; the same old same old, in a way. I thought I'd like to build with something no one seems to be asking for, but I believe would be absolutely wonderful. And I thought it might be fun to ask you what you think of the five potential choices I've pulled out of the wood locker today. Unless somebody interfers by offering me money, I am thinking this will be an only slightly embellished WRX type thing, not unlike the one I just did in that way.
Here are the sets I've pulled:
Cuban Mahogany. Edited as I'd called this Spanish Cedar! I've have this set for 6 or 8 years, and people say it makes the best "mahogany" guitars ever. I wouldn't really know, but I did once play a Kim Walker in this wood that I would have been proud to have made. This set has mild flame throughout, and is very hard on the surface, stiff as can be, and just feels right.
European Pear. Traditional for Lutes, and as an alternative to maple in violins and cellos, I've never heard a bad word about the tone when used for a guitar. At worst, I've heard it called plain, but that is a bit odd when I look at this set as it is far from plain, and just exudes a rich warmth visually. This set is somewhat more flamed than the Cedar. I'll likely join this back the other way but the dark stuff looks great to me and will be largely lost.
Black Limba. A mahogany substitute. I'm told, but lighter in weight and very resonant. Best known as he wood used in the Gibson Flying V solidbodies. Ought to work well. And LOOK at it!
Ceylon Satinwood. Not what this wood is at all, but I have forgotten the name. If you can get past the color, this wood is gorgeous and it is also hard as nails and completely UP on the Q scale, which means it has serious tap tone; rings like a bell.
Chechen. This is the only wood here I've used before. This is my last set, and I want to use it again before I'm done. Both of the
previous efforts are at the absolute top of my game, and nothing is more beautiful excepting possibly the right set of Brazilian.
What do you think? I don't have to decide till early next week, or never, I could change my mind and make a fiddle!