Falling in Love with the sound of Mahogany

[Sequimite]

dull?? Well, OK maybe relative to rosewood. I've traveled the opposite way; after having two hog back guitars I've picked up two rosewood in the last month. While I currently feel that I'll never pick up one of the mahogany guitars again, that will pass. The rosewood instruments aren't better, just different, and at the moment that difference is hitting my endorphin lever. I had the same experience with my first two guitars. After being extremely happy with the jumbo I bought a parlor. For a while the parlor was all I wanted and it seemed I should throw that jumbo in the trash. After enough time had passed I picked up the jumbo and GLORIOUS!, throw the parlor in the trash.

[Steel and wood]

Yes, the sound of spruce over mahogany is mostly where it's at for me also. (Deeper without the complexities of say rosewood).

Would be interesting to note the popularity of mahogany compared to say rosewood over the years to see how tastes have changed if at all.

[ctvolfan]

I always said I like to hear other people play mahogany but didn't like the sound when I played it myself. But I bought a Yamaha FGX5 and love the sound and have gotten very used to it and now my non-mahogany Taylors almost seem to harsh to my ears. Weird how that is. But playing this Yamaha dreadnought does dictated my playing style as I am getting more into bluegrass style picking instead of strumming and it is the guitar itself that is pushing me in that direction.

[Rosewood99]

I'm more of a rosewood person. The exception is an all mahogany guitar.

[jaymarsch]

I played two rosewood guitars - one cedar topped and one with spruce for years and didn't really jive with most mahogany backed guitars that I tried out. Then I ran across a few more mahogany guitars that I began to bond with. Now I have a wonderful mahogany/spruce guitar and an all-mahogany parlor. Love what each of them brings in terms of tone.

Best,
Jayne

[cu4life7]

I have always been drawn to the sound and look of Mahogany guitars, especially all mahogany. My first Martin is the 000-15 which I still own, and that thing sounds amazing. My dream guitar was always the 000-18GE after I played one in Dusty Strings years ago, and I was able to add one to my collection a few years back.

To date, one of the best guitars I have ever picked up is the Santa Cruz 1929 000. Holy crap-o-la.

To my ear, they just sit where a guitar should sit in the sonic spectrum for my voice and when paired with Mandolin, Fiddle, or Banjo.

[Jon29526]

I feel in love with mahogany when I bought my first "real" guitar a D-15, it's tone was so sweet and the wood smells so right. When it got stolen I was heartbroken. My current collection is 2 hogs and a rosewood. The 2 hogs are definitely my favorites.

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by leeplaysblues

After a week with my new Martin 000-18 I think I have found a new love. Mahogany.



I have never much cared for the tone of this wood, but whether its the short scale or the clarity of the notes that this guitar produces I find myself struggling to pick up the HD28.



Yes, the HD28 still sounds great and while for years I would always choose a Rosewood over a Hog (as I loved the depth sustain and overtones), this plain Jane MartinMahogany has stolen my heart.



What voodoo has Martin weaved into this model?



Yes, I know there is a place for both woods (and a walnut, Koa, Sapelle, etc.etc) in everyones collection but the 000-18 has to be the best all round guitar out there, and if I could only own one guitar, this short scale, mahogany basic Martin model would be the one.

Welcome to the plain Jane mahogany fan club!

[mathyoo]

I'm looking to upgrade from my Yamaha starter guitar to an all mahogany, but the options are confusing.

My favorite so far is the Martin 000-15m. I love the tone and the understated look. Not sure I can convince my wife to let spend $1,300 on a guitar, though.

Some of the other options I'm thinking about:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...hestra-natural

https://mitchellguitars.com/mitchell...ectric-guitar/

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/acoust...970331322.html

https://orangewoodguitars.com/products/morgan-mahogany

I primarily want to play fingerstyle, with some strumming, and I'll only be playing for my own enjoyment, so I doubt I'll ever be playing for other people. Has anyone had any experience with any of these guitars?

[Methos1979]

Ah, yes - the warm, dry, gentle siren call of the mahogany guitar!

I, too, started out my journey as a sitka over rosewood guy. I loved the piano-like clarity and deep, lush, rich overtone laden sound. I also liked smaller body guitars. Then I listened back to a recording of myself playing and singing while A/B'ing two guitars, one with rosewood and the other mahogany, and found while I still tended like the sound of rosewood better while playing the guitar, mahogany sounded better when I listened to it played back. Go figure.

That led to a slow change over several years to mahogany backed guitars. Well, if mahogany backed guitars sound so good then surely an all-mahogany guitar must sound really good, right? Yes, yes they do. A few 00 12-fret all hog guitars followed. Then I slowly started to question my 'small is better' stance and tried larger and larger body guitars, including a 000-18 custom which I agree with you is the Swiss Army Knife of guitars - it does it all.

Before I knew it, I had completely swung to the polar opposite from whence I began this journey some 8 years ago. Back then the very first Martin I bought was a 00-28VS 12 fret double oh body sitka over rosewood. Now? I'm rocking a Martin D-1 custom 12-fret dread of all flamed mahogany. HUGE, dry, woody warmth.

So, beware of the siren's call, my friend. You've been warned!

[beatcomber]

^^ That is AMAZING.

[L50EF15]

This makes me wonder about mahogany back and sides with a maple top: that's the recipe for the Les Paul, after all, and LPs are acoustically very resonant. Wonder if Martin would do a custom spec'd that way.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Blueser100

Welcome to the plain Jane mahogany fan club!

sign me up. I've got all three bases covered: sitka/mahogany, cedar/mahogany, and mahogany/mahogany. Haven't ever owned a rosewood guitar.

[Rosewood99]

I've always wondered why a mahogany top is always paired with mahogany back and sides.

[Pickcity]

I honestly don't know how much the B/S matter to the overall sound of a guitar, but most of the time the best sounding guitars to my ears have mahogany B/S...I like all hog guitars too.

If we're talking Martins, I have always preferred a D-18 over a D-28. I have little doubt I would also prefer the 000-18.

And congrats!