Comparing Rosewood with Mahogany.

Silly Moustache · #1 08-08-2020, 03:14 AM

Hi,

This is an eternal point of discussion and I was asked on YouTube to do this comparison again, using two of my Collings dreads of identical design - one with EIR and the other with Honduras mahogany.

I put it up on Thursday afternoon and to my amazement it's already had over 2000 views and loads of comments about individual preferences.

The guitars used both have sitka tops, were built within a year or so of each other (2007 and 2008) and are strung with D'addario EJ17s and played with a Blue Chip TAD50.

As with all my YouTube videos recorded wih a simple Zoom Q4 - no editing or processing.

Thought you guys might be interested. I'm always happy to hear your preferences and comments.

geoawelch · #2 08-08-2020, 04:39 AM

Andy,

I love the aesthetics of rosewood, but prefer the sound of mahogany.

Very good video, by the way.

Cheers,

George

Dut4907 · #3 08-08-2020, 07:11 AM

Sounds like there’s more depth of tone with the Rosewood, and the Mahogany is more in your face.

mercy · #4 08-08-2020, 07:33 AM

skinny and fat are words that might be used. Skinny for band work, fat for solo.

Dru Edwards · #5 08-08-2020, 07:51 AM

Silly, what a great, video! Considering the closeness of specs between the two and that you've had them both since 2011 living in the same environment it's as honest a video as any on YouTube.

I agree with your assessment on the guitars. I think I'd prefer the Rosewood when playing on my own but the mahogany sounds like it could cut through better in the mix with some flatpicking ... nice and crisp.

You have a couple of wonderful guitars.

Rosewood99 · #6 08-08-2020, 08:02 AM

I've realized over time that I need the low end of rosewood. Mahogany always seem to sound thin to me.

bil40272 · #7 08-08-2020, 08:06 AM

First off, I love comparison Videos. I probably spend way too much time watching them.
What I have found, is that when listening to Comparison videos, I almost always prefer the rosewood Guitar.
When I am playing , I almost always prefer the Hog guitar.
currently my two favorite guitars that I own are Two Huss and Daltons, one is the Road Series Dread RW, and the other a Road series DS Hog.
They both make me very Happy, and it depends on the day, and probably having something to do with my 57 year old and high abused ears, as to which one I like the most.
Thanks for the video, and I love the two guitars in the video.

Have a good day

Bill

Rinaz · #8 08-08-2020, 08:33 AM

The mahogany gives out a direct sound and I feel like they’re louder. Rosewood has overtones it’s mellower. I prefer rosewood but only BRW. I barely like EIR Except it’s a resll Good set in a really good builder

Tnfiddler · #9 08-08-2020, 08:40 AM

I’m currently struggling with this exact same issue! I love my Bourgeois Adi/hog Banjo killer but I’ve grown to where I really love the sound and feel of my rosewood D41. I do know that the mahogany Banjo Killer cuts through the mix in our bluegrass band much better, but the 41 just seems to be a thicker sound.

justonwo · #10 08-08-2020, 10:12 AM

Great video. I think it illustrates the classic difference between rosewood and mahogany, two sounds that I love. One of these days I’m going to make a similar video with my Brondels.

godfreydaniel · #11 08-08-2020, 10:17 AM

In this video, to my ears the mahogany guitar had more sparkle, projected better, and even the bass sounded richer. I’ve always found it interesting how different a guitar can sound when you’re playing it versus when you’re out in front listening to it.

mawmow · #12 08-08-2020, 10:56 AM

Thanks for sharing the comparison of these great guitars.
I may be a Mahogany man, but the Rosewood one makes me doubt... ;-)

charles Tauber · #13 08-08-2020, 11:08 AM

It is interesting to hear your comparison. However, with a sample space of 1 instrument of each type, all that you have illustrated is that two individual guitars sound different, something that is a given, that no two guitars sound exactly alike, even of the same make, model and materials.

One can attribute that difference to anything one likes, includes the material of which the backs and sides are made, or any other difference one can find - one has black binding, the other white.

What would be interesting is to compare multiple guitars of the same make, model and materials to examine how much variation is there is between those. Is there as much variation within samples as between samples?

It continues to make sense to evaluate each individual instrument on its own merits, rather than based on its "specs" - bracing arrangement, scalloped or not braces, top wood, back and sides wood, size, shape, make, model, fret board material, bridge material, finish...

StrumNSing · #14 08-08-2020, 11:38 AM

I have found that I just can't decide between...

sitka/mahogany
adi/mahogany
sitka/rosewood
adi/rosewood

So ideally I'd like to own all of the above. Currently, I still need to add an adi/rosewood.

After that, I'd also like to add a mahogany/mahogany, a sitka/maple, etc etc etc.

GAS?

Yup!

justonwo · #15 08-08-2020, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

It is interesting to hear your comparison. However, with a sample space of 1 instrument of each type, all that you have illustrated is that two individual guitars sound different, something that is a given, that no two guitars sound exactly alike, even of the same make, model and materials.

One can attribute that difference to anything one likes, includes the material of which the backs and sides are made, or any other difference one can find - one has black binding, the other white.

What would be interesting is to compare multiple guitars of the same make, model and materials to examine how much variation is there is between those. Is there as much variation within samples as between samples?

It continues to make sense to evaluate each individual instrument on its own merits, rather than based on its "specs" - bracing arrangement, scalloped or not braces, top wood, back and sides wood, size, shape, make, model, fret board material, bridge material, finish...

Disagree. I have played so many versions of rosewood/mahogany guitars that are nearly identical that I've lost track. I own two sets of guitars that are identical but for the back and sides. The classic sound of rosewood and the classic sound of mahogany are relatively repeatable and distinguishable, including in Andy's video. What I hear are exactly the characteristics of those two back woods that I would generally expect to hear. I think there are general guideposts about what these woods will do for a guitar's sound that are useful and reasonably predictable.