Rosewood or Mahogany

[Wellington]

Originally Posted by fngrpck

I've heard some say as you get older your hearing suffers and mahogany with its clearer sound is more appealing.

So odd, I find mahogany is a little more soft and muddy, musty doesn’t seem like the right word, but I find rosewood way more clear which is one of the reasons I’m longing for a mahogany to own!

[Goodallboy]

I go by how the guitar sounds, not what it's made of, but I'm seemingly in the minority so you'll get plenty of opinions on guitars no one has played, so it should be easy to decide.

[Wade Hampton]

On larger body guitars like dreadnoughts and 12 fret Triple O’s, I prefer mahogany or koa for the back and sides woods, because they tend to have better clarity and a more vivid treble response. Rosewood, especially Indian rosewood, adds some bass response, and when you’ve got a body cavity the size of what you have in a dreadnought, it’s easy to get bass-heavy and partially drown out the other registers.

Having backs and sides made of mahogany or koa counters that to a noticeable degree.

But that same additional bass response from rosewood that I’m not fond of in dreadnoughts is exactly why I like it in 14 fret Triple O’s, OM’s and smaller instruments - rosewood adds fullness and additional bass to the sound, and makes these smaller guitars sound considerably bigger than they actually are.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Fresh1985]

Most people will say they prefer mahogany due to those guitars being in the majority, as a result of their affordability vs rosewood.

I like both, but currently have a preference towards rw. I have never tried either with an adi top unfortunately.

[jaymarsch]

I am in the rosewood and mahogany camp. I own and love guitars made with both woods. I don't long for one while I am playing the other but it is true that each of my guitars have their individual tone and at times I do prefer playing certain songs on one guitar over the other because of the tonal options that it offers.

Best,
Jayne

[BluesBelly]

My vote is for mahogany being the best Tone wood for all around Generic playing given that I could only own one guitar. Good strummer and fine for fingerstyle also. If a person likes to play slide mahogany excels.

Blues.

[Birchtop]

Rosewood

[hairpuller]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

I go by how the guitar sounds, not what it's made of, but I'm seemingly in the minority so you'll get plenty of opinions on guitars no one has played, so it should be easy to decide.

Say what?
scott

[hairpuller]

As of right now, I'm a mahogany guy! With all this talk of walnut, and not having every played one, I'm gonna start searching a walnut guitar out.
The rosewood guitars I've owned were too shimmery and layered for how I play...which is poorly.

scott

[Johan Madsen]

Originally Posted by nopicknick

I have two dreads, one solid rosewood back and sides. The other mahogany back and sides. Both have Adirondack tops. If I had to choose between the two, it would be the hog. What say you.....?

I agree with you, mahogany sounds warmer, woodier, more focused and balanced than rosewood. I really dislike rosewood's tiny metallic highs and lacking mids

[JimT]

While you’re trying them out, see if you can find a Breedlove with myrtlewood back and sides. Very interesting American wood with great bass and crystal clear highs. Mine has Port Orford Cedar on top, but you can also find spruce, redwood and myrtlewood tops.

[Wade Hampton]

Jayne wrote:

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

I am in the rosewood and mahogany camp. I own and love guitars made with both woods. I don't long for one while I am playing the other but it is true that each of my guitars have their individual tone and at times I do prefer playing certain songs on one guitar over the other because of the tonal options that it offers.

Exactly. There's a good reason why mahogany and rosewood are the two most popular tonewoods - they're both terrific for guitar construction.


whm

[Kh1967]

For me, it comes down to the individual guitar. I have played mahogany guitars that have some of the ‘stereotypical’ rosewood qualities and, vice versa.

If I am choosing one based on woods alone, I would probably choose mahogany...at least right now...as I type this reply. :-)