0000 adi + tasmanian blackwood

[identity71]

hello
how about a 0000 shape custom acoustic with adi and tasmanian blackwood?

would it be a good combination? too bright guitar? i play mostly fingerstyle
thanks

[Guitars44me]

I figure the Luthier makes way more difference than the woods.

YMMV. That said, I have had a couple Tas Blackwood back and side instruments and they sounded VERY nice.

Salud

Paul

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by identity71

hello
how about a 0000 shape custom acoustic with adi and tasmanian blackwood?

would it be a good combination? too bright guitar? i play mostly fingerstyle
thanks

The timbre of any instrument is highly builder dependent. Additionally, both Red Spruce and Australian Blackwood can vary greatly in their properties so take what I say in that context.

I have an Red Spruce | Australian Blackwood J-185 (also 16” like a 0000) sized guitar built by Bruce Sexauer. It is not “too bright” by any means. The guitar presents an articulate bass, some of the mid-forward sound we associate with mahogany together with some of the shimmer we associate with rosewood. Like all of Bruce’s guitars it is responsive to touch, balanced across the strings with a strong voice in all registers which I attribute to his building style.

[TomB'sox]

In my very modest opinion, I think you can look at Koa where there may be a few more examples and the tone will be very similar. They are close relatives and many think they are interchangeable.

[Tim McKnight]

I’ve built with both Acacia’s, Taz and Koa. IME Koa is all over the map in terms of density where the Taz Blackwood has been far more consistent in its higher density. Koa can range from Mahogany-esque to Rosewood-ish in tone where the Taz is more consistently in the Rosewood camp, IME. Adi is a good compliment to Taz as Bob has already pointed out. It also pairs well with Euro spruces and Cedar or Redwood. It’s an all around fantastic and gorgeous tone wood.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I am making another big guitar with Oz B’wood and Adi right now. I completely agree with Tim about Koa vs B’wood. IMO, Koa is less interesting when pursuing greatness because it is far less predictable. Oz B’wood is a more robust timber than Koa, generally, and has a longer fiber in the wood, making it far less brittle or punky. I have had nothing but great results with Australian Blackwood. My opinion, of course.

Here’s the back of my current build, a JB-16, with a single coat of varnish on it:

[colins]

I’m a big fan of Aust blackwood and the guitar I have in that wood is not bright by any means (kauri top, not adi). It's fun to look at too!



But while I love my Aussie woods, I support the comments by others who say the builder will have more impact than the back and sides. I’d be finding a builder whose work I like then talking with her or him about the tone I want. When I did that with Kathy Wingert recently she chose the woods based on our discussions and the result couldn’t have been better.

[tdq]

I am by far an expert, but if I was getting a a custom 00 that would be a combo I'd seriously consider!!

[identity71]

how about gruhn custom martin 0000 guitars?
i have been looking for a deeper body for a long time, but i think 0000' shape could be a better choice cos deep body could make guitare sound muddy.

is it possible to buy from usa a new custom martin? i live in italy?

[TomB'sox]

With all due respect to Tim McKnight and Bruce Sexauer, two very accomplished and esteemed builders and both sponsors of the AGF, I did not say compare Tasmanian Blackwood to a bad piece of Koa, I was implying correctly that they are very closely related species and when you compare a good piece of each to the other, your results would be very similar.

According to Hearne Hardwoods "With koa getting harder and harder to find, Australian Blackwood is becoming a warranted substitute."

And like everyone else, the builder makes more difference to the guitar than the woods used.

[Bruce Sexauer]

With all due respect to you as well, Tom, I do not agree with your hypothesis. The best Koa, while structurally as capable as typical Australian Blackwood, perhaps, and a near dead ringer for it visually, has a distinctly different tonal nature in my experience. There is an airy dryness in Koa that I have not yet seen in any OzB guitar or Uke I've experienced. The two woods are as different from each other as Brazilian Rosewood and Amazon Rosewood, which can also look quite similar to each other. There is no confusing them under sharp hand tools, they feel entirely different. I suppose there may be some overlap between carefully chosen pieces, but it has not been apparent to me in my limited experience of having built perhaps a dozen Koa guitars and somewhat fewer OzB guitars. Koa guitars have a particular tone, some like it and some do not. OzB guitars are more mainstream, and I have never heard anyone complain about their sound. Of course saying something like that may bring such a critic out of the woodwork, so to speak.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

With all due respect to you as well, Tom, I do not agree with your hypothesis. The best Koa, while structurally as capable as typical Australian Blackwood, perhaps, and a near dead ringer for it visually, has a distinctly different tonal nature in my experience. There is an airy dryness in Koa that I have not yet seen in any OzB guitar or Uke I've experienced. The two woods are as different from each other as Brazilian Rosewood and Amazon Rosewood, which can also look quite similar to each other. There is no confusing them under sharp hand tools, they feel entirely different. I suppose there may be some overlap between carefully chosen pieces, but it has not been apparent to me in my limited experience of having built perhaps a dozen Koa guitars and somewhat fewer OzB guitars. Koa guitars have a particular tone, some like it and some do not. OzB guitars are more mainstream, and I have never heard anyone complain about their sound. Of course saying something like that may bring such a critic out of the woodwork, so to speak.

Well, you would certainly know more than I for sure. I defer to your knowledge no doubt.

[justonwo]

OP, who is building your guitar? Adi and Tas Blackwood makes a great combo, though I would say that about a pretty wide variety of woods!!

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

With all due respect to you as well, Tom, I do not agree with your hypothesis. The best Koa, while structurally as capable as typical Australian Blackwood, perhaps, and a near dead ringer for it visually, has a distinctly different tonal nature in my experience. There is an airy dryness in Koa that I have not yet seen in any OzB guitar or Uke I've experienced. The two woods are as different from each other as Brazilian Rosewood and Amazon Rosewood, which can also look quite similar to each other. There is no confusing them under sharp hand tools, they feel entirely different. I suppose there may be some overlap between carefully chosen pieces, but it has not been apparent to me in my limited experience of having built perhaps a dozen Koa guitars and somewhat fewer OzB guitars. Koa guitars have a particular tone, some like it and some do not. OzB guitars are more mainstream, and I have never heard anyone complain about their sound. Of course saying something like that may bring such a critic out of the woodwork, so to speak.

I figure Bruce knows of what he speaks (or types). I swear I learn something here every day! Very interesting
Salud
Paul

[identity71]

at the end, i've just bnought a custom martin 000021 adi + madagascar.
it's the first time i buy a guitar online. fingers crossed

i prefer rosewood