Tonewoods

[nacluth]

Well, all Mahogany has been brought up (which I think would be great), but what about all walnut or all Koa. We also have some great, lightweight wood called Kelobra that would make a fantastic visually yet bluesy guitar if the top as well as the back and sides were made with it. (Not trying to be sales pitch-y; other builders can get Kelobra).

The issue is how subdued would you like the guitar. I think the Spruces make fabulous sounding guitars that really excel at punch and sparkle (plenty of thump too). However, if you want something that is primarily thump with a more subdued overall quality, an all-something guitar might be the way to go.

$5k should get you in the discussion with many custom builders. If you went with a Spruce maybe a nice tobacco burst to dress it up.

[Truckjohn]

I think the hardest thing to me would be that "The Blues" was not really a static style... (unlike something like bluegrass - which is more or less set)

There was a lot of transition over the years - moving from banjos and small body guitars to resonators and archtops to electric guitars...

So.. Ironically, all the guys mentioned in the OP were primarily electric guitar players.. A fender Strat would go a long way to get the sound you are thinking of......

That said....

I think it would be worth playing through a bunch of the different styles and types of guitars to see what gets you closest....

I would especially try out some of the older (Pre-1940's) ladder braced Stella, Harmony, Oscar Schmidt, Washburn, and Gibson small body guitars - they have a unique sound that you just don't hear in guitars any more.... Unfortunately, unless somebody has done a bunch of work on one - their neck shapes, narrow frets, lack of an adjustable truss rod, flat fretboards, loose neck joints, and setups leave a lot to be desired for playability...

I think if I had to pick a tonewood that I associate with "Blues" sound - I would pick (in this order):
Back and sides:
Birch, oak, maple, and mahogany.

Top:
Spruce, birch, and mahogany...

Thanks

[Gallopinghost]

I've had, and do, own a lot of guitars that do blues really well. Not necessarily the best guitar I've owned, though one of them, but probably best blues box I ever owned was a 2007 Greven L-00v. Lutz Spruce over Mahogany. The lutz was super lush, but it had quick decay and a lot of growl and bite, thanks to the Mahogany. I had a Cocobolo/Adi Fairbanks Roy Smeck that was a close second, for the blues sound, but it had more sustain than you'd want traditionally. Dale's Hogs are the shiz though. You can get them both for under 5K. If you like it really nasty I'd second the ladder braced option.

There's a lot of great options out there these days. I also like small bodied oak guitars for the blues.

[frankhond]

Take a look at Michael Hauver guitars. He offers replicas of the Stella type models that many players used. Especially the Charley Patton model seems very nice. Look up Tom Feldmann on youtube, he plays one in some of his lessons.

[Chas Freeborn]

For that budget, and for truly traditional building methods and sound look at a Greven L-00

[TuckerRE]

Originally Posted by nacluth

Well, all Mahogany has been brought up (which I think would be great), but what about all walnut or all Koa. We also have some great, lightweight wood called Kelobra that would make a fantastic visually yet bluesy guitar if the top as well as the back and sides were made with it. (Not trying to be sales pitch-y; other builders can get Kelobra).

The issue is how subdued would you like the guitar. I think the Spruces make fabulous sounding guitars that really excel at punch and sparkle (plenty of thump too). However, if you want something that is primarily thump with a more subdued overall quality, an all-something guitar might be the way to go.

$5k should get you in the discussion with many custom builders. If you went with a Spruce maybe a nice tobacco burst to dress it up.

Exactly what i needed from a nylon-string cross-over (see the adjoining thread on the mango cross-over if you haven't already)...but that's EXACTLY what i needed and GOT...

Amplifying a very lightly braced classical guitar is dangerous when you can get any feedback exciting such a responsive top...the all-mango turned out perfectly and having seen some of Ryan and Steve's Kelobra, that might, indeed, make for a nice 'all-something guitar!'