When I first started……

[Duff]

Originally Posted by RP

As far as acoustic guitars go, I used to be a strictly rosewood back and sides guy, but as I've aged I've grown a much greater preference for mahogany...

I find this also to be true.

Originally when I was able to play a few higher end acoustics side by side in a residential setting, I thought that the mahogany guitar sounded deeper and more mellow. Either a Martin or high end Yamaha being the guitar that I liked the sound of most, it was solid mahogany with a spruce top.

Nevertheless in my mind the idea that rosewood was superior persisted and I usually purchased rosewood as 1st preference.

Only in recent years have I specifically sought out mahogany guitars and this is because I like the sound and feel of playing the mahogany guitars. I notice this preference when I am playing acoustically, unplugged.

I prefer the mahogany sound for sure.

This makes me want to try these other woods that are now showing up on the acoustic guitar market.

My Martin D16 is solid walnut with spruce top. This is a nice nonelectric acoustic dread. The wood pattern of the walnut is distinct. It is a beautiful guitar with premium appointments everywhere, but subtly done. This is a great sounding acoustic and the neck is slim and fast.

All kinds of once unheard of wood is currently used in making affordable acoustics.

I have next to zero experience with any of these guitars but I am definitely interested in trying out some of them. I imagine that some of those hardwoods sound nicely focused.

Trying to describe the difference, maybe my rosewood acoustic sounds a little more 'focused' than the mahogany. The mahogany might feel slightly more 'soft' overall.

[foxo]

I had no idea acoustic guitars were so variable in price and quality. I thought I was pushing the boat out when I spent £280 on my first guitar.

Little did I know years later I would find myself parting with ten times as much for an instrument!

[mjw61]

bursts are beautiful, always loved them, always will.

[Andromeda]

When I started playing I didn't care for Maple back and sides. Now I own a Takamine GJ72CE-12 12-string with flamed maple back and sides and I have a new found love of maple.

When I began black pickguards didn't bother me and now they do! Tortoise only.

My Takamine has a cutaway and barn door electronics two things I still don't like but I will make exceptions for if I like the guitar.

Generally not a fan of bursts by my Alvarez MDA66SHB has a shaded edge burst I really like. There are some bursts that I do find beautiful.

[Silly Moustache]

Funny, I've been thinking about starting a similar thread.

If anything my obsessions have become more profound with age, but then again, over the years - you tend to learn what works for you.

Here are my "likes"
1. 12 frets (you knew that didn't you) except on archtops.
2. Wider fretboards (although I find I can play 1 & 3/4" nutwidths as I get skinnier)
3. string spacings 2& 5/16" or 2 & 3/8"
4. Slotted headstocks (but not on Gibson style bodies)
5. Sunbursts (darker the better - but only on Gibson style guitars)

Essentially any design post 1933.

Here are my dislikes:

1.Cutaways, (nope, never - not even on archtops!)
2. Soundhole clip-on magnetic pickups - yuck!
3. Fancy shaped headstock, bridges, pick-guards.
4. Funny colours (no blue, green, orange, reds - wood should look like wood ... sunbursts excepted)
5. Block fret markers (that prevents me from getting a 1929 L-5!) Nuts!
6. Brazilian and Madagascar B&S. (gimme a nicely grained EIR and that'll be fine.

Note: All my original guitar straps (that I made) were 3" wide, because I shattered my collar bone in '96 and it was never properly reset, restricting and damaging my shoulder until surgery maybe ten years later. 3" enabled me to spread the weight. Don't need them to be so wide now.

That's me and my foibles.

[Boomstick]

Originally Posted by RP

As far as acoustic guitars go, I used to be a strictly rosewood back and sides guy, but as I've aged I've grown a much greater preference for mahogany...

There was a time I used to really love the bass of rosewood. I used to always play with a pick as well, and pick pretty heavy.

As I play with a pick maybe 50% of the time, I find a lot of times many rosewood guitars are too bassy and sound dull when not played with a pick and picked heavy.

So over time, my first choice preference has actually grown into maple. And if I am playing with someone who can sing and not playing something to pick heavy, I'm probably bringing a mahogany guitar.