What combination of top/side&back wood would be ideal for my next guitar?

[DefendTheLowEnd]

Hi, so I currently have 2 guitars, which have very different sound profiles:

My 000 full mahogany has the typical strong meaty "mid range" sound. my 00 Adi spruce / east indian rosewood has much more projected volume, and a lot more overtones, with more separated high end shimmer and deeper bass.

I mainly play light fingerstyle. What combination of top/side&back woods would be ideal to get a different sound from my next guitar? Is there a combination that would be as sonically different than the 2 I have?

I prefer smaller guitars - 00/000/om sized.

Thanks!

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by DefendTheLowEnd

I mainly play light fingerstyle.

As do I. And for a light touch, there's nothing better than cedar.

[Wade Hampton]

Cedar or a redwood top paired with black walnut back and sides might be just the ticket for you.


whm

[gr81dorn]

you effectively have a 000 and a 00 from the same manufacturer (nothing wrong with that), i think the style/build of the guitar and a different maker's approach may be a bigger change and complement to your collection than even the woods might.

I like the suggestions above regarding the woods, but another maker's touch on those woods would maybe the right thing, too.

As it is, Martin doesn't really offer Cedar top guitars anyway, so you'll find your way to some other stuff anyway.

I'd say that Furch makes an outstanding guitar from a quality standpoint and they do a ton of cedar tops - walnut or cherry might be a good back/side to go with from that line-up.

My only knock on Cedar tops is that every of the several I have was a dud when playing big cowboy chord strumming songs. They aren't suited for that at all, so just have good expectations and you'll be fine.

[RustNeverSleeps]

Fully agree with Wade and gr81dorn, above.

So let me see:

1 - Cedar/redwood and e.g. walnut b/s
2 - From a manufacturer other than Martin
3 - Suitable for light fingerstyle

Screams "Lowden" to me! Maybe check out F or S models?

[zmf]

Agree that getting a different brand of guitar would be the most important step in getting something that gives you a different sound, and perhaps inspiration to broaden your repertoire.

There are some great 12 and 14 fret 000's out there, but I don't know what your budget is.

As far as tonewoods, would it be too boring to suggest sitka/mahogany?

[J Patrick]

...an OM with euro spruce,cedar or redwood paired with just about anything will likely get you something new...cedar and maple can make for great sounding guitars....

[Ernesto]

A Nick Lucas in Sitka and Maple, the Gibson style 00 body is just between the Martin 00 and 000 size, great fingerpickers. And the deeper body adds to the bass. I'd recommend Kevin Kopp as a builder... Should be different from what you have in a positive way, and you would have all the iconic backwoods: Rosewood, Mahagony, Maple.

[colins]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

you effectively have a 000 and a 00 from the same manufacturer (nothing wrong with that), i think the style/build of the guitar and a different maker's approach may be a bigger change and complement to your collection than even the woods might.

I like the suggestions above regarding the woods, but another maker's touch on those woods would maybe the right thing, too.

As it is, Martin doesn't really offer Cedar top guitars anyway, so you'll find your way to some other stuff anyway.

I'd say that Furch makes an outstanding guitar from a quality standpoint and they do a ton of cedar tops - walnut or cherry might be a good back/side to go with from that line-up.

My only knock on Cedar tops is that every of the several I have was a dud when playing big cowboy chord strumming songs. They aren't suited for that at all, so just have good expectations and you'll be fine.

Have to add my support to these comments - a different manufacturer can offer more than a different wood combo.

That said, I'd suggest a used Taylor 514ce - cedar top, great fingerpicking guitar and it takes strumming well too. And if you are ok buying used then don't get too caught up with the hype about modern bracing changes etc...the 514ce has sounded fantastic for twenty years!

As an afterthought - if you want to see one in action for fingerstyle, here's Simon Fox playing one - https://youtu.be/4fuLPq8axPo

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by DefendTheLowEnd

...I mainly play light fingerstyle. What combination of top/side&back woods would be ideal to get a different sound from my next guitar? Is there a combination that would be as sonically different than the 2 I have?

I prefer smaller guitars - 00/000/om sized.

Break the mold and go for a 16" mini-jumbo - "bigger" sounding without being uncomfortable to handle. I have one of the first Avalons - a cedar/EIR similar to the Lowden F-size - that's not only a wonderful fingerstyle guitar, but painfully (literally... ) loud when strummed, making it an excellent guitar (and my first grab) for Irish pub songs as well; while I'm a major fan of walnut - I never met a Gibson J-15 that I didn't like, and some that I absolutely loved - there's something in the cedar/RW combination (long a favorite of classical luthiers) than can be absolute magic in a well-done fingerstyle instrument...

[Steadfastly]

Depending on the guitar's design, two guitars with the same wood can and often sound very different. You need to go out and play some guitars and pick the one you like best.