Rosewood or Mahogany

[skyblue314]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I have both and think they're both very, very good but if I had to choose just one ... it would be a maple large body guitar.

Our church choir director has a maple bodied Yairi Jumbo that just sounds heavenly! I prefer a 000 or OM sized Martin type though...

[Scolaguitar]

I think I prefer mahogany. I have a sitka and adi dread. They've been getting most of my attention lately.

[Methos1979]

I prefer the sound of rosewood but I sound better playing mahogany. So I play mahogany.

[Rockysdad]

I’d have to say, sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don’t.
I’d also agree with RP, everyone’s hearing changes with time.

[Wellington]

My main guitar is rosewood back and sides, I love it for finger picking but strumming with a pic is a little bright, that’s where I’ve been falling in love with mahogany; for strumming. Pretty sure my next guitar will be mahogany back and sides.

[newfx11]

I haven’t played much other than mahogany. I’m not sure if I’ll like rosewood or not but I seem to be in for another guitar. It seems to me Martin’s only dread choice is the 18 for mahogany, the 28/35/41/45 are all rosewood. I’m pretty set on a D-18 again but I have yet to try a 28 or 35.

[wguitar]

It depends -- about a year ago I purchased a new Larrivee Rosewood/Sitka OM-40 from Shoreline, tried it for almost a month, and returned it because it simply had way too many overtones for my strumming style and personal taste. Wonderful guitar, but just not for me. I again sought guidance from you nice folks on AGF and replaced it with a used Larrivee OM-40 (Austrian) walnut (which, tonally is between mahogany and rosewood), and love it ! Have played a couple of Mahogany Larrivee OM's but like the walnut better. Like the mahogany OK but not as much as the walnut. The nice thing about guitars is that there is no right or wrong answer -- it's whatever you prefer! Enjoy your guitars and make great music! Cheers!

[vintage40s]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

... if I had to choose just one ... it would be a maple large body guitar.

By chance, I just played today with someone who had a 1970's Guild dreadnought with maple sides and back. I had not seen a maple guitar before.
The back was slightly puffed out like a violin, which I had also never seen on a guitar, and I should have looked at how the bracing worked over that.
He let me play it, and I can only hope my D-35 sounds so good after its neck reset.

[UncleJesse]

I have 3 rosewood guitars. I sold my only mahogany guitar as I’m mainly a rosewood guy but I think I need to get rid of my Eastman E20OM-TC to get a mahogany dread very soon. Maybe one of those new Eastman E6D-TCs.

[EllenGtrGrl]

I'm not picky, I like 'em both, and have had both rosewood and mahogany back and sides guitars over the years. At the present time, I have one guitar with "sort of mahogany" (my Martin DSS-17 w/sipo back and sides) another with walnut back and sides (my Taylor 150e), and another guitar with myrtlewood back and sides (my Breedlove Pursuit Exotic Concertina).

[Frosted Gladd]

You’ve got both guitars in your hands...

Personally I wouldn’t let anyone on the internet tell me I’m wrong regarding the one that I prefer from playing the actual guitars...

[TBman]

I like them both.

[blacknblues]

Split the difference by selling both and getting walnut

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Most of mine are hog so it's only logical that 'the next one' should be rosewood.

[fngrpck]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

Why is that? (Curious, because thus far in this thread, no one is indicating the reasons why....I like both myself, but don't consider the distinction very important.)

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