Name your favorite maples

[hotroad]

What guitars do you like that have maple back and sides. I am especially interested in larger body sizes 000 and above.
What do you recommend? Can be either private luthier built or production built like Gibson, etc.

[gr81dorn]

Guild F55 (or sometimes other numbers but the maple jumbo from Guild) is about as good as it gets if you get a good one from one of the good era. Incredible boomy voice, but still balanced and sweet.

I'd say similar of J200s from Gibson if you find a good one from a good era.

Can't say I've ever played a dread in maple that I liked at all. have played some parlors and such, but seems like the Jumbos are really where Maple shines.

[hubcapsc]

Google up an Eastman AC630...



-Mike "no personal experience..."

[Lillis]

This thread looks familiar but I would still recommend taking a hard look at the Breedlove legacy jumbo on sale at LA guitars.

[justonwo]

John Slobod is very well known for his German maple 000-12. I have played two, one of which I own. I know Al Petteway also loves his Circa 000-12. Ed Claxton is another one who I hear works wonders with maple. I love my maple Euphonon as well, but Larson-style guitars aren’t for everyone.

[MBee]

I hear that David Webber does wonderful things with maple and cedar in his roundbody model.

[tippy5]

Michael Watts shows off his amazing Jason Kostal Maple.

Dropped tuning (DADGAD):

https://youtu.be/ROgh_9uFYBA?t=157


In standard:

https://youtu.be/qp7PG-FRQvM?t=290


I also love a good Gibson J 200 or a Guild as stated previously. I had a 1992 J200 that was overbuilt, not very inspiring but was a perfect rhythm guitar to record.

I have a friend who is a professional engineer in LA. The resident acoustic guitar in their large 110 piece symphony recording room is a large maple backed Gibson.

I almost purchased a Michaud at the SBAIC show. I wish I sprang for it. It was a 00 that had the addictive warm maple tone.

I applaud your maple search!

[llew]

I have a second hand John Walker Wise River slope shoulder dread in Adirondack/Maple. Wonderful guitar!

[eljay]

Look no farther than a Gibson Dove

[jaymarsch]

John Greven makes a wonderful maple guitar. Mary Chapin Carpenter makes them sound fabulous.
Best,
Jayne

[llew]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

John Greven makes a wonderful maple guitar. Mary Chapin Carpenter makes them sound fabulous.
Best,
Jayne

No argument from me?

[leew3]

Taylor GS Maple (precursor to the GS6) Grand Symphony with maple B/S, spruce top.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by leew3

Taylor GS Maple (precursor to the GS6) Grand Symphony with maple B/S, spruce top.

Beautiful and a beautiful sounding guitar!

[FormerFoodie]

Originally Posted by hotroad

What guitars do you like that have maple back and sides. I am especially interested in larger body sizes 000 and above.
What do you recommend? Can be either private luthier built or production built like Gibson, etc.

Arguably the best guitar I ever played was a Kim Walker maple backed L00. Wow. Kim has stopped taking orders for new commissions. I believe right before he stopped taking new orders, it was an 8 year wait list, or something like that. If you have the coin, and if you can find one out in the wild, that's a great way to go.

If you want to buy a new guitar, I would go with a luthier built option. I don't know if maple is a tricky wood, but I feel that some luthiers just know how to work it better than others. Personally, if I had to order another maple guitar, I would commission another guitar with John Slobod. He's a wizard with maple (and other tone woods!). I have a maple backed OM from him that I will never let go.

[fredsj200]

My Fairbanks Super Smeck