The "best" maple guitar is. . .

[Deliberate1]

John Slobod (Circa) works magic with maple.
But, this one is not so bad either: https://www.guitargal.com/products/t...n-maple-guitar
Oh, my...the sound of champagne evaporating.

David

[EZYPIKINS]

Well, seeing as I just ordered one.

I'm gonna say Custom Shop SJ-200

[Mark Stone]

J-200 all day every day . . .

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by HFox

NO Builder does Maple Better than Santa Cruz Guitar Company.... No. Body.
IMHO.

John Greven will give SCGC a run for their money and THEN some.

John Denver and Mary Chapin Carpenter would/will attest...


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[llew]

Originally Posted by mcduffnw

John Greven will give SCGC a run for their money and THEN some.

John Denver and Mary Chapin Carpenter would/will attest...


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

That SJ Greven MCC has is a very special guitar...and it doesn't hurt that she plays it in some very unique alt. tunings. One of my favorites...

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by llew

That SJ Greven MCC has is a very special guitar...and it doesn't hurt that she plays it in some very unique alt. tunings. One of my favorites...

That was beautiful - thanks for posting.

[llew]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

That was beautiful - thanks for posting.

You're welcome Bruce!

[Sadie-f]

Originally Posted by llew

That SJ Greven MCC has is a very special guitar...and it doesn't hurt that she plays it in some very unique alt. tunings. One of my favorites...

That's a great clip, and there's one thing that surprises me, the guitar is mic'd with what looks to be an sm58 dynamic mic, where if going dynamic, one would prefer an sm57.

That could also explain the uninspiring bass presence in the recording, or of course the guitar might not offer so much bass response.


To answer the OP, the best maple b&s guitar I've heard and played was a 2018 froggy bottom S size. That tiny guitar offered up killer bass and singing treble notes. I played it a/b against a Taylor om that quite failed to impress, pretty much sounded like a Taylor.

[llew]

Originally Posted by Sadie-f

That's a great clip, and there's one thing that surprises me, the guitar is mic'd with what looks to be an sm58 dynamic mic, where if going dynamic, one would prefer an sm57.

That could also explain the uninspiring bass presence in the recording, or of course the guitar might not offer so much bass response.


To answer the OP, the best maple b&s guitar I've heard and played was a 2018 froggy bottom S size. That tiny guitar offered up killer bass and singing treble notes. I played it a/b against a Taylor om that quite failed to impress, pretty much sounded like a Taylor.

Sorry to say I wouldn't know the difference but that clip was recorded at Paste Studio's (I believe) so maybe that's the sound they were going for...I don't know?

[Guitars44me]

Jamming with MW, at B.I.G. #1 three years ago, I played Michael Watts big Maple/Adi Kostal. Yow!

He played my big John Kinnaird WRC/Maple

Build thread here: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=491678

We were both stoked.

IMO, it will be a rare factory instrument that can match what a master single Luthier can provide….

But deep pockets are necessary to pay the Luthiers. Worth it to me

Paul

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Jamming with MW, at B.I.G. #1 three years ago, I played Michael Watts big Maple/Adi Kostal. Yow!

He played my big John Kinnaird WRC/Maple

Build thread here: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=491678

We were both stoked.

IMO, it will be a rare factory instrument that can match what a master single Luthier can provide….

But deep pockets are necessary to pay the Luthiers. Worth it to me

Paul

I enjoyed Michael’s guitar as well. This guitar made an appearance at BIG.

[FrankHudson]

I probably don't have enough experience with higher end acoustic guitars to have an informed opinion on much of what is being discussed so far.

For the sake of those who live and work lower in price ranges I'd look to Guild, which the OP doesn't have on their list, even though when I think of maple backs I think of the arched maple backs on some classic Guild designs along with the Gibson jumbos. I've certainly heard nice playing and recordings using those two, and I like my US Guild JF30-12.

I think the Guilds backs are usually laminated maple, which leaves out those for whom laminated is a swear word. On the other hand, the maple-ish guitar I've personally played the most hours on is a modest Seagull with a solid cedar top with their customary wild cherry (and maple, I've heard) laminate.

Hope the OP enjoys their search.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by Sadie-f

That's a great clip, and there's one thing that surprises me, the guitar is mic'd with what looks to be an sm58 dynamic mic, where if going dynamic, one would prefer an sm57.

That could also explain the uninspiring bass presence in the recording, or of course the guitar might not offer so much bass response.


To answer the OP, the best maple b&s guitar I've heard and played was a 2018 froggy bottom S size. That tiny guitar offered up killer bass and singing treble notes. I played it a/b against a Taylor om that quite failed to impress, pretty much sounded like a Taylor.

If you watch, as you listen, you can see/hear that Mary is intentionally playing to keep the bass in the background relative to the mid and treble strings. If you listen to a bunch of her epic "Songs From Home" Youtube series during the height of the Covid pandemic, you can hear the power of this guitars bass when she wants to bring it forward...but...she tends to use the bass, especially the low E string very very judiciously on most of her songs. That particular guitar has a very firm, medium deep bass that is very warm, deftly resonant, and present, but not big, round, and boomy...very much Gibsonesque...in a good way...from a J-185 body style, which is what John patterned this model of his after.

From a technique standpoint, MCC is quite remarkable, for a singer/songwriter, in her skill and command of very nuanced control of her tone, timbre, and dynamics both strumming and fingerpicking...and that Greven guitar is very equally adept at exceptional response to her command and control.

I have personally played the OOOOM...John calls it a OOOOF model...guitar that he made for John Denver, back in 1982. It is a truly fabulous sounding guitar...very very smooth, warm, and deep sounding, with a really firm and deep bass.

If you go to SoundCloud at look up John Greven or Greven Guitars, and listen to the soundclip of the OOOOF, that is me playing a song that I composed on John Denver's former Greven guitar. It was such a delight to play. Unfortunately, when they transferred the sound file over to SoundCloud, it created a little distortion in the file, but you can still get a really good idea of how really really nice that guitar sounds. It is/was one of the "playing" highlights of my life, being a HUGE JD fan, to get to hold and play that guitar over a few days time at John Greven's house.



duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[ssstewart]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

I probably don't have enough experience with higher end acoustic guitars to have an informed opinion on much of what is being discussed so far.

For the sake of those who live and work lower in price ranges I'd look to Guild, which the OP doesn't have on their list, even though when I think of maple backs I think of the arched maple backs on some classic Guild designs along with the Gibson jumbos. I've certainly heard nice playing and recordings using those two, and I like my US Guild JF30-12.

I think the Guilds backs are usually laminated maple, which leaves out those for whom laminated is a swear word. On the other hand, the maple-ish guitar I've personally played the most hours on is a modest Seagull with a solid cedar top with their customary wild cherry (and maple, I've heard) laminate.

Hope the OP enjoys their search.

heya Frank, yes you are correct on the seagull...most of the sub-brands of Godin going back to the original Normans including simon & patrick/seagull and norman that have a laminated back and sides are a sandwich of the primary facing woods with maple as the sandwich, making for a very strong and durable laminate regardless of the facing wood used. not sure about the Art and Lutherie line though, but all my simon & patricks/normans/seagulls are the sandwich laminate in those instances where they weren't solid (ami's) as far as I know anyways.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by ssstewart

heya Frank, yes you are correct on the seagull...most of the sub-brands of Godin going back to the original Normans including simon & patrick/seagull and norman that have a laminated back and sides are a sandwich of the primary facing woods with maple as the sandwich

Meaning my modest Seagull Performer has laminate B&S that are solid maple