The "best" maple guitar is. . .

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by jrb715

I checked other; and for me, it's a coin flip between a Collings SJ and a Huss and Dalton MJ.

Good Choices!

[HFox]

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

[HFox]

Originally Posted by tadol

Santa Cruz model F - I absolutely love mine, especially in maple -

THIS ^^^^^^

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by jrb715

I checked other; and for me, it's a coin flip between a Collings SJ and a Huss and Dalton MJ.

I had a maple Huss & Dalton MJ Custom and a Gibson SJ-200 - quite different guitars.

The H&D was lightly built and super responsive, more a finger style guitar than a strummer.

The Gibson is a slightly heavier build, a little less responsive and not so much a finger style guitar but an outstanding strummer.

[ewalling]

The OM (Sitka and maple) made by Scottish luthier Jimmy Moon that I played in Forsyth's in Manchester (England) around twelve years ago. There was no quick decay on that guitar - the sustain just sang! I really should have bought it.

[KenL]

I took a Taylor 6-something Legends of the Fall (or whatever they call those) dreadnaught in maple in trade. It was a stunning guitar in every respect.

But, dummy me, I had it in my head that I didn't care for the Taylor tone. Plus I was long on dreads at the time, so I let it go.

If I had it back now, because I've changed my opinion on Taylor guitars, I would keep it.

[leew3]

I vote for my 2006 Taylor GS Maple (an ancestor of the newer '6' series) Maple B/S with a spruce top. I've called it a poor man's J-200 but since I paid around $2K for it, that's not really a poor person's guitar is it!?

[davidbeinct]

If you can find a Westerly-era Guild with maple b/s it would be hard to go wrong if it’s in good shape. Hoboken too apparently but I haven’t played one. Guild really knew their way around maple back then.

[Brucebubs]

There's a lovely Iris ND-200 maple jumbo for sale in the AGF classifieds.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=650440

[Tuberoast]

That I have heard in person:
Guild Jumbo and
I listened to a guy play an early 60s Epiphone Frontier in a music store about 30 years ago, it was a powerhouse. I was waiting for him to put it down so I could grab it, but he left with it.

[Mr. Paul]

Best two maple guitars I've played were J185s, a '54 and a '56

[jseth]

I would suggest one of the Taylor 616 models, the Grand Symphony size/shape, provided you want a guitar that's both loud and sensitive to fingerstyle as well as a flatpick.

I love the Gibson J-185, but so many of the ones built after about 1957 or so, just seem really overbuilt... to the point where they need to be played hard to get the tone and volume out of them. Great guitars, but you had better play it for a good amount of time before you buy it... just to be sure!

[GeneralDreedle]

I love my two maples in my signature but the best one I played was a custom Collings CJ Maple used, couldn’t afford it at the time

[justonwo]

One of the builders I find consistently produces magical maple guitars is John Slobod (Circa).

[MThomson]

Sharing one of my favourites for those that like maple guitars