#16
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Maple
I'm just starting on building and most resources on tonewood describe maple as having a deadening effect as compared to rosewood. They saw that it tends to be favored for styles of music where you don't need a lot of sustain and want relatively crisp sound - some types of jazz for example. That's what the articles say at least, but I think that other choices by the luthier probably are more important.
I haven't found many maple guitars in shops, but I have really liked the few that I have found. They do seem to have a slightly different qualitative sound, but hard to describe. I plan on building myself one at some point. |
#17
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Maple is a fine wood for many styles of play...
Again, the BUILDER has far more to do with the sound of the instrument than the woods involved in the construction of it... FAR more to do with it! Along with that, the wood used for the back and sides is FAR secondary to the wood used for the top or soundboard... If I had to guess, I'd say maybe 10-15 % of the "total" sum of the tone and volume of a guitar comes from the back and side wood... more of a "flavoring" than a staple of the sound. Another great player who uses maple guitars is Pat Metheny... his acoustic tone on his earlier recordings was primarily responsible for my choosing maple back and sides for my Mark Angus F-40 in 1979 when I had Mark build it for me... 41 yearsw on and that guitar is still with me, still a gem of an instrument!
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"He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith. Spread your arms and hold your breath, always trust your cape..." "The Cape" (Guy Clark/Jim Janowsky/Susanna Clark) |
#18
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https://youtu.be/YcBn38hffQw,. This is Maple guitar I got
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2017 Martin HD 28 VTS 2018 Gibson Southern Jumbo 1993 Guild JF 30 Gibson Nick Lucas L 100 Maple Quantity and quality of my guitars should not be seen as indicative of the quality of my playing ability |
#19
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I have a Larrivee L-03 Flamed Maple Custom Shop Deluxe, it gets played more than my other guitars.
I'll not be parting ways with it.
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Herman |
#20
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As a big fan of the L body Larrivee I bet that one is really special!
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Jim Dogs Welcome......People Tolerated! |
#21
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One of the best sounding guitars I've played was Al Petteway's Maple Circa OO. I also have a terrific Maple Ed Claxton Malabar - OO-ish sized. Of course all of Taylor's 600 series are maple. They're out there...
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Music: Spotify, Bandcamp Videos: You Tube Channel Books: Hymns for Fingerstyle Guitar (std tuning), Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar (std tuning), A DADGAD Christmas, Alternate Tunings book Online Course: Alternate Tunings for Fingerstyle Guitar |
#22
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I have a wonderful Flamed Maple/German Spruce F model Santa Cruz that is a great finger style guitar.....SCGC builds with Maple better than most. It's a keeper.
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HFox Life is a journey...not a guided tour... |
#23
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I think Lawrence Juber's current Martin signature model that he is using, and has for the last several years, is maple back and sides.
duff Be A Player...Not A Polisher |
#24
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I have always found the J200 to be a great fingerpicker.
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#25
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My favorite guitar for fingerstyle is my Waterloo Scissortail in maple. I just can't get enough of that sound.
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#26
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I enjoy maple back and sides on an acoustic guitar, preferring Oregon Big Leaf Maple to other maples. That being said, it takes a knowledgeable builder to make a guitar that works well for me.
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#27
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Gibson J-185. Have a True Vintage model. Very comfortable to play and works great for finger style. Good projection.
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Gibson Southern Jumbo TV, 2008 Gibson J185 TV, 2012 Fender CP-100, 2016 The Traveler |
#28
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I also have a Guild Maple Jumbo that's great for fingerpicking, very balanced.
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2017 Martin HD 28 VTS 2018 Gibson Southern Jumbo 1993 Guild JF 30 Gibson Nick Lucas L 100 Maple Quantity and quality of my guitars should not be seen as indicative of the quality of my playing ability |
#29
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There are a variety of maples (just like with mahogany and rosewoods). From the US there is Bigleaf, Red and Sugar (Hard) Maple (among others). From Europe, there’s Sycamore Maple. These woods vary in their density, stiffness, and hardness. Maple when flatsawn can sometimes produce quilted or birdseye figures. When quartersawn, sometimes a fiddleback curl.
I have an unusual Bigleaf Maple | German Maple 000 sized guitar with a carved maple back. It is a fantastic, responsive finger-style guitar with fast attack and fat authoritative trebles. Maple is indeed one of the great tonewoods when used properly.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#30
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Well, because maple is so close to white, it sounds too bright. You need a browner wood like mahogany to tame the trebles. African Blackwood is too dark, though.
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |