hello,
what can it be different on the wood of a high-quality mahagony body guitar vs a low quality one?
what can it be different on the wood of a high-quality mahagony body guitar vs a low quality one?
good vs bad mahagony
- Thread starter weimark
- Start date
Shinozoku
Senior Memory
High quality woods are grown in a well preserved environment, and are usually free of imperfections like knots, diseases, etc. The pieces are usually selected for fine looks and/or tone, and some boutique builders will even find pieces with matching resonance to enhance the tone and feel of the guitar.
Low quality woods will not be selected for tone. They'll be grabbed out of a pile and worked on. You MIGHT get the knotty or wormhole-filled pieces thrown out if you're lucky. Also, there are derivatives of certain woods from many different countries. Some of these sub-species can still technically be called "Mahogany" or "Basswood", but it's not the species that we've grown to know and love.
Another thing you'll find in low grade tonewoods is that many times you'll have laminated pieces of the wood, which robs you of the wood's natural resonance and tone.
Low quality woods will not be selected for tone. They'll be grabbed out of a pile and worked on. You MIGHT get the knotty or wormhole-filled pieces thrown out if you're lucky. Also, there are derivatives of certain woods from many different countries. Some of these sub-species can still technically be called "Mahogany" or "Basswood", but it's not the species that we've grown to know and love.
Another thing you'll find in low grade tonewoods is that many times you'll have laminated pieces of the wood, which robs you of the wood's natural resonance and tone.
pretty cool answer thanks. so when you're getting a low quality guitar if you are lucky it may turn out to be good or bad, right?
Shinozoku
Senior Memory
Essentially, yes. But I wouldn't count on say, a blind purchase resulting in a killer guitar. I'd buy cheaper guitars in person where I could tap on the neck and body and listen for a nice, deep, sustaining resonance, where I could feel the fretwork and make sure the neck was acceptable, etc.
Trevoire520
Member
I remember one day when hunting for a new guitar I went down to my local music shop with the intention of playing everything I could afford with a pair of humbuckers in it.
First one I grabbed was a black PRS Tremonti SE, but I couldn't get it off the wall hanger, so I grabbed the white one beside it instead.
Sounded absolutely horrible, muddy as hell, I'd played starter guitars that were better than this.
Went through just about every other guitar in the shop. Nearly got myself a Gibson SG Special but decided I really wanted to try the PRS again. Wrestled with the black one and managed to get it down from the wall. Sounded completely different to the white one, ended up buying it and it's probably still the most acoustically resonant guitar I own (which includes a Prestige Ibanez SZ which weighs a ton!)
So while I don't know the details, not all mahogany is created equal, and I'd bet you have a much better chance of getting some decent wood with a more expensive guitar than with a cheaper one. Either way I don't think I'd ever buy a new guitar without playing it first as you really don't know what you're going to get..
First one I grabbed was a black PRS Tremonti SE, but I couldn't get it off the wall hanger, so I grabbed the white one beside it instead.
Sounded absolutely horrible, muddy as hell, I'd played starter guitars that were better than this.
Went through just about every other guitar in the shop. Nearly got myself a Gibson SG Special but decided I really wanted to try the PRS again. Wrestled with the black one and managed to get it down from the wall. Sounded completely different to the white one, ended up buying it and it's probably still the most acoustically resonant guitar I own (which includes a Prestige Ibanez SZ which weighs a ton!)
So while I don't know the details, not all mahogany is created equal, and I'd bet you have a much better chance of getting some decent wood with a more expensive guitar than with a cheaper one. Either way I don't think I'd ever buy a new guitar without playing it first as you really don't know what you're going to get..
Trevoire520 interesting post. thank you!!
are you sure it was the same guitar and same amp settings?
does the wood affect the tone that much? :O
are you sure it was the same guitar and same amp settings?
does the wood affect the tone that much? :O
P-E
Munchkin
Trevoire520
Member
Absolutely man, total night and day difference between the guitars. First one sounded godawful but the other was one of the best sounding guitars I played all day (the SG had a little more bite and attitude, but was £200 more expensive and out of my budget at the time if I'm being honest) so I walked away with the PRS.
At the end of the day you've got a bunch of strings and pickups anchored to a piece of wood that should (hopefully) resonate in a pleasing way. If it doesn't then you're kinda fucked from a sound point of view.
TravisW
Member
I have found Honduras mahogany to be the least consistent of the "classic" tone woods. The density of the wood, mineral content, grain orientation, etc...can vary a ton. Think about it this way: the "good" vintage 1950s Les Pauls weighed in the 8lb range. 1970s and early 80s Les Pauls (without weight relieving) often weighed 12-13lbs. That's a lot of variation in weight, which can mostly be attributed to the density of the mahogany. I've played mahogany guitars that sound more like humbucker-equipped Telecasters, and others that sounded like they were on the neck pickup the whole time.
As far as the difference that wood makes in the tone, after the string starts vibrating, the vibrations enter the body and neck via the fret and bridge. The wood that the neck and body are made of essentially acts as a filter, deadening some frequencies and accentuating others that are then reflected back into the string.
As far as the difference that wood makes in the tone, after the string starts vibrating, the vibrations enter the body and neck via the fret and bridge. The wood that the neck and body are made of essentially acts as a filter, deadening some frequencies and accentuating others that are then reflected back into the string.
