exotic woods

[mikegee]

anybody experienced with acoustic guitars that have exotic, or non traditional woods? Most of them look simply beautiful, but i wonder how they sound. sapele wood looks real nice, ash and mahogany too... any advice?

[smopo24]

though i've never used it myself, i've heard that koa is a great sounding wood. has anyone used it or owned a koa instrument?

[lukedavo]

I actually never heard an instrument with it, but I have done projects with it (jewlery box). I remember it being fairly difficult to work with, it was very hard, and I had to be very careful not to burn the wood with the circular and jig saw. When a species is difficult to cut do to the fiber density, it burns if the saw is rotating against it for too long, maple is a bad burner. Thats about it, man I wish shop class wasnt right after lunch, I would have remembered sooo much more.

[mikegee]

yea good points... i mean, i am all for beautiful looking guitars and all, but they better sound as pretty as they look, or else what's the point, hang it on the wall and call it art? ya know?

[lukedavo]

Exactly, if the wood sounded better, I imagine they would make all their guitars out of it. I doubt its a matter of cost, because if the wood costs more, sounds better, and looks more beutiful, they can charge more for the guitar, and that makes sense from a business perspective. So, thats what they do. They have limited stock on special woods, and therefore provide an additional option at a higher cost, for the same components and manufacturing technique, Capitalism at its best.

Does that make any sense?

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by lukedavo

Exactly, if the wood sounded better, I imagine they would make all their guitars out of it. I doubt its a matter of cost, because if the wood costs more, sounds better, and looks more beutiful, they can charge more for the guitar, and that makes sense from a business perspective. So, thats what they do. They have limited stock on special woods, and therefore provide an additional option at a higher cost, for the same components and manufacturing technique, Capitalism at its best.

Does that make any sense?

pletny: better sound + limited availability + high margin + niche market = high cost and big profits

[Arnieinthesky]

Different wood posses different tone. How many of you when you put on a CD go immediatelyto your EQ and turn down the mid EQ band and push up the bass and treble? Or maybe in your car you're constantly driving around with the "Loudness" option on? This is the old Smiley Face EQ curve. This is a plesant frequency response to the human ear. Ever notice when you turn up the volume on a CD, it sounds not only louder but some how, better? When you saturate the signal in your ear, the ear compresses the sound and the end result is a scooped mid range and a hightend response in the highs and lows.

Rosewoods frequency response is just that. Lows and highs with scooped out mids. Naturally pleasing. Great for strumming. Mahogany has way more mid frequencys some low's, and rolled off in the high end. Koa is really well balanced. I've played on all sorts of other guitars though. Maple, Ebony, Palo Escrito, Ash, Walnut. Some of those look way nicer than they sound. Also, the construction of the neck of a guitar can generate a lot of the tone and sustain of a guitar! This is a feature that's criminaly over looked in guitar manufacturing!

jl

[Ol'boy rivers]

Exotic woods arn't always all they're cracked up to be. Most of them are extremely expensive and may not be worth the price to put in. Koa is a prime example, Being a BEAUTIFUL wood when stained properly, But it sounds excellent. Another obvious example is Sitka, And Canadian woods. Ebony I belive is an " exotic " wood. Indian rosewood, Of course. Pau Ferro I belive is an exotic wood. Black Limba is a little uncommon, But goes into the making of custom acoustics. Cocobolo is another rare wood no one sees very often, Usually sides and backs of acoustics. The most common examples I can think of that are considered " Exotic " are highly flamed mahoganys, Figured maples, ( Curly, Burl, Birds eye, quilted ) And differen't species of walnut and such. ( African walnut is more common than others, And Zebra wood is starting to show up alot. ) These are just a few examples, There are thousands of different woods that come from hundreds of different places. Do what I did when I wanted to learn about them: Google it.

[sagepowder]

I am new here, just saying hello

<3 sagepowder

[Ol'boy rivers]

Originally Posted by sagepowder

I am new here, just saying hello

<3 sagepowder

I know the feeling, Mahn. Welcome to the forum.