Multiple woods for body construction...

[jm1681]

Contemplating a custom as I always do, I had a thought.

While I'm sure its possible (Isn't anything possible?), does anyone know what the results might be from using two different woods, for the sides of a neck-thru guitar?

Like if you used Ash for the low side, and Alder for the high side. What kind of results could be expected? Would you get the articulation of Ash for the low strings and the broad range of Alder for the high strings. Or would it just be a bit of both but nothing necessarily good or bad?

[Espgianni]

hmmmmm, i got no idea..i have seen one wood for the neck thru body piece.....and a different wood for the wings, and the a different wood for the top.......but i think the best thing would be is to keep the same wood for the wings.....when the guitar builder picks the wood for the wings they use a device that tests the density of the pieces of wood, then they pair up the two with the similar densitys............
If you get two wood with two different densitys, i think it will throw of the resonance of the guitar....if your top wing was ash and your bottom alder....the top 3 strings wouldent have the tone of one wood and the bottem strings wouldent have the tone of the other.......the guitar is all joined into one slab of wood....
But to be honest i got no idea what it would sound like..it can be done...you just need to pick the correct match of woods to make it sound right

[jm1681]

...if your top wing was ash and your bottom alder....the top 3 strings wouldent have the tone of one wood and the bottem strings wouldent have the tone of the other.......the guitar is all joined into one slab of wood...Thats what I thought as well :)

[NevermoreMan90]

It sounds a little uneccesary, but you bring up a good question. It would be interesting to find out the answer.

[Ravens Creed]

I used to work with a Luthier.

I think that whilst its possible and varying woods would affect the sound a fair bit, you could run the risk of everything resonating at different frequencies and killing your tone. Or...it might sound brilliant.

You could probably try having the same wood for top and bottom wings and then having a figured cap in a third wood over the top.

[jm1681]

...You could probably try having the same wood for top and bottom wings and then having a figured cap in a third wood over the top.Good call :) As always, I'm just thinking out loud.

[Ravens Creed]

Just remember that with thru necks, the neck wood is the most important. It will form the basis of the guitars sound and add the fretboard wood to that, then the wings that add character and maybe a cap to finish it off.

For instance, a Mahogany neck will give more mid/high mids but trim off the highs and then you add an Ebony fretboard and it will give you more snap to balance it out. Then you could add say.... Alder wings to tighten up the bass response and give it a bit more punch in the mid range.
A maple cap would add further brightness and high end response.

Thats all in theory though.



I've always wanted to build a guitar with a White Korina neck, Ebony fretboard, Spruce wings and maybe a AAAAA Maple top. I reckon that would sound great and look great.

[jm1681]

Interesting...

Do you by any chance know of a resource that lists the various characteristics of different wood combos?

While I have a general idea of what sounds like what, when it comes to combinations and such, I get lost, hence questions ;)

[Ravens Creed]

Here's a good one.

http://www.crimsonguitars.com/wood_pictures_properties.html