bindernut Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 Hey gang, I've got a question. Seems most people make the guitar body from 2 8" wide by x" long pieces. Why? Is this done because a pice 15 or 16" wide is that hard to come by, or what? And also, why do some people put a top piece on the body that's 1/4-1/2" thick. is there a reason for this, or is done for a decorative reason(like it's cheaper to get a 1/4" thick piece of birds eye than making the whole body birdseye..) Thanks for the help. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 Cost is the biggest motive behind multiple peice bodies and thinner tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 usually the reason people dont have whole maple vodies is cost AND it would sound waaaaaay to bright unless it was balanced with mahogany or some other more balanced wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 I am pretty sure that there are all maple guitars out there, maple body neck and fingerboard, brightness can be changed by EQ, pickups and such plus, dont you want an insane treble when pullin off that mad solo? Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 The bodies from the big companies are usually at least 2 piece because smaller pieces are easier to get as you already wrote. Additionally a lamination of two pieces *can* be less vulnerable to warping if done right. For the top it depends on what top it is. There are two versions: 1. Very thin tops and veneers which are only there for enhanicing the look and because figured wood in full size would be way more expensive. 2. Thicker tops used for changing the tone of the instrument and enhancing the look. A top of a harder/denser wood then the rest of the body is supposed to add highs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 there are guitars with maple bodies. dont know if this guy is solid 1 piece 2, or plywood for that matter maple guitar The answer is cost. Fender American use 1-2 pieces for a body, Fender mexican use up to 7, and squiers tend to be plywood if i'm not mistaken. -Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moreau Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 well also im assuming that concerns with keeping the body straight and flat may add to the reason why u see multi-piece bodies. i dunno if theyre actually solving a problem or just taking precautions, because lots of people use 1 and 2 piece bodies, and to my knowledge they dont warp. a friend claims he knows how to make 2 piece bodies he can guarantee wont warp. will a basic jointed 2 piece body fold? Kirk Hammet has an esp that is all maple neck thru. so you can do whatever u want. he has a wicked sound. but thats mostly the player. try it out. i had thought about it, but it would be really heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 well also im assuming that concerns with keeping the body straight and flat may add to the reason why u see multi-piece bodies. i dunno if theyre actually solving a problem or just taking precautions, because lots of people use 1 and 2 piece bodies, and to my knowledge they dont warp. a friend claims he knows how to make 2 piece bodies he can guarantee wont warp. will a basic jointed 2 piece body fold? Kirk Hammet has an esp that is all maple neck thru. so you can do whatever u want. he has a wicked sound. but thats mostly the player. try it out. i had thought about it, but it would be really heavy. ← kirk hammetts main guitar is a maple neck through with alder wings.all those others are nothing like the kh 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bindernut Posted January 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Thanks for the replies, guys. From the sounds of some replies, i'm going to ask a question, though it might be a dumb one, and i'm sorry if that's the case. I'm new to guitar building/construction.... someone mentioned a maple neck through w/ alder wings. Does this mean the neck continues all the way through the bod to the bottom end? thanks Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAI6 Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 That would be correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 right now my guitar is made out of maple and it sounds fine. It's not to high at all. Right now I'm building one out of a single peice of mahogany 15"x21"x2" A peice of real hondurous mahognay that big costs about $130 USD (which is what I paid for mine). I'm also putting a flamed bubinga top on (for looks and to enhance the sound) that peice costs about $70 USD. I'm sure if I got 2 peices of mahognay it would cost less than half of what I paid. But it doesent sound quite as good and IMHO it looks MUCH better 1 peice. The peice I got has some crazy nice grain and it looks like it has an M on the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassman Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Godin, I just got a piece of mohogany 15"x28"x1 3/4", dry, for only $37. Check your local lumber mills for wide mohog... mine seems to have huge pieces of it all the time for a very good price. Of course it looks pretty boring to me so it will most likely be getting a killer top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 just to be specific...this is the guitar kirk plays on stage....not the kh 602 or kh 202. those are just cheaper versions of this one http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guit...ase_pid/516581/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moreau Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 didnt realize that they were different. thats why im here to learn.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 didnt realize that they were different. thats why im here to learn.... ← yeah...i have daydreamed about the kh 2 every since they came out with it in about 90-91? back when an ltd was a p.o.s ford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 Just to clarify something a bit off topic it is Mahogany right? I see so many people saying Mohogany and to be honest I thought it was just people not having any idea how to really spell it, but I see it so often now i'm starting to wonder if it is actually a different species of wood ? - Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 Just to clarify something a bit off topic it is Mahogany right? I see so many people saying Mohogany and to be honest I thought it was just people not having any idea how to really spell it, but I see it so often now i'm starting to wonder if it is actually a different species of wood ? - Dan ← yes it is mahogany...i just think that nobody these days cares about the language. spelling and grammar are not "cool" anymore(until you find yourself 40 years old cleaning out porta-cans) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 (edited) Godin, I just got a piece of mohogany 15"x28"x1 3/4", dry, for only $37. Check your local lumber mills for wide mohog... mine seems to have huge pieces of it all the time for a very good price. Of course it looks pretty boring to me so it will most likely be getting a killer top. ← Ya mine has some prety darn interesting grain to it. I could have got a plainer peice for like $50 (thats after them charging $20 to surface all 4 sides, which I had done to my peice) but I really wanted the best for this guitar. Edited February 1, 2005 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 yes it is mahogany...i just think that nobody these days cares about the language. Very interesting. I just looked it up in a dictionary and you are right. But it seems the American language is at fault here. In German it's called "mahagoni" and in british english it is called "mahagony". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 yes it is mahogany...i just think that nobody these days cares about the language. Very interesting. I just looked it up in a dictionary and you are right. But it seems the American language is at fault here. In German it's called "mahagoni" and in british english it is called "mahagony". ← sure,blame the americans but tell me...where is it ever called mohogany?(except by mistake, i mean) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 yes it is mahogany...i just think that nobody these days cares about the language. Very interesting. I just looked it up in a dictionary and you are right. But it seems the American language is at fault here. In German it's called "mahagoni" and in british english it is called "mahagony". ← Uh, no. It's mahogany. This isn't a British vs. American thing. "Mahagony" is incorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassman Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 I only call it mahogany when I make a mistake, as I did a little bit ago. Actually, I care about proper english. No porta can cleaning here- I got that out of my system by being a dishwasher in a busy restaurant when I was 14-15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 Uh, no. It's mahogany. This isn't a British vs. American thing. "Mahagony" is incorrect. Man I looked this up in dictionaries just for this thread. And the dictionaries say that it's Mahagony in Britain and Mahogany in USA. but tell me...where is it ever called mohogany?(except by mistake, i mean) Nowhere....you just invented another variation.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 Uh, no. It's mahogany. This isn't a British vs. American thing. "Mahagony" is incorrect. Man I looked this up in dictionaries just for this thread. And the dictionaries say that it's Mahagony in Britain and Mahogany in USA. but tell me...where is it ever called mohogany?(except by mistake, i mean) Nowhere....you just invented another variation.... ← oh believe me,i didn't invent it...i just plagiarized it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 Man this is confusing now! Mahogony, Mahogany, Mohogany Good to have it cleared up though... By the way Wes, I don't think it was ever 'cool' to care about the language, just that some people don't seem to care reglardless, and some people don't have enough self respect to learn the language properly. Personally I think there are limits to how much you can stray from proper english before it becomes just wrong, but its strikingly clear that not everyone has limits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.