Mahogany Top Maple Back?

[thomasteven]

I was thinking the other day about how a maple top on a mahogany back gives it a brighter sound, and was wondering what the sound would be like if you put a mahogany top on a maple back(non-figured of course ).

Has anyone tried this before, and what were the results like?

Edited February 27, 2005 by thomasteven

[MzI]

it really does not matter which is on the front or the back I would think, I maybe wrong, but the thing that affects it more is the thickness of each kind of wood, the more maple you have the brighter it will sound and the more mahogany the warmer it will sound etc

MzI

[Devon Headen]

My guess from thinking about the physics of it is that it would be darker than a guitar with a maple top. All the sound producing parts are mounted on the top, so it, theoretically at least, should have more effect on the sound.

[Mickguard]

I'm going to ressurect this one, since I'm wondering the same thing --maybe by now other people will have opinions on/knowledge of this idea, maybe someone has tried it?

I've got some nice one-piece mahogany (it'll be about 35 mm thickness when I'm doing thicknessing it) --and I also have some maple (about 5 mm) that's nothing special to look at.

I'm working on a Les Paul Junior idea --using a P90 ....

The big question is whether I'll get any of the brightness that a maple cap offers if I apply the maple to the back?

Are there any production guitars like this?

[westhemann]

i am sorry i missed this before.

yes i have done it...it sounds very bright,i guess from the majority of body wood being maple...i would not do it again,as it is just too bright for my tastes.

[Mickguard]

i am sorry i missed this before.

yes i have done it...it sounds very bright,i guess from the majority of body wood being maple...i would not do it again,as it is just too bright for my tastes.

←

No, I'm talking about a thin cap of maple on a thick piece of mahogony (well, I think it's mahogany...)

[westhemann]

i was answering the first question.

as far as your question...i don't know...but even the plainest maple is better to look at than a nice,straight grained piece of mahogany.the only reason i used thw mahogany as a cap is because it was crotch mahogany.

by the way...my mahogany cap was thick enough that the bridge and pickups all sat in mahogany,yet the maple on the back contributed a great deal to the tone.

the overall thickness of that guitar though is 2 1/4"...some day i will shave off part of the back to get rid of some of that maple

[Mr.Churchyard]

What about mahogany like this?

mahogany I was considering to buy

I think it looks quite interesting, and there were better pieces. Or is more or less figured mahogany less suited for a good guitar than plain looking mahogany?

[westhemann]

What about mahogany like this?

mahogany I was considering to buy

I think it looks quite interesting, and there were better pieces. Or is more or less figured mahogany less suited for a good guitar than plain looking mahogany?

←

that mahogany is very straight grained..i think it would be very nice...the flames it has don't affect how straight the grain is in the least.

i think that is an exceptional piece...but crotch mahogany is quite a bit wilder.this guitar sounds quite good though,even though the grain of the cap is obviously not straight...but the back and neck are straight grained

the other guitar that has the maple back is from the same piece

[Setch]

I'd snap that bit up in asecond - lovely ribbon grain.

However, you will find the grain makes planing difficult - the direction you need to plane is reversed at each of the stripes, so you are always working 'against' the the grain in some areas.