michaelbambridge Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Hello everyone,apologies if this seems a stupid question.I'm about to start my first build and have already decided that my guitar body will end up painted. It seems to me that to make the body from some exotic hardwood would be a waste of money and resources.Therefore, I'm considering using plywood (multiplex in USA?),or MDF. Now I might be missing something here, but is there a valid reason why either can't be used? Both are quite dense so sustain should be good.Neither suffer from splitting or warping,so what's the problem.Is it just a case of snobbery in that these are cheap products?Please enlighten this novice. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bytrix Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Well I don't know the exact reasons but MDF is 'made', there must be a tonal advantage to using a solid piece of hardwood. You don't have to go exotic though, there are plenty of 'cheap' (obviously more than MDF) woods that work fine for guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goth_fiend Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 ^exactly, though korean and indoneasean guitars are made out of plywood, why should yours? there are several suitable tonewoods out there that are inexpensive (my first body blank was made from alder, I purchased 10 brd ft for $35 us, thats enough for *about* 3 bodies) just look around your local hardwood dealers, they should have what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 OK, a newbie question so i won't wade in to the normal 'USE THE SEARCH' attack but WHY look to use such things as MDF (which won't hold screws or a finish very well) or Plywood (can be very difficult to work with and of dubious consistancy) when a body blank of say Ash or Alder will only cost you around £35/$50. The cost of stock tonewoods (and we're not talking 5A Quilt's here) will be the least of your worries cost wise when considering a project so why even consider the 40% it would save you on the body (only) costs. Depending on where you are in the world there IS a hardwood timber yard somewhere near you and they WILL be able to help you. Check out some of the pinned threads concerning suitable woods (there's a number under different sections like this one http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=15379) and go talk to your local wood guy. Jem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 What Batfink said. Additionally, MDF and ply are both often very, very heavy, and have the taptone of cardboard, if you're very, very lucky. 'Sustain' doesn't mean squat if the guitar doesn't sound nice. Wood doesn't have to be expensive, or particularly pretty if you're going solid colour, but using actual wood is better than any number of composites. Also, MDF and ply of good quality really aren't that cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptt-Guitars Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Theres a heated debate about tonewoods and their role. Rob Bendetto made an archtop purely out of hardware grade pine, including knots and all, not much change in sound could be recognised, however the good old rule that the better looking instrument sounds better still stands. You don't have to use a piece of wood which looks great because you are painting it, but its definitely worth using a tonewood to achieve maximum resonating properties on the electric. Its also much easier to work with quality materials and achieve a satisfactory or excellent finish on a predicatable peice of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Hello everyone,apologies if this seems a stupid question.I'm about to start my first build and have already decided that my guitar body will end up painted. It seems to me that to make the body from some exotic hardwood would be a waste of money and resources.Therefore, I'm considering using plywood (multiplex in USA?),or MDF. Now I might be missing something here, but is there a valid reason why either can't be used? Both are quite dense so sustain should be good.Neither suffer from splitting or warping,so what's the problem.Is it just a case of snobbery in that these are cheap products?Please enlighten this novice. Thanks. ← MDF is made of small fibres held together by a huge mass of glue. For an instrument to sound 'good', the body woods need to transfer vibrations/soundwaves well. With MDF being formed of so many small fibres, and glue being amazingly poor at transmitting said soundwaves, it does not lend itself to musical instrument making well. Neither does plywood, although it has fewer pieces (just the number of sheets in the ply), the differing grain directions would cause the same sort of transfer problems as with the fibres of MDF. It's not a case of snobbery that they are cheap, they just aren't usually considered good enough (there's a reason why even the cheapest guitars these days never use plywood). Aesthetics aside, they're pretty much functionally inadequate. You'll do much better (as was suggested above), to buy a cheap hardwood like Alder/Ash for your project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelbambridge Posted October 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Hello everyone,apologies if this seems a stupid question.I'm about to start my first build and have already decided that my guitar body will end up painted. It seems to me that to make the body from some exotic hardwood would be a waste of money and resources.Therefore, I'm considering using plywood (multiplex in USA?),or MDF. Now I might be missing something here, but is there a valid reason why either can't be used? Both are quite dense so sustain should be good.Neither suffer from splitting or warping,so what's the problem.Is it just a case of snobbery in that these are cheap products?Please enlighten this novice. Thanks. ← MDF is made of small fibres held together by a huge mass of glue. For an instrument to sound 'good', the body woods need to transfer vibrations/soundwaves well. With MDF being formed of so many small fibres, and glue being amazingly poor at transmitting said soundwaves, it does not lend itself to musical instrument making well. Neither does plywood, although it has fewer pieces (just the number of sheets in the ply), the differing grain directions would cause the same sort of transfer problems as with the fibres of MDF. It's not a case of snobbery that they are cheap, they just aren't usually considered good enough (there's a reason why even the cheapest guitars these days never use plywood). Aesthetics aside, they're pretty much functionally inadequate. You'll do much better (as was suggested above), to buy a cheap hardwood like Alder/Ash for your project. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelbambridge Posted October 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 Many thanks to everyone who took the time to answer my query,the answers were,as you can see,unanamous.I shall now be looking for a local supplier of hardwoods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester700 Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 To everything there is a purpose... As others have said, MDF is dead. This makes it terrible for guitars, which should resonate. But it also happens to make it excellent for speaker cabinets, which SHOULDN'T resonate. Plywood is in the middle for both purposes (unless strength is desired, like in PA speakers - then plywood is often preferred over MDF). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted October 19, 2005 Report Share Posted October 19, 2005 There is a big difference between 'hardwoods', and 'exotic hardwoods'. Yes, to use an 'exotic' hardwood would be a waste of money, because exotic hardwoods tend to be expensive, but a ~standard~ hardwood would be a wise choice indeed. Alder is a great first guitar wood. Cheap, relatively light, easy to work, easy on tools, and it always sounds good with various appointments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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