marko_slash Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 I'll start building a Pensa/Suhr looking guitar soon, so I need some of your opinions about wood to be used on it. I thought about putting a quilt maple top on it, but it is hard to get it where I live, so it will be flamed. Mahogany isn't avaliable here, so I thought about having walnut for body back? How it would sound in combination with flamed maple top? It would be carved top, I'll post some pics showing how it will look like app. And what neck wood do you recommend? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 According to Warmoth's tone comparison, walnut is about 75% bright, quilted maple is about 80-85% bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 You should end up with a birght guitar, with a decent bit of attack. But a different bright than all maple. Maple is a biting, shrill bright, walnut is smoother and less harsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko_slash Posted May 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Huh, I prefer LP tone more...little warmer and that...and some guys told me that walnut/f.maple is a good combination for that...this got me confused Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 The LP is mahogany/maple. Going to Warmoth's comparison again, mahogany is about 75% warm. If you're looking for other woods to use than mahogany, take a look at korina/limba or rosewood. Considering the substantial weight and cost of rosewood, limba might be your best bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 The other key ingredients to the Les Paul sound are the 24.75" scale and the mahogany neck. Both of those will impact the final tone a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 The other key ingredients to the Les Paul sound are the 24.75" scale and the mahogany neck. Both of those will impact the final tone a lot. Good point. A longer scale and a maple neck WILL change things up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ae3 Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 Les Paul tone from a bolt on superstrat with a Floyd is very hard to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko_slash Posted May 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I know that LPs are mahogany/maple duh... The point is, I don't want to end up with extremly bright guitar, but now I see that mahogany is 75% bright, same as walnut. I could go for a try, walnut back, maple top, and maybe walnut neck (if I don't find suitable flamed maple for it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 Can you get any wood from the mahogany family? If you can find sapele, Spanish cedar, or something like that, it should prove similar. As stated, limba's a great substitute. What woods are available in your area? -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 what is your area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I know that LPs are mahogany/maple duh... The point is, I don't want to end up with extremly bright guitar, but now I see that mahogany is 75% bright, same as walnut. I could go for a try, walnut back, maple top, and maybe walnut neck (if I don't find suitable flamed maple for it) No, mahogany is around 75% warm, or 25% bright. It's the exact opposite of walnut. You can't really go wrong with something simple like Alder, or Walnut if you prefer. And then if you use something besides maple for the neck you should wind up in the right territory. Don't fret too much over the woods. Bring it into the right neighborhood and the pickups/scale length/strings/hardware/electronics will do the rest. Use pickups you think will balance well with whatever wood you choose, then adjust the electronics(pot values, cap values, treble bleeds, pickup selections, etc), strings(pure nickel wound if it's too bright, steel if it's too dark, iron/nickel if it doesn't have enough attack, nickel-plated steel if it's balanced), and hardware(aluminum/steel for more attack/treble/sustain, brass for a more balanced sound) until you get the sound right. Then there's also the amp and speakers you use. There are so many other variables that wood winds up being almost insignificant except for looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko_slash Posted May 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I'm from Bosnia and Herzegovina...you can't find anything here...(I know that you will say that we have best flamed maple for instruments, but it's being shipped in laaarge quantities to Italy, Germany, etc) I have maple, walnut, ash, oak and beech....POOR! If you can suggest me some combination, it doesn't have to be LP sound (well it can't), I just don't want to end up with too bright guitar. Strat would be some upper limit of brightness. Oh, I have mdf too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) Walnut or ash for the body, maple or walnut for the neck, maple or walnut for the fingerboard. Both your lightest-weighing and darkest-sounding would be ash/walnut/walnut, the heaviest and brighest would be walnut/maple/maple. For what you're aiming for I'd say ash body, walnut neck, walnut fretboard. Edited May 9, 2009 by Keegan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 I'd go with walnut for the body. It is going to be bright, but not in the terms of normal bright, not as harsh sounding. What type of ash do you have? Swamp ash is going to give more of the typical Fender type sound. But Northern or White Ash is much harder and denser and much brighter. I would even consider the oak for the body. It can be used for a neck, but is heavy and will cause neck dive issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko_slash Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 I thought about putting ebony for fingerboard, but now I see that it is about 95% bright, and rosewood is much warmer, so it will be used, I will order that from stewmac or somewhere, I would order rest of wood from internet, but shipping is as twice as price of wood so... I have light, swamp ash. I think I will go for ash/walnut/rosewood combination! With dye, I could get nice dark brown color of ash back, or even go with black. Thanks a lot guys, any other suggestions will be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 Good choice. Are you aiming to copy the Pensa-Suhr or just using it as inspiration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko_slash Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 Good choice. Are you aiming to copy the Pensa-Suhr or just using it as inspiration? I will go for a copy, that is really beautifull body shape, between strat and ibanez's....I hope it will look decent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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