Ash Top Over Mahogany

[jaxcat]

Just a question to all. I recently picked up some nice mahogany. I willl be able to get a couple of 1 piece bodies out of it and was thinking of doing a double cut LP/ PRS Mira style guitar. What do you think of using ash as the carved top for this. I know it it will look good but what about sound wise. I cannot find any ash over mahogany links or info?? any comments appreciated.

[Ripthorn]

Mahogany is typically a mellow wood while ash is kind of middle of the road. So combining the two will most likely result in a guitar that tends to be on the mellower side of the tonal scale. Nothing wrong with that, especially depending on the kinds of pickups you put in. Should work well. I have been thinking about less traditional top woods for carving, and actually looked into curly ash, but it is kinds of hard to come by in pieces as large as bookmatched guitar tops. Would be interesting to see.

[Juntunen Guitars]

Just a question to all. I recently picked up some nice mahogany. I willl be able to get a couple of 1 piece bodies out of it and was thinking of doing a double cut LP/ PRS Mira style guitar. What do you think of using ash as the carved top for this. I know it it will look good but what about sound wise. I cannot find any ash over mahogany links or info?? any comments appreciated.

If it was me I would say go for it. I have made a guitar out of Ash for the neck and Mahogany for the body and it has a nice bright deep tone and insane sustain. I am not sure however on the ash top I don't think it will affect much for the sound but should have relatively the same effect it did for me.

[guitarnut]

Just a question to all. I recently picked up some nice mahogany. I willl be able to get a couple of 1 piece bodies out of it and was thinking of doing a double cut LP/ PRS Mira style guitar. What do you think of using ash as the carved top for this. I know it it will look good but what about sound wise. I cannot find any ash over mahogany links or info?? any comments appreciated.

The only one I remember seeing is the VOX semi hollow body...Virage or something like that.

I think the wood combo would make a very nice sounding solid body too. The Swamp Ash Special by PRS is all ash with a maple neck...may be chambered, not sure...but to my ears is a bit bright and thin. The punchy mids of mahogany should warm it up nicely. You might think about going with a mahogany neck too.

Peace,

Mark

[ihocky2]

Take note of the type of ash that you have. Swamp ash is what is mostly used for guitars. Northern ash is much heavier and denser and a lot brighter sounding. The mahogany should balance either of them out nicely, but the two different types of ash WILL sound different.

[pauliemc]

Iv done it a few times in the past. The ash looks realy good on a carved top. Sounds realy good too. But if you are using swamp ash then id recomend a maple neck to keep the bite in your sound. Swamp can be a bit mellow with the mahogany. If it is northern hard ash then a mahogany neck will be fine.

What kind of sound are you looking for ?

[ae3]

My ESP has an Ash top and a Mahogany body. It has the nice lows of Mahogany but the mid to high range has much more "bite" as compared to a solid mahogany guitar.

It's hard to describe exactly how it sounds with words, but it sounds absolutely fantastic playing classic and hard rock

[jaxcat]

thanks all for the input. What about a sitka spruce top?? I am just looking at woods that available and fairly well priced in my area? Like this piece of sitka spruce found on this page.

http://www.fine-woods.com/id820.html

[ihocky2]

Where are you located at, that will make suggestions a lot easier. I can get ash and hard maple any day of the week at the mill, but they don't even get quilted because it is a west coast wood. I have to go t oa different supplier who is into exotics.