Acoustic Guitar Construction

If I'm not mistaken maple tops are used on acoustic guitars.

David L

They sure are.

Maple tops are hardly ever used on acoustics: Martin has made a few models and so has gibson in recent years. They sounded OK, nothing to rave about. IMHO, Maple is too dampening and has too low of a Q.

Gibson made this all Brazilian rosewood Nick Lucas in the late 20's (Gibson stopped using brazilian in the mid/late 30's) and I've heard from people that played it that it sounds pretty good.

http://www.gruhn.com/features/lucasrw/AG5124.html

I've been looking around the net and asking various and sundry - mostly sundry, I reckon - about the EIR top and the universal answer is: wouldn't be prudent. So I will not be trying that and will wait until I am fat and sassy on the proceeds of my sold instruments - i.e., never - but if I was I would have my assistant Igor try it in his free time and then beat him like a rented mule when it didn't work out. Of course the actual fantasy runs along the lines of an assistant with the name
"Cherie" or Carla Gugino or ...well, 'nuff said.

In any case, EIR is out, and I believe a bit o' the spruce is in.

I agree....good choice. However....I have this terrible urge to build an entire body out of zebrawood....just think it would be so striking, just not sure it would sound good. May have to do it in a jumbo to overcome any potential bass issues. Ah...ferget it, no assistant named igor or mon cherie.....

you can always try a double top - that way you could thin the zebra wood way down, and keep most of the tonal properties of spruce/cedar/whatever. The tricky part would be to know how thin you could run each side since the nomex becomes your primary bracing.

Hi Dean,

Sounds like you've have some advanced builds -- how about posting some pixs and background in the gallery.