Re: Mahogany Top
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:53 pm
guess this thread's a bit old but I love all mahogany guitars, here are my thoughts on the ones I've played. I know nothing about building (yet!) but I've played and listened hard to these;
I bought my girlfriend a 30's maybelle all mahogany parlour with only two braces on the top! Yes it's bellied, yes it's also amazingly loud and woody, very short sustain.
I played a mahogany topped banner j-45, amazing, surprisingly similar to the spruce topped ones.
I'm selling mahogany topped 1937 0-17- really great, resonant sound, very light, not a lot of bellying, not as complex as a similar 0-18 but a really great guitar. (can't get on with the 11/16 nut)
lastly, my friend has a modern j-15, this is the only modern martin I've played that I liked, short of the really top end ones. It's got a really cool sound, thumpy and interesting, boomy in a good way. I was told by a repair guy he gets a lot of the 15 series in with warped tops, they do seem to be built lightly but I've not played a guitar I liked that didn't belly a little.
So, in short, size doesn't matter.
did you build one? I want to hear them, I'm new to this site but seems to me there aren't enough sound demos!
I bought my girlfriend a 30's maybelle all mahogany parlour with only two braces on the top! Yes it's bellied, yes it's also amazingly loud and woody, very short sustain.
I played a mahogany topped banner j-45, amazing, surprisingly similar to the spruce topped ones.
I'm selling mahogany topped 1937 0-17- really great, resonant sound, very light, not a lot of bellying, not as complex as a similar 0-18 but a really great guitar. (can't get on with the 11/16 nut)
lastly, my friend has a modern j-15, this is the only modern martin I've played that I liked, short of the really top end ones. It's got a really cool sound, thumpy and interesting, boomy in a good way. I was told by a repair guy he gets a lot of the 15 series in with warped tops, they do seem to be built lightly but I've not played a guitar I liked that didn't belly a little.
So, in short, size doesn't matter.
did you build one? I want to hear them, I'm new to this site but seems to me there aren't enough sound demos!