Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

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Dwayne Donnelly
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2012 8:58 pm

Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

Post by Dwayne Donnelly »

So I'm pondering alternative tonewoods and was wondering if anyone has tried sandwiching a 3/4 piece of knotty pine with two pieces of 1/2 inch mahogany. If not any guesses as to what the tone would be?
Thanks
Dwayne
Jason Rodgers
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

So, you're talking mahogany top, knotty pine core, mahogany back on an electric body? I don't think you'd get anything wildly new or unexpected. Depending on the donor pine (Lodgepole?), their specific gravity (.4 to. 5) is in the neighborhood of common electric body woods like basswood, poplar, and alder (and mahogany itself, too).
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Jedi Clampett
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Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:55 am

Re: Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

Post by Jedi Clampett »

I think the idea of tone woods for electric guitar is a myth. The Marvin Hiscock interview on mimf is a good reference. Roger Siminoff and Chip Todd who was top dog at Fender and Peavey who invented modern el git construction felt that way in our conversations. Bottom line use what ever you want that is stable.
Jedi Clampett
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:55 am

Re: Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

Post by Jedi Clampett »

Dwayne:
here is a good article about "tone woods" for electric guitar.
http://www.cavalierpickups.com/frettech/index.html this and reading the Marvin Hiscock interview on this website will give you good reasons why most people (at least the people I respect) reject the idea of tone woods for electric guitar, but there are lots of things that do affect guitar tone. Any wood that is stable for your purpose is good wood for electric guitars. The reasons some luthiers will talk about their "tone wood" is simply economics and marketing. Their really is not much in building a good fender style guitar. Easy to understand, ignore the BS
Art Davila
Posts: 292
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:07 am
Location: Chicago, Il U.S.A.

Re: Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

Post by Art Davila »

I have had many s type guitars redone with new body same pick guard and there was a difference.
But here is a video to watch that demos to identical guitars except for the body wood. I hear a difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLxE8iDWD_w
I have a lot of experience on how "not" to do things.
Jedi Clampett
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:55 am

Re: Knotty pine mahogany sandwich, yummy?

Post by Jedi Clampett »

It not possible to hear a difference and know it is the wood. You have to have a standard to compare it to. Then you have to have consistent wood as Marvin Hiscock says in the interview here on mimf that even in the same tree the wood is different. This subject has been well researched and my guitar building heros who every guitar factory in the world is indebted to, Leo Fender, Chip Todd, Hartley Peavey and Roger Siminoff have all made statements that choice of wood is structural and appearance not tonal, this is true for solid body electric guitars. Using "tonal woods" is a marketing gimmick, much the same as "megapixels" are cameras. I do not speak for those referenced, I have corresponded with Harvey, Chip and Roger. This is an important subject to know and understand. However if your guitar making you can use what ever "Voodoo" or "Mojo" to make your instruments. The guitar force runs deep within me, so I apologize if I come on too strong, but I respectfully challenge your opinion, but you MUST do what ever you must do to make your instruments, as do I.
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