Members Iwasonlyhuman Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 I know that the tone woods can even vary within their own same type (as in no two Rosewood bodies will sound the exact same), but I was trying to understand the major differences in these woods. I have a DN3, so its a sapele body, and I could definitely hear a difference next to a D-18 (Mahogany I believe). However, I don't know the real differences or benefits of each. And I know almost nothing about ovangkol, which is Taylor's rosewood I guess. Obviously I am mainly comparing Taylors and Martins, but any input would be appreciated. On a similar note, for the top wood, I noticed the majority are spruce but a few have cedar, like the Taylor GS5 and the Seagull S6. What is the major benefits of that? Also, this is a really stupid question, but I forget what (000) and (00) mean for martins... It denotes the body size right? My friend's dad has a 000-18 from the 1940s, so we were discussing it and I couldn't recall if that meant it was smaller than a dreadnought or not. I didn't want to look like a moron, so I didn't say anything then, but I would like to know now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thankyou Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 If you've ever played a Rainsong, it could add to the confusion, as there's no wood at all (sorry Viagra). I think a lot of the discussion is not necessarily better or worse, but apples, oranges and bananas. The top wood seems to be the most critical. As I understand it, the Martin models numbers indicate size/style with the first part - 00's and 000's being smaller "parlor" models and D being dreadnoughts. Gibson uses "J" for their jumbos. The second number for Martins is a quality standard, the higher the number, the more precious the tonewoods and ornamentation. So, a D18 is kind of the original base model big guitar, and the 000-18 is a smaller bodied model with similar woods. The D-28 is probably the most sought after model, but the D-35 and 45 are more expensive when new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Palmer Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 Follow this link for a little detail covering the various timbers used. http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/features/woods/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar_stringer Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 I cringe every time I see a A vs B, post. Take women for example: Blondes, Brunettes, and Redheads. It's not a case of "vs" but in preferences. Or take dessert: A Banana Split, Chocolate Sundae, or Pecan Pie. It's not a "vs" thing either. Tonewoods are like flavors, as are guitars. Let your preference be your guide. Now, this made me hungry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 I know that the tone woods can even vary within their own same type (as in no two Rosewood bodies will sound the exact same), but I was trying to understand the major differences in these woods. I have a DN3, so its a sapele body, and I could definitely hear a difference next to a D-18 (Mahogany I believe). However, I don't know the real differences or benefits of each. And I know almost nothing about ovangkol, which is Taylor's rosewood I guess. Obviously I am mainly comparing Taylors and Martins, but any input would be appreciated. On a similar note, for the top wood, I noticed the majority are spruce but a few have cedar, like the Taylor GS5 and the Seagull S6. What is the major benefits of that? Also, this is a really stupid question, but I forget what (000) and (00) mean for martins... It denotes the body size right? My friend's dad has a 000-18 from the 1940s, so we were discussing it and I couldn't recall if that meant it was smaller than a dreadnought or not. I didn't want to look like a moron, so I didn't say anything then, but I would like to know now. Hi, and Welcome to HCAG. Looks like you've gotten some good answers here, so far, so I'll just add this: Cedar has its pros and cons. It's biggest pro is its warm, woody sound. The most notable con is that it's a soft wood, so is easily dinged and/or scratched than spruce. Some guitars also have mahogany tops, which is tougher than cedar, but imparts a very deep, woody, mellow tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 Welcome to the forum ! A few months ago, someone (maybe Frets99?) posted a video of a guy from a guitar shop comparing three tonewoods---rosewood, sapele, and mahogany, I believe. It was actually a pretty interesting video because you could actually hear the tonal differences quite clearly. Unfortunately, I don't remember the URL of the post or of the video . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 I cringe every time I see a A vs B, post. Take women for example: Blondes, Brunettes, and Redheads. It's not a case of "vs" but in preferences. Or take dessert: A Banana Split, Chocolate Sundae, or Pecan Pie. It's not a "vs" thing either. Tonewoods are like flavors, as are guitars. Let your preference be your guide. Now, this made me hungry... 0 = Parlor 00 is a little bigger 000 bigger yet, just about the same size as an OM. 0000 next up in size Dreadnought is the biggest, ordinarily, although about the same size as a Jumbo, but the Jumbo has a tighter waist. (And I'll take the redhead and a slice of Pecan Pie) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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