Members maplebaby Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 Some people say Maple is too bright or even harsh - i've never felt that way. Any other Maple guitar players here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 I've played a few excellent Gibson maple acoustics. While really clear and present in the trebles they had plenty of low end. Definitely not harsh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members katopp Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 Love a lot of the leftfield woods. Lots of good, underrated, beautiful and nice sounding stuff out there. Maple, sure. Used to have three maple guitars, sold one, still have two. Magic is more in the construction, than the material. Good material paired with gob{censored}e construction will lead to inferior results. Good construction and production leads to good results.Hell, Taylor built a guitar out of palletwood. Lowden uses old Whyskey barrels. Oak, of course. Still works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members maplebaby Posted June 21, 2017 Author Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 thanks gentlemen for the responses - and i totally agree with the wisdom shared. When i think of a J200 i picture a maple version in my head for some reason. Great point about the 'pallet' guitar! 'Good construction and production leads to good results' says it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 Maple is the traditional choice for archtops, mandolins, bowed instruments for exactly the reasons you cite. Another interesting trend is Taylor's use of maple for the 600 series - one of their big arguments is that it is totally sustainable (and US sourced). There is also an interesting development in forestry where they are trying to "clone" the figure that we all admire in maple - apparently it only happens in some trees and you don't know if you've got it until you cut down the tree. Again, there is a lot of discussion about maple on Taylors website and their little quarterly magazine. I've built three guitars out of maple but they have all been laminated so the actual wood has little to do with the sound - its all about the appearance and tradition (plus, they are all electrics) Also built a solid maple mandolin, I think it matters on these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 Some people say Maple is too bright or even harsh - i've never felt that way. Any other Maple guitar players here? I play a Gibson J 185 here and there, and it has a marvelous tone. I bought the 185 new some 24 years ago. It was the first year the J185 was back in production since the late 1950's. Not mine, but they look like this. I was thinking I could use a J185 12 string, which are a little rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 Both my mandolins have maple back and side.I also own a ES 335 and a few Rickenbackers. LP's for the most part have a maple top and so does my PRS CU 22, and a maple back on the ES 275. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members maplebaby Posted June 21, 2017 Author Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 great posts - sure appreciate the info and pics! Beautiful instruments and as is being shared...when i stop and think about it maple is the 'standard' for a lot of instrument application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 I have 2 maple arch backed Guilds a 1981 G37 Dread and a 2014 F412 jumbo. Love 'em both. Definitely not harsh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted June 21, 2017 Members Share Posted June 21, 2017 Lovely tune well played as usual. Years ago I lusted after an Aria-made Conn maple dreadnought. I never bought it though. There's a local guy, a Catholic priest, who plays bluegrass. He's primarily a banjo player but he also has a sweet Gallagher maple dread. Unfortunately, I can't find a pic of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 A buddy of mine used to have a maple 70s Guild Jumbo that was just an outstanding guitar. I did an album years ago where the producer rented a pair of Taylors for the project - both were maple (a six and a twelve) and both sounded fantastic. At NAMM this past January, one of the guitars that hit me hardest was a Gibson Dove - but it was waaay too ornate for a daily player, and way over my budget too. I know this is the acoustic forum, but since the topic is maple guitars, I'll point out that my Ric 610 is all-maple too. I definitely appreciate the tone of a good maple guitar, and always have. If I was in the market for a really nice acoustic, it's one of the first wood types I'd consider; in fact, I'd say it would be more likely I'd get a maple-bodied one over any other wood type at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted June 22, 2017 Members Share Posted June 22, 2017 With a Spruce top - I prefer Maple b&s. With a Mahogany top - I prefer Mahogany b&s.With a Cedar top - I prefer a Rosewood for b&s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted June 22, 2017 Members Share Posted June 22, 2017 A buddy of mine used to have a maple 70s Guild Jumbo that was just an outstanding guitar. I did an album years ago where the producer rented a pair of Taylors for the project - both were maple (a six and a twelve) and both sounded fantastic. At NAMM this past January' date=' [b']one of the guitars that hit me hardest was a Gibson Dove[/b] - but it was waaay too ornate for a daily player, and way over my budget too. I know this is the acoustic forum, but since the topic is maple guitars, I'll point out that my Ric 610 is all-maple too. I definitely appreciate the tone of a good maple guitar, and always have. If I was in the market for a really nice acoustic, it's one of the first wood types I'd consider; in fact, I'd say it would be more likely I'd get a maple-bodied one over any other wood type at this point. I haven't seen a Gibson Dove in a shop is a really long time. Maple records so nicely with out getting boomy on the low bass end. It tends to remain nice in tight, with mids that kind of pop out. However when I am looking for a particular tone, it's not always about the wood, it's about how the whole package and how it comes together. Sometime a small parlor mahogany guitar with a boxy plunky sound is just what the doctor ordered. Just my 2 cents I was at Gibson's site a while back just window shopping, and they are using some wood called Acacia on the Dove. I think it's like Koa, but I have no idea. All I know is, the guitar looked was very eye catching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I haven't seen a Gibson Dove in a shop is a really long time. There's apparently three different models in the current Gibson lineup: http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acous...om-Acacia.aspx http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acous...ne-Custom.aspx http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acous...ght-Quilt.aspx ....I only saw one at NAMM - but it was gorgeous... Unfortunately, I can't justify a four to six thousand dollar acoustic purchase ATM... but if I ever won the lottery, I'd hit that maple Doves In Flight so hard the acorn would feel it. Maple records so nicely with out getting boomy on the low bass end. It tends to remain nice in tight, with mids that kind of pop out. I agree - and if it's used in a jumbo body, you can get a nice balance of bass too. However when I am looking for a particular tone, it's not always about the wood, it's about how the whole package and how it comes together. Sometime a small parlor mahogany guitar with a boxy plunky sound is just what the doctor ordered. There really is no single best "acoustic guitar sound" - it's all dependent on the musical context. One of the reasons why I'd want to go with a maple-bodied acoustic next is because I already have a very nice mahogany-bodied dreadnought, and a couple of small-bodied guitars... so a maple dreadnought or jumbo (or something with a rosewood back) would give me something I really like, but don't already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted June 22, 2017 Members Share Posted June 22, 2017 The Dove is my gold standard for maple acoustics that I've tried. Really punchy, balanced and loud when you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted June 22, 2017 Members Share Posted June 22, 2017 There's apparently three different models in the current Gibson lineup: http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acous...om-Acacia.aspx http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acous...ne-Custom.aspx http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acous...ght-Quilt.aspx ....I only saw one at NAMM - but it was gorgeous... Unfortunately, I can't justify a four to six thousand dollar acoustic purchase ATM... but if I ever won the lottery, I'd hit that maple Doves In Flight so hard the acorn would feel it. I agree - and if it's used in a jumbo body, you can get a nice balance of bass too. There really is no single best "acoustic guitar sound" - it's all dependent on the musical context. One of the reasons why I'd want to go with a maple-bodied acoustic next is because I already have a very nice mahogany-bodied dreadnought, and a couple of small-bodied guitars... so a maple dreadnought or jumbo (or something with a rosewood back) would give me something I really like, but don't already have. This to me has the wow eye candy appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 This to me has the wow eye candy appeal. Very classy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delmont Posted June 24, 2017 Members Share Posted June 24, 2017 I've had some electric maple laminates and a maple laminate dread (yuk!), and I have a spruce and maple mando and a maple laminate squareneck. It can be shrill - not generally my first choice in wood. But it depends on the instrument itself, how it's amplified, who and what you're playing with, and how you play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members maplebaby Posted June 25, 2017 Author Members Share Posted June 25, 2017 thanks so much for your post...great info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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