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| Honduras mahogany vs African mahogany http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=11543 |
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| Author: | chuckie [ Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:48 am ] |
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Looking for some comments on this subject. I'm wanting to build a solid body bass from mahogany. I'd prefer Honduras but Warmoth (the maker of Fender type J & P bodies) only uses African. I can buy Honduras blanks on the net but would have to cut the body myself and that is very time consuming and difficult as I've cut them before. So, the question.....would there really be much sonic difference between Honduras vs African mahogany with a solid body bass guitar? Thanks a million for your advice, friends. cwebb |
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| Author: | old man [ Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:10 pm ] |
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Seems to me if you want to build a guitar, that cutting and carving the body is what it's all about. I don't understand this approach. Ron |
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| Author: | chuckie [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:20 am ] |
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[QUOTE=old man]Seems to me if you want to build a guitar, that cutting and carving the body is what it's all about. I don't understand this approach. Thanks Ron for your advice. I'd love to make that bass body myself with Honduran Mahogany instead of buying Warmoth's CNC made bass body of African Mahogany. And, I could make it myself with my drill press, band saw and router and about 60 hours of my time for $120 or I could buy Warmoth's body for $180. Which would you do if you had very limited time and very limited wood working tools? I've made 3 solid body gutars in the past. I had the time back then. I don't anymore. Two bodies turned out very good and one turned out fantastic. All three were gambles and I knew one slight slip would result in "firewood". I'm looking for more comments on the sonic differences of Honduran Mahogany vs African. One fellow said "not much difference" but Honduran is lighter. Thanks everybody. chuckie |
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| Author: | old man [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:26 am ] |
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[QUOTE=chuckie] [QUOTE=old man]Seems to me if you want to build a guitar, that cutting and carving the body is what it's all about. I don't understand this approach. Ron[/QUOTE] Thanks Ron for your advice. I'd love to make that bass body myself with Honduran Mahogany instead of buying Warmoth's CNC made bass body of African Mahogany. And, I could make it myself with my drill press, band saw and router and about 60 hours of my time for $120 or I could buy Warmoth's body for $180. Which would you do if you had very limited time and very limited wood working tools? I've made 3 solid body gutars in the past. I had the time back then. I don't anymore. Two bodies turned out very good and one turned out fantastic. All three were gambles and I knew one slight slip would result in "firewood". I'm looking for more comments on the sonic differences of Honduran Mahogany vs African. One fellow said "not much difference" but Honduran is lighter. Thanks everybody. chuckie [/QUOTE]Sorry if that offended you. If I wanted a "hand built" guitar, I'd do it myself no matter how long it took. If I just wanted to assemble the parts, I'd buy a kit. Ron |
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| Author: | chuckie [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:54 am ] |
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[QUOTE=old man] [QUOTE=chuckie] [QUOTE=old man]Seems to me if you want to build a guitar, that cutting and carving the body is what it's all about. I don't understand this approach. Ron[/QUOTE] Thanks Ron for your advice. I'd love to make that bass body myself with Honduran Mahogany instead of buying Warmoth's CNC made bass body of African Mahogany. And, I could make it myself with my drill press, band saw and router and about 60 hours of my time for $120 or I could buy Warmoth's body for $180. Which would you do if you had very limited time and very limited wood working tools? I've made 3 solid body gutars in the past. I had the time back then. I don't anymore. Two bodies turned out very good and one turned out fantastic. All three were gambles and I knew one slight slip would result in "firewood". I'm looking for more comments on the sonic differences of Honduran Mahogany vs African. One fellow said "not much difference" but Honduran is lighter. Thanks everybody. chuckie [/QUOTE] No offense taken, Ron. I learn from others. I learn from you. At age 55 and 17 basses, a kit won't do. I can build that bass just like I want it for $400 with a Warmoth body and neck or a body made by myself and a Warmoth neck. I already have all the other parts and hardware. I'm particular and "a kit" won't do 'cause nobody has a kit like what I want. P-Bass body with Jazz bass pickup routing, rounded edges, no pick guard. If I go Warmoth body, I will modify with "hand sanding and minor shaping". CNC is very "edgy". Still wanting to know if Honduran Mahogany is significantly better than African for an electric bass. Lookiing for fat thick sound. chuckie |
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| Author: | Shane Neifer [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:47 am ] |
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Chuckie, I don't have a lot of experience with the tonal differneces in electrics but I will offer this. I have found that on electric guitars the neck wood almost made more difference for me than the body wood. And I think that is probably being found to be more true by all of the alder bodied electrics being produced today. I replaced a fret board on a bass recently and I stiffened the neck up with carbon fibre. The owner of the bass noted a significant "improvement" in tone and clarity. I really don't think you will notice the difference between african and honduran. Also the weights between the two may vary on average but piece to piece you could probably find ones that are very similiar in weight. I have some Hondurous here that is significantly heavier than some other Hondurous that I have. Decide if you want it lighter or heavier and specify to warmouth to select that wood for your body. Good luck with your project! Shane |
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| Author: | Shane Neifer [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:21 am ] |
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Just looked up in my handy little reference book and it looks like African Mahogany (Khaya ivorensis) is lighter (35 lb/cu ft) than Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) which is 40 lbs/cu ft on average. So you waould want to ask for a heavy board in the use of your instrument. My reference also calls African Mahogany a poor Mahogany example....but everbody has their biases and I think that luthiers are having decent results from African Mahogany, judging by how often you see it referenced these days. Shane |
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| Author: | old man [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:22 am ] |
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I do owe you an apology, Chuckie. I don't know what my frame of mind was on the earlier posts, but I made a fool of myself. My answer wasn't pertinent to the question and it wasn't kind. I really am sorry and hope I didn't offend you. Usually I'm pretty kind.  
Welcome to the forum. ADVICE to all OLFers: Don't post on the third day of a visit from kids and grand kids.(2 and 4 year olds).  Not an excuse for rudeness, but I'm not myself today.
Ron |
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| Author: | Lillian F-W [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:01 am ] |
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Oh Ron, I am sorry. |
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| Author: | old man [ Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:40 am ] |
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 Thanks Lillian, I'll be OK.
Ron |
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| Author: | John Forbus [ Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:28 am ] |
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I talked to a guy, Gerald Webber ( Kendrick guitars and amplifiers ) about ten years ago and he made an interesting observation that since there is more string over the neck and fingerboard that the neck seems to lend to the reonance but that the finger board will obsorb different frequencies and that is what probably dictates tonal colors. Anybody else have any experience with that please let me know since I carve my front and backs different shapes and contours all the tme just to make them and individual piece. I've used everything from flat maple, quartered poplar,bubinga, rosewood ect. |
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| Author: | Mattia Valente [ Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:15 am ] |
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...it all depends on the piece of wood. Overall, for electrics, Khaya is an excellent choice. I use it almost exclusively, because it's easier to get a hold of, cheaper, and I sure as heck cannot tell the difference in terms of tone. In generally it's lighter than Honduran, but it really, really doesn't have to be. For acoustics, methinks it depends on the sets you've got; I have a few boards of ribbon Khaya I'm going to resaw (in part) because they're the heavy, stiff variety (heavier than most of the honduran I have), solid tap, and very nicely stiff (neck blanks, anyway). I've used it for necks with good success, although some pieces (generally the lighter ones, although it's not a hard and fast rule) aren't up to that task. Probably helps that I put carbon fibre in all my necks, but I'd trust this stuff to hold up even without it! Honduran is a bit nicer to work with (less roey grain, easier to plane), but African is a gorgeous wood in its own right, and can make a very fine tonewood. Given the protected status and prices of honduran, I'd rather save it for places where it'll tend to matter more (acoustic back/sides, necks) and select one of the african varieties for other purposes; Khaya for bodies, Sapele for necks (harder, stiffer, tougher than Honduran, but often HEAVY, makes a primo neck wood. Unfortunately nobody around here carries it any more, only have one neck blank left). |
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