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| Author: | John Elshaw [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:04 am ] |
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I've never built or played a guitar with KOA back and sides. For those of you with more experience, how does it compare soundwise to rosewood and ovankol? I don't see many KOA backs and sides, but am curious about the sound characteristics. Thanks! John |
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| Author: | tippie53 [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:28 am ] |
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A great tone wood for sure. If you get a chance use it , you won't be dissapointed. They also make great tops john |
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| Author: | John How [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:47 am ] |
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John, I have built only one guitar of Koa and I found it to be like a nice hard set of Mahogany. Tonewise between mahogany and IRW. Very nice wood though. |
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| Author: | Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:52 am ] |
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Koa is a more blended tone than ERW Woh to describe the diff   more complex overtones, lends itself to a warmer sound great for finger style
By the way I really like Koa tops with ERW backand sides. All Koa is great as well I don't have a lot of experiance with Black Acacia. Just one guitar to date but to my ear it seamed a bit brighter in tap tone than Koa. |
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| Author: | Don Williams [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:00 am ] |
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ERW ? I really like Koa / Black Acacia...really nice tonewood. I think I read somewhere on Frank Ford's site the he also really likes Koa. |
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| Author: | Bob Steidl [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:18 am ] |
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I'd argue that koa's greatest attribute as a tonewood is its looks -- it can be lovely. It's not all that stable and its density is variable, as are it's attributes as a tonewood -- they vary depending on the particular stick you've got. Can it be used effectively? You bet, but I'd argue that most woods can, more or less. I think it's quite a bit more challenging to make a _great_ sounding guitar out of koa than many other woods. That said, I've used quite a lot of koa, but mostly because it's pretty! |
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| Author: | Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:21 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Don Williams] ERW ? I really like Koa / Black Acacia...really nice tonewood. I think I read somewhere on Frank Ford's site the he also really likes Koa.[/QUOTE] Ok EIRW. IRW better 
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| Author: | Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:25 am ] |
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Hmmm Bob I have built 9 out Koa 6 tops and ther rest backs and sides. I have had no issues with its stability. In my opinion it is way less prone to grain part than many. to me it is pretty tough stuff. glues well planes well sands well. |
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| Author: | Bob Steidl [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:43 am ] |
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I'll try this again, as my last reply never showed. Michael, I didn't mean to imply that koa was the least stable of woods, it's not; it is just not the most stable in service. And in the controlled environment of your shop, I can't imagine very many woods that would be much of a problem; it's only when they go on to lead a life of their own. Again, not a terrific weakness of koa in my view, just not a strength. John, I would think that ovankol (with which I have only built one) and most rosewoods are harder and heavier than koa (though I have some unusually dense koa), so I would think those woods would lend to more of a glassy sound with more overtones than koa. YMMV. |
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| Author: | hoosierukes [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 11:57 pm ] |
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I, naively, built an early uke out of some master grade koa I picked up in Hawaii. It is gorgeous, but it has had some stability problems. ...not sure if I blame the KOA or my skills at that time. |
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