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I find it odd that you think changing from a carve top to a drop top is somehow significant, while the species and properties of the wood we're manipulating aren't. It would be like saying, "Be sure to put exactly 1 tsp of spice in the soup or it won't taste right".

"Which spice?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter..."

Are you guessing about the differences between a carve top and a drop top or have you built several examples of each, with the same wood, and compared them? I know you're guessing about the bridge differences because I haven't mentioned what bridges I used. I can tell you that I've built a mahogany/spruce carve top that I didn't like, because it was a bit brighter than I wanted (hence, experimenting with alder, and if that didn't work, I would have tried something else). Early early on, I built an alder with a FLAT cedar top, believe it or not, mainly because it was quick and easy to build....it was just an experiment. That was actually quite similar to the alder/spruce one I have now, even though it was an entirely different shape, chambering pattern and top...and that got me going down this path.

I'm just reporting my own experiences. I couldn't tell you exactly what's affecting what, and as I mentioned previously I do worry that one day I'll follow the recipe and it will all just stop working for reasons which I don't understand, and hence can't fix.

I don't personally believe (and this is a guess) that a certain wood sounds a certain way, but I do believe that once you fix it into a specific form, changing species is a knob you can turn to gently nudge the timbre this way and that way in a somewhat predictable, or at least repeatable, way.

This has been an interesting thread. I have only one thing to add. You guys should top building electrics and build acoustics. Nobody ever argues about what the wood does to acoustic guitars!

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Actually, it's nothing like that. In fact what I said was that you changed way more than just wood choice and are now saying that it was the wood choice that caused the difference. So it's like saying, "I made the soup the exact same way. I just changed ALL the spices and now it tastes different, so it must have been the cumin."

You're right, John, I've not yet built several examples of each and compared them. That's one of my goals this year though (read my post earlier in the thread to get an idea of what I'm after). But you don't need to be a seasoned builder to understand that when you change that many variables at once, it's difficult to attribute a singular aspect to a singular factor.

I will admit, too, that I've somewhat swung to the opposite side of the spectrum in this argument. I think it was a strong reaction to hearing so many people worship at the alter of tone woods with only marketing and anecdotal evidence to support their claim. All that matters in the end is the knowledge you gain by building and experimenting. If you can come up with a recipe and can reasonably predict what the outcome is going to be, then you'll be much farther ahead.

Well, it turns out that one guitar wasn't really fretting out that badly at all....it was on the edge when he really dug in, but a very minor tweak took care of that. The OTHER one, with the Schaller roller bridge, was nightmarish....it turns out at the high E string had popped out of the slot in the roller. I had the low E pop out once but only when I was playing aggressive finger style. Once that was back in the slot, everything was fine again. He had it pop out again when he was playing with it at his house, so I took it back to rip it out and replace it with a nice, Gotoh hardtail bridge. It's really a shame because the Schaller is so beautifully made but is clearly not what I would consider road worthy.

Ever get the strange feeling that someone posted a comment on the wrong thread, or is it just me?

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
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No, but sometimes I get the strange feeling that people don't follow threads very well.

My mind is a terrible thing - I forgot all about tangents!

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

...and it was green with all these compelling black flecks running through it. It made me want to tear off all my clothes and DIVE in...

...uh...

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Current temperature in Copenhagen, Danmark: 34°F

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

And the beat goes on !

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