Koa Topped guitars?

TaylorGirl · #1 02-04-2005, 02:14 PM

After drooling over that all Koa Morgan, it got me interested.. I love the sound of Koa, but haven't ever played an all Koa guitar- what are they like? Describe the sound to me, if you can.

Sharon

sprayfe · #2 02-04-2005, 02:36 PM

I purchased a koa topped tacoma this past nov/dec and I really, really wanted to like it. For whatever reason it would not grow on me. The lows seemed muted and the highs were just bit shrill for my liking. This may have changed over time, but when I'm not in love with a guitar I just think about the other one's out there that I would be in love with. It was such a gorgeous guitar, but the sound just didn't do it for me. I do believe that is the only Koa topped guitar I'ver ever played. A morgan just went on e-bay for a phenomenally low price....had my new paragon not been on the way it would have been alllllll mine. I love those guitars,
Rafe

Taylorplayer · #3 02-04-2005, 02:42 PM

IMO, they actually vary on a guitar by guitar basis. Really - that much. Not just a little. Two that look alike (as much as possible with Koa) can - oftentimes will - sound completely different. They can be bright & lively - or very dull.

The most beautiful ones can be plain sounding - and vice versa. But, when you find one that both look & sounds amazing - you will then know what the "buzz" is about with an all Koa guitar.

The pic of the one you like is really amazing. I would either play it first hand - or have someone you trust check it out - before you buy it. I don't think that's any reflection at all on the builder. It's just that Koa offers so much - but doesn't always live up to the wonderful expectations.

Hope this helps! Listen to the guitar & then listen to your heart

4Gtrs · #4 02-04-2005, 02:43 PM

Recommend you ping koaguitarman...Russ. He has an impressive collection of koa.

koaguitarman · #5 02-04-2005, 02:51 PM

TaylorGirl
Here is my 2 cent version:
The beauty of a Koa top, all Koa guitar, can be misleading; the tonality can really vary having nothing to do with the grain configuration, flameyness (new word), or color. In other words, an AAAAA quality Koa might not sound as good as an AA quality Koa. Concerning the tone, compared to a Spruce top where the notes rise and jump out quickly, Koa is not as powerful as Spruce and the sustain tends to be a more even sustain. I would describe the sound to be a bright, crisp, and sweet with subtle bass tones.

I may be the worst person in the world to consult for an opinion on the tone of an all Koa guitar. If I like what I see, I tend to buy it. This being said, I have some all Koa guitars that don’t sound as well as others. But, I have had pretty good luck acquiring some beautiful and great sounding guitars.
Russ

TaylorGirl · #6 02-04-2005, 03:00 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone, they helped. I'd love to hear an all Koa guitar sometime, can anyone send me a recording- possibly? I know I love the sound of Koa bodied guitars, just not sure about Koa tops. How hard is it to "over drive" them? Is it more like Sitka or Engleman or Cedar? IF(big, huge, gigantic, titanic sized if here) I order another guitar, there's a few things that are certain, it will be a custom, it will be a Morgan, and it will be Koa.. But will it have a Koa top? Not sure!! I do love the looks of it, but then again nothing is quite as beautiful as a buttery colored, silky Engleman or Sitka top.. And I'm trying not to go by looks alone!! LOL.

Ahh when G.A.S hits, it's bad.

Sharon

P.S Thanks especially to you, Russ! That post was very helpful to me.

Jeff M · #7 02-04-2005, 04:08 PM

In my experience, "overdriving" them isn't the problem, it's getting them up to the speed limit. Some of the deadest guitars I have played have been koa topped.
You got to figure with wood that gorgeous, if it had a tone that appealed to lots of folks you'd be seeing more koa topped guitars around than you do.

With koa more than anyother top wood, what's important isn't what wood it is, but who the builder is.

axememan · #8 02-04-2005, 04:51 PM

i like my tacoma ekk19c.......beauty.....gr8 sound..........

dcn100 · #9 02-04-2005, 07:38 PM

In my experience, they are notably quieter than spruce topped guitars.

Brackett Instruments · #10 02-04-2005, 07:44 PM

Koa is a hardwood. It takes alot longer for a Koa guitar to open up. An old all Koa guitar has a magical tone to my ears anyway but it takes a while for one to get that tone. A Koa topped guitar probably won't have the volume of a spruce or cedar topped one but it will have sustain that last and last, Kinda like using a compressor with an electric.

guitardave · #11 02-04-2005, 09:17 PM

The Martin D-42K at Elderly Instruments sounds fantastic. It is a guitar that when you hear it, you must go see exactly what it is. I would never have guessed it was a Koa top. And it looks great too!

Taylor Ltd. · #12 02-04-2005, 09:29 PM

I recently sold my Tacoma EKK19ce and wish I still had it. I had purchased an expensive Taylor and sold a couple guitars to help offset the expense. The the Taylor was damaged in shipment and I ended up with a refund and no guitars. Anyway, I really liked the all Koa guitar I had. Great mids, nice highs, a little weak in the bass but not bad, kind of like a mix between a rosewood and maple backed guitar to my ears. Very nice sustain, and breathtaking wood grain and flame. This guitar was perfect for blues w/o a pick, and sounded decent with a pick when strummed. Hope that helps.

antsdmb · #13 02-04-2005, 09:43 PM

don't want to hijack the thread, but how about all walnut guitars? w/ the latest news of walnut coming back i'm going to get a W15 of some sort this year and i'm seriously considering a walnut top. i've played some walnut topped 12ers but not the 6 stringer. that's why i'm leaning towards the sitka right now but the walnut top does intrigue me. thoughts?

mark

buddiesorg · #14 02-04-2005, 11:50 PM

You definitely won't overdrive an all-koa ... though I've found that all-koa tends to shine more with a lighter touch ... but that probably shows more of my bias since I find most guitars shine with a lighter touch.

I've been talking with James Goodall about another all-koa, and he's said that the density of koa varies widely. It can be extremely light, or it can be as dense as rosewood. The color of the board does not indicate density. For an all-koa guitar, he uses light boards.

taygull · #15 02-04-2005, 11:56 PM

I agree, my JDCM seems to be heavy and dense (or is it me that is dense?).

I would describe the tone as very well balanced with the ability to hear every note, nice sustain but not so much to make the sound muddy. I would also call it "tight" or "focused".

I think these are good reasons for a fingerstyle guitar, I would guess that is also part of why JD liked them so much, maybe because they are beautiful as well.