anyone's tonewood preference change with age? :)

[dmoss74]

your age, that is? i have been a rosewood guy for decades, but all of a sudden in the last year, i have acquired a major taste for the sound of mahogany guitars more.

anyone else have the same phenomenon? and it can the opposite of mine, or for maple, koa, etc...whatever.

[gary0319]

Same here, only different....

In the beginning, I was only interested in the "Mahogany Sound". I owned a bunch, mostly Taylors and Larrivees with a Martin or two thrown in; all Mahogany. I purchased and sold 3 or 4 Rosewoods hoping to like them, but didn't. So, I thought I was certainly not a Rosewood guy.

Then I bought my Maple/Spruce 612c Taylor. It was a nice complement to all that "Hog". Then I bought the Ovangkol GC4 Taylor, not quite Rosewood, but close.

Than a funny thing happened, I bought a Yamaha FG730S. Sure it is laminated, but it is Rosewood, and I really liked the tone. Then came a Guild OM30R, solid Rosewood.....hmmmm. Next, my lowely Greg Bennett OM 8CE, Rosewwod (lam) and Cedar.

Yikes!! Now I have 3 Rosewoods, 2 Maples, and only 2 Mahogany left; and am contemplating another Rosewood 12 Fret. How could this have happened??

Maybe the Rosewoods are getting better, ha, or.....maybe I'm just getting to be a fickle old man. Sure is fun, though.

Gary

[kitsinni]

I guess mine changed but not technically with age. I used to think I would prefer Rosewood to Mahogany, I guess because it cost more or something. After playing a lot of Rosewood guitars I realize I actually prefer Mahogany.

[Michael T]

I think mine were more purpose oriented choices, 12 string Mahogany / 6 string Roswood, & my spare (and old sentimental friend-rosewood). I love the overtones and sustain being more glassy on the 6's but the punch and clarity-separation of mahogany is better suited for a less jangly 12er.

[buddiesorg]

Unfortunately, mine has just grown. I used to pretty much just liked Rosewood (and other Rosewood-like woods) ... then I added Koa ... then I added Mahogany. I suppose I still prefer Rosewood most of the time, but I get into moods for others. I've fallen in and out of love for a variety of other woods.

[rmyAddison]

I'm with buddie, mine has grown.

I like the flavors different woods give you, tops and backs.

I have/had tops of Sitka, Adirondack, Carpathian and Engelmann, and backs of EIR, Mahogany, Madagascar, Brazilian and Tazmanian Blackwood.

I have no wood "favorite" and like different combinations on dreads than small bodies.

I will say my apprecation for Mahogany has grown over the years but I still enjoy the variety.

[ewalling]

I think my taste in guitar sound was sealed years ago while watching a late-night music programme we used to have in the UK called The Old Grey Whistle Test. On one occasion, Ry Cooder appeared with a Martin rosewood dread - I think some kind of HD-28 - and proceeded to play Vigilante Man with a bottleneck (if you key this into youtube you can get it). Now I hardly ever play slide, and I'm in the process of selling my only dreadnaught, but that performance blew me away and there was something about the ring of that Martin that became my standard. I've had a few excellent mahogany guitars, but whether it's the build, the woods or whatever, it's curious that I still gravitate towards rosewood and have a beautiful Martin rosewood 000 now. Whenever I pick it up and pick the first chord, I sort of feel ...'Oh yes..' inside!

[dmoss74]

Originally Posted by ewalling

I think my taste in guitar sound was sealed years ago while watching a late-night music programme we used to have in the UK called The Old Grey Whistle Test. On one occasion, Ry Cooder appeared with a Martin rosewood dread - I think some kind of HD-28 - and proceeded to play Vigilante Man with a bottleneck (if you key this into youtube you can get it). Now I hardly ever play slide, and I'm in the process of selling my only dreadnaught, but that performance blew me away and there was something about the ring of that Martin that became my standard. I've had a few excellent mahogany guitars, but whether it's the build, the woods or whatever, it's curious that I still gravitate towards rosewood and have a beautiful Martin rosewood 000 now. Whenever I pick it up and pick the first chord, I sort of feel ...'Oh yes..' inside!

lol..that's a d-45 he's playing (martin's stock flagship axe), and reaffirms my current acceptance of hog back and sides over RW.

but still, the sound is fabulous, and his playing--as usual--is flawless. great old clip. go to youtube and punch in laurence jubr playing "while my guitar gently weeps" and you'll hear the reason i am now a "hog" man.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by dmoss74

lol..that's a d-45 he's playing (martin's stock flagship axe), and reaffirms my current acceptance of hog back and sides over RW.

but still, the sound is fabulous, and his playing--as usual--is flawless. great old clip. go to youtube and punch in laurence jubr playing "while my guitar gently weeps" and you'll hear the reason i am now a "hog" man.

The D-45's a rosewood, isn't it?

[Glennwillow]

I have had a similar change in preference, but I think it has more to do with experience and more exposure to other types of good guitars than it does with my age.

I obtained a new Martin D-35 in 1969 and still have that guitar. It still sounds great. But these days I can very much appreciate the less scooped midrange -- or perhaps more accurately stated, the richer midrange -- of a guitar like my Collings custom OM1A or the Martin D-18GE.

I still like rosewood -- the deeper bass and additional bass overtones and the glassier top end, too -- but I am also enjoying a really well-made mahagony guitar.

Regards, Glenn

[Martin_Nut]

I have definitely come to appreciate different styles and shapes of guitars over the years as my play style and tastes in music have changed. Went from Mahogany dreads to MJ Rosewood, with all sort of styles and wood choices thrown together over the years as I searched for a favorite. Still partial to mahogany, but can' afford to have em all!

[dmoss74]

Originally Posted by ewalling

The D-45's a rosewood, isn't it?

yes, and that one is probably brazilian.

[dmoss74]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I have had a similar change in preference, but I think it has more to do with experience and more exposure to other types of good guitars than it does with my age.

I obtained a new Martin D-35 in 1969 and still have that guitar. It still sounds great. But these days I can very much appreciate the less scooped midrange -- or perhaps more accurately stated, the richer midrange -- of a guitar like my Collings custom OM1A or the Martin D-18GE.

I still like rosewood -- the deeper bass and additional bass overtones and the glassier top end, too -- but I am also enjoying a really well-made mahagony guitar.

Regards, Glenn

i think you and i are exactly hearing the same thing. it's funny how i used to associate "hogs" with a less masculine sound than RW, but now the fuller range (especially mids) is quite nice to my ears. the boomy bass thing just doesn't appeal to me as much as it used to. i still love both, but i just prefer the hogs now.