Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm starting a new guitar soon, and I'm thinking of doing a jumbo model with honduran mahogany back and sides. I've never built a jumbo and haven't really logged much playing time on them, so its a bit tough for me to go about designing the sound that I want to come out of it. I want it to be warm and mellow with good clarity. Something good for fingerstyle. I'm thinking a nice set of curly redwood might be a cool choice. Any thoughts on this? And does anyone know a good source other than ebay? What other soundboard materials might you fine folks suggest?

From what I hear curly redwood is probably not your best choice for this. Lots of short grain makes for an unstable top, especially on a jumbo size. Very dramatic looking top but those that use them often laminate them with thin spruce to give it some strength.

I would suggest a plain redwood or cedar top if your wanting an alternative to spruce.

Good luck,
Joe

One of the best sounding guitars I've built was a Mahogany Dreadnought with a Western Red Cedar top. It sounded as you describe, warm, mellow and clear as a bell. It was almost harp like (if that makes any sense).

Good luck!
Chuck

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"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

Thanks for the replies. I think I may go with red cedar. I didn't realize there were such structural issues with curly redwood. So what would you laminate it with? Some kind of spruce? Seems like a laminate top isn't something you'd want on a custom guitar. Why would anyone use these?

Cedar is good!
BUT-I nice lite,flexible Engelmann top is great !
Bracing & top thickness are so important!
Listen to the guitar as you make it !
if it taps with a high tight note ;then you've over built it !
You want a nice deep tone with a bit of sustain!

This works for me !
Not very scientific -just paying attention to the sound of the
box as I make it !

Mike

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Mike Collins