Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm gathering some soundboards for upcoming builds - and one will be a Koa b/s MJ (we call is a MS). I'm not real familiar with the sound of Koa and have heard that it falls somewhere between Maple and Mahogany. True?

If so - I would like a top that allows the guitar to have a full rich sound. The guitar would be a 16" lower bout MJ size/shape. Yes - I know there are 101 variables that would determine the overall sound of the guitar - but I would like a good starting point from the experience here on OLF

So - I'm looking for input. I don't see this being a delicate sounding fingerpicking guitar - but more along the lines of something you would want a large sound out of.

I'm looking at some variety of Spruce (not a fan of Cedar right now). I suppose options would be:

Sitka,
Carpathian,
Englemann,
Adirondack,
other?

Not that it means anything of significance, but I see that Taylor is using Sitka Spruce with their Koa series guitars (if you get a Spruce top).

Thanks

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

Paul, I've used both Sitka and Engelmann over Koa bodies and been quite pleased.
A little difficult to compare, as the body shapes and sizes were different between the top woods--the Sitka went on a fingerstyle while the Engelmann went on a small jumbo. I really liked the warm sound that the Engelmann gave on that SJ.
You can't go wrong either way, but why not try Engelmann?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

you have to look at more than just the top species. What bracing are you planning on using? Koa can be bright so you can use something like engleman to cedar. Match the top with the bracing stiffness.
Koa is a very pretty wood and makes for a great instrument.
john hall

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I'm in agreement with Steve and John. I've played some beautiful sounding koa guitars, and I've played some harsh ones. Personally, I think the best top to pair with koa is redwood, followed by sitka, englemann, or a european of some sort.

Paul,
You already rejected the best choice, cedar.

I'm pretty sure you don't want redwood either.

Koa would be a great choice, but you don't want that.

My next choice would be Adi or Lutz.
There are many good choices. I don;t think there is a bad one and you really can't go wrong with any top. The trick is more in the voicing of the top than the type of top.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

what about using koa? looks incredible

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

This probably doesn't mean much in this thread, but I heard a Classical made from Koa and Cedar, this weekend, and it was an awesome sounding guitar. Built pretty much on the Hauser Plantilla, and with Hauser style bracing. It looked iridescent.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Paul,
I'm in agreement with Steve S. Cedar being the best option. I've played several different body shapes with this combination, and it just seems to work really well. In fact, I made a bouzouki with cedar/Koa and it is the best sounding instrument I've ever built.

But if you don't like Cedar, I'd go with Lutz as my first choice if it was master grade, then I'd go with Italian Spruce. Good luck, and would love to see the outcome.

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

How about any well braced and nicly tuned Koa, Spruce (species of your choice), Cedar or Redwood top? when it all gets boiled down, any well built and well tuned top will sound great. I to personally feel that warmer, darker toned woods like Koa, Cedar and Redwood inhance the properties of a Koa back/side set, but I am not building this one and you have rejected them so tht leaves you prety much with Spruce. Now i would think Lutz, any Euro, and Addi are the best choises of spruce but because Sitka is a bit on the darker toned side of the spruces It may work for you well.

I personally think you are passing the best choices by (Koa, Cedar and Redwood)

From the overwhelming response, it sounds like I should seriously open my mind to redwood or cedar.

I can do that!

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

Really are the best choices for Koa

Interesting--I'm just starting work on a pair of koa b&s OM's. Back and side sets are I believe from the same billet, and I was planning on using a sister pair of italian spruce soundboards with different bracing, but you all may have convinced me that I should try one with cedar and one with the italian. It'll be quite a while before I have some A-B test results, though.

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Evan McCartney