No sir, the tonal difference is
not in your head. Ovangkol and rosewood b/s make for a markedly different voice given the same Sitka top. It is a personal choice, to be sure, but the difference between the two is definite, as SF gave you their basic tonal run down.
There are perceptions that rw (or whatever species) is "better" than this or that: hogwash and utter market spin, often used by builders to justify a higher-end product with the superior wood x over the mundane wood y (I personally do not believe Taylor does this, btw, as evidenced by their widely varying line where wood species alone does not determine the price difference, barring rare woods, of course). Then there is net-lore that propagates this misconception.
Yessir, your ears are right on as the ovangkol 414 you had played has a markedly different midrange quality, a bump up if you, in that tonal range whereas the rw 414 has that signature mid "scoop" that so typifies rw/spruce guitars. I've owned DNs and GSs with both woods and the tonal difference is undeniable. So perhaps you gravitate toward the more "present" sound of ovangkol, or perhaps you don't like the mid-scooped nature of rw. Then again, change the
top wood and it's a whole new tonal equation to consider. Either way, you're definitely discovering what it is you want in a guitar!
Edward
