Tonewood Suggestions for a Custom 12-String Dreadnought

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Since you want something different than what you already have, why not go with Mahogany back and sides, figured if it's available, European Spruce for the top, if it's available, or a set of premium Adirondack if it's not. Add some Koa binding and you would have a fine looking, and great sounding 12-string. BTW, you're talking Euro Spruce and Macassar as options, did your dealer check to see what's available for you already? If not than you might want to start with that.

Oh, and I know you say you don't want to "wrestle" with the deep body DN, but it's only 1/4" deeper than the standard model which means it's the same as a standard Martin Dreadnought, which is pretty much the industry standard for a proper dreadnought. Most folks don't seem to notice the added depth and it really turns the Taylor DN in to a cannon. I think a deep body Mahogany/Adi DN would make a killer 12-String. Hmm, I think I just gave myself a case of GAS. 

[michaelw]

i forgot to mention the armrest option on the deep body X10 -
to me, it doesn't seem like that sinker/cocobolo is not being driven very hard

when listening to a sound clip of a bigger body X10/15/16/18, i like the attack to be where it
is to the point that the tone is at the limit of near compression & then backed off just a bit -
a thin, "flippy" sounding nylon pick i'm not a fan of, nor strumming very close to the bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYbsYB83Isk

sinker/madasgascar deep body -
the strumming pattern that starts at 3:31 is the type of style i'm familiar with
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y2DsbO3JYE

granted, it's not a 12 string, but the focus & overall darkness should be
quite dynamic, while keeping excessively "jangliness" reasonably in check

a few others, all 6'ers
sinker/macassar RTS1 - nowhere close to full throttle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ2turi7iq0

sinker/macassar GS - gets the hit a bit around 3:29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXcm0KLqWFo

sitka/macassar JM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS2kCKqSfDA

sinker/macssar RTS2 - playing starts a 5:26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK4NNTrpizQ
even with a "flipppy" pick @ 5:50, it's got some power, in
spite of the mic used being on the camera & a constant hiss

[timfitz63]

Since you want something different than what you already have, why not go with Mahogany back and sides, figured if it's available, European Spruce for the top, if it's available, or a set of premium Adirondack if it's not. Add some Koa binding and you would have a fine looking, and great sounding 12-string...

Hmm...  Figured Mahogany...  Possibly...

But frankly, I was hoping to get more suggestions for the 'exotic' woods that Taylor might have squirreled away (a la the Makore on my Custom GA -- like I said, we'll see what turns up in March), that would pair up well with European Spruce on a 12-string Dreadnought body, and give sonic properties similar to Makore (which I'd say has similar sonic characteristics to the African Ebony that was used in the 2013 Spring Limiteds, but warmer), Koa, and/or Maple.  So, I really want to do something with the back/side woods that is unique-looking and uncommon, yet similar in sound properties to the woods I mentioned.

I will qualify all of that by stating for the record that I won't do a custom build -- even with a really unique and beautiful wood -- if it's not going to deliver sonically.   So if the right wood just isn't there this time, I'll wait...  I mean, it's not like I need another guitar at the moment...

... BTW, you're talking Euro Spruce and Macassar as options, did your dealer check to see what's available for you already? If not than you might want to start with that...

Not specifically with Macassar; I'm presuming that, since Joe is going out to Taylor expressly to do some custom guitars using European Spruce, that Taylor has already earmarked some of that for him...  When Joe and I discussed more of the particulars of the potential build, the back/side wood remained a clear gap in the plan.  Frankly, Joe didn't know at that point what 'special' woods might be available.  But he mentioned to me that he'd prime the folks at Taylor about the plan at this point (Custom DN-12 using European Spruce for the top), and see what they might pull out of the 'small-supply' bin for him.  So, it's somewhat in the hands of fate at the moment...

... Oh, and I know you say you don't want to "wrestle" with the deep body DN, but it's only 1/4" deeper than the standard model which means it's the same as a standard Martin Dreadnought, which is pretty much the industry standard for a proper dreadnought. Most folks don't seem to notice the added depth and it really turns the Taylor DN in to a cannon...

Certainly worth considering, then, thanks, Ted!  What exactly does the deeper body affect, sonically?  More bass?  Just more volume?  Both?

i forgot to mention the armrest option on the deep body X10...

No worries; I'm already leaning toward the armrest with the standard DN body, so I'd almost certainly do it on the deep body DN.

... to me, it doesn't seem like that sinker/cocobolo is not being driven very hard...

I thought the same thing; I really wish she'd have given it a good strum.

... when listening to a sound clip of a bigger body X10/15/16/18, i like the attack to be where it
is to the point that the tone is at the limit of near compression & then backed off just a bit -
a thin, "flippy" sounding nylon pick i'm not a fan of, nor strumming very close to the bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYbsYB83Isk

sinker/madasgascar deep body -
the strumming pattern that starts at 3:31 is the type of style i'm familiar with
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y2DsbO3JYE

granted, it's not a 12 string, but the focus & overall darkness should be
quite dynamic, while keeping excessively "jangliness" reasonably in check

a few others, all 6'ers
sinker/macassar RTS1 - nowhere close to full throttle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ2turi7iq0

sinker/macassar GS - gets the hit a bit around 3:29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXcm0KLqWFo

sitka/macassar JM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS2kCKqSfDA

sinker/macssar RTS2 - playing starts a 5:26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK4NNTrpizQ
even with a "flipppy" pick @ 5:50, it's got some power, in
spite of the mic used being on the camera & a constant hiss

Those are all great-sounding guitars.  And I really do like the look of Macassar.  That could very well end up the 'Plan B' back/side wood...

[timfitz63]

Well, good news and bad news with this endeavor.  Actually, there's really not any bad news, except to say that a 12-string Dreadnought (DN) is not on the immediate horizon for me...

The long-and-short of it is that Joe at Empire Music got Taylor to dredge up a number of custom tonewood choices (seven, to be exact) from which I could choose.  And Empire will be doing custom guitars using each of those wood sets, so those of you who are inclined to visit Empire should look for them to arrive in-store sometime around the first part of May (ostensibly in time for their May 15th Roadshow).  Unfortunately, none of the woods sets that would be the most appealing to me sonically were suitable for a DN body; apparently the available wood in most of these sets wasn't sized to accommodate the slightly wider upper portion of the Dreadnought body compared to the Grand Concert (GC), Grand Auditorium (GA), and Grand Symphony (GS).  At least that's how it was explained to me...  In any case, most of the wood sets were offered by Taylor as "GA/GS only."

There were a couple of nice sets of Walnut (one grafted, I think is the term); one set of figured Mahogany; a nice set of Ovangkol; a set of Amazon Rosewood (with a sliver of sap wood); a set of Myrtlewood; and a set of Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle.  Ultimately, I don't know how Joe spec'ed out the ensuing custom guitars using most of those wood sets; but the latter set was compelling enough to me visually (see attached photo) to capture my interest.  When Joe told me that Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle would be sonically similar to Koa and Maple, I really couldn't resist the urge to build a custom 12-string using it.  But it will be a GS body...

Switching gears for a moment with this thought-exercise:  Since starting this whole endeavor, I've learned that most of the guitars in Taylor's standard line-up (including DN'ts) are offered with an option to make them into a 12-string.  I may ultimately pursue that route -- although I'm a bit unsure which of the current series would really be preferable to me:  a 400-, 500-, or 600-Series Dreadnought...?  Sadly, Taylor appears to have discontinued the K10/K20... 

Sonically, I'm still a bit 'on the fence' about Ovangkol...  I thought that, perhaps, I just needed to give it more time to 'grow' on me...?  I've played it a number of times and it's fine; but I don't really seem any closer to considering it a 'go-to' tonewood for me, since I continue to gravitate toward tonewoods that possess a bit more inherent 'brightness...'  And I definitely prefer a gloss finish to the satin finish offered on (among others) the standard 400 Series...

The current 500-Series really seems to be geared toward an all-Mahogany body, although the Spruce-topped 500's are still available (and preferable to me, sonically).  So, doing a 12-string 510ce (essentially a 550ce) would ostensibly mate well with the 510ce I have -- except that Taylor discontinued the Engelmann Spruce tops on the 510ce (they're now Sitka Spruce).  And of the two Spruces, I prefer the Englemann...

A 12-string 610ce (effectively a 650ce) would seem to fit the bill.  But after giving it more thought (and in light of the purported sonic properties of the custom GS-12 I'm now in the process of acquiring), I thought it better to shift the sonic 'focus' of a 12-string Dreadnought more toward the Mahogany end.  So that would seem to eliminate Maple as a contender...

I was going to put Cocobolo back on the table, at least until such time as I can play it some more and determine that it's really not what I want sonically.  It would seem to have the sonic range to fit what I'm considering, but all the extra 'bling' on the Presentation Series isn't appealing enough for me to consider a 'PS50ce.'

Similarly, Koa, Macassar Ebony, and Walnut remain in contention sonically.  Of the three, Walnut might offer the best combination of properties ('off-menu' wood choice, providing the desired sonic range, and often visually striking); although so far, Walnut hasn't grabbed me sonically with anything but the GC and GA bodies.  Wish I could find a Walnut-bodied DN to try out...

And that's not ruling out any other 'exotic' wood that Taylor might cough up either...

For the top, I may stick with European Spruce, which I do seem to like most of all.  But Engelmann Spruce is also currently available through the BTO program (allowing me to do a 550ce-like guitar closer to my 510ce)...  'Sinker' Redwood has crossed my mind too, although I'm trying to imagine which back/side wood would pair best with that for a 12-string...?

But when the dust settles, all that mental wrangling seems to lead me back to a custom DN...  So, stay tuned, sports fans!  It'll probably happen someday...!   

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