Tone woods matrix

[cigarfan]

This looks to be pretty accurate to my ears but I haven't heard them all. Comes from the Breedlove folks. You folks have an opinion?

http://collingsforum.com/eve/forums/a/ga/ul/759100063/inlineimg/Y/BreedloveChart1.jpg

[mgap]

They left out Brazilian Imbuia.      Can't help you much because I have not played a guitar made with Myrtlewood,  Striped Ebony, or Ziricote.  Geeez I got to get out more.

[cigarfan]

They left out Brazilian Imbuia.      Can't help you much because I have not play a guitar made with Myrtlewood,  Striped Ebony, or Ziricote.  Geeez I got to get out more.

Actually, there are quite a few missing from this list ... Bubinga, Blackwood, Cocobolo to name a few others!

[Herb Hunter]

Breedlove may not have left any out if the graphic was intended to represent the woods commonly used by Breedlove. Does Breedlove ever use sapele or ovangkol?

[michaelw]

Breedlove may not have left any out if the graphic was intended to represent the woods commonly used by Breedlove. Does Breedlove ever use sapele or ovangkol?

ovangkol laminate is used on some of the passport/atlas models (made overseas)

i see sapele listed in their custom shop -
the upcharge for quilted sapele ('the tree' ?) is 
http://breedlovemusic.com/custom-shop/build-to-order

hmm ... build to order
 
a more linear representation, showing more of an overall range on the x-axis &
mid bump, scoop or relatively flat response as the variation on the y-axis is easier
for me to read & interpret & on a chart like this, if mahogany was closer to the center &
the rest of the 'graph' adjusted to it's response in terms of lows, mids & highs
it might make a little more sense (again, probably just to me), but it is what it is -
don't care much for their thicknessing & JLD bridge system, but that's just me

[ctkarslake]

My EIR 420-R is a lot brighter than my mahogany 410 but according to this matrix it shouldn't be.  I think the linear graph that Taylor used to have on their website is a more accurate way of depicting frequency response.

[Herb Hunter]

I find this chart no less useful than Breedlove's:

[Go Navy]

What surprised me about Breedlove's chart is where he places rosewood.  I had always thought that rosewood was desired for its clarity and brightness, not lows.  But I am far from anything resembling expertise on this. 

[jjrpilot-admin]

I always wondered why we have ALL Koa, Hog, etc guitars.  Has anyone ever had or seen an all EIR guitar?  Would it work to have rosewood as a top etc?

[thebigz]

Yeah, I've wondered the same thing about an all rosewood guitar.  Seems like the thing would be a cannon!  Take the back off my jumbo and make a top out of it.... wow, it would be a stunner!

[cigarfan]

a more linear representation, showing more of an overall range on the x-axis &
mid bump, scoop or relatively flat response as the variation on the y-axis is easier
for me to read & interpret & on a chart like this, if mahogany was closer to the center &
the rest of the 'graph' adjusted to it's response in terms of lows, mids & highs
it might make a little more sense

Got a business trip coming up but when I get back I think I'll try and experiment. Maybe develop a UTGF tonewoods matrix with input from everyone here.

michaelw, I think your x and y description above would be a good place to start. I'll work up a template where each of us could locate the woods we know. Then do a mean average for the final display.

These are the tonewoods I could find. Let me know if I missed any. And certainly don't worry if you are not familiar with any of these. We'll just rate what we know.

And, feel free to tell me this is a crazy idea if you think so! Just thought a chart developed by our ears would mean more to me than the others I've seen.

Back and Sides
African Satinwood
Ancient Kauri
Blackheart Sassafras
Blackwood
Bubinga
Chechen
Cocobolo
Granadillo (often referred to as Black Cocobolo)
Hormigo
Koa
Lacewood
Macassar Ebony
Mahogany
Maple (Big leaf)
Maple (European)
Monkey Pod
Myrtlewood
Ovangkol
Paduak
Pau Ferro (also known as Morado or Bolivian Rosewood)
Purple Heart
Rosewood (Amazon)
Rosewood (Brazilian)
Rosewood (East Indian)
Rosewood (Honduran)
Rosewood (Madagascar )
Sapele
Snakewood
Sycamore
Walnut (Black)
Walnut (Claro)
Walnut (White)
Wenge
Ziricote

Soundboard (Top)
Adirondack Spruce (also known as Eastern Red Spruce and Appalachian Spruce)
Englemann Spruce
European Spruce
Italian Spruce
Redwood
Sinker Redwood
Sitka Spruce
Western Red Cedar

[ctkarslake]

It would be interesting and very informative to do a matrix of sorts for top woods as well, good idea!  Would it be logical to use the same "frequency response" dynamic for tops as for the b/s woods?

[Herb Hunter]

Soundboard (Top)
Adirondack Spruce (also known as Eastern Red Spruce and Appalachian Spruce)
Englemann Spruce
European Spruce
Italian Spruce
Redwood
Sinker Redwood
Sitka Spruce
Western Red Cedar

I notice the list contains Engelmann spruce, European spruce and Italian spruce. Italian spruce is European spruce and virtually all European spruce is Picea abies except when it is Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) imported from the U.S. and exported back to the U.S. labeled as German or European spruce.

[mgap]

imported from the U.S. and exported back to the U.S. labeled as German or European spruce.

Now there is some expert marketing.

[michaelw]

imported from the U.S. and exported back to the U.S. labeled as German or European spruce.

Now there is some expert marketing.

just like oil