Agathis vs ?

[rgand]

I put a roasted maple neck on my agathis Strat body (new everything except the bridge and output jack) and the tone is truly outstanding. The neck pickup is a Bill Lawrence L-500R and the bridge is a DiMarzio DP-103 36th Anniversary neck PAF. I blocked the trem, removed the springs and re-grounded the bridge.

Often, I think ash would be an improvement. Then I plug it in. The darn thing sounds really great and I wonder why I'd want to change it. Later I think that ash would sound better, then I plug it in..... The cycle continues. I suppose with a rosewood neck or fretboard, it might lose the clean mids and highs it puts out. The lows are nice and balanced, too, and can be dialed way dark without getting muddy although I seldom go below full bright. Other than being able to brag that it's such-and-such wood, it's causing me to re-think agathis as a good tonewood.

The Gaskell guitar site lists agathis as sounding much like mahogany. I always thought of mahogany as a warmer sound than this.

Has anyone else had experience with agathis?

 

[Cagey]

Why mess with success? From what I can find on Agathis, it's not necessarily a species that folks lust after for musical instrument material. But, that doesn't mean is won't work for that. People use Basswood sometimes, which defies good sense but works out well in some cases. I say don't argue with the thing. If you want an Ash guitar, build one. It's not like Ash bodies are rare or expensive.

 

[rgand]

I say don't argue with the thing. If you want an Ash guitar, build one. It's not like Ash bodies are rare or expensive.

This makes too much good sense. :laughing11:

 

[sixstringsamurai]

I say don't argue with the thing. If you want an Ash guitar, build one. It's not like Ash bodies are rare or expensive.

This makes too much good sense. :laughing11:

Yes, and Swamp Ash bodies sound awesome! :icon_thumright:

 

[rgand]

Yes, and Swamp Ash bodies sound awesome! :icon_thumright:

My next body purchase will be definitely be swamp ash.

 

[Re-Pete]

Don't mess with a successful formula! You've got that Strat sounding great. Mission accomplished. Move on to the next project. G.A.S. for Ash no excuse to mess with the mojo of the Agathis Strat.      :headbang:

 

[rgand]

Don't mess with a successful formula! You've got that Strat sounding great. Mission accomplished. Move on to the next project. G.A.S. for Ash no excuse to mess with the mojo of the Agathis Strat.      :headbang:

Yeah, I'm on that. I still need to re-do the neck on my Tele so that'll be the next project. It has great electronics and now can use a new neck and pickguard to make it right. A call to W will fix that. :glasses10:

 

[croquet hoop]

I have a cheap Strat copy (Stagg) with a 3-piece agathis body. It's one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played (although it required a lot of tweaking only to be satisfyingly playable, owing to a particularly poor fretwork and hardware).

Remmeber that alder and ash were chosen by Leo first and foremost because they were cheap and widely available, not for their sonic properties. It's the same for agathis, it's cheap so it's mainly used for entry-level guitars, but that does not mean it is inferior to more popular woods, tone-wise.

 

[rgand]

I have a cheap Strat copy (Stagg) with a 3-piece agathis body. It's one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played (although it required a lot of tweaking only to be satisfyingly playable, owing to a particularly poor fretwork and hardware).

Remmeber that alder and ash were chosen by Leo first and foremost because they were cheap and widely available, not for their sonic properties. It's the same for agathis, it's cheap so it's mainly used for entry-level guitars, but that does not mean it is inferior to more popular woods, tone-wise.

Thanks for the reply, I've found that this one did take some serious tweaking to get there, as did yours. Well, it's completed now and I have a great sounding guitar that plays like a dream. After I put a new neck on the Tele I'll have two. Looking forward, maybe the next build will have TV Jones pickups... :glasses10: