Best RAW Wood for Mahogany Tones

[partialdoctor]

Hi folks.

I am building a Strat Paul, so to speak. Strat shaped body but LP tones. Mahogany body with zebrawood top. I am going for classic LP tones and mahogany would seem the obvious choice, but I REALLY want an unfinished neck. I am thinking of going with rosewood. Other suggestions?

Thanks! :guitarplayer2:

 

[Updown]

Yes I too would like to know any 'suggestions' on this as well ..  :icon_scratch:

As I have a similar build in the process. I was thinking Rosewood Neck & Fretboard.
Have the Mahogany body with a quilt maple top already.
Using 2 x SD's Hum 59' (N) & JB (B)

Thanks  :icon_thumright:

 

[pabloman]

Mahogany and TruOil are pretty awesome. I would go that route. Anything else would be a compromise and going with a strat body you are already deveating from the original recipe quite a bit. Koa and Korina are supposed to be pretty close but with more mid growl I'm told. Maybe some mudbuckers can counteract that. You may find a pickup change will be in order once all is said and done.

 

[Kostas]

I have rosewood, wenge and goncalo alves in my guitars and I prefer goncalo's feel on hand. The rosewood became a little sticky after 4 years use and needs oiling but it has been played more than the others and goncalo less. Wenge feels good on hand and I suggest it since it's on my LP.

I believe the LP body and the traditional Gibson style bridge are crucial to the LP sound. The LP body has a lot of wood and a thick top that the strat body does not have. These two factors are more important from screws or glue and the scale length. I don't think you will get very close to a LP sound with a strat body, especially if you put a tremolo. Routing for a tremolo takes off a lot of wood from the body.

If you have not bought the body I suggest you try a LP body, everyone must have a LP.

 

[Cagey]

I am building a Strat Paul, so to speak. Strat shaped body but LP tones. Mahogany body with zebrawood top. I am going for classic LP tones and mahogany would seem the obvious choice, but I REALLY want an unfinished neck. I am thinking of going with rosewood. Other suggestions?

If you want the sound of mahogany and the feel of raw wood on a Paul-style fiddle, an Ebony over Goncalo Alves neck is probably the thing to have. Stainless frets, of course, because there are no others. But, I'm not sure it'll work with a Strat assembly. You may want to do a conversion neck to shorten the scale, and find somebody (like me!) to do threaded inserts to hold that neck wicked tight.

You might also be better off with a carved VIP body. It'll give you the Strat shape with a body that has more inertia, which I'm pretty sure that combined with the short scale and side-by-side humbuckers is crucial to the "Paul" sound. Also, it probably needs to be a hardtail.

But, I could be wrong. I have a couple in progress right now reaching toward that end. One's a mahogany Strat with an ebony over walnut neck, the other's a black korina VIP that's going to get a conversion neck, likely ebony over mahogany. Not sure when I'll get to them, so don't wait on hearing them.

 

[Steve_Karl]

You might also be better off with a carved VIP body.

I don't know anything about the VIP but from looking at the body builder I'm guessing they're all carved tops?
Generally, how much more weight can be expected getting a vip as opposed to a strat, given that all is the same between the 2 as in solid and mohogany?
Just a rough guess.

Thanks.

 

[Bruno]

Goncalo FAT neck.
My 2 cents

 

[partialdoctor]

I suppose I should clarify a little. I am not necessarily going to be disappointed if its not an LP clone. I just want to get the most LP tone I can out of a strat. Mainly, to do something a little different. I don't care for LP's... I don't like the shorter scale or the way to body feels in my hands. PRS I can tolerate, but neither of them just feel right in my hands like a strat. Our place is a little small for the next year so I only have room for a few guitars and while in the future I'm sure I'll build an LP and a VIP, I don't have the space right now and I want more strats .

I have a Lollar Imperial in my other new strat and even it alone in an alder body with pau ferro neck it is suprisingly LP like.  I can get a killer Jimmy Page style tone. With this new guitar, I think I'll be able to get close enough using some different woods and some high wound Imperials. The body is a hardtail BTW.

Thanks for the advice. I'll look into GA. I wonder if goncolo and pau ferro would be a good choice? There are no goncolo / ebony necks on the showcase, but I agree that that sounds like a good option.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Gonçalo Alves!

 

[elfro89]

Gonçalo Alves!

Fernando what is the correct way to say Goncalo Alves?

 

[Nando Vallart]

Gonçalo Alves!

Fernando what is the correct way to say Goncalo Alves?

The C is spelled like a S, in deed it's not a C, it's Ç... Not sure even if  it will show to you, so:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ç

 

[elfro89]

So would that make it Gon-zah-lo Al-ves?

 

[Nando Vallart]

Gon-sa-lo  al-ves

 

[elfro89]

Awesome stuff, thanks Fernando!

 

[willievega]

I love my Goncalo neck. Here are a few recordings I've made with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=755cBNDR3rg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-RsYODHVbc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoLkXRPIjsQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMN8sZq_mhU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jhblTf5X10&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97HgO6WNGRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpxf2GHAsII
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HASX3SR3mY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLd4eGJrOkk

Good Luck. Goncalo rocks, is harder than Rosewood and slick as hell!

 

[riverbluff]

Bubinga is also a good choice.

 

[Bruno]

I love my Goncalo neck. Here are a few recordings I've made with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=755cBNDR3rg
[cut]
Good Luck. Goncalo rocks, is harder than Rosewood and slick as hell!

I like your guitar!
And you play very very well, man!