Walnut, Wenge, Ash, Kornia.....body decisions..AHHHH

[scartozi]

So I'm building a guitar from scratch....body blank....and it's going to be an ergo body style guitar but I just can't decide on a body wood and it's driving me crazy. It's going to be a solid body and played seated so weight isn't an issue to me. Any of you guys have any suggestions, experiences, input....etc? :icon_scratch:

My playing style: Fingerstyle using fingertips only, no picks or nails so I want a wood with a good attack, bright but not shrill, with decent lows.

Neck: will be wenge with either ziricote or ebony fretboard

Wenge: I really want to do a solid wenge body but don't know how hard it is to work with......splintering....etc and not sure of it's tonal qualities as a body.
Walnut: My second choice, I've worked quite a bit with walnut on non-guitar projects but not sure of it's tonal qualities as a body...warm, bright
Swamp Ash: Good all around tone wise and easy to work with, also fairly inexpensive.
Black Kornia: Looks great and is also easy to work with

at this point I'm about ready to write them all down on pieces of paper and pull one out of a hat

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

IIRC, Wenge dust is brutal.

 

[OzziePete]

Fellow forumite Orpheo has a stable of LPs of different woods, so maybe he will catch this Thread and post up some informed thoughts..... :icon_thumright:

 

[scartozi]

should also mention that this guitar will have the Graph Tech Ghost piezo system only.....at least at this time, if that makes a difference.

 

[Jusatele]

Scartozi is at it again

my hero with Driftwood strat, I am seriously waiting for this build to evolve.

Good Luck

 

[scartozi]

haha....thanks Jusatele :icon_biggrin:

This should be a fun build. I'm in the process of making the bridge for the guitar. Since it's going to be an ergo guitar and only piezo pickups I thought a normal strat hardtail would look a little small.....sooooo I'm making a bridge that looks like an acoustic bridge out of solid aluminum but will have saddles like a strat. Will post pics once I get a chance to go to our shop and use the copy router....should be fun.

 

[scartozi]

bridge will look somewhat like this......it's a rough sketch

 

[DangerousR6]

Black Korina body, wenge/ziricote neck.... :icon_thumright:

 

[scartozi]

DangerousR6.........that's kinda the way I'm leaning, especially if I can get a decent match on the kornia body and ziricote fretboard....B U T....I don't want a fretboard to be to "busy". I'll have to look at some pictures and see. I've seen some really nice Claro Walnut that would look great. This build is going to take quite a while so I'm not in to big of a hurry.

 

[swarfrat]

Figured Walnut Jazzmaster - ergos already done.  Sounds like it fits your goals tonally too. And probably no easier wood to apply finish to, just grease it up, flip it over once, maybe twice.

 

[scartozi]

just contacted Warmoth to see if they can do a 16x20 walnut body blank, neck rout only....we'll see. I need the extra room for the ergo design. If not I'll have to buy a blank, get a template, router bits....etc, which is no big deal...gives me a reson to buy some more tools :toothy12: