Welcome to SCGC Players Forum › Forums › All about the wood › Mahogany OOO?
- This topic has 18 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 10 months ago by Hank.
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November 20, 2019 at 3:11 am #3138
Curious if anyone has played an Adirondack/Mahogany OOO? I played a bunch of Santa Cruz guitars this year and a few other models for comparison that were in the guitar shop such as Martin OOO 18 etc.
I started to wonder to myself if I might prefer Mahogany on most guitars OOO and above in size, but Rosewood for PJ, O, and OO. Mahogany more for strumming especially. Is this a common sentiment that people come to feel would you say?
I don’t see that Santa Cruz does many Mahogany OOO but I”m curious.
Last question I have is this… some old Brazilian vintage models I’ve played have kind of had what I like about mahogany in the guitar when strumming, but just with some really subtle rosewood type things going on in the periphery. Is that perhaps because of the age, the climate it was grown in, or some quality of Brazilian back in the day that was normal? I’m kind of curious about woods that straddle the line between Mahogany and Rosewood… kind of like 70-80% Mahogany with the rest a sprinkling of woody prismatic overtones of rosewood without being too shimmery and sweet.
It’s funny to me I hear Mahogany as being more complex, I guess that means I hear guitar in the mid range more.
Looking forward to you acoustic elders educating me on this matter! I’ve never found a way around me wanting to buy guitars all the time, so I’ve retired the idea of having 1-2. I think I want a small one, a ooo, the grand I have, and a couple dreadnoughts in the end…. you know until I decide that I want more lol….. Why is it so hard to just forget about the sound of instruments and just play?
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November 20, 2019 at 5:51 am #3139
I think Matt Sarad had one from Steve Swan. It was an amazing instrument.
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November 20, 2019 at 1:13 pm #3140
Matt, it was an OM. I wish I hadn’t sold it. It payed for repairs on my Silverado.
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November 20, 2019 at 4:40 pm #3141
Ah that’s a bummer. What did you think of it compared to Rosewood on the OOO? Was it a certain kind of mahogany you ordered? What was your experience with it? Did you order it for a purpose or just got it used?
- This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Acoustic Soul.
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November 20, 2019 at 6:07 pm #3145
I didn’t order it. It was brand new. I don’t recall playing a OOO. I went to Steve Swan’s shop and played it. I then looked at him and said,” Get me a blindfold and hand me every OM in the Shop.”
He put the blindfold on and I played six different OMs: Brazilian and German Spruce, EIR and Sitka, Mahogany and Adirondack, and three others I can’t remember. I decided on the one I liked. It was the one I started with.
It had the deep rumble of an approaching storm, sparkling highs, perfect action. I have never played another SCGC OM like it. It was plain old straight grained Mahogany and a nice Adirondack Top. No bling, just a simple guitar that helped save my right shoulder and elbow after 17 years of playing the Dread.
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November 20, 2019 at 6:21 pm #3148
thoughts… I tend to think of overtone as a close cousin to reverb. Braz rosewood is the king of natural reverb in my experience.
Honduran (genuine) mahog is one of the softest hardwoods while various rosewoods are some of the hardest. The softer hardwoods produce less overtone <-> vice versa with rosewood. Builders pick tonewoods/soundboards with bracings etc based on their specific plan for the model.. so many choices.
I really like honduran mahog for rhythmic arpeggio, good note separation off chord shapes/patterns. Most spruce soundboards work great for me. EIR is fine for this, just has a darker tone and less note separation, also great for background rhythm or singing over. bert 2c
hardness chart:
http://tinytimbers.com/janka.htm -
November 20, 2019 at 8:14 pm #3149
A.S.
I’m sorry to tell you this but your answer lies in an instrument made of “The Tree”.
If you visit Fl. stop by and play mine…..then you will have found your answer.
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November 20, 2019 at 9:43 pm #3150
When SCGC got Tree wood years ago, it was under $100 a set.
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November 20, 2019 at 10:21 pm #3151
Ah, yes, it was an OM. It was a tremendous guitar, enormously powerful.
It also had a soft-V neck shape that was as close to what I have on my ’91 OM as anything I’ve come across, and which (for me, anyhow) is extraordinarily comfortable to play for long periods of time without hand pain.
It was also extraordinarily light. Just great all around.
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November 23, 2019 at 4:59 pm #3178
It is unfortunate that mahog/spruce models are not easy to find – its a wonderful combination. Anytime I see a SC in that combo I’m interested in trying it. But, they have done a fair number of koa/spruce guitars, and those can be incredible. I have an OM from about 91 and an H from about 94 that are both outstanding. Keep an eye out for koa –
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November 24, 2019 at 12:04 am #3182
I actually played an Italian Koa somethign in Austin, I think an OM Grand…. and man, between mine and the african one I a b s o l u t e l y did not dig the third one (the koa one)…… Could definitely be because it was new, but it was incredibly cold, stiff, and shallow. I remember my guitar was extremely cold when I first got it and I felt really let down by the build for a year or two. I remember thinking, I have no desire to ever pick up a koa italian santa cruz again after that one lol.. . but I love to be surprised! It was a truly bad one. I’m surprised that they let it go like that… I guess that they just know sometimes these guitars need years upon years before becoming playable in a sense of enjoyment or musicality. Don’t take those as harsh words, they’re just my opinion, but I think an off the shelf martin would have mopped the floor with that one and I am not a big fan of martin or off the shelf guitars at GC.
I think maybe the italian spruce had a lot to do with it… they seem very young and cold and reluctant to play when brand new in my experience. I think Adirondack is a much better wood for the OM Grand because it is already thin, projective and focused… you wouldn’t want to marry that with cold and metallic. However, after about 5 years my Italian/Coco OM Grand with prewar bracing hide glue does sound a lot better…… like my guitar teacher wanted me to return it when I first got it it was so awful lol. I had faith though, and eventually it warmed and loosened up.
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November 24, 2019 at 12:46 am #3183
A.S.
The O.T. signature H model i bought from Otis was his main touring guitar and of course very played in.
it is Madi/Italian. I bought it in 2014 so it was then 6 years on tour……I knew the depth of it the first strum at Denver Folklore Center.
I have never played a “new” Anything/Italian but I can say that my experience with a very young and lightly played Hog/Euro was amazing at first strum.
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November 24, 2019 at 5:52 am #3185
I have come to think also that deeper bodies respond very well to Italian like the H model. That’s pretty sweet you bought an OT from OT! 6 years is a pretty good time to be playing something in … mine is just now 5. I know I said in my video 6 but I was wrong…. just coming up on 5. As long as it gets voiced with enough thickness or punch and the body gives it some depth, it’s bold qualities can really come forward. It’s very classy and serious in mine with the toasty cocobolo
I bet that was fun getting to buy that guitar man, how did THAT happen???
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March 26, 2020 at 11:33 am #4056
I have a mahogany/European spruce 000 and like it a lot. I ordered it that way as I already had a Martin 00028VS in rosewood. You can see it on the just shipped section of the Santa Cruz website….got it a couple of months ago. The Martin is heavier, has a more robust sound, and is older so more played in. I like it, but the Santa Cruz is much nicer. Lighter, sweeter tone, better for vocals.
2019 SC 000 mahogany/European spruce
2018 SC H13 rosewood/Adirondack spruce
2020 SC 00 Skye cocobolo/Adirondack spruce (summer)
2012 Martin 00028VS rosewood/Sitka spruce -
March 27, 2020 at 4:34 am #4060
I had to go look at the just shipped section to check that out – gorgeous! Near perfect, except for the slotted headstock (but thats just me -)
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March 27, 2020 at 8:06 pm #4061
Guess it’s time I should fess up… Bert Swietenia Macrophylla is my true name.
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May 27, 2020 at 4:09 pm #4281
Very nice collection of Mahogany.
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May 27, 2020 at 4:18 pm #4282
Indeed, thanks for replying. . . we have been moving into a new house and I haven’t been active on the forum… I didn’t see those pictures. Very nice
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May 27, 2020 at 4:52 pm #4284
Bert…beautiful…..I missed those pix also……..HOGMAN Bert should be your new handle. Great old blues moniker.
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