Overview on Body Woods

Basswood:
Basswood is a soft wood with a close grain. The mid-range is pronounced because of the "rounding" of highs and the reduction of lows due to this wood's overall weight. The total characteristics and overall mid-range tonal singularity make this an excellent wood choice for a solo guitarist.

Northern White Ash:
Ash is resonant throughout all frequency ranges. It has clear highs that "growl", a pronounced mid-range, and a strong, ringing lower range with great overall sustain. This makes Ash well-suited for use in both rhythm and solo guitars. It offers good note separation and consistent energy for rhythm, and good upper range growl for solos. Ash, when used by itself, is a fine wood for the guitarist looking for a "harder" guitar sound (rock guitar).

Mahogany:
The open grained, large pores and constant density of Mahogany may slightly restrict its mid-range, this restriction also tends to provide a feel that is "fat." It has a nice low- and mid-range and the interaction of the lower, middle and upper ranges are consistent with no "push to the front" by any one range. The wood's density provides great support for guitar frequencies. Overall, it is a versatile wood adaptable to any style of play.

Hard Maple:
Maple is a loud wood with a crisp upper-range and a strong mid-range that decreases when moving towards the lower ranges (although overall it is a very consistent wood). Because Maple tends to be an "upper" range wood, it is best supported by combining with woods such as Basswood, Mahogany and Walnut to help "round" the overall tones. Additionally, the use of "darker" humbucker pickups improve overall sound quality and depth.

Soft Maple:
Soft Maple is softer and heavier than Hard Maple although its tone is similar with a compression of the upper-range and a fall off towards the lower range. This can cause a dulling on tone. As with Hard Maple, we suggest combining it with Basswood, Mahogany and Walnut.  

Black Walnut:
Black Walnut is a dark, hardwood wood with large pores, nice grain, and uniform density. Its tone is bright with a complex mid-range that can be dynamic as well as compressed in some frequencies. It has a crisp attack with rounded highs similar to that of Mahogany, but with a slightly more dynamic lower range. The tonal response of a solid body Walnut guitar is best supported by single coil pickups. The darker tonal response of humbuckers can result in a "nasal" sound. A chambered Walnut guitar produces a completely different tonal response and can support both single coil and humbucker pickups, producing a warm consistent tone. Thus a solid body Walnut guitar with single coil pickups may lend itself to a rock position, and a chambered Walnut guitar with humbuckers may find itself in a Jazz position.

Overview on Body Tops:

Tops enhance the overall attack of the notes while the resonance and amount of sustain are a product of the body wood. Factors such as thickness and sculpting play a role in the actual tone.  

Maple as a Top:

With Basswood:
The attributes of Maple and Basswood complement each other. Maple adds to Basswood's lack in the upper-range. No frequencies are added to the lower-range when combining these two woods and the overall tonal characteristic of the combination is consistent and bright with a nice clean mid-range that falls off gradually and cleanly.

With Mahogany:
Maple adds a dynamic response to the overall lower-mid and upper-range of Mahogany, providing a nice "rounded" feel to the upper-range. This classic combination has been around for a long time and is usually associated with the Les Paul.

With Black Walnut:
Maple adds a dynamic response to the lower-mid and upper-range of Black Walnut, providing an increased clarity and punch to the upper-range while rounding off the "nasal" sound that can result from a larger solid body of Walnut. The combination is similar to that of Maple and Mahogany but with a greater lower-range and more aggressive overall tonal response. It is a great combination that we believe has been neglected by other guitar builders.

Black Walnut as a Top:
This wood has a response similar to that of Hard Maple although with a slight decrease in upper-range frequencies, but greater openness and lower-mid and lower range definition, which make it a nice alternative to the classic Maple top. Black Walnut tops are terrific when used in combination with a Mahogany tone body.

Delbergia's (Rosewoods) Tops:
Various exotic Delbergias (true rosewoods) such as Kingswood, Tulipwood and others Rosewoods will augment overall sustain by adding to the guitar's density when used in combination with other woods. Many of these woods have a high oil content that can negate some of the upper-ranges. 

Exotics such as Zebrawood, African Paduak, Purple Heart Tops:
Woods such as African Zebrawood, Padauk, and Purpleheart have similar characteristics to that of Hard Maple, but with a slightly different responses at the upper-mid and upper-ranges. Generally, they are very good tonal alternatives to Maple, and because of their amazing grains and colors can be stunning alternatives to traditional figured Maple.