question bout using mahogany wood as a top wood

[cruxgod]

hihi..
i am building a guitar fr scratch..
currently for body wood li have a gotten a quartersawn endgrain maple/cherry/walnut....

i am lookin at mahogany as a top...
i know ,normally its the other way round, ppl will use mahogany as a body then maple as a top,but nw its the other way...

any comments? and maybe hw come we dun see ppl use mahogany as a top wood?

 

[fretless6]

Cos non figured mahogany is a very plain looking wood.

 

[cruxgod]

ah thanks..so its most likely just for cosmetic reasons then.......

 

[fretless6]

Tops on electrics are pretty much for cosmetic purposes only anyway.

 

[faekildare]

Depends on how thick the top is. If it's a veneer, yes, it's for cosmetic reasons. But if it's at least 5 cm or more in thickness, it's a diff story.

 

[obzervr]

cruxgod, try 1/2 inch thick and cap it with book Matched Spalted Maple veneer.

Anyway, my opinion of the multi pieces block wood table top that you're planning to use as guitar body; the way the wood blcks are joint up doesn't seem to give confidence of good vibration transfer from one piece to another. too much dampening I think.

 

[fretless6]

Depends on how thick the top is. If it's a veneer, yes, it's for cosmetic reasons. But if it's at least 5 cm or more in thickness, it's a diff story.

Top that's at least 5cm? lol, the entire body on most guitars are only around 5cm in thickness. Most tops are barely even 1cm thick, even on carved tops. Veneer or 1/4" tops are still for cosmetic purposes. That's the point of putting a nice pretty piece of wood on the front.

 

[cruxgod]

thanks guys....
yeah observr..that cld be a valid worrying point.....its endgrain (quartersawn) but dun think it wil make a diff in this situation. i am aiming at a thickness of 2.5inch...(the same as the original 1959 les paul thickness)...

crazy idea..but who knows yeah? keeping fingers crossed.......

 

[fretless6]

cruxgod, try 1/2 inch thick and cap it with book Matched Spalted Maple veneer.

Hope you didn't mean to use 1/2" of spalted maple. Cos spalted maple is basically rotten maple, which is usually terribly soft and is definitely NOT a tone wood.

Not only is it soft, it usually has inclusions which need to be filled with epoxy. Has to be hard coat finished and not to mention a pain in the ass to finish, as it's spongey nature soaks up lots of finish.