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Vintage FL
Aloha
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - 06/27/2006 : 06:36:19 AM
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I would like to hear about the tone and sustain of your different instruments based on the kind of wood they're made of. What have you noticed? I'm particularly interested in hearing what people think about koa ukuleles vs. mahogany ones.
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 10:55:12 AM
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I think that mahogany and koa are very similar in tone, but the woods aren't homogenous, and thickness and grain tightness affect the sound more than wood species. Both of the woods work and bend easily. I've had a mahogany Martin and a koa Kamaka that both sounded great, but differences in construction accounted for different tones.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 11:09:39 AM
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Although written specifically about top woods, you may find this interesting: http://www.goodallguitars.com/woods.htm
The other thing they say is that the maker and how he/she uses the wood is a big factor in the sound of the final product. |
Andy |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 11:45:51 AM
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Just to emphasize what Jesse and Andy said (OK, I guess this is a "me too" post), all woods are variable in composition, hence tone, but present koa is *highly* variable - quite a bit more variable than Honduran Mahogany (which, BTW, is becoming an endangered species). However, it is the luthier who makes the difference.
A good luthier can just about make any sound wanted from a tone wood.
That said, comparing koa and mahogany instruments of the same design, made by the same luthier, koa is somewhat brighter.
As for sustain of a `ukulele, if you are talking about tops made of these woods, there is no perceptible difference between them because of the extemely low tension of the strings, which are the drivers, of course. If you want more sustain from a `uke, think about spruce tops, long scales and high tension strings.
And, expect tone and sustain of any stringed instrument to change and improve over a year of constant playing. Many instruments sound dead out of the box and become wonderful with time and playing.
...Reid |
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Vintage FL
Aloha
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 1:28:10 PM
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| I like reading these responses, thanks. I'm learning a lot. A friend told me that in his opinion he thought koa instruments didn't sound as good as mahogany or have the same capacity for sustain, and without much experience I didn't have any real perspective on this. I now have a 50 year old mahogany and a 50 year old koa ukulele, both similarly constructed and they both sound very good. I have BM worths on the koa (Kamaka) and Aquila Nylgut Sopranos on the mahogany (Aloha Royal). The sustain is in fact greater on the Aloha, so I wasn't sure if that might have been due to the string choices or what my friend said about the wood. Sounds like it might possibly be string choice, then. I am not sure why I keep experimenting with strings. I should probably just stick with the Aquilas. I am getting ready to get another old Kamaka, a pineapple, and I'll try the Aquilas on it first. |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 1:37:53 PM
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| Personally, if I have to choose between an instrument that looks like a 10 and sounds like an 8 and one that looks like an 8 and sounds like a 10 I'm going to go with the one that looks like a 10. Why? I'll pick it up more often and therefore play it more. My current guitar is the perfect example of this philosophy! |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 06/28/2006 1:39:19 PM |
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Vintage FL
Aloha
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 02:37:22 AM
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See, I am just the opposite. I'd rather pick up the one that sounded better and the heck with how it looks. The ideal would be a great sounding and great looking instrument, I think that's always what I strive for.
I'm not sure that condition is what we're talking about here, though. I was just wanting to hear people's thoughts about the tone of a good koa ukulele vs. a good mahogany one. I guess I'm still trying to understand the difference when someone says an instrument sounds bright or woody or sweet, and whether those sounds are more characteristic of one kind of wood vs. another. |
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RobO
Akahai
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 06:53:56 AM
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| I have found that there are too many variables to really compare one tone wood against another. I have especially found that true for koa vs mohogany. I have ukes and guitars of both. Because I don't have exact models with the different woods, it seems making the comparison is not really valid because of the design and physical attributes of the instrument. Any variation in design will likely change the sound in some way. I have actually found (and maybe it's all in my head) that I like certain guitars better almost for different songs. I have found this to be true even one koa guitar or uke vs another koa guitar or uke. So, for me, it's about feel, sound, and aesthetics...maybe in that order. |
a hui hou... Rob
"Lawe i ka ma'alea a ku'ono'ono"
Translation: Acquire skill and make it deep |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 08:34:55 AM
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Rob, you are absolutely right, and it is not just "in your head" -that's why Sarah and I have so many guitars - actually a true major reason (the other is that we just like guitars, and now, `ukes :-). But, we use different instruments for different songs and different tunings and have done so for years.
For example, when playing a song in Double Slack (G Maj7), especially an Auntie Alice type song, Sarah will *always* (unless recording it) use a koa/cedar 0 size guitar that has that old-timey sound. Lots of other grooves we are in, too.
...Reid |
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Vintage FL
Aloha
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 3:02:31 PM
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OK, thank you so much for your responses. I think this is an important point: "Because I don't have exact models with the different woods, it seems making the comparison is not really valid because of the design and physical attributes of the instrument."
I know now not to expect a ukulele to sound one way or another just because of the wood.
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KoAloha
Akahai
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2006 : 09:20:22 AM
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I think of it like a soup and ingredients. The woods are the stock, meat, and vegetables. The instrument is the final, cooked soup.
Each type of wood has a certain natural resonance and this is something you don't want to fight against. Koa has very good mid range response, good sustain, and good richness. Spruce, on the other hand, has a quicker response, but less sustain. While it's possible to have a koa uke sound similar to a spruce top, and vice versa, I prefer to work with the wood and craft the instrument accordingly.
There is only so much one can do with bracing, body patterns, and dimensions. The base of any instrument is the wood, down to the choice of bracing materials.
When I build a custom ukulele, the first step is to choose the tone woods and bracing. Each customer wants a certain sound and feel to their ukulele, so I match the wood selection accordingly. By doing so, I'm working with what the wood naturally wants to do, rather than forcing it to sound a certain way. |
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