Official Luthiers Forum!

I have a soundboard dilemma?

I've constructed the back and sides of a great little 000 style Koa guitar and have the matching top plate in order to complete an all Koa project. However, for some reason I'm balking/second guessing at using koa on the top as I also have AAA Englemann, Lutz (Shane's), and WRC in my inventory.

Any suggestions for a rookie who's only used Sitka and Adirondack on my past builds??

Thanks,

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

I've never been impressed with a koa topped guitar. Ukes...fine, wonderful, my go-to uke has a koa top...but guitars? Never met a keeper with a koa top, and thus I've never been tempted to make one. Too brittle sounding. But if you listen with your eyes, then it would be fine...

I've always wanted to try it, too. I intend to- I have a nice set that I got from Bruce Creps, Notable Tonewoods. I asked him at the time what I should look for in a koa top, and he helped me select one. He said to find a top with minimal runout, and he thought that a lighter, less dense piece with straighter grain would be best. You will need to make it thinner than you would spruce, but be careful here! Feel it, flex it, find the right thickness for that piece of wood that you think (and hope) will give you something that will make a decent sound. Rick is of course right, it will be probably impossible to make it sound as big-time as a standard topwood might sound, but I know that I like the sound of those old koa Martins! To me, it's going to be worth building myself one to have around. Maybe I'll put a pickup in it and use it on the gig, the pickup won't be bothered by the koa top.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Ray, I have two ukes built with back and sides of koa: one has a koa top and the other spruce. The spruce top one is much louder. Although the koa one is ok and much more beautiful, the one I like playing is the spruce topped one. Grimes told our luthier group that he preferred spruce tops to koa on his guitars.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Ray,
I'm with Rick on this one. I've never heard a nice sounding Koa top either, and I've played a few. My favorite combination is Cedar/Koa. To me, it is the best combination in tonewoods to my ear. Hope these suggestions help!

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Thank you for the great input!

Well, I think I'm in agreement with the majority here about the use of koa on the top. I picked up a couple of Shane's special stock Lutz at the OLF swap a few months ago (nice stuff) and have been wanting to try it out.

Hmmm....I'll have an orphan Koa top/back to go with my orphan Zebrawood sides...

Thanks again,

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

I will stand on the other side of the fence and say I have built several with Koa tops. I really love this top for fingers style. I have had some flops but I have had more success that failures. It not going to sound like spruce but will be much deeper and mellow in tone. I guess it depends on you preference.

And yet another opinion here........

I have played a couple of koa topped guitars and I agree with everyone else that it is a different tone but it's still pleasing in it's own way. IMHO what I heard was a slightly darker tone, less highs but well balanced.

I try to team koa back and sides with a top wood that projects very well and has more brilliant highs with Adi being used a couple times here and Carpathian once.

This chart below is from an Elderly catalog and you may find it helpful to you. Given what you have available to you I would go with the Lutz - an excellent tonewood. This is of course unless you have your heart set on an all koa guitar and you are OK with the different tone that will result.

Great thread. I've been wondering some of these things myself lately.

I agree with Mark and have played a few nice Koa topped Martins from the 20s and 30s that were really nice, but then again I've not played a lot of duds from this time period either.

Ray, I've used Koa for tops twice. One was a six string, the other a twelve.
I will agree with Hesh that the tone is "darker". You won't have the sparkle of a good spruce top, but if you treat that Koa right, you will be pleasantly surprised.
The 12 string was the real surprise--quite a cannon.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I was out and about in the city today and stopped by my local music store to try out Taylor's all Koa offering...Not bad, but nothing outstanding either...

Thanks for all the replies and would still like to hear some more opinions on alternate tops. Just as a side note, I braced the Koa back with Adi and it rings like like plate metal when you tap it?

It looks like I'm going to have an orphan Koa back/top to go with my orphan zebrawood sides! (That would be one interesting lookin' axe!

Take care,

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process