Walnut is a more neutral tonewood (like maple) and does not add as many overtones or as much “color” to the sound, so you get a more pure and bright sounding fundamental tone. Mahogany is (usually) a lighter, more porous tonewood and offers a more “airy” warm sound for the instrument.
What is the difference between Walnut and mahogany?
What’s the difference between mahogany and walnut? Mahogany has a reddish brown color and is slightly lighter, less dense, and less expensive than walnut, which has a brown color with light and dark shading.
How hard is mahogany wood?
Mahogany wood is both strong and hard, which means that it’s going to take more time and effort to work with than other types of wood such as oak. This makes mahogany unsuitable for projects requiring strength and durability. This can be a disadvantage when you’re trying to build something that needs great strength. Mahogany Wood FAQs 1.
Is mahogany a hardwood?
Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus Swietenia, indigenous to the Americas and part of the pantropical chinaberry family, Meliaceae. Mahogany is used commercially for a wide variety of goods, due to its coloring and durable nature.
How to identify mahogany wood?
Tips & Tricks: How to tell if Mahogany is genuine
- Find a place of the board, or create one, where the wood is perfectly flat sawn, this is the only way this will work. ...
- Take out your finest honed plane and get a very clean polished surface without damaging the grain. ...
- Get good light and look really closely at the pattern made by the medullary rays. They should appear as little ovals or ellipses. ...
What is the difference between walnut and mahogany?
Walnut is a more neutral tonewood (like maple) and does not add as many overtones or as much “color” to the sound , so you get a more pure and bright sounding fundamental tone. Mahogany is (usually) a lighter, more porous tonewood and offers a more “airy” warm sound for the instrument.
Which has more sustain, walnut or mahogany?
Walnut instruments tend to have more sustain because of the harder wood and the woofy low frequencies don’t get in the way of the fundamental tone. The mahogany instrument gives the illusion of being slightly louder, with the trade off of not as much sustain as the walnut instrument.
walnut vs. mahogany
i want a dc700, i want BKP blackhawks or aftermaths, i would love some advice on that, and also, please let me know about walnut compared to mahogany.
re: walnut vs. mahogany
Pick the one that appeals to you visually. Tonal expectations are more specific to a certain piece of wood than they are to a specific type of tree. There are too many variables. Tonewood guides are by nature very broad.
Re: re: walnut vs. mahogany
Evster2012 wrote: Pick the one that appeals to you visually. Tonal expectations are more specific to a certain piece of wood than they are to a specific type of tree. There are too many variables. Tonewood guides are by nature very broad. Can walnut be warmer than mahogany? Can mahogany growl like walnut? Case by case nothing is definitive.
Re: re: walnut vs. mahogany
Evster2012 wrote: Pick the one that appeals to you visually. Tonal expectations are more specific to a certain piece of wood than they are to a specific type of tree. There are too many variables. Tonewood guides are by nature very broad. Can walnut be warmer than mahogany? Can mahogany growl like walnut? Case by case nothing is definitive.
Re: re: walnut vs. mahogany
I hear ya brother ... I literally creek while I lift my les paul off of my shoulder after playing for a couple of hours. It's like my Dad used to say, "The older I get, the better I was".
Re: walnut vs. mahogany
dc400dragonburst wrote: i want a dc700, i want BKP blackhawks or aftermaths, i would love some advice on that, and also, please let me know about walnut compared to mahogany.
Re: re: walnut vs. mahogany
Evster2012 wrote: Pick the one that appeals to you visually. Tonal expectations...
Mahogany vs. Walnut
We’re going to discuss the main differences between mahogany and walnuts woods in detail. Let’s begin with the most obvious thing, the appearance.
Best Uses for Mahogany
Mahogany’s good hardness, smooth texture, grained structure, and high polishability make it very versatile. Here’s what you can make out of mahogany wood:
Best Uses for Walnut
Since walnut is often compared to mahogany, it’s no surprise that most of the uses are similar.
Related Questions
It depends. If you’re not worried about the overall appearance, such as with a covered table or a cutting board, then it’s okay to use mahogany and walnut together.
Final Thoughts
Mahogany has its uses and so does walnut. Is walnut sturdier? Yes. Does it feel more premium? Yes. Does that mean mahogany is inferior? No, it doesn’t.
mahogany vs. walnut
Considering a Bolt or Bolt+ in either mahogany or walnut with maple neck/fretboard. I really like the more defined grain I've seen in the walnut bodies, but wondering how the sound compares to mahogany? Brighter or deeper, clearer or not. Presently have a Bolt-T with alder body, maple neck, ebony fretboard, and AP11's and C-22B in bridge.
re: mahogany vs. walnut
Personally, I'd go with whatever you think you like the looks of best. An electric solid body guitar gets 99.99% of its sound quality from the electronics. A ferrous metal in the strings interrupts the magnetic field generated from the pickup magnets and creates a tiny electric current that is amplified.
Re: re: mahogany vs. walnut
armadillo wrote: An electric solid body guitar gets 99.99% of its sound quality from the electronics.
re: mahogany vs. walnut
Well, I'm not going to argue that point. I don't doubt for a minute that the issue is controversial but with all the pedals and sound enhancements available, I just don't feel like it makes much difference.
Re: re: mahogany vs. walnut
armadillo wrote: I don't doubt for a minute that the issue is controversial but with all the pedals and sound enhancements available, I just don't feel like it makes much difference.
Guitar Tonewoods
As you may already know, almost all guitars are made out of wood. Sure, some other materials are also fair game, but they’re far less common.
Mahogany
However, in this post, I’ll be discussing mahogany as a tonewood and its impact on the guitar. The material is pretty widespread. You can find different types of mahogany on both cheaper and more expensive guitars.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you think through the pros and cons of mahogany guitars!