Playing With Various Wood Species/ F-612

[frettedstrings]

I was thinking of a GUILD F-612.....

I understand that the F-612 is a very large guitar.......18" at the lower bout and 5 inches deep. I thought that someone once said that John Denver's F-612 has Rosewood Back, Sides and Neck with a Spruce Top and I bet that sounds great, but what would happen if you changed the species of wood on a guitar of that size? How Wood The Sound Change ?

#1 - Mahogany Back, Sides and Top with a Rosewood Neck

#2 - Mahogany Back, Sides and Neck with a Spruce Top

#3 - Maple Back, Sides and Neck with a Spruce Top

 

[chazmo]

Well, woods have different characteristics and I can surely hear differences in the tones of my three 17" 12-string jumbos in rosewood, mahogany, and laminated maple. Of course, all other aspects of these guitars are not exactly the same.

I don't know if you'd say the effect of the back/sides tonewood is magnified due to the size of the body... could be. I think you'd also hear differences in a parlor-sized guitar.

In any case, I doubt we'll ever know what the effect would be as far as 18" Guilds are concerned. The F-612 was the only one ever built in this size, and it was made of rosewood. The Larson brothers built some enormous guitars ("Prarie State") that were even bigger than the F-612, but there aren't a lot of these around either, and I could be wrong but I think they were all rosewood too.

 

[frettedstrings]

I'd like to see the 60th Anniversary Guild Guitar be several F-612's and that there be one in Maple (Spruce Top), one in Mahogany (Mahogany Top) and one in Rosewood (Spruce Top).

 

[idealassets]

OK I'm in for an F612, does anyone know what we could do to convince Guild to produce a new version of it. Also Chazmo- what models of jumbo 12-strings do you have in those different woods? Please let me know.

Thanks,
Craig

 

[Dadaist]

Well, woods have different characteristics and I can surely hear differences in the tones of my three 17" 12-string jumbos in rosewood, mahogany, and laminated maple. Of course, all other aspects of these guitars are not exactly the same.

I don't know if you'd say the effect of the back/sides tonewood is magnified due to the size of the body... could be. I think you'd also hear differences in a parlor-sized guitar.

In any case, I doubt we'll ever know what the effect would be as far as 18" Guilds are concerned. The F-612 was the only one ever built in this size, and it was made of rosewood. The Larson brothers built some enormous guitars ("Prarie State") that were even bigger than the F-612, but there aren't a lot of these around either, and I could be wrong but I think they were all rosewood too.

Chazmo,
Both the B-50 and B-30 basses, had 18" lower bouts and were even deeper than the F-612 at 6". Both basses were produced in mahogany and in fairly large numbers. Again, these weren't regular guitars so maybe we're comparing apples and oranges.....albeit...really big apples and really big oranges.

David

 

[frettedstrings]

Oh wow ! :shock: the F612's were 6" deep ! :shock: :shock: I want mine in all Mahogany.

 

[fronobulax]

Both the B-50 and B-30 basses, had 18" lower bouts and were even deeper than the F-612 at 6". Both basses were produced in mahogany and in fairly large numbers. Again, these weren't regular guitars so maybe we're comparing apples and oranges.....albeit...really big apples and really big oranges.

David

To clarify, a 1982 B-50 has mahogany back and sides and a spruce top. Coming from the thin bodied electric end of things I would describe my B-50 as the closest thing I have to a "regular guitar" although in terms of warpping my arms around it to play, it has more in common with my Mirafone tuba than it does with my other basses.