Help me choose a body wood

[MikeS]

Hey guys, I was just about ready to order my Warmoth body when I realized I wasn't 100% sold on my body wood choice.

First, some background. I'm building an SG body, TOM bridge, Hot P-90 bridge and Vintage P-90 neck, bolt-on maple/rosewood neck. The Warmoth SGs are a lot thicker than Gibby's, measuring 1 3/4" thick. I have no previous experience with P-90s, so I'm unsure how they respond to body woods.

I'm looking primarily at swamp ash and mahogany. I like swamp ash for it's warmth while still retaining clarity, and I'm attracted to the weight of Swamp Ash, but I'm worried that the guitar, when paired with a maple neck, could be overly bright.

Mahogany, on the other hand, I like for the sustain and full sound, but what worries me is that my LP has a tendency to be muddy at times, especially with the neck pickup. Given the thickness of Warmoth's SG, it seems like it might perform much like an LP.

So, P-90 players, what do you think?

[Pandemonium]

Mahogany or Limba. I don't think I've ever heard a muddy P-90 guitar.

[theboatcandream]

Swampash would be closer to basswood... you'd find yourself missing the mids which make woods like mahogany and limba so great, especially with P90s. Rude mids are what P90s are all about.

[BornToShred]

I'd go with mahogany. The SG's body shape is a lot thinner than that of a Les Paul, so it wouldn't be too heavy. And the mahogany would even out the brightness nicely.

With swamp ash, the guitar would prolly be neck-heavy, because swamp ash is a pretty lightweight wood.

[MikeS]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful. You pretty reaffirmed my original wood choice of mahogany. Mahogany body with a maple/rosewood neck it is.

[NecroPolo]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful. You pretty reaffirmed my original wood choice of mahogany. Mahogany body with a maple/rosewood neck it is.

Very good choice.


I don't have experience with P90 p-ups but ash axes tend to sound bright. Swamp ash is slightly darker and heavier sounding but the plain ash+maple combination surely makes a super-bright axe.

[sanrafael]

The swamp ash-maple combination is a bit bright. But this means that flat-wound strings, too dull on some guitars, sound really good. I find it is necessary to dampen the non-wound strings a bit by using a thin layer of cork (covered by a thinner metal plate) under the allen screws of the bridge peices of the unwound strings. Then the unwound and wound strings match in sound.

[7th Hell]

Mahogany is my fave wood! What kind of Mahogany does Warmoth use? I hear that Honduran is better quality.

[rspst14]

Not to try to change your mind, but check out Goncalo as a neck wood. It's warmer than maple, and it doesn't need to be finished, so it has a nice fast feel to it. Try pairing it with an ebony fretboard for a little more brightness. For the body, I'd go with mahogany. I agree, P-90's won't sound muddy. If anything they're usually a little brighter than humbuckers, which is why I'd go with slightly warmer woods.

Ryan

[MikeS]

I might look into for a neck wood, Ryan, we'll see. I ordered the body yesterday, should take 4-5 weeks (they must be busy seeing as how it's an unfinished body). I'll order the neck soon, just gotta clear a couple more bills off my desk. Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll definatly be sure to post updates on the progress.