Tropical Mahogany
As a top wood, mahogany produces a natural compression, so it won’t yield as quick a response as a spruce-top guitar will. A mahogany-top guitar will produce strong fundamentals, with clear and direct focus. It might be characterized as having a woody, dry tone.
Tropical Mahogany
Origin: Central and South America
Used On: GS Mini Mahogany, Baby Mahogany, Limited Editions, Custom Guitars
- A hardwood top with more density than spruce or cedar
- The stiffness initially yields a bright tone that gradually gets deeper
- Used On: GS Mini Mahogany, Baby Mahogany, Limited Editions, Custom Guitars
Harder, denser woods like mahogany and koa that are used on the back and sides of a guitar are sometimes used as tops. Their stiffness initially translates into a bright tone and tends to need more play-in time to open up, but the more a mahogany-top guitar is played, the more it develops overtones that contribute to a fuller, richer sound. A mahogany-top guitar might appeal to rootsy players who like a little extra punchiness in their tone.
Goes Well With: Blues and roots players, anyone who likes an slightly more burly or punchy quality to their tone.