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I've been building and re-building this guitar for a couple of years now, and I'm HOPING that this is gonna be the last time .

I've got a warmoth construction neck w/ stainless steel frets and a full scallop, maple/ebony. I've got a duncan C5 and two lindy fralin blues specials ready for it, and its gonna be rear-routed with a hipshot hardtail bridge, tummy and arm cuts, and a contoured heel.

So i've narrowed it down to the possibilities in the poll.

i'm no expert in woods but i guess it all depends on what sound and look are u looking for.
korina looks superb if you are planning on finishing it with quot;transparentquot; plain to show off the grain beauty.

i think you'll be disappointed with an all koa body .. it's gorgeous as a top but not known as a tonewood

what bodies have you been through unhappily? what was 'not right' about them?

i am leaning solid mahogany or limba

cheers
t4d

I'm about 99.9% sure that its gonna be a clear finish.

for this guitar, tone is my number one priority, and i'd happily exchange extreme beauty for a great-sounding piece of wood.

The only reason why I included koa on there is cause i've played a few acoustic guitars made out of koa, and really dug their sound. I was originally leaning more towards mahogony or limba though.

I've been through an alder body with a quilt maple top before, and while it didnt sound bad, it was a little uncomfortable for me to play (Standard tele body, and i sling a little higher than most people).

I was hoping for somthing a little darker, a little more mellow. The neck is already a real bright combination (SS frets, big truss rod, ebony and maple), I'm lookin for somthing to counter-balance that a bit too.

This guitar actually started out as a baritone with real subdued black hardware, to a standard 25.5quot; scale guitar with a scalloped fretboard and real over-the-top rockstar hardware (diamond plate pickgaurd, flame-shaped bridge and control plate, ya can see a pic of me playin it in my profile).

darker sweet mellow tone? thats how mahogany sound like to me.
to be honest, i own only alder and mahogany body guitars so i cant compare koa or korina. i really love the mahogany tone. there's simply something sweet abt it.

Sounds like you want a mahogany body to balance some of the brightness. I have a neck with stainless steel frets as well, I really don't hear any significant increase in brightness. But the maple/ebony combination will make it a bright sounding neck, and mahogany is a bit warmer than Korina from what I've been told.

Ryan

I agree, Mahogany sounds like a better bet here. From what I've read about limba, it's similar to mahogany but is more open and perhaps brighter. I have a limba axe on the way so I can't comment out of experience just yet, but there are a few people here that can.

bumpage

Mahogany with maple top. Just like the tone of mahogany.

yup, for what you want tonally, i'd recommend mahogany - no maple top ... simple stain on one piece will get you perfect ...

good luck
t4d

Yep, as others have mentioned, maple and ebony will be sickeningly bright, so to mellow out things, you'll need mahogany.

For a Tele I have to have Ash or Alder or it's not a Tele.


Originally Posted by PepiFor a Tele I have to have Ash or Alder or it's not a Tele.

Well, it sort of isnt really a tele

Scalloped fretboard, maple/ebony, HSS pickups, rear routed. All its really got in common with the tele is the shape.

black limba with a clear finish will kick major a$$ taking into account the neck. limba is just a tad more open with slightly more highs and a tighter bottom than honduran mahogany. i read that african mahogany tend to be inconsistent from piece to piece.

it is an eternal debate if its a tele based on body shape or body wood. but hell, it will make a sharp lookin tele clone for sure.

Thanks for all the help guys.

I liked the tone of the guitar back when it had the alder body, but was always wishing it was a bit warmer, so....

I think I've decided that i'll prolly go with a 1 piece black limba body. But, if they dont have the wood to make one and wont have it in stock for a while, i might go with a 2 piece black limba or a 1 piece mahogony. BUT...well...thats another debate...

no worries bro. all the best in your project and have fun!