# Hankerin' for some Koa



## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Trying to find a compromise between rosewood and mahogony. Live the snap of hog and the depth and complexity of rosewood.

What's everyone else's opinion on Koa?


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## Gilliangirl (Feb 26, 2006)

Well, I'm not going to be much help, I'm afraid. I've played two koa guitars of note, and had a very different opinion on both of them. The first was a D25 vintage (1980) Martin, koa back, sides AND top. It was beautiful to look at, but sounded very muddy to me. Left me cold. The other was a custom Gibson SJ200 or 300 (can't remember.... Fred, are you there?) and it was absolutely gorgeous, both to look at and listen to. If silk velvet had a sound, it would sound like that guitar. Very smooth but still had clear trebles.

See? I told you it wouldn't help! :smile:


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

my yairi is a spruce/koa model, and it's a very large dreadnaught, with a strange, compressed midrange honk that i'm really fond of... it sounds like an all mahogany guitar is supposed to, kind of... 

i've played a lot of koa models, and i'd have to say i find it the most widely varied sounding tonewood.. everything from huge bottom end, to really delicate, to punchy, to occasionally dead.

a better way to get that comprimise might just be cedar top with rosewood..


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

I thought I would let you drool over something else
























There you go, and some like them and some don't. Me I love anything with strings so don't listen to me when it comes to choices, I love all woods.Ship


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

*Decisions*

And then I thought I should add a little Mahogany also
















See what I mean I couldn't decide if my life depended on it, and it get worse, but thats for another day.Ship :rockon:


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## millenium_03 (Oct 11, 2007)

Ship the binding is awesome on the first guitar pictures...


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Howdy Yan at least this place is Canuck terrritory, and I dont have to worry about the others here, hey my friend, dont you remember her Yan, you saw her last spring,the Washie is going in for a Buzz system in Spring and I will be doing some serious recording with her then, as for blondie well I just can't tell you how great she sounds, not bad for a $800.00 guitar she's as great as a $5000.00 guitar now, Yan you should think about getting the work done my friend she will make you oh so happy, she stays in tune and she sounds wonderful all over the fret board and she rings like I have never heard maple sing,oh my god she is like an angel singing,well my friend I am very busy these next few weeks so if I dont see you on the other site have a merry christmas my friend, and to all the rest of you.louis :food-smiley-004: may we all enjoy our Canadian beer unlike our american brethern who only think they have good beer.little do they know,lets keep it a secert from them okay kids.Ship.........oh crap lets make it personal............louis:banana:


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I love koa.
It looks great and sounds great.

If you can find a decent koa guitar that you can afford--I say go for it.

I remember finding some koa ukeleles in Hawaii many years back.
If I'd had more money then, I'd have bought one-and I'm not even a ukelele player. (Ukeleleist?) But I'd have bought one and used it as a mini guitar or bass.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I don't think anyone has really focused on the tonal qualities yet.

So on the same guitar what is the differences between Koa and Rosewood?


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

*Well lets see*

Jeff you can have the same two guitars one of Rosewood and another of Rosewood and they are going to be different, its a very subjective thing to try and describe the difference between Rose and Mahogany.
I can't even though I have some of each in different sizes, from folk to dreads and jumbo's. I can tell you my Mahoganies tend to be crisper in the smaller sizes than the rosewoods, they tend to be somewhat deeper in tonal bass.And I will leave you with that.Ship :bow:


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

My experience of koa with either cedar or spruce tops puts it between rosewood and mahogany in tone, though if it's also koa topped, all bets are off because so much then depends on plate size, thickness, and body size.

Several years ago I played an all koa Taylor at Elderly Music and the store dropped silent the moment I started to play. Not being all that hot a player, I asked the staff about that guitar and the reply was that it happened all the time since they took delivery of it...folks stopped to listen. I'm not too big a Taylor fan, but I've heard and played a few koa ones and have liked them all.

Koa looks and sounds great, but so does walnut if you're looking for something different from rosewood and mahogany.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Mooh said:


> My experience of koa with either cedar or spruce tops puts it between rosewood and mahogany in tone, though if it's also koa topped, all bets are off because so much then depends on plate size, thickness, and body size.
> 
> Several years ago I played an all koa Taylor at Elderly Music and the store dropped silent the moment I started to play. Not being all that hot a player, I asked the staff about that guitar and the reply was that it happened all the time since they took delivery of it...folks stopped to listen. I'm not too big a Taylor fan, but I've heard and played a few koa ones and have liked them all.
> 
> ...


Thanks Mooh. It's kinda what I felt as well but wanted other opinions.

I'm trying to convince L&M to get in a OM-42 Koa for me to try. OM-42 is too close to my J41S already so I'm thinking Koa will be just different enough.


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

I've gat a Grammer that is D sized Spruce top and Walnut.

Just got an L shaped Larivee L09.

The Larry is much softer sounding, not quieter but less treble.

I'd say between these 2 rosewood is mellower than walnut.

They are both really nice sounding by the way.


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

*koa porn*

Here's a Thompson Koa custom.
http://www.acousticguitar.net/roypics.html

This thing has one of the nicest voices of any of the smaller guitars. It is about the size of a Classical guitar, but like all of Ted's guitars it has a much larger voice - It sounds like a Mini-Jumbo. Tonally, it puts it into the range between Rosewood and Mahogany, offering the strengths of both. 

Koa is the best of both worlds. Assuming the builder is familiar with the material and has a good source of wood, Koa can be the holy grail. But, like all materials it does take a lot of experience.

Like any guitar, it is dependent upon the builder. This is why I have very little use for factory made guitars and prefer to lavish my attention on the small independent luthiers that are really pushing the envelope in quality.


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## Tony Burns (Dec 20, 2007)

Ship of fools said:


> Howdy Yan at least this place is Canuck terrritory, and I dont have to worry about the others here, hey my friend, dont you remember her Yan, you saw her last spring,the Washie is going in for a Buzz system in Spring and I will be doing some serious recording with her then, as for blondie well I just can't tell you how great she sounds, not bad for a $800.00 guitar she's as great as a $5000.00 guitar now, Yan you should think about getting the work done my friend she will make you oh so happy, she stays in tune and she sounds wonderful all over the fret board and she rings like I have never heard maple sing,oh my god she is like an angel singing,well my friend I am very busy these next few weeks so if I dont see you on the other site have a merry christmas my friend, and to all the rest of you.louis :food-smiley-004: may we all enjoy our Canadian beer unlike our american brethern who only think they have good beer.little do they know,lets keep it a secert from them okay kids.Ship.........oh crap lets make it personal............louis:banana:



Sorry - most of us Yanks already know how good Canadian beer is - and how the US can't make a decent brew - you also make some of the finest guitars in the world - Thats why I'm here !


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## Grenvilleter (Dec 22, 2007)

Koa looks and sounds great, but so does walnut if you're looking for something different from rosewood and mahogany.

Peace, Mooh.
Reply With Quote

By all means take a look at Black Walnut as well. In my experiences, a nice comprimise between IRW and Mahog.


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

+1 for walnut, doesn't get the respect it deserves.

had a koa gibson j45 slope shoulder type guitar made by a luthier who used to work out of the guitar clinic (he no longer makes guitars no my knowledge, Dave Fox) and it was a great "in between" sound.

I'll echo what has been said: it was sort of in the middle, had the snap and bright shimmer of mahog and a good taste of the rw low midrange. All in all it was slightly leaning on the present brighter side, being a bit more bright than dark. Great if you like to finger pick for clarity, but still good for strumming.

scale length is going to make alot of diff. as well.


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