Koa vs. Nato?

[filmdude100cms]

1. joking on the dumbass part, and the other i was excited someone wanted this guitar its so great.

[Skankerton]

If you go play a bunch of Taks of varying prices you will notice that they all sound the same. 300 bucks to 2000 duckets, same sound. I asked a guitar teck about this and he said it is due to the lamination process that Takamine uses to seal the wood. Its a warm, nice strummy-strummy kind of sound that sounds great electric and decent acoustic. In reference to your question, you should go with the koa because it looks so sweet and it will sound the exact same as the nato model.

[filmdude100cms]

If you go play a bunch of Taks of varying prices you will notice that they all sound the same. 300 bucks to 2000 duckets, same sound. I asked a guitar teck about this and he said it is due to the lamination process that Takamine uses to seal the wood. Its a warm, nice strummy-strummy kind of sound that sounds great electric and decent acoustic. In reference to your question, you should go with the koa because it looks so sweet and it will sound the exact same as the nato model.

you must not have a great ear, or did not play any of the upper models.

taks start out decent, in the $200 or so range. then as you move up and get into the solid tops the sound gets much better. my tak has a cedar top and that sets it out from other taks of lesser price. also the back woods become different, rosewood laminate, mahogony laminate, or koa will affect the sound, but wont grow. so youll get something in the sound youd get from those woods but it wont age or grow with the wood, but the top well.

so what youre saying is true with the lower end taks, but as you go up there are dramatic changes in sound.

also the conruction affects it. an OM with the same materials as a dread will never sound the same. so a $200 dread or a $200 OM from them all will sound the same but not all of their guitars.

trust me, ive played gigs were im playing a tak, some other kid is playing a tak, and another guy i playing a tak. all 3 soung different. mine and this other kids being an OM, and the other being a dread. mine is only a few months old, so its still the same specs as at the store still mostly. the kids is about 20 years old, but a cheap laminate, our guitar sound very different, because of my solid top, and our different back woods. the other is a dread. cant tell if its solid construction or laminate, but it has a spruce top either way, and rosewood back and sides. all 3 sound very different, and 2 even have the same design. not all taks ound a like. sorry.

[Skankerton]

If you go play a bunch of Taks of varying prices you will notice that they all sound the same. 300 bucks to 2000 duckets, same sound. I asked a guitar teck about this and he said it is due to the lamination process that Takamine uses to seal the wood. Its a warm, nice strummy-strummy kind of sound that sounds great electric and decent acoustic. In reference to your question, you should go with the koa because it looks so sweet and it will sound the exact same as the nato model.

you must not have a great ear, or did not play any of the upper models.

taks start out decent, in the $200 or so range. then as you move up and get into the solid tops the sound gets much better. my tak has a cedar top and that sets it out from other taks of lesser price. also the back woods become different, rosewood laminate, mahogony laminate, or koa will affect the sound, but wont grow. so youll get something in the sound youd get from those woods but it wont age or grow with the wood, but the top well.

so what youre saying is true with the lower end taks, but as you go up there are dramatic changes in sound.

also the conruction affects it. an OM with the same materials as a dread will never sound the same. so a $200 dread or a $200 OM from them all will sound the same but not all of their guitars.

trust me, ive played gigs were im playing a tak, some other kid is playing a tak, and another guy i playing a tak. all 3 soung different. mine and this other kids being an OM, and the other being a dread. mine is only a few months old, so its still the same specs as at the store still mostly. the kids is about 20 years old, but a cheap laminate, our guitar sound very different, because of my solid top, and our different back woods. the other is a dread. cant tell if its solid construction or laminate, but it has a spruce top either way, and rosewood back and sides. all 3 sound very different, and 2 even have the same design. not all taks ound a like. sorry.

Obviously they are not exactly alike, but they dont have as varied a sound as the different levels of Taylors or Martins, or even Alvarez. I started with taks and really wanted to stay with them, but for the kind of money they want for their higher end the sound quality just doesnt improve enough to be worth it. I like Taks, still play mine all the time, and they're great for mid-priced instruments that look amazing and play pretty decently as well. I guess it's just their signature tone that I'm talking about, since you play a grip of taks you know what I'm talking about.

[filmdude100cms]

If you go play a bunch of Taks of varying prices you will notice that they all sound the same. 300 bucks to 2000 duckets, same sound. I asked a guitar teck about this and he said it is due to the lamination process that Takamine uses to seal the wood. Its a warm, nice strummy-strummy kind of sound that sounds great electric and decent acoustic. In reference to your question, you should go with the koa because it looks so sweet and it will sound the exact same as the nato model.

you must not have a great ear, or did not play any of the upper models.

taks start out decent, in the $200 or so range. then as you move up and get into the solid tops the sound gets much better. my tak has a cedar top and that sets it out from other taks of lesser price. also the back woods become different, rosewood laminate, mahogony laminate, or koa will affect the sound, but wont grow. so youll get something in the sound youd get from those woods but it wont age or grow with the wood, but the top well.

so what youre saying is true with the lower end taks, but as you go up there are dramatic changes in sound.

also the conruction affects it. an OM with the same materials as a dread will never sound the same. so a $200 dread or a $200 OM from them all will sound the same but not all of their guitars.

trust me, ive played gigs were im playing a tak, some other kid is playing a tak, and another guy i playing a tak. all 3 soung different. mine and this other kids being an OM, and the other being a dread. mine is only a few months old, so its still the same specs as at the store still mostly. the kids is about 20 years old, but a cheap laminate, our guitar sound very different, because of my solid top, and our different back woods. the other is a dread. cant tell if its solid construction or laminate, but it has a spruce top either way, and rosewood back and sides. all 3 sound very different, and 2 even have the same design. not all taks ound a like. sorry.

Obviously they are not exactly alike, but they dont have as varied a sound as the different levels of Taylors or Martins, or even Alvarez. I started with taks and really wanted to stay with them, but for the kind of money they want for their higher end the sound quality just doesnt improve enough to be worth it. I like Taks, still play mine all the time, and they're great for mid-priced instruments that look amazing and play pretty decently as well. I guess it's just their signature tone that I'm talking about, since you play a grip of taks you know what I'm talking about.

well yes they have a signature tone, but so do martins and taylors, youve just been with taks so long you are somewaht tired of it.

[mangold]

actually yeah, umm back and sides dont do much sound, its the top, i played my guitar, went to the expensive room, picked up a 714, sounded similar, so i got my tak, cheaper and great soundin.

wait.... so then having a rosewood back and sides compared to having a mahogany back and sides on the same model guitar (same tops/construction and everything), it would not change the over sound between them??? i must be missing something here.

back and sides account for 5% of the sound

[filmdude100cms]

thank you

[Machtimus]

actually yeah, umm back and sides dont do much sound, its the top, i played my guitar, went to the expensive room, picked up a 714, sounded similar, so i got my tak, cheaper and great soundin.

wait.... so then having a rosewood back and sides compared to having a mahogany back and sides on the same model guitar (same tops/construction and everything), it would not change the over sound between them??? i must be missing something here.

back and sides account for 5% of the sound

...

[Brock]

96.43% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

[mangold]

96.43% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

well you could say that except i used that number some months ao in another post along with the rest of the percentages.

I am not trying to be rude but it does not seem that you have fully thought out this process. Anytime you put veneer on a piece of wood you have a laminate that is held on by a hard glue. The dampens vibrations. If you are going to spend 50-100 hours building a guitar do it properly. If you are going to build a low end guitar save yourself the time and money and by a cheap one. If you have any questions keep asking them but right now I suggest you take the time to list exactly what you want in this guitar. From top...back and sides...binding...any inlay...type of tuners....scale length...purfling...backstrip...electronics...what type of finsh... . Do some readings about how the different materials affect the sound. Read about setting a neck and placing a bridge and make sure you are comfortable doing that. Do you even know what type of bracing pattern you will be using on the top. Are you comfortable reading wood grain and carving with a chisel? Do yo want to arch your top like all of the best handmade builders or are you okay with a truly flat top? I am just askign these questions to try to make you be specific about what you want. I wish you luck but think it through before you do it, and do not cheap yourself out by trying to be flashy while saving money. I good guitar is one that sounds good...not necessarily one that looks all customed out.

i have truly thought out this proces and visited many a site and took many a book out from my local library. i am using adirondack sprice for the top, i was hoping to use quilted maple for the back and sides but i may not be able to afford it, (my backup is mahoghany), i am doing block inlays made of quilted maple with 1/60" red borders, tuners are waverly, scale length and all other measurements (fingerboard width and degree of curve) taken from Martin D-28 specs, flamed koa purfling and binding/trim, clear gloss laquer finish on the body, satin on the neck, and any electronics would be fishman installed by a pro post completion of project. I am comftorable setting a neck and bridge, I am using the X pattern bracing used my martin, i have carved many things from wood to stone with a chisel and i am very comfortable doing that (thats my best skill) i am slightly arching the top. (exhale)
My question stemmed from something that i read saying that the back and sides only accounted for 5-10% of the sound quality, i certainly wouldnt consider veneer-ing the top but if the back and sides are only like 1/10th of the sound i didnt think that it would affect the over all sound barely at all. (and it would look so bangin) you are clearly more educated than i so if anything ive read is wrong tell me please! but i assure you that i want to build a quality guitar and looks absolutely come second. Money is an issue but even if i have to built it slowly over a year or so because thats when i can afford the next materials i require, i will do so. i have done my homework!

theres the quote

[hcole]

I've read that the back and sides are responsible for anywhere from 5-20% of the overall sound depending on which luthier is asked or quoted. While it's tough to nail it down to an exact percentile I think it's safe to say that the top is responsible for the vast majority of the sound.

Most luthiers I've read about or seen quoted would say that the most important aspects in determining a guitars sound is the design used and the quality of construction. For example a Taylor and Martin built with the same woods and body style will sound different because they designed with a different tone in mind.