Quilted Mahogany for an acoustic top?

Andyjr1515

Hi

I've just bought a great piece of quilted mahogany, although not sure yet quite what to use it on.  I also have a nice mahogany back and side set which has been itching to be used for a year or so.

I have three options:

•  do a 'conventional' mahogany back & sides and spruce top
  
• do a quilted mahogany back, 'conventional' sides and top
• do a 'conventional' mahogany back and sides and a quilt on the top

I've never done a mahogany acoustic top before...are there any significant do's and dont's for the wood choice for the top?  Provided the grain density allows, is the thought of using a figured wood for the top bonkers?

All thoughts and experience, good or bad, gratefully received

Andy 

Jalapeno

Breedlove do the whole range from Parlour to Dreadnoughts in Mahogany.

I've got one of the older and smaller ones (Passport OM/MMe) and it sounds great !

Andyjr1515

Jalapeno said:

Breedlove do the whole range from Parlour to Dreadnoughts in Mahogany.

I've got one of the older and smaller ones (Passport OM/MMe) and it sounds great !

Yes - as a tonewood I think it works very well.  They do some nice guitars, Breedlove.  

I was thinking in terms of the actual wood characteristics...in the same way that a good spruce top should be narrow, even grain, I wondered if there were similar considerations for mahogany.  I notice that a lot of the mahogany-topped guitars are quite plain tops and wondered if this is more than a coincidence... 

hobbio

Are there potential issues with strength? I don't know, it's just a thought. It'd look stunning though!

WezV

There can be issues with strength, quilt has a lot less than straight grained wood or even flame. Depends on the individual piece of wood

Andyjr1515

WezV said:

There can be issues with strength, quilt has a lot less than straight grained wood or even flame. Depends on the individual piece of wood

Hi, @WezV  Mmm - that's what I wondered.  Also, the ratio of stiffness along the grain and across the grain will be different to a straight-grained piece and presumably that will also affect the flex of the top and therefore the tone?

I should be picking up the wood in the next couple of days and - if the alternative is to use it as a back, I suppose I can start slimming it down and see how it fares...