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I've asked this question on te acoustic guitar forum but I thought I'd pose the question here to the builders.

I am commissioning a guitar and trying to choose between a set of braz and Madrose. I can't believe I would even consider using Madrose when I could get brazilian but, this set is really interesting looking and unique. Is there a huge tonal difference? What do you all think? Would any of you consider choosin madagascar over brazilian for a reason other then cost? I need help with this one... See pics below. The darker tame set is braz and the lighter in is the Madrose.

Thanks for the help!

Iceberg, Wiessburg, it's all the same...
Personally, between those two species, I would go with pretty (assuming both sets are structurally sound).

The mad rose looks nice, but how does it sound? Let the builder pick the best one

I would be more concerned with what top is going on it. Either of those have the potential to make an outstanding guitar. Which ever you choose, please send the other set to me.

Not too excited about the flatsawn on the madrose and not excited about the end grain in the glue joint on the BRW.

Brazilian generally commands a much higher upcharge than Madagascar, and requires documentation of its legal provenance (technically) if transported across US borders. Does this set come with CITIES paperwork? Things to think about. Tonally, they're both outstanding, and have the potential to make killer instruments, but the main "protein" in the recipe of a great guitar is the top and its bracing.


Ken Jones
Mountain Song Guitars

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Please flip the mad rose over and post pic of that side

Mike

It's pretty but I would not build with the flat sawn Madagascar.
Tom

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Depends on the top of course, Brazilian is good with everything (though on a smaller guitar it can get very bright if you use European). Madagascar seems to work exceeding well with red spruce.
The aesthetic of the trim would be a deciding factor for me. The more elaborate marquetry or pearl will look better with the darker and more austere Brazilian.
If you keep it simple (rosewood bindings, simple b/w line purfling) the Madagascar will work to good effect.

The plan is to use Bois De Rose binding with an engelmann top. The purfling will be a simple b/r/b line.

Thanks for the thoughts every one.

Take both...you do not have to make the desicion, the guitarmaker will have more money to spend on more wood, real wood, better wood.

Perhaps the next time he will not buy such crap like flatsawn Madrose or this ugly, dark quarter sawn BRW with the wave in the figure...actually you should dump these two sets, and get some real wood going...like...like ....some...Maple



Cheers, Alex

I'd lean toward the Madagascar in that case, simply because bois de rose comes from the same area, and feels more natural to use together Also, I think the engelmann would look better with the lighter rosewood, rather than being almost pure black/white against that Brazilian. Unless you're specifically going for a black/white theme, but then the red purfling would look out of place.

But I would also say that the Madagascar would be better to use on a smaller guitar than the pattern drawn on it, and turned upside down, so the flatsawn part is as far out toward the edge as possible.


Yeah, I'd use a solid wood backstrip inlaid at half thickness on the BRW, to help reinforce the joint. Heck, maybe use a narrow center wedge on the Madagascar as well, but instead of inlaying it, make it full thickness to widen the back a little, pushing the flatsawn part even further out. Would look really nice in bois de rose, connecting to the binding. I might be able to help with supplying the bois de rose if you like that design but your builder can't find a suitable piece for the center wedge.

I think the Braz is beautiful and I hate the Madi back. I would prefer the Madi sound tendency but how could you go wrong with Braz? It has an interesting bend to it without that flatsawn stuff. Braz definately, I wish I had that choice.

I like both options. I think Madrose is typically a bit more stable. Just my opinion.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

A few years ago I tried to find out if there was any consensus about Madagascar Rosewood's sound as compared to Brazilian Rosewood's. None of the answers I got seemed to address that question. My takeaway was that it might be better to find a nice, stable, good-looking set of East Indian Rosewood. Or something else...

There's a lot of tradition, image, charisma, and mystification surrounding Brazilian Rosewood; maybe there's a way to cut through that, but I don't know what it is.

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Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

i would take sides into consideration as well. i don´t have much experience with BRW but my madrose sets are typically very itchy about RH changes and prone to cracking. i wouldn´t like to bend madrose flatsawn sides. just my 0,02.

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