TSSN - Posted - 08/14/2020:  04:33:48

Has anyone played a mandolin with a quilted maple top. They sure do look attractive, but how is the tone? I saw one online, and it was inexpensive ($200-ish), but not even a sound clip to guide the buyer.

Any experience with this one?

Yooper - Posted - 08/14/2020:  07:13:58

I've never seen one like that. Who made the one you saw?

TSSN - Posted - 08/14/2020:  07:49:35

It was a Morgan Monroe MAM50.

Mandodennis - Posted - 08/14/2020:  10:02:12

I have played a few mandolins with figured maple tops. Very nice to look at. But they have all been electric mandolins - more like a PRS or LP mandolin.



I have run across a few acoustic mandolins with maple tops. Most of those were built from laminate woods where the figured maple was a veneer.



But I have seen a couple mandolins made with solid carved maple tops over the last 50 years or so. Nice looking? Yes. Nice sounding? Not so much! I do not remember them for their sound.



Then there were the Harmony Monterey mandolins which look like tiger stripe maple but are really a painted faux finish.  This was also a prevalent furniture finishing process in the early 20th century.  Harmony did the same finish on some of their laminate archtop guitars.



In general I think mandolin builders will steer away from a carved maple top since it is not thought to be as acoustically responsive as spruce (or cedar).



Once in a while you'll see a mandolin made with figured spruce sometimes called "silk" or "silking" spruce with a wavy appearance. And of course there is "bear claw" spruce which looks like you'd expect something with that description to look.

How about curly redwood?

They are out there!

Edited by - Mandodennis on 08/14/2020 10:14:03

TSSN - Posted - 08/14/2020:  19:38:51

quote:

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Originally posted by Mandodennis

Nice looking? Yes. Nice sounding? Not so much! I do not remember them for their sound.

Thanks Dennis.  That is what I suspected, and needed to know. 

Those are some gorgeous samples you posted though.

Edited by - TSSN on 08/14/2020 19:39:44

Yooper - Posted - 08/15/2020:  06:49:29

Who made the top one with the lightening bolt? I've not seen that logo.

Mandodennis - Posted - 08/15/2020:  08:06:38

quote:

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Originally posted by Yooper

Who made the top one with the lightening bolt? I've not seen that logo.

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It is not a lightning bolt but a script letter"M" for Muiderman. muidermanguitars.com/mandolin.htm

The F4-ish model is from Bob Schneider who passed a few years back, IIRC.

The curly redwood topped one is from Ron Cole.

Curly redwood has been used by a few makers.  Google is your friend.

Another alternative to a straight grained spruce top is Acacia Koa.  There are quite a few Koa mandolins roaming the world.  The most common might be the Martin AK models which can be found at somewhat modest prices compared to the usual F-5. But they would not make good bluegrass mandolins - more suited to folk or Irish styles.  Koa exhibits varied grain patterns and color from piece to piece.  Some is fairly plain and other pieces are just wild with color and cross grain.  It is a wood native to Hawaii so you'll see it on a lot of ukuleles.  Weissenborn guitars are frequently made from Koa as well.  Martin and Taylor use it on a limited number of guitars.  And it is not unusual to use it as a top wood,   The sound is somewhere between spruce and mahogany.  The Two Old HIppies are making Weber mandolins with Koa.

Not to be overlooked, Gibson has done Koa too.

In regards to  Patrick's point, the back of the mandolin usually shows off the fancy figured woods.  But if you want a mandolin with a light show on the top side you just have to look a little bit, and probably pay a bit more.

Dennis

Edited by - Mandodennis on 08/15/2020 08:09:27

mandoist - Posted - 08/16/2020:  02:02:22

Solid Maple tops of all variations will produce a mellower, often less-balanced tone.
That goes for many laminated Maple tops as well.

No science applied... just my ears.

Yooper - Posted - 08/16/2020:  12:05:31

I've always loved koa. I had a Martin AK 20 yrs ago, and back then they sold for $2k. Elderly just sold a nice one for $1300. Seems like a great deal on those.

TSSN - Posted - 08/18/2020:  08:41:56

quote:

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Originally posted by mandoist

Solid Maple tops of all variations will produce a mellower, often less-balanced tone.

That goes for many laminated Maple tops as well.



No science applied... just my ears.

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Yes.  You bring up another good point in that, at that price, I'm pretty sure that Morgan Monroe model would have been laminated, and not solid wood.  There aren't many specs to be found on that model (or I haven't Googled hard enough...)

mandoist - Posted - 08/18/2020:  12:23:23

Laminated tops are not necessarily a negative factor.

I've played and heard plenty of great sounding guitars, mando's, and upright basses (especially old Kay basses) with laminated tops.