WOOD...

Is Indian Rosewood the same as South American Rosewood? Where does Korina come from? How about a guitar built from Thomas Jefferson's tree? Which one sounds the best? My final word: It doesn't matter where the wood comes from, as far as your wood sounding good... but if you want to sound like Muddy Waters, in the 1960's... woods from modern sources will NOT be able to reproduce the sound effectively". Ok... what does that mean? ....Paul Reed Smith (of PRS Guitars) says, when asked the question "Can you talk about Brazilian fretboards? Some say they sound better. What's your take?"....: Paul responds: "I don't particularly think it sounds that much better... it sounds different...(like the) stuff used in the 30's, 40's, the '50's. It's the stuff of old violins". (Thanks, by the way, to some Guitar Center™ advertising for that info). So it's not BETTER, but it lends a SPECIFIC sound. Do you listen to Muddy Waters a lot? Do you like Howlin' Wolf....? Well, all that music probably didn't have any Indian Rosewood in it. Ravi Shankar DOES probably play indian wood (genius).. WHO DO YOU WANT TO SOUND LIKE? (Maybe yourself). Next item... When you buy a MIM (made in Mexico) Fender... where does the wood come from? Well, to quote p. 80 of The Fender Book (ok, all I am doing is quoting... but go with me here... we are learning... I hope)... MIM guitars are made in Ensenada..."... Ensenada is some 80 miles south of Los Angeles, and is situated just across the California/ Mexico border... technically speaking, Fender's Mexican plant doesn't manufacture guitars. It ASSEMBLES guitars... MIM guitars are produced at the US factory in Corona and then sent down to the Mexican plant. There they sand them, paint them, buff them" (that was a quote). So what does all this mean? What it means to me is WHAT WOOD ARE YOU PLAYING? A MIM guitar has American wood. Korina is an AFRICAN wood, but it made the sound that the original Flying V guitars made (yes, the originals). When it comes to wood.... find another artist you like... find out what wood he uses... and maybe go get it... now if you want a NEW sound, or a modern sound, do something crazy... go get a guitar made out of Kevlar...but I'm happy with good old '56 Strat in Ash (after '57 Leo used Alder), and a maple neck, from a good old American Maple tree... that's my favourit sound.