Woods?

[andersonguy]

I am sitting here admireing my Cobra, loving the lines and the way all the parts have come together to make a beautifull sounding/playing instrument and it got me wondering...

How do you guys go about selecting or picking out quality wood for the guitars you build? (criteria)

I can see you knocking on each piece and saying yes or no..
Do you have a wood gnome?

Have you come across any extra-ordinary pieces resulting in a more unique than usual tonfull sounding guitar?

I see my cobra has a 2 piece body, is there a difference in the sound produced in a one piece body?

I know you have tried other types of wood and have chosen (probably wisely) to stick with the tried and true, alder, mahogany, swamp ash....etc..

I just find it fascinating that sombody can turn a few pieces of wood and steel into this fantastic instrument. I admire what you guys do. :D :D I hope you go home at the end of the day feeling very good about it. Every day I am astounded by my Anderson guitars. Beautiful!

Thanks,

AG

[tom]

so many questions.
1. since i've been at this since the middle 70's, yikes, ami that old?, i've had lots of time to build with lots of different woods from different locations. there can be huge difference between the same species grown in different locals. getting to know the guy that does the buying at the different yards is very good for figuring out how to get what out really want. i know some of these guys well enough that i can just order what i want and it acctually comes in right. even with these precautions, there is still wood that just won't cut it, so it doesn't get used. we have great fire wod in the winter.
2. i'm not a wood knocker on each piece. we make enough guitars that i check out batches more than individual boards. like i said, i have worked real hard at developing relationships with my suppliers so that i get what i want. paying your bills is also real important to these guys.

[tom]

more...
3. i'm really not after unique, i'm after consistancy. i know everyone wants to feel special and like they have the best one, but i'd be really dissapointed if scott's guitar was way better than stan's. i want everybody's guitar to be great. i do have the best cobra ever though...jk.
4. i do not believe that one piece bodies sound better than 2 piece bodies. when i buy wood, i am more concerned with the quality of the wood than the size. i would rather have light 2 piece bodies than heavier 1 piece bodies. this past couple of years we have had way more 2 piece than 1 piece mahogany. this batch we just got has lots of 1 piece bodies in it. again, weight is way more important.
5. since i was around in the 70's i was expossd to all the heavy exotic stuff, and for my taste it doesn't have anything to offer. i have played with a few alternative lighter weight woods, but none have proven consistant or "special enough" to use regularly.

[tom]

6. do i love what i do? oh yes! do i feel good at the end of the day? usually. guitars aways make me feel good, sometimes having to be the boss does not. luckily guitars usually win.

[michaelomiya]

Originally posted by tom
more...
but i'd be really dissapointed if scott's guitar was way better than stan's. i want everybody's guitar to be great. i do have the best cobra ever though...jk.


That's funny because I thought my Cobras were the best ones ever produced! (actually Bill Hudson's Dec 2003 CR GoTW Cobra w/ M p/ups maybe a very, very close second!) ;)

And Scott's 1998 koa DT (just based on the looks of that top) may BE the best koa DT ever!!:D

ahhh....but then reality strikes, and I realize that the guitar's top isn't what really matters, it's how YOU look playing it! :eek: :confused: :p

[sylvanshine]

Originally posted by michaelomiya
I realize that the guitar's top isn't what really matters, it's how YOU look playing it!

I'm screwed :D

[JoeB63]

I thought that what mattered was how many notes per second you could play. :confused:

[tom]

now i'm screwed.

[jimmieb]

Originally posted by tom
now i'm screwed.

...and I'm just plain slow.

[andersonguy]

Thanks, Tom for the response.
I have played a lot of Andersons, and consistancy is definately there, consistancy of quality craftsmanship. One of the fun things about guitars, to me, is that no two are alike, no matter if they are the exact same build and materials. Something different in each piece of wood gives each instrument its own uniqueness. No one can really say one is better sounding than another, its a "fit" to each person's ear and style, like anything else, subject to your own taist. I had a Cobra S, that played soooo great and was beautiful, the tone of the instrument, did not resonate with me as well as another one, I know for a fact that sombody else found the tone of it to be "perfect".
I would love, someday to be able to sit down and try about 10 different Andersons in a store.
All my jibberish being said, Im sure you find a few that when you do the playthrough, they have to pretty much be pryed from your hands, not so much that they are better than any others but because they fit your individual style well. I would think that is pretty funny. :D :D

AG

[Scott Peterson]

And in the end, the prime side effect of having beautiful woods work together is the incredible tone, feel and playability work *with* the woods and hardware and electronics to make an instrument that lets you create or perform or just play for the fun of it.

And as a proud owner, I flat out absolutely am in love with my personal Hollow Drop Top. If I was to do a personalized top, this would be the one I'd pick. I deeply - sersiously - feel that this guitar was meant to be mine. Call it fate, call it luck. FWIW, I love Stan's too. :D