Maple for a top?

[Will Nash]

I have a client who would like a quilted maple guitar after the D-18... and would like the quilt for the top too..... he wants the big sound in the high and low range....  I'm wondering if anybody out there has done anything like this and what the results were.   If I do it right, I think it could work, but top thickness and bracing will be critical...

any thoughts?

[William F.Eden]

Is this for an acoustic guitar?????????????? Bill."""""""""

[William F.Eden]

I would not waste my time on a maple top ....................Bill.""""""""""""

[Will Nash]

Yes. totally acoustic.... Martin D-18 body style

[FRANK]

YOU CAN DO IT WILL

[Frank Ford]

TIme for a talk with this guy. He may WANT all quilted maple, but you need to tell him that there's a solid reason why ALL stringed instruments favor spruce for tops. It's patently absurd to expect that you can achieve big dreadnought sound while violating such a serious rule of construction. I've heard a few hardwood top dreadnoughts, and they are weak sounding at both ends of the spectrum, leaving a nice midrange, and low overall volume.

[Mark McLean]

I have never seen or heard an all maple acoustic, but I am sure that Frank is right. You don't see many hardwood soundboards because they will be heavier and harder to drive than a softwood. My son has an all mahogany 000 and, although I love the sound, it is definitely compressed into the mid-range and lacking zing at the top and bottom end. And not as loud as an equivalent spruce top. Similar character in an all-walnut mid-size guitar I once played. Not bad guitars, but they don't have the character that you say your guy wants. If you were to do it you would go for a thinner top and lighter bracing than spruce, and considerably lighter than for a cedar top.
Cheers
Mark

[Will Nash]

As an experiment it would be great and fun, but as a commissioned piece where I want the best sound possible with spendy woods, I think I'll give him a spruce top with 14-18 grain lines per inch.... I might put some quilted maple inlay around the soundhole. I really appreciate your feedback on this.

Will Nash

[Eric Steven Johansen]

Hey Will, Try to find a Gibson Starburst model guitar for an example. I have owned two of them and both were all maple small jumbo sized and although they had a nice voice neither would rate in my book as exceptional. Stunning to look at but best heard through the pickup.