Is mahogany a waste of money on a boutique guitar? Reviewing the Boucher SG-41-GM
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- Опубліковано 15 кві 2024
- I’m Jeremy Sheppard! I help people find the right guitar faster.
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I bought a Gibson Southern Jumbo from the awesome folks at Music Villa in Bozeman last summer. Spruce top and mahogany back & sides. No matter how many times I step away from it, I always come back. The punch from the spruce mixed with the warm mahogany tones is absolutely stellar. Wonderful combo of wood tones.
To my ears, mahogany sounds warm, woody and focused. Rosewood has a metallic, ringing sound that I suppose is the fabled "overtones" we always hear about. The fact that I prefer mahogany and it's less expensive is just a bonus! In fact, my favorite guitar is an all mahogany, Martin 000-15m!
Just got me a 000-15m. They are great guitars. Luckily got mine for a steal figuring if I didn’t like it I could easily get my money back. Definitely a keeper I’m not going to sell.
Just made a comment about the 000-15 I owned before seeing yours. That little 000-15 is honestly hard to beat, especially for its price. It’s definitely different than rosewood but man does it sound fantastic.
Agree with you I have 3 guitars with spruce top and mahogany back and side. Wonderful !!
I mean, if your going to pay for mahogany, it better be Sinker!
I have 7 guitars, 5 of which are more expensive than my 000-17 (Sitka + mahogany). It’s my favorite, all around - sound, resonance, body size, fret scale, playability. I have a D15 (all mahogany) series, too , but the smaller nut width always messes up my hands 😂 and a 0018-28 (rosewood) which is a wonderful guitar, but I just don’t like it quite as much.
I made a mistake some years ago and sold my Martin 00018 because I was CONVINCED by everything I read that I needed a rosewood body. I purchased a few OM and OO size spruce/rosewood guitars including a 00028 trying to find my sound.
Yes, beautiful sounding guitars but for my simple, fingerpicking acoustic singer style, I thought the mahogany was more to my liking. Still looking for another!
Thank you for your videos.
I have Larrivee making a OMV-40WW with top, back and sides in all American Walnut.
Rosewood is more appropriate if in a band setting , or to punch thru a mix a bit better . For solo acoustic prefer the warmth and fullness of mahogany.
Looks great, sounds great, really like your playing.
It’s all about the mahogany for me.
Jeremy, cheers to you. I've been a Boucher player for 20 years. Robin has taken the company to new heights and they are really knocking it out of the park these days. Glad they are getting some recognition and thanks for your videos, I'm a new subscriber.
Adam Buchwald crafted mine with figured Sapele back and sides. My top is a very, very old German Spruce. The one crafted up the road from us in Burlington, Vt played by you so beautifully, is gorgeous. I did watch him tap those tone woods too. My BB Special can be seen on The Circle Strings site and really worth a look. Another fantastic video and thank you..three cheers for Mahogany! Love my 34’ O 17 too.
The aesthetic of this guitar is unbelievable. I’m used to seeing a much lighter finish on Robin’s hogs. The soundboard is absolutely stunning.
Crystalline!!!
With Boucher, I have started loving Mahorgany.....it sounds more even, more glassy but rounded.....
Rosewood has more weight behind the note....
Nice job! Busting out a Damien Rice tune I haven’t thought about in years. Sounds fantastic!
I love my SCGC OM's, especially my 2 mahoganys (OM/PWM with adi top & OM all mahogany). Absolute fantastic instruments. I prefer them over rosewood/sitka.
Sold my all mahogany martin 000-15 and upgraded to a rosewood om-42. I love the 42 but there was something about that humble 15 that I miss. It had a sound that was very different but to my ears every bit as good as the 42. Wish I could have kept both. One day I’ll probably pick up another 15.
People get a bit too caught up on woods in general I think. It's more to do with how the guitars are built. Guitars are a mystery sometimes too, sometimes you'll find a mahogany guitar that exhibits the qualities you would normally associate with rosewood, or vice versa. I think it's best to just treat every guitar as its own thing, regardless of the materials! Thanks for the video, great guitar too
THIS
Yep. When an instrument speaks to you- you’ll know it. 🎵
BEST MAHOGANY Guitar I've
EVER HEARD!
I am currently smitten by the tone of the Martin 000-18. That said I love my rosewood Larrivee OM-03R, but they also do mahogany very well and I also love that honey color too.
By the way, I miss the older Taylor 500 series: cedar top with mahogany. They just ooze warmth; not like a Martin but in more of a smooth “mom crooning while baking bread in the kitchen” kind of thing. I am coming around to the gold hardware too, especially with rosewood or tortex binding. I have something similar and am thinking of swapping out the chrome tuners and having gold frets put on at its next refret. Call me crazy but I’d love it if they used amber as an inlay material.
Hey Jeremy, thank you. That’s all!
I’ve got a 2008 Taylor GS5e, cedar top, mahogany back and sides. It’s a wonderful sound. I’ve found I really enjoy the sound of a Martin 00-18. On the hunt for that one day.
All of these tone woods can have all kinds of attributes. When you mix in body shapes, bracing, wood thickness, wood density, neck material, bridge, bridge pins, saddle, nut, strings, pick…..You can get a very different sounding guitar than expected.
BTW I forgot to tell you I installed a k&k mini in each guitars Both sou great plugged in or acoustic!! Also wanted to commend you on your wonderful guitar playing ( beautiful ) Thanks for the vids! Clyde S.
Mahogany is an amazing tone wood . I love Rosewood too. I think often the woods like Mahogany and Sitka Spruce are considered "inferior" as they are more easily available. My 2 guitars both of which I love are a 15 year old Bourgeois which is Adi and Madagascan Rosewood OM and a Sitka Mahogany LOO both very different , but both amazing guitars.
I am a big fan of mahogany. Much warmer, more uniform, and mixes well with other instruments. I have a 1969 Martin D18 and 2015 Martin D15M, and they are my go-to GIG guitars. My other woods are a Custom Martin GP18e in all KOA and a maple 1972 Guild D44M. love those other woods.
HI Jeremy I just wanted to say that I own a Boucher SG-41-V. and a Boucher SG-51-,MV and even though there is a difference in tone in their voices I have never been sorry for buying either one,I think Boucher is one of the best boutique builders out there and I must say I Love each guitar equally They are so nice I can't quit playing them once I get started ! I hope you get the model you like best one day as I know you will never regret it!! They are truly remarkable guitars and it doesn't matter to me weather Mahogany or Rosewood they are both awesome guitars! 😊❤
Glad to see so much mahogany love here. I’m a fan. Just sounds honest to me. Old timey. Enjoy fingerpicking a Martin 000-15SM and a just got a 12 string (my first) ‘92 Taylor 555 that plays surprisingly easily, and sounds rich, articulate, and, well, sublime.
I've always enjoyed my 90's sapele mahogany back and sides acustic guitar, sound tends to favor the mids but the tone is fantastic!
There's a natural reverb in my rosewood larrivee that I like to play off of.
Just use your ears, folks! Rosewood is beautiful, but mahogany is where it’s at! It’s the people’s wood and sounds beautiful! It’s not a matter of one being better, but a preference of what your ears prefer. 😊
Hey Jeremey. Spot on. These are the best OMs on the market today, period. I have nearly that exact same guitar (an SG-41-MV). I also have two other Bouchers, an SG-52-V (rosewood dread), and SG12-41E (12 string mahogany). I have had them long enough to compare, and will say that the SG-41 is now my #1 favorite guitar of all time, across any brand. I did change the MV pins from ebony to tusq as on the GM, which adds a bit of brightness. Although, I do prefer my SG-52 for bluegrass rhythm, but the SG-41 could easily compete in a jam too. It is loud!. All of these guitars were outstanding brand new, but they each have opened up even more and sound better over time, which I did not expect from torrefied tops.
I just pulled the trigger, this morning, on a SG-51 M. Hopefully I won't regret going with rosewood..
@@rosewoodsteel6656 Congrats, I'm sure you will not be disappointed. When I bought mine it was a toss up between the rosewood and mahogany. I felt the mahogany sounded more airy and woody, while the rosewood tighter and reserved with more punch when you push it. I enjoy the mahogany when playing by myself, while my rosewood dread shines in a jam. They are different, but equally good. If you are ordering it, and are unsure, just check out Canadian retailer Brickhouse Guitars. Roger there records all of their instruments before sale on his website, so you can go back and hear different Bouchers side by side, even those that are sold. This helped me tremendously. Enjoy!
When I had a luthier build me a custom 00 12 fret guitar, I chose Cuban mahogany from a tree felled in south Florida by Hurricane Andrew (1991?). It has as much sustain and overtones as my Brazilian D-28 and has a very balanced punch. Not as warm as a Honduras mahogany instrument, about halfway between both.
I love my OM-18A, I’d put it in the same category as this one.
Sounds good as hearts open joining. I like mahogany sound.
Mahogany is my favourite tone wood. Warm and focused.
Sorry this question is off topic, but you did a video @8 months ago called, "Do you need a guitar appraisal", and features that 66 Epiphone Texan FT79. I have been trying to figure out which Epiphone brand hard case to purchase for my 65 Texan FT79n. They have a could different models and no one can give me a for sure answer. Great video..
Not sure what Epiphone case. Gator, TKL, and others make good options. Make sure it's a long headstock to accommodate for the long headstock.
@@JeremySheppard
Thank you for the reply. I was hoping to get an Epiphone branded case, but I get it. Thanks again for the info, much appreciated.
i’m in the camp that there is no wrong wood. each wood has it’s uniqueness and purpose depending on what you want. you like mahogany great you like rosewood awesome. for me i like both.
My first decent acoustic was a spruce/ rosewood combo. I then bought a carbon fiber guitar which is a very clear tone. I found the RainSong to be best paired with Martin Retro strings after trying pretty much everything. Guess what else pairs well with Retros? Mahogany. So now my wood guitars have been mahogany or sapele since. I like a pure and honest tone, which allows for personal dynamics more. Just one guy’s opinion.
Still a uke player but one of my favorites is an all mahogany instrument made in the Philippines, super light weight and very sonically responsive.
Jeremy: clearly one of the best sounding guitars you have featured . Real projection and woodiness to my ears. Hope you got it by the wife ok without a complimentary visit to a jewelry store!
If there are any issues on that front, Jeremy, I'll be glad to take if off your hands. :)
I say both if you can do it. I have a Boucher JP Signature, Rosewood, Adi and a Collings C100, Mahogany, Sitka. They are both amazing guitars and VERY different. The Boucher is a 12 Fret 000 with a cutaway open headstock, listeners cannot believe how big it sounds and at the same time articulate, almost piano like. The Collings is a puncher, but with silk gloves on it. I gig with both, use fingers and thumb picks, they excel at both. Each is a dream to play. Save up, and buy used if you can (I do), and wait for the right guitars to come up- and have fun and put smiles on people’s faces!
The he Adirondack spruce has such nice articulate, crisp response on the attack.
Silly question. I'm fine with mahogany, rosewood, walnut, maple, and even sapele. In order of being my favorite.
Love the Damien Rice. Such a good song.
Rosewood for me, though I don't dislike the mahogany sound at all. Very nice to hear some Damien Rice. \m/
I have rosewood and mahogany guitars. The type of tonewood, build quality, and voicing etc all contribute to a given guitar’s unique voice!
I don’t think any high quality wood is sonically “better” than another, rather it’s more a matter of personal preference. Also for a particular song/piece, one may have a more optimal sound.
I have two luthier built mahog/spruce, dread and OM and two rosewood/spruce OM's. The mahog/spruce record MUCH better than either rosewood/spruce guitars which tend to be more boomy in recordings. Yes, I can dial down the low end eq and it helps but I find the mahog/spruce just more balanced to my ear. I do prefer phosphor bronze strings on the mahog guitars.
I want an om size with the sound (and some bass) of a dread...is this the bill...sounds like it takes a pick well?
This would be a great choice. Definitely can handle a pick.
@@JeremySheppard Thanks Jeremy
It’s the brace pattern and thickness of the wood that gives the tone! I love myself love mahogany! Rosewood is great …
Hi all. Trying one last time to get a group opinion. Looking at the Yamaha FS3/5 or LS16. From what I know the LS is a bit more modern where the FS is more vintage. Any opinions would be great. If LS is the Eastman worth looking at?
F3/5 is MUCH better than L16
Eastman is MUCH better than L16.
Any thoughts on Eastman vs the Yamahas?
nice pickin!
My H&D TOM-M would like a word with you. So would my Martin Custom 0000 in Mahogany. 😊
If you can get ahold of another Boucher OM I’ll lend you my TOM-M for a side-by-side comparison.
I’m about to pull the trigger on a Martin 0000 Custom Shop build. Was studying/mulling over mahogany vs rosewood for many months but this vid (wow, that guitar sounds great, so balanced!) and your comment have cemented my choice. Going with hog!!! 💪🪵🙏
@@cfibb you won’t be disappointed. Congratulations!
I love, love, love the sound of this guitar. I also grew up near where they make these guitars which gives it a special emotional appeal. I want one. Would adding a good pick up like a HiFi Duet destroy the acoustic sound of this guitar? A similar sounding and cheaper although not as good option to this guitar it he 50th anniversary edition Taylor 314 with torrified top. It makes the standard 314 sound like garbage.
I love that! It's such a beautiful place. I can't wait to go back. The HiFi has a very minimal change. I've put it into 3 guitars so far.
@@JeremySheppard Bring plenty of DEET spray if out in the woods but don't get it on the guitars.
you should try a dove if you haven't already
When will you be receiving your Boucher Jeremy? Your appraisal is of Boucher guitars is accurate! As an owner of two Master Grade Boucher’s they are flawlessly made, surprisingly articulate and sonically superior to other builders I’ve compared them to. Yes, remarkably better than many top name brands I’ve compared them to including two standard series Martins I own. Perhaps Martin or some other builder will send me a guitar that out performs my Boucher’s (Ha-ha) but for now Boucher reign supreme?
I have always preferred mahogany bodied acoustic guitars. Good ones have a beautiful natural sound.
You've got to be kidding me! I just pulled the trigger on a Bouchet SG-51 M. And by just pulled the trigger, I mean about an hour ago! The mahogany's are great guitars, but this time around, I decided upon the Indian Rosewood, with of course, an Adirondack top. I have a couple of mahogany guitars, but this time around it is rosewood.
I have a Collings OM1, with mahogany and a H&D with EIR. I love them both but if my house were on fire, it’s the mahogany Collings that I would plunge back into the flames to save…
I hope it never comes to that, Topher. But you've got me thinking, which one would I come back for??
Cannonball sounds great on this one!
My nicest guitars are mahogany and Adirondack. The 4 that I play most often are mahogany. I doubt that I will purchase another, but...
Damien Rice makes everything sound good. Nice playing pal
Boucher guitars are my dream ❤, still a little out of my reach😊. One day! CHEERS
You can do it! I'm saving for one too!
I agree with what you’re saying about mahogany. I’d also say mahogany guitars are more fundamental in tone and each note has more weight/fuller sounding. Rosewood to me sounds more string forward and metallic. That said I can see where rosewood would be more beneficial to someone singing and playing.
To my ears, smaller rosewood guitars sound much better than larger ones.
@@rosewoodsteel6656 I agree with you there
My guitars are mahogany-mahogany, mahogany-cedar, sycamore-spruce and rosewood-spruce. Preach on, brother.
I have a mahogany/cedar (GAMC Taylor) and a mahogany/Adirondack (D-18GE). They are both wonderful guitars! What kind of guitars are yours, Terry?
@@rosewoodsteel6656 Martin 000-15S, Lowden F-22. Martin D-16e Americana. One more in the secret stage.
Two words that say it all for mahogany guitars, Kenny Smith,😎
I don't have time to watch right now but I had to comment after seeing your 'headline'. I have a Madagascar Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce boutique guitar by a famous, much lauded maker. It was very expensive. And I've had lots of rosewood guitars in the past, from new to vintage. I also have a mahogany Martin lower end guitar that I paid $750 for about 25 years ago. That Martin is the best guitar that I've ever had soundwise and for playability and it really isn't close. It's a somewhat rare 00016M from around 1990 and is 'The One' for me. And that's what people should seek--'The One' for them. By the way the boutique guitar was $5,200 in 2010 and it looks really beautiful on the rare occasions that I open its case.
Okay, we are all curious at this point.., what is the mystery guitar?
@@rosewoodsteel6656 I don't like to badmouth guitar makers as it's subjective in the same way that I don't know other musicians even if I dislike their music. I will say that it's made in northeast New England.
@@AbbieHoffmansGhost I understand, Abbie. You're a good man to feel that way.
I don’t buy guitars I’m afraid to play.
@@pmscalisi Do you have a dollar limit, Pmscal?
When you're singing and accompanying yourself on guitar.... Mid forward can be a bit of an inconvenience.... 80/20 strings can help remedy this on a mahogany guitar though
I think Mahogany is fine. My favorite guitar all time is a real D'Angelico from the 1940s and it's made from Maple back and sides. If Mahogany is your thing then great..
Hey Jeremy, would love to get your take on the Bedell 1964. Have you had a chance to review or do you see a review in the near future?
Mahogany is still the best sounding wood for back and sides on small bodied acoustics in my opinion. Rosewood sounds better for larger models like dreadnaughts to my ears but on 0, 00 & 000 sizes mahogany just works much better to my ears. It's what I'd choose on a custom order
Only thing wrong with that beauty is it needs a 12-fret-body join. ;-)
I like ya oufit G
Mahogany 4 me. I have both but i like hog. The cost 4 hog back n sides about the same as RW. So thats not an issue at all. Never a wast of money, i dont even know what that means. Now BZ RW is a whole dif thing. That stuff is magic. I think i made about a dozen BZ acoustics over my 10 years at Larrivee. And over 20000 guitars in total. Also, it smells like choclet chip cookies when u thickness sand that stuff, magic
My J-45 is mahogany, and it didn't cost anywhere close to that Boucher and is at least it's equal.
Just wondering Jeremy, do you ever sing?
I do, there are some videos of me singing.
I prefer mahogany over rosewood, no question
I prefer sapele
I definitely prefer mahogany b&s
I’ve learned not to care about the wood. The only thing that matters is sound. Two of the exact same model guitars can sound very different. If you’re shopping with preconceived notions and only looking at certain woods or brands, you’re missing out.
every mahogany guitar that I've heard or tried sounds bright, dry, and balanced. i don't get the whole warmth quality people always talk about. on the contrary, rosewood is warmer sounding to me.
That just sounds magical bud.
Confession, the first 10 seconds or so we're from when I was setting levels and hadn't turned off the EQ and compressor.
Mahogany is the gold standard for sound...
There's no waste of money on a Boucher. Mahogany guitars are wonderful.
Mahogany is the only nice wood imho. Bye bye Rosewood… (To be honest I don’t even like sloped shoulders and slotted headstocks)
Rosewood is too "twangy".
Answer... NO! Too short a video though.
About time you played a "real" guitar lol! I have a now 13 year old Boucher mahogany studio goose..... three best acoustics I have are a 50 year old Norman, my Boucher and a Breedlove Oregon....Martin and Taylor who?????? lol!