So what is Agathis exactly?

[Metaled1020]

Looking to get a ESP LTD guitar for a project and i`ve been hearing all different opinions about what Agathis wood really is. Some say it`s another name for mahogany,some say it`s plywood,pine,ect....Does anyone really know what it is and is it any good as a guitar body? I know ESP LTD and BC Rich use it alot but....

[buzzsaww]

here you go,

http://www.agathis.info/guitars.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathis

[CharvelRocker]

Any reason why its not considered a "desirable" wood for guitars?

[kelly user]

it is a breed of conifers, pine. it has good structure, but it tonal capability suck. it is use for asian instrument with sound boxes. it is not desirable f the simple fact that is a cheap wood, it is not korina, or maple, or mahogany. there have been a thousand threads on the espee forums.

i could write a book on the topic, but those few choice people that defend agathis, get a decent cut of wood. it is like bASSwood there are good cuts and bad cut of good and bad trees.

basically stay away, not worth the effort.

[CharvelRocker]

it is a breed of conifers, pine. it has good structure, but it tonal capability suck. it is use for asian instrument with sound boxes. it is not desirable f the simple fact that is a cheap wood, it is not korina, or maple, or mahogany. there have been a thousand threads on the espee forums.

i could write a book on the topic, but those few choice people that defend agathis, get a decent cut of wood. it is like bASSwood there are good cuts and bad cut of good and bad trees.

basically stay away, not worth the effort.

I don't know why people trash Basswood. Sure its not mahogany or korina, but its not a bad wood.

[kelly user]

true but i have heard some stories, speaking of which. wasn't there a thread on the bASSwood topic?

[skorb]

my basswood Model 2 kicks all kinds of ass.

[Dave L]

I thought basswood was some sort of family name, and can actually come from any number of different types of trees? I´m guessing the basswood a guy like Suhr uses isn´t all that similar to the basswood in a $150 indonesian guitar, even if keeping in mind that meticulous choosing of slabs can make all the difference in the world.

But I could be way off on that one, though.

[Endrik]

agashit is by far the worst wood used for guitars, I have yet to hear a good sounding instrument made of agashit

[Dave L]

Another wood I´ve been seeing in cheap stuff for years is nato. Anyone know the story behind it? Actually, wouldn´t it be cool if it was military-spec, NATO wood?

Since my smilies don´t seem to be working I have to make sure everyone knows that the above was a joke.

[ken]

Another wood I´ve been seeing in cheap stuff for years is nato. Anyone know the story behind it?

I looked into nato after lusting after a spalted maple-topped Warlock. I think these two quotes are reasonable assesments:

"Nato is an inexpensive substite for mahogany, sharing the latter's bright, pronounced mid-range, although it arguably lacks a little of the sensitivity and 'punch' of the genuine article."



"Mahogany/Nato -Medium Hard, Straight Grained. I have seen Nato described as industrial or utility grade Mahogany, and in terms of furniture making it is certainly not of good enough quality or appearance. It is nevertheless a very usable type of Mahogany with virtually identical sonic qualities. It also has the attraction of being cheaper and much more readily available than furniture grade 'true' Mahogany, and is a much more eco friendly choice of construction material. Given that we at Steen are trying to offer top quality instruments at reasonable prices we often use Nato in our designs, especially where the grain is not on show."


A less favorable opinion can be found here:

http://ratcliffe.co.za/articles/bodywoods.shtml

[Dave L]

Less favorable opinion, indeed!

"Nato is really not a great tonewood and is really only a step up from cheap ply or composite wood."

[Widowmaker]

My nato bodied exotic warlock sounds better than my mahogany SG. Go figure. I'd also be willing to bet that my mahogany COW DK6 is really nato.

[Metaled1020]

Anyway, i`ve axed the idea of getting an ESP LTD guitar......i guess i came to my senses! Not that`s there`s anything wrong with them, but i decided not to go ahead with the project! Thanks for all the info people!

[fett]

Doesn't she write mystery novels?