Agathis Body...

[MetalHeadMat]

Why do people hate them? I have an ESP LTD with an Agathis body and I love the sound, but a lot of people I talk to think the sound is terrible, what do you think about Agathis bodies?

[shadowcat]

My buddy owns a Platinum BC Rich Warlock 7 (agathis) and a USA BC Rich Warlock 7 (probably maple).
The USA stomps all over the Platinum Warlock, it sounds rich and articulate while the Platinum Warlock sounds muddy and undefined.

He used to bring the Platinum to band practice, but when he brought the USA, the band sound got alot better. So that was my experience with it.

I don't deny that there might be better sounding agathis around.
And FWIW, I like the sound of my cedro JS30WR, so I don't consider myself an expensive wood snob.

[MetalHeadMat]

My buddy owns a Platinum BC Rich Warlock 7 (agathis) and a USA BC Rich Warlock 7 (probably maple).
The USA stomps all over the Platinum Warlock, it sounds rich and articulate while the Platinum Warlock sounds muddy and undefined.

He used to bring the Platinum to band practice, but when he brought the USA, the band sound got alot better. So that was my experience with it.

I don't deny that there might be better sounding agathis around.
And FWIW, I like the sound of my cedro JS30WR, so I don't consider myself an expensive wood snob.

I remember I tried a 7 string B.C. Rich I forget what model it was though.

[hippietim]

My buddy owns a Platinum BC Rich Warlock 7 (agathis) and a USA BC Rich Warlock 7 (probably maple).
The USA stomps all over the Platinum Warlock, it sounds rich and articulate while the Platinum Warlock sounds muddy and undefined.

He used to bring the Platinum to band practice, but when he brought the USA, the band sound got alot better. So that was my experience with it.

I don't deny that there might be better sounding agathis around.
And FWIW, I like the sound of my cedro JS30WR, so I don't consider myself an expensive wood snob.

There are a lot more differences between a Platinum BC Rich and a USA BC Rich.

Agathis is basically pine. A lot of folks actually like pine for guitars - particularly some of the Tele guys for some reason.

I've never played a guitar made of agathis that I thought was very good - then again they all had cheap hardware and electronics so it's hard to say.

Either way, I wouldn't condemn agathis without hearing a well-made guitar with high quality parts.

[straycat]

I'm with Tim on this one.I've had plywood guitars that sounded pretty good but they had a real floyd and good electronics.

[NextInLine]

Imo it sounds like a cheaper version of basswood.. A lot of people think it's plywood which it isn't but I guess it's the sound that makes them think so

[goodwood]

If the pickups and bridges were equal between the Platinum BC Rich Warlock 7 (agathis) and a USA BC Rich Warlock 7 (probably maple) thenthis would actually mean something...if the pickups aren't the same and the bridge isn't the same then the sound is going to be incredibly different.

Basswood also gets knocked often but EVH loved basswood and many Charvels and Jacksons were made of it early on...and many of the model series Charvels were basswood too.

I have tried a couple of agathis body guitars and I wondered what was 'so terrible' as well...and I am used to mahogany and ash and alder etc.