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European sycamore is part of the Acer (maple) family, but sounds a bit warmer than the american maples we are used to using in guitars
If its an american sycamore then it will be a Planatus (Plane). a very differnet wood, but still great for guitars.
This is american sycamore, sold over here as London Plane or lacewood when it looks like this
This is european sycamore
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Because of the design, I won't be able to chamber it, but I'm going to try to get weight out of it using a 'contact lens' body profile:
I wonder what rippled sycamore smells like on the barbecue?
I have a solid rock maple les Paul style that manages 9lb just by having a massive control cavity. It also doesn't sound as bright as you would expect. The clarity is there, but it's not icepicky like the solid maple superstrat I had in the 90's. That one was thin, heavily contoured and still quite a weight
I think sycamore will be fine and more towards the middy tonal spectrum. Obviously you have to treat each piece on its own merits so take all that with a pinch of salt
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Pinch of salt is right. Do you remember the les paul raw power range?
It was a budget Gibson range that was les paul shape, USA build, but maple body, maple neck, all maple! I tried a white one, and it's truly one of the best sounding guitars I've played. I didn't get it as it was a hair out of budget, but much regret - wound up with an epiphone.
This guitar wasn't overly bright, it was very warm. Heavy, but not unwieldy - perhaps chambered I suppose?
I accept it's likely to be the exception to the rule, but it did give me perspective on general "wood rules" (eg mahogany warm, maple bright, use as cap to add snap to tone, alder balanced).
When you are starting from scratch they get you in the right ball park.
Tap every piece of wood you see and you soon start to find the ones you want to build with
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Indeed. The experience made me too skeptical in fact, and I briefly thought the wood thing was a lie and some guitars just sounded better because.
Then I started partscastering and I found a heavy piece of ash (ie dense) sounded bugger all like a lighter piece. Then I built my strat from pine (very light - iirc lighter than most custom shop strats) for the body, and tap testing it *sounds* like it'll sound good - and it does. Not tons of sustain but a really beautiful sounding instrument, and lively.
I think there is a bit of a knack to it. Some builders match Woods by tone testing. I'd love to see how good it can get.
I have built a few junior styles now and it pays to start with the Gibson recipe... that will always get you closest.
but the one I made with an English ash body and solid wenge neck was still a fine guitar, just didn't sound like a Gibson.
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