the korina/mahogany debate

[exhaust_49]

I'm gona be making an lp and am so far undecide wether I should make it outa regular mahogany or trying black korina. Im just not sure I want that smokey bar sound in all of my music. What do you think?

[AaeCee]

I have a few korina guitars, and they display a resonance like no other. While that doesn't necessarily translate to the tone you may be looking for, it would likely be a very lively sounding piece.

[exhaust_49]

Resonance and weight are the two main reasons Im considering it. Do you have any clips of your korina guitars you could post?

[AaeCee]

Originally posted by exhaust_49
Resonance and weight are the two main reasons Im considering it. Do you have any clips of your korina guitars you could post?

LOL...I can barely manage to email pix, so posting an audio clip is well beyond my e skill level. But if weight (light) and resonance are key, by all means use korina. It's unbelievable that way. I'm always on the lookout for cool korina bodied guitars to add to my collection for those reasons (know anyone with a korina Historic Les Paul Jr. for sale?). Note the premium many are willing to pay for them...and it's worth it! My korina Gibson Historic Flying V is an absolute destroyer! That's the one that sold me. One curious rumor, that may be urban legend, is that korina is actually related to poison ivy, and working with it can result in a nasty internal case. Anyone know if there is any truth to that? AC

[exhaust_49]

Im thinking black korina back - chambered, spalted maple top, black korina neck, brazillian rosewood fretboard in tabacco burst. That will look killer.

I've never heard of korina being in the poison ivy family.

[Antero]

It's funny, the poll is split 50-50.

"Gee, thanks for helping, dudes!"

[Randy]

Originally posted by exhaust_49
Im thinking black korina back - chambered, spalted maple top, black korina neck, brazillian rosewood fretboard in tabacco burst. That will look killer.

I've never heard of korina being in the poison ivy family.

I have a Hamer korina explorer that is just incredible sounding, so I for one wouldn't hesitate to use it. From what I understand korina is slightly brighter and clearer then mahogany. So if you're going with a chambered body and maple top perhaps mahogany would be a better choice? You probably can't go wrong either way.

[exhaust_49]

Chiba, Do you have humbuckers or single coils? It sounded to me a bit like you have single coils.

[george4908]

>>One curious rumor, that may be urban legend, is that korina is actually related to poison ivy, and working with it can result in a nasty internal case. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?<<

I've never heard that about korina/limba and I'd be surprised if that's the case because it seems to be pretty close to mahogany in most respects. But there certainly are tropical hardwoods that cause a poison ivy-like reaction from the sawdust. Cocobolo is notorious, and I get a reaction to pau ferro dust. On the the other hand, people can be allergic to all sorts of things, so there may well be some who get a reaction from limba/korina. When in doubt, wear a mask and wash up thoroughly after sanding.

As for which wood to choose for your LP, that may depend on the particular board you use. If you can, get the mahogany board and the korina boards together, rap on them, and see which one emits a stronger, richer tone. Some boards are quite lively, others are quite dead.

[EADGBE]

I think mahogany is the best tonewood of all time. And it's very stable.

[exhaust_49]

No offence to anyone who already posted but this thread is not helping me much. When you choose mahogany/korina on the poll, please also give your reasoning, thanx.

[Antero]

Still 50-50! Hah!

i voted for korina, it seems little more alive to me than mahogany.

althoug if you find the right chuck of mahogany it can be just like korina.

[exhaust_49]

Im starting to think the all you can play with a korina guitar is blues. Im into classic rock(ac/dc, zepplin)/new rock (nickelback, puddle of mud) and a bit of blues. Would I be able to get thoes sounds out of a korina guitar or is it pretty much just suited for blues?

[AaeCee]

Consider the fact that some of the most vaunted rock guitars of ALL time, the holiest of holy grails, are Gibson Korina Flying Vs and Explorers. I have one of those Vs, and believe me, it SCREAMS ROCK!!! Sure it does a mean blues (Albert King), but these korina specimens were made famous by the many classic rockers who discovered that these things took rock tones to the max and had a badass attiude to boot. They kill! AC