What do you all think of this?

[Tibernius]

Agathis is Mahogany family, and sounds very similar or identical to Mahogany. Although looking at the guitar I'd say it is Mahogany.

[Katastrophe]

Give it a shot! You have the woodworking skills to fix it if it breaks, so why not?

: :

[Algonquin]

I like the look of it a lot M! Very nice lines to it :

[M29]

Thanks guys. I think I am going to have to pass for now. The wife has been noticing too many guitars around here lately...Hmm........I may have to make one and let it be seen over time. It doesn't have the same effect that way

M

[Brian Krashpad]

Agathis is Mahogany family, and sounds very similar or identical to Mahogany. Although looking at the guitar I'd say it is Mahogany.

ALthough I agree about them sounding similar, sfaik agathis isn't in the mahogany family, it's an Asian pine variety, of all things. I had a DeArmond M-75 that was agathis and it was fecking heavy. Sounded like mahogany all right.

[Bloozcat]

ALthough I agree about them sounding similar, sfaik agathis isn't in the mahogany family, it's an Asian pine variety, of all things. I had a DeArmond M-75 that was agathis and it was fecking heavy. Sounded like mahogany all right.

Yep, Brian is correct, Agathis is a conifer. It's considered to be one of the hardest of the "soft woods" (think pine family), therefore it's used extensively for things like sailboat masts, or siding. It actually has a moisture content very similar to Douglas fir, and has a high resin content as well. Although it is sometimes refered to as "commercial grade mahogany", it's not a mahogany at all. Still, it makes for a decent tone wood on guitar bodies (as seen with many an Ibanez).

Usually when a guitar company is trying to pass a cheap wood off as mahogany, they use Nato. Nato is a soft "hardwood" that looks and sounds similar to cheap mahogany. To say it's a tone wood is misleading though. It doesn't look, sound, or last like real Honduran or even African mahogany. Asian made guitars like some Epiphones and Samicks (to name just two), use or have used Nato, often calling it "mahogany". I had a Samick LP knock off once that was made of Nato. The wood grain was not as defined nor was the color as dark, as real mahogany. It didn't sound like good mahogany either...much brighter tone.

Kurt's descriptions regarding wood types used on Rondo marketed guitars are usually pretty accurate. I've never seen an actual case where he tried to pass Nato off as mahogany...but that doesn't necessarily mean it's never happened. To support this I refer to my SX SST Mahogany w/P-90's. The body is definitely mahogany in appearance and tonally qualities, yet the guitar only cost me $109.99. So I guess they can manufacture a cheap guitar and still use real mahogany.