The Most Expensive Wood - THE TREE
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
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Ok here we go - Quilted Mahogany from The Tree is the rarest and most expensive tone wood in the world. Its striking figure and rich colour makes The Tree immediately identifiable but what is it like to own a guitar made from this legendary wood?
Discovered in the Chiquibul Jungle of Belize, The Tree has become a hugely desirable wood which is most often used in presentation grade instruments which allow a luthier to show the best of their work.
In this video I look at The Tree from the player's point of view to help you decide whether it lives up to the hype.
All the best
Michael Watts
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#thetree #acousticguitar #modifieddreadnought - Hudba
You say (5:10): “There is a very characteristic sound of a ‘tree’ guitar. It has a very throaty roar in the bass..”.
This is quite the claim, & I wonder what evidence you have to support it. If it is true that the sound from a guitar made with backs & sides from “The Tree” is “very characteristic”, then it follows that you would, in a blind test, be able to identify one such guitar amongst a selection of other guitars made from different woods, or, indeed, be able to identify all the “tree” guitars if there was more than one. Moreover, your claim is not, extraordinarily, caveated with regard to the selection of the top wood, so that you must believe you could identify a guitar with a back & sides made from “The Tree”, regardless of which species of top wood it was paired with. Claims often made about the acoustical qualities of woods used in acoustic guitar building are unsupported by scientific testing. Here is the conclusion of one such test of relevance to your claim: “The results of our study indicate that steel-string acoustic guitars with backs and sides built using traditionally prized, expensive, and rare woods are not rated substantially higher by guitarists than guitars with backs and sides built using cheaper and more readily available woods. The poor ability of guitarists to discriminate under blinded conditions between guitars with backs and sides made of different woods suggest that back wood has only a marginal impact on the sound of an acoustic guitar.”
asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.5084735?fbclid=IwAR2giDrpiXMH32__KLWVVTIf884sYMkKKlnmPqBfnkrep4l98E3hC9w5Xv4
See also the luthier William Cumpiano: “On the Significance of Soundbox Specie”
dolcecano.blogspot.com/2008/05/#4131028862723231586
I know your favourite builder is Jason Kostal, & you have your own “Tree” Kostal, so it would be fair to say you are highly familiar with his guitars. I would bet that you would be unable to identify either as player or listener, from a random selection of just six Kostal guitars made from different wood species one made from “The Tree”, under supervised testing conditions. What if we increased the number of guitars in the test to 12 or 24? Remember, your claim is that the sound of a “tree” guitar is “very characteristic”.
There is so much mythology associated with wood used in acoustic guitar building - see, for example, here for the “German Spruce” mythology debunked by the late Paul Hostetter: www.lutherie.net/eurospruce.html.
I suspect many if not all of the untested claims you make about wood in your CZcams & other discussions would not stand up to testing. This does not mean you are insincere, merely that you are susceptible, as we all are, to the embracing of myths.
Will you take me up on my challenge?
Thank you for watching and for taking the time to write such a considered response.
I’m sorry but if you are inviting me to drive to the other end of the country to play a bunch of Fylde guitars in a dark room while wearing a welder’s mask to see if I can tell you what they were made of I’m left with no choice but to disappoint you.
While I admire the effort that was put into yours (was it yours?) and other such studies, I feel that the failure of their findings to reach wider acceptance within the guitar community (either players or luthiers) is predicated not so much on a psychological need to believe in the wood/guitar/luthier/whatever that you’re paying for but the context in which the experiments (the laudably thorough scientific approach notwithstanding) are conducted.
You challenge my statement that there is a characteristic sound to a guitar made from The Tree. I would challenge you to play any of the guitars I have experienced in this wood from Casimi Guitars, Jason Kostal, Leo Buendia, Michael Greenfield, James Olson, Joel Michaud and others and tell me that, from the player’s point of view, there does not exist a sonic characteristic common to those guitars regardless of size of instrument (MD’s, Jumbos, SJ’s and OMs) soundboard (mostly spruce) construction method (all bar the Olson were laminated side “air pump” style guitars) or age of the guitar (some brand new, some up to ten years old). I would also challenge you to remain unmoved by the beauty of that sound.
I’m not in the habit of making sweeping generalisations, any statement in this or any other video I have made is based on empirical experience. The fact that these very different guitars shared a sonic element (in this case a bass response which when attacked in a certain way produced a note with an immediately familiar timbre) was unusual in my experience - especially so considering that this “flavour”, for want of a better word, was just as discernible to me on 14 fret guitars as it was on 12 fret instruments - but it struck me as something worth retaining and sharing in this video.
Wood matters, until it doesn’t. Some luthiers, many of which I have already named, can build an instrument which will satisfy a given player’s musical needs for a lifetime with any material they have to hand. Other builders depend to a greater extent on the dampening or reflective qualities of the different woods they use on the back and sides and the stiffness to weight ratio inherent in the species they use for their soundboards in order to give an instrument its timbral character and voice.
Here’s what I’m fairly sure I could do - in a room full of guitars I’m confident I could identify an instrument in The Tree that I have played before.
Could I tell whether or not a guitar someone else was playing was made from this or any other wood? Probably not. Any more than I would tell what string gauge or make of footstool they were using. This is not a video about The Tree from the guitar listener’s point of view. Now that I think about it, I have been on the passenger side of guitars from The Tree on relatively few occasions. Nevertheless, I maintain that my own personal data set is based on more than psychoacoustics or a buyer’s mindset.
As for the other points made
1. The effect of the choice of back and side woods (or indeed carbon fibre, papier-mâché, helicopter composites, or steel) depends entirely on the skill, experience and technique of the person making that guitar. Quantifying this effect as a universal ex context is not something I have any interest in. Other people do. That’s cool too.
2. German Spruce - I couldn’t agree more. I know the provenance of each piece of spruce that has been used in my guitars.
Back to the study you originally mentioned. I would be intrigued to learn what the outcome of using non-zero fret instruments would have been.
I would also be fascinated to see what the effect of an alternative “palette cleanser” to the mass-produced Yamaha FG403 you used would be. I’d suggest that the cognitive dissonance experienced if a Somogyi Modified Dreadnought, Sobell New World or Casimi C3 was introduced into proceedings would be worth recording.
All the best
Michael
@@MichaelWatts The study was done by Roger Bucknall of Fylde guitars with the aid of a local Prof. Although the study has numerous methodological flaws, the basic finding (there's not much discernible difference between tonewoods on the back and sides) chimes with an recent study of the Tonerite, which you will recall aims to emulate ageing of guitars by vibrating the strings. The authors of the study claimed to be unable to find a difference between before and after Tonerite (it was never named in the report, but it was obviously this model and not a competitor). Once again, the study was flawed, but for me the standout finding was that judges could not tell the difference between a guitar costing a few hundred $ and one costing a few thou! Accordingly, I think the jury is still out until a proper study is mounted. I should mention in passing that I mean no disrepect to the Bucknall study, nore the Tonerite study. It is simply that the number of variables which need to be accounted for is considerable and an adequate study is beyond the resources of small scale research. I would, however, enjoy watching you play in welders' goggles and thing you should immediately do so on your channel.
@@robertnewell5057 "
@@robertnewell5057 At no point does any study I have read go deep enough into the effects of optical class, shade range, Lens type (flip up grinding lens etc), head band number and position, or whether the helmet was air-fed or not - on the ability to perceive tonal differences attributable to the back and sides of an acoustic guitar. As such I don't feel like I would be doing the subject justice.
I've seen a few studies that claimed no difference in "tone" from one wood to another on a guitar. And that may be true of the listener, but I don't think so for the player. It IS the player that is commissioning the instrument, not the listeners. And when a player uses an instrument that projects his or her playing nuances the way they expect, and responds the way they want, they will play better, or at least be inspired to play. And hopefully that is what the listeners hear. Really, the guitar almost becomes transparent to the audience as they listen to the performer's voice though it; and the guitar becomes almost transparent to the player as if the guitar was simply taking what was in the mind and soul and fingers of the player and giving that a voice.
So maybe in that sense, it probably doesn't matter for a great player, because a great player will sound great regardless of what his or her guitar is made of. But I do feel that a performer playing an instrument that inspires him or her, and gives them the freedom to express themselves, will lead to a better performance than a guitar that a player has to fight to coax a pleasing sound out of, and is restrictive to the player's particular style. There is a reason why players of different playing styles prefer certain woods, tradition aside. Jazz boxes are typically made of maple. Many fingerstylists play guitars made of denser hardwoods. Many bluegrass guitarists play guitars of medium to lower density hardwoods. Many classical guitarists prefer rosewoods. Many Flamenco guitarists prefer cypress (which is actually a softwood) or other less dense woods. Most all bowed instruments are made of maple or sycamore.
As to bass response - I've only test-driven a couple guitars made with Tree mahogany; the most notable was Leo Buendia's example (played in the video). Indeed the bass seemed huge and three-dimensional; though this is a characteristic of many guitars made by Ervin Somogyi and his disciples. I've never held the wood in the raw, though I am told it ranks among the densest Honduran mahoganies, which would put it in the range of some of the lighter IRW - which could account for the perceived bass response compared to standard Honduras mahogany; and some Honduras can be as light as alder if not lighter.
Beautiful guitar. Beautiful song. Beautiful playing.
Gosh. If I had known 40 years ago that there would be a job like yours I would have practiced much more! ;-) I have been enjoying your videos immensely! Thank you so much.
Thank you very much! Quite frankly I’m not sure I could have explained this one to my school careers advisor back in the day…
I really hope you enjoy this video on The Tree Quilted Mahogany from the player's point of view! If you've played, owned, lusted after or flat-out dismissed The Tree then drop me a comment below!
That's some nerdy shit. This is the opposite of porch music.
Also I did enjoy it- thanks.
Maybe you should look out for Tamo Ash of the North of Japan.Very beautiful wood and lots of beautiful and typical Tamo Ash wood figuring.
Great video on Mahogany as a tonewood. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for all the beautiful Informations!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for watching!
just beautiful - cheers!
Thank you Scott!
I’m really looking forward to this one Michael!!
My man! Good to see you here!
Thank you Michael for such an informative, useful, and inspiring video on Nail Care for Guitarists. Speaking for all of us guitarists...We appreciate you!!!
One take Rialto. You really thrown that one out of the park! Kudos, Maestro!
Thank you Gianfranco! The world still needs to hear your bossa nova version though!
That was truly special Michael! Thank you 🙏🏻
Thank you! It was a joy to play your guitars in Cape Town!
Fascinating. Lovely playing - the bottom end is gorgeous, harmonic depth wonderful! Thanks for this.
Thank you for watching Morton!
Beautifully stated and with obvious love of this astounding tree. A delicious banquet to the eye and a veritable feast to the ear. So glad you shared this Michael.
Thank you so much for your comment Joe! I’m glad you enjoyed the video, there will be plenty more
Very enjoyable video. Thanks.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Richard, thank you for watching!
This channel is amazing! Such an eliquent presentation of a niche topic.
Thank you so much Markion - I’m glad you found me!
What a terrific story. Thank you for sharing. My favorite part was your playing at the end of the video. Beautiful!
Thank you very much! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
14:43 - haha..wonderful. Thank you for this video! Was always curious about this famed wood more than just the amazing looks.
Ha ha! Glad you caught it! It’s great wood, is it for everyone? No. But if you like it then you REALLY like it
This video review was sure worth it.
Great job Michael, you’re a class act all the way.
Thank you so much Brad! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Your ‘Tree’ Kostal guitar sounds so good,I remember playing it years ago,I’m sure it has gotten better. I’ve played another Tree guitar by Tom Sands,a Modified D,it was so good too.
Special wood foe sure.
Your playing is so perfect my friend
"Why is it so expensive?"
Something is worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.
Basic economics aside there are several factors at play - thank you for watching Stephen!
☑️ beautiful ‼️ I've owned over sixty high end 'domestic' build acoustics with most all combinations of tonewoods and Mahogany [in general] is my very favorite b/s tonewood and the more figuring in the wood I find tend to sound better ‼️❤
Enjoyed that Michael... love the background story and the stunningly beautiful quilted figuring - breathtaking! There is a scientific and mystical infusion here that creates beauty like this - perhaps this is simply nature at its best? Beautiful playing as always Micheal... Happy Easter my friend and stay safe:)
Thank you so much Kevin! Happy Easter to you too - my best to you and yours!
Great video. Lovely playing at the end. The piece sounded quite reminiscent of Finn Olafsson's compositions.
Thank you Oliver! Really glad you enjoyed it!
Love the sound
Thank you!
@@MichaelWatts may some body show the chemical treatment wood for guitar acoustic
...I have an OM guitar built by the Czech luthiers Rozawood with a tree top and brazilian back and sides...humbling guitar, perfectly rich and balanced..just to say: my beloved wife had tears in her eyes every time we tested the guitar several times.... so you can't separate the several aspects - it's always a work of art as a whole and there 's never one best of all, but we sure love this one...
I also have two Rozawood guitars, both dreadnaughts; one I customed ordered in 2003 directly from Roman Zajicek; the other I bought was originally commissioned for a German player, Uwe Kruger, who refused to take it because the neck width wasn’t to his exact specifications. When I bought it from a dealer in 2005, it was constructed with already-aged 45-year-old Brazilian Rosewood (back and sides) and a 20-year-old European Spruce top. I’ve owned several top-quality guitars in my life, and although my first Rozawood guitar (of Indian Rosewood) is exceptional, nothing compares to the volume, sustain and deep melodic tones the Brazilian Rozawood has. Several people who have heard me play it said it was the most beautiful sounding acoustic guitar they had ever heard. It’s something I will never part with.
I see Rozawood had a Tree guitar they recently sold for $29,990 Euros.
I remember the epic build thread of your guitar on AGF. One of the reasons I started digging deeper into building my own. Jason Kostal is an incredible talent and human being, and your playing showcases both his and your talents and artistry!
Thank you Louie! Yes that was quite a thread, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind words
Lovely piece of music at the end! Many would question the sonic contribution of the back and sides of an acoustic guitar, but I did once own a 000-28 Martin with gorgeous Madagascar back and sides that certainly had a unique character. I was pleasantly surprised as this guitar began to really open up. There was something there that I hadn't heard on other Indian rosewood guitars. Not necessarily better, just different, but somehow special.
Masterful playing on a masterpiece of a guitar! New subscriber and totally new fan!
You sir, are the mac pimp daddy of coolness and one helluva player!
That’s very kind of you Joshua! Thanks for saying hello and I hope you enjoy the ride!
15:12
Oh, one-take but not miss-touch anything?! Wow.. Yeah, he is Michael Watts.
The first time I heard you play this I really liked it, but in the mean time I would love to hear not only the same one or two compositions...
Thank you Nick!
Help yourself to my debut album Vetiver any time you like - album 2 HYLAB is in the works right now and Rialto will be on there
Quite wonderful.
Thank you for watching Anthony!
After playing guitar for 45 years! And having a Music Performance Degree in Classical Guitar. My career has been a very blessed one. Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! My favorite tone wood is Brazilian Rosewood. But I have to admit I have never heard of “THE TREE.” But I must admit that your playing your guitar has got me excited about finding one of these guitars to play and judge for myself just how good is it. Thanks for sharing your video.
Thank you for watching!
Really a fun video to watch. I have a small collection of hand built guitars from some very talented luthiers so I am very aware of The Tree. I must say your guitars are so beautiful and sound fantastic (particularly in love with your Casimi.) Your wonderful musicianship likely has the biggest impact on this great sound. Your one comment in the video is right on target: The Tree provides beautiful Tonewood, but the skill of the luthier is the most important element to a great guitar.
Thanks for sharing this.
John
Gig Harbor, WA
Thank you very much for your support John! I should say, that Casimi doesn’t belong to me, it was on loan from a dear friend and I do miss it!
I’ve seen enough examples of poorly made guitars in “celebrity” woods to be confident that it’s all about the builder and the quality of communication with the player.
This guitars sustain is tremendous it just goes on and on the tone is beautiful. Guitars I sometimes think are like women theirs ones who hold your interest and theirs other that you love and are special.This falls in to this category. Great playing as always. 🤩👍
I’m glad you enjoyed it Alastair- thank you for watching!
Amazing
Beautiful sound,rich and powerful bass and good overtones,not too much
Wonderful all around! Tha last I heard of the Tree was in Fretboard Journal about flatpicker Allen Shadd having a dred built by Ken Hooper with the Tree. The top, by the way, was from John Arnolds great stash of "Smokies" red spruce. Oh, well, I will make do with my Martin, Gibson and Fylde. Keep the great guitar videos coming!
Thank you for watching John! I’d read that article too I think! I love the Fretboard Journal - such a great read!
Did I find it informative, interesting and entertaining? Yes I did, in spades and I also find your subtle humour increasingly to my taste. I look forward to your next video Michael. Regards, Phil. PS beautiful playing too!!
Thank you so much Phil, that means a lot to me!
When first I heard this stort just blew my mind.
I think you did a great job presenting this polarizing topic without adding to over-hype. Literally every thing you said about your experience and impressions with your guitar is consistent with what I've found with my "The Tree" guitar. I think one of the most important points you mentioned is also the most basic -> It's Mahogany... albeit really good old growth Mahogany... but if someone expects tonal magic they will likely be disappointed. Some storied woods deserve every bit of their hype, The Tree is not one of them in my opinion. On the flip side, guitars made from even lightly quilted sets of this wood are some of the most visually stunning instruments I've ever seen.
I'm not a guitar builder (yet), but I started building a tone wood locker about 8 years ago upon noticing how dicey the supply situation was becoming. That way I was covered if I eventually decided to give building a try, or if I just stick with guitar commissions in the future. Pretty much everything I bought was special and included numerous storied woods. I've also commissioned more than a few guitars made with storied woods over the years. I was shocked when you mentioned sets of "The Tree" were now going for $6-$8k. I'd certainly expect that to be the price range for a wood upgrade on a commissioned guitar, but it's fairly shocking for a set from a wood supplier. It's about 4x what I paid for a set of The Tree about 4-5 years ago.
I'll wrap this up with a couple of thoughts on storied woods, and I'll use bullets to make it easier to digest.
- By a landslide, the most important component in a build is the luthier's skill -> certain wood imbibes a particular characteristic, but the "magic" you're hearing is 80% luthier / 20% wood.
- People don't seem to recognize the type of storied woods that have the most potential to make a legitimate difference... the engine matters a lot more than the fuel (i.e. the soundboard (top), not the back-and-sides).
- If I could pick only one storied wood for a guitar, it's an easy choice -> Lucky Strike (Redwood top).
- As amazing as old-growth Brazilian Rosewood is, there is something better for B&S -> Pernambuco
- My favorite affordable and under-the-radar wood -> Birch -> more specifically, Pre-War guitars made with birch from Oscar Schmidt (Stella, Harmony, Supertone, etc.), Tonk Bros (Lyon & Healy), Oahu, and Levin. Criminally undervalued, based on market prices.
What an interesting and qwerky video! And what beautiful compositions and outstanding performances. Thank you for all of it. I have a selfish question ... what strings do you use in your recordings. I would like to attempt to emulate you.
Thanks for watching! I’m an endorsing artist for Elixir strings and I use 12-53 PBs
I was puzzled as you mention "the tree" in other vids. Hopefuly you did this one to clarify. Very interesting story and very beautiful wood.
From what i saw in the comments this revived the internet classic "tone wood"/tone wood war... Appalling.
Hi Ant, yes indeed - The Tree is celebrated as it is divisive. But such is life.
Hi Michael - very nice video, and filled in a few gaps in my knowledge about the Tree...! I've had three built by Mike Baranik - the first with sides from Lance (there are many stories about how many sides were broken while bending by a certain northern shop (mcp)!). And one built by Tim McKnight. Three different body shapes (OO, OM, "Meridian" GC) and the McKnight SDM) all with different tops (sinker cedar, LS redwood, Colo Blue Spruce, and some older Adi) which contributed to (my ear) sonic differences. I agree with your general observation that there is something noticeably unique.
Thanks for the video and the playing and I look foward to seeing you again at a show!
Phil
Hey Phil!
Lovely to hear from you and I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I can imagine Mike B’s blue spruce sounds darn fine over The 🌲!
The sound is out of this world: the price is worth it if you hear the difference and can easily afford it. But you can't put a price on such beautiful playing.
that guitar tone at the end. Wow.
Thank you Cams!
10:31 “ a witch! a witch!”
Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science?
@@MichaelWatts I am Arthur, king of the britains.
I have 1978 Yairi DY85 with quilted mahogany sides and back. The back is 3 piece, like Martin D35. The center piece I'm told jacaranda. A type of Indonesian rosewood. It is a beautiful guitar with a very unique sound. I have another with Jacaranda back (2 piece) and sides. Not as pretty, but sounds very good...
Great video Michael, also an incredible guitar. What I gravitate to even more is the music. That was just a beautiful piece. I would love to know the name of it please. Happy holidays Michael, and peace be with you my friend.
Thank you for watching Fred and for your kind words. The piece is called Rialto and it will be on my next record.
Great vid as always Michael. I think the problem is how we understand the price - the amount that could be attributed to its undeniable beauty vs the 'value/price' we might believe is fair for a unique tone it might give the instrument, relative to other fantastic tonewood? (complicated by supply and demand) - I guess we would need to base that on what price would it command based purely on its tone (if it were not so pretty) and if there were a more manageable supply (not unlimited, but still 'available')? I see some builders (and many owners) seem to focus on the 'unique' tonal quality alone to justify its price, which is perhaps where the cynicism comes in to play?
So, given this need to justify the price does confirmation bias kick in when we appraise its tone?
Also, how much impact does the fact these seem almost exclusively instruments made by the finest makers using the very best materials and skill have on their quality? - If one is upcharging (though necessity) a build maybe 15K+ more than a 'standard' price (already say at 15k), then ensuring there is a bit of magic and mystique associated with its selection is not going go harm the commercial potential. I know it might be sacrilegious to suggest that luthiers are not simply in it because of the love of their craft, but there are many commercial realities involved as well.
I love the mystique and stories associated with handcrafted instruments and their associated woods - its what make for a more fascinating discussion and its part of the pleasure, but I guess, if the wood was a common as IRW was previously, would we really be as enthusiastic about its tonal qualities if it were less unique? ;-)
ja blessed you🎉😊
Great video as always!!! "Go ahead Pimp"!!! ROFLOL : )
It’s the way forward!
Wondering how many board feet of wood came out of The Tree?... the sounds that you create are so beautiful.....rich and vibrant!!🎵🎶🎵
Thank you! I'm not sure how much was harvested or how much is left I'm afraid
My Merrill C-18 is from "The Tree" and it's incredible. Dry, powerful bottom-end from this dread that rivals and in many cases, out performs, vintage bluegrass dreads. There is something to this wood, I've had my hands on other Mahogany Merrill dreads and they're great, but this one had "something" they don't.
Thank you Rodney and congratulations on your Tree guitar! There is indeed something about this wood
Such a special wood on what is a very special guitar. I know the MDW has some very special Birdseye maple but I’d like to see a video about it, seeing as maple in general seems to divide folk with pre conceived ideas.
Ask and you may just receive! Maple is an utterly glorious wood and I’m more than happy to make a video on the subject while dividing opinion with surgical precision!
@@MichaelWatts i second that and specifically your thoughts on a quilted maple 00 made by Jason😁 👌🏼
@@adriancooper2055 I think that’s a winning idea!
I recall playing your Kostal when you were working at The North American Guitar - “intimidating” is how I would describe the experience but that was probably down to ability!
Ha ha, thank you Paul! It’s actually quite shy and retiring… probably
Hi Michael. Nice video. Do you travel with this guitar and if so what is your method - hard case checked or soft case on board?
Thank you John! I have travelled extensively with this guitar and the Hoffee case bears the scars to prove it!
Wonderful, as always. Michael, is it true that of the original 3,000 board feet of The Tree, only 4,500 remain? :)
I’ve heard that sadly it’s less than twice that now... thank you for watching my friend! We should catch up soon!
@@MichaelWatts Yes, we should catch up soon.
I lucky to own a 1998 Goodall with Quilted Mahogany back and top made in Hawaii when his shop was there, which is now in California. Im sure this is not from the Tree, but this was a very interesting post. Any clues about that guitar, or I suppose I could write Goodall.
Hello and thanks for watching!
I don't doubt that contacting Goodall directly would be the way forward for you.
You are an excellent story teller, Michael. I loved that final chord on the performance at the end of this video! Actually, the whole performance was fantastic. Now let me be controversial - I think that it's the gold Gotoh tuner buttons that make this guitar sing! Just kidding ;-)
Shhhh Gregory... They’re not supposed to know! Thanks for watching, stay well!
The sound is beautiful insanity. What gauge and brand strings and microphones are you using please?
Thank you! I use Elixir strings and Gefell microphones
@@MichaelWatts Just Bananas! God bless you for taking the time to share, respond and educate! You have a new subscriber!
Hey man, beautiful instrument and playing. What a great guitar!
I am curious about the nut on that instrument...why does it have extra material cut away?
Is that for looks, or is it actually doing something to the sound?
I’ve never seen a nut cut that way, in my 37 years of playing guitar.
Peace. 🐰💙🇺🇸🎸🎶🤝✌️
Hello Jack and thanks for watching! Carved nuts and saddles are typical of instruments by Ervin Somogyi and those luthiers that have studied with him.
@@MichaelWatts Ah...that’s funny, as I have a few instruments made by Somogyi students. I had no idea! Thanks for the reply,. I am sure I will be back to your channel!
A lot of builders pair this with other celebrity tops: ancient Sitka, tunnel 13, lucky strike, moon spruce, super tight Adirondack from the small intestines of CF Martin the first...which is your favorite?
Thanks for watching Robert! Yes that’s true, The Tree often has everything thrown at it... I think top quality European Spruce does the job every time
Hello Michael. New fan here. I have a question:
Since all-mahogany guitars exist, how would The Tree as a top wood work? Aside from other mahogany or itself, what back and sides would pair well with it?
Hello James and thanks for watching!
The Tree is so valuable that it’s rare to see a guitar made entirely from the wood. That said a couple do exist to my knowledge. The prospect of a mahogany top with back and sides of another wood leaves me with a cold feeling of dread, I know that Taylor have been investigating that sort of thing recently though
@@MichaelWatts ooohhh... Thanks for the quick reply! I can sleep peacefully now.
I'll have to look into Taylor's investigation as per your referral. Cheers.
Thank you for this video. How does wood from The Tree compare to Sinker Mahogany? Both are old growth mahogany from Belize. The pattern on The Tree wood is unique and beautiful and none of the sinker mahogany is like it in looks. What about tone?
Heard it and I wood Own it in a sec!
I play a 314ce from 2019 with v class bracing and I love the guitar for it's volume, accurate intonation and clarity but it sounds far to bright without a complete absence of warmth but the high end makes it sound artificial. good depth but not near the warmth that comes off of what the guitar I just heard in this video. is that entirely as a result of the extremely rare mahogany your guitar is made of or is it something else? I am a newb
At this level it's all about the builder
I want one either guitar, or the wood. Wood envy hell yeh.
Ha ha! I hope that comes true for you!
s
Stand by your tree and show the world you love him, her,it :)
Ha ha! Absolutely right!
Klon Centaur is not transparent overdrive, not by a mile, it has mid hump like in Tube Screamer and other pedals.
Well, there’s more to it than that but yes, the idea of a “transparent” OD is a strange one that very rarely actually works
Beautiful Wood. The fact that the tree lay for a Decade or longer in a Small Ravine seasoning after being felled likely adds a bit of magic to the Tone. The tree was then processed decades ago for Luthier and other use , exotic furniture etc! Bottom line-Tone woods seasoned for Decades is optimum! In my experience-There is no dispute that very old Seasoned premium Tone woods crafted by a master builder will produce a tonally superior instrument. Ask any serious longtime Luthier if they Covet their stash of 50 year old stacked seasoned woods over wood that was cut and processed just a few years prior!
Some very good points there!
@@MichaelWatts I’ve only crafted a handful of Flat tops since 1989. Never used wood that wasn’t seasoned for at least 25 years before building. Most was seasoned since early 1960s. That TREE was ancient old growth. No doubt some of the best Honduran left on the planet. Sure beats farm grown small tree Harvest. Enjoyed the Video 👍🇺🇸
What strings are you using in this video?
Elixir PB 12-53
Glorious sound. Im off to look for an old piece of mahogany!
Good idea Kenny! Thanks for watching!
I am curious of how you would compare sonically mahogany from The Tree with Sinker mahogany.
Ah great point George! Sinker woods are a law unto themselves and so much depends on how long the wood was submerged and how much sediment it absorbed during that time. I like the idea of sinker woods because they are salvaged as opposed to harvested.
Can you strum with the tree? Does it give a thump like a good rosewood guitar?
Of course! You can strum any guitar you like! But it’s more likely to sound like a great D18 than a 28 if you catch my drift...
Play can I have the name of the song you played at the end?
It's called Rialto and it will be on my next album HYLAB
You should see the picnic tables at Pine Bend Bluff Park in Inver Grove Heights, MN USA. I could hardly believe it but two picnic tables at the restrooms and rain shelter are of amazing wood. I'm only amateur but the entire tables are made of knot free 2 inch thick by 6 inch mahogany planks about 8 feet long. The two benches per table are 2 inch thick by 12 inches wide again of knot free solid mahogany. How does that happen, such a major waste of precious wood? Do mahogany planks come quite inexpensive? I worked as a security guard at a big paper mill project and the many ton "calendars" or big 50 ft long paper milling rollers came in wooden super crates from Brazil. The timbers were like 12 inches thick and 50 feet long of a very bright red wood I'd never seen before. They just hauled them all to a construction scrap yard and threw them away!
That sounds like quite a stash! It’s possible that what you’re seeing is an alternative such as Khaya or sapele or that this is just great mahogany that was turned into picnic furniture by someone who didn’t appreciate what they had!
@@MichaelWatts Hi Michael! Thanks for your informative reply and for sharing your phenomenal talent! Next time I go to that picnic place I'll bring my old digital camera and hope it works. I'm not sure if CZcams allows such an attachment to a reply or not. Have you heard if you can attach a photo to a CZcams reply? Thanks for all you do and look forward to more as I subscribed.
@@mwj5368 Thank you for your kind words - I’m not sure you can send attachments through CZcams but you can send me an email via my website
@@MichaelWatts Hi Michael! I don't own a car and go 20 miles round trip by bicycle to those picnic tables. Finally yesterday I went there and took pictures. I signed up at your website but there's no email address, just a "no reply" kind of address with the verify message. Also I wanted to leave a tip, not much but something... but your tip window shows no US dollar sign, just British Pounds... I think that's what I'm seeing.
Very very wise comment regarding sapele being an amazing tonewood. Imo better than mahogany.
I would like to know if paduk can be used?
People have made guitars out of Padauk certainly
Wonderful video and guitar. I would be afraid to even take it from it's case. Too rich for my blood plus my playing would not do justice to it. Now if I play like you maybe.
Thanks for watching Jimmy!
How important is it that the sides are made from the same tree (whichever tree)? Personally, Im wondering why the fingerboard on your guitar is dark ebony. Surely if youre going for beautiful looks, a rosewood fingerboard with real mother-of-pearl inlays would have enhanced the look from the front. Whats your opinion on bridge pins, Brass, Plastic or Mahogony?
Well everyone has different tastes… I can’t imagine anything less appropriate for this style of instrument than a RW board and a load of shellfish up the front but de gustibus etc a lot of guitars are made with sides from a different tree and I don’t see that as an issue whatsoever. The inner sides of both my Kostal guitars are ebony.
If I applied a classical guitar technique with well sculpted nails it would be a brighter, (I say better) sound. Seems we heard just calloused fleshy fingertips on right hand here. Yes, and sometimes a well applied plectrum might coax a great tone from this. If I were to have this built, it would be without a cutaway, perhaps with a tapered top. Anyhow, excellent instrument!
Nails will make any guitar brighter - and that’s not a sound I enjoy. This same discourse has been going on since the days of Plutarch and Epigonus and is perhaps most best expressed in the writings of Pujol in Le dilemme du son à la guitare. Both camps being equally convinced of the legitimacy of their approach. Vive la difference as they say.
If you’re serious then get in touch with Jason Kostal directly - his work is sublime.
time will tell...
Hello! Hate to point out flaws in posts, but you are wrong, as I can think of a few that are substantially more expensive. Among them, the crown prince would be ancient Kauri from New Zealand, some examples of which are highly figured, and are upwards of 15,000 years old. Just saying.
Hi Chas
I’m sorry but Kauri has not had nearly the same traction in terms of uptake and popularity among collectors of high grade instruments as The Tree. A cursory google search brought up results of around $500 for a set of Kauri whereas ten times that would be seen as a bargain for one set of The Tree.
Its not magic , but it is special
Of all the variables that can effect the tone of a guitar, back and side material are amongst the least influential. The point was made in the vid that given the cost of this wood, it is likely to attract a luthiers best work. I go one further and add that the number of sets of this wood a builder has in his superannuation stash, very much affects the amount of hyperbole they will grind out about it, the more you have, the more new clothes the emporer is wearing. If a competent builder was given the task of building two guitars with sounboards resawn from the same billet and bridge, bracing, bridge plate, linings, all of it the same but for back and sides. With one of 'the tree' and the other of straight grain, quarter sawn old growth mahogany of similar density, I have little doubt that a blind test would find it very difficult to split them. In fact aside from being wonderful eye candy, the curl in the tree set makes it naturally more reactive to changes in relative humidity, meaning in practical terms, the plain jane, straight grain, quartered set will have a greater degree of stability. Bottom line, 'the tree' sounds so much better to those with a vested intrest because they listen with their eyes and clearly hear the sound of money in every note....to a blind man, its just another beautiful guitar making music....i.e...it really is all bullshite.
Edit: Just had to add. We all love a good story and the old: 'man finds tree, man loses tree, man finds tree after many lonely years with damsel waiting patiently among savages, upside down, legs apart on a hillside, man chops his way through deepest darkest jungle in epic venture to save his beloved, man then cuts her up, floats her bits down the river and transports them to a workshop... 'somewhere'.. where they are resawn into.... 'only one left' guitar sets, and a bunch of guys in 'the know' hit the jackpot....Real Hollywood stuff, beautiful girl with a curl, leading man with lots and lots of money....hard to believe if it wasn't all true, just ask the guy who seen it with his own eyes that doesn't have 'the last two sets in existence' to sell you...Oh, BTW, I have recently become a wholesaler for a line of detergents and homecare aids that are set to take the world by storm. To get in on the ground floor and set your path to millions. Contact me about becoming one of my exclusive retailers at dontbother@itsapyramidscam.com..😂😂😂
I mean, yeah, ok... but if what you're saying is not backed up with actual personal experience then it's conjecture. There are plenty of people who are very happy to own a guitar made from The Tree on the basis that it is fantastic old growth mahogany and nothing more
@@MichaelWatts I have a few builds under my belt, plenty enough to know that 'all' wood has magic. Its up to the builder to understand what is best placed to go where when coupled with whatever so the guitar will produce the timbre he/she is shooting for. Wood understood, its then just a simple matter of 'knowing' when to stop carving and sanding away that which is not magic, to leave 'just' enough of that which is, to prevent the guitar from folding up on itself...I'm not there yet, its the keenest of edges to walk, but I'm certainly on my way and feel completely qualified by first hand experiance to state my understanding on the matter. The only issue for me is...given my age, I'll be dead before I truly get past the quest for the better mousetrap, but what is it they say about the journey being the most fun?
Whilst on the topic of the impact of 'tonewoods', I will share a bit of a lutherical nugget with you. All this nonsense about Indian Rosewood sounds like this, Mahoney sounds like that....its just that, complete nonsense. Speices is a far less reliable indicator than KG per m3..at least density measured by weight has a 'known' property. Take Indian Rosewood for example. You have two sets, one set is heavy, glassy, dark plum, straight grain sourced from true slow grown old growth tree, from a low nutrient, moderate rain fall Indian forest..its beautiful stuff. The next set is much lighter in weight, and colour. It has wide wavey grain, is more pinkish probably with a pithy fawn colour alonog an edge that needs to be cut away. It was sourced from SE Asia, from a tree crowded into a wind row to protect a coffee plantation. This tree was much younger than the first, but twice its size because of the nutrients and water runoff from the coffee plants. It also had to compete against siblings planted far too close causing a race for sunlight, and this giant had grown so fast, its enormous roots pulled literally 'tons' of sand up through its fibres to fill it with silica so it has the tap tone of a good peice of damp cardboard.....this is two sets and prevailing environmental conditions and micro climates within each area, can garentee guitar sets with properties everywhere between them....so tell me, how does a guitar built with Indian Rosewood sound again?.....Is that so, well you should hear the one I made with a sister set with an Osage Orange bridge plate....See what I mean? Its mostly bullshite 😀
Edit: BTW, don't miss understand me. Your guitar is truly beautiful and you play at a level worthy of such a magnificent instrument. So I am not suggesting for a moment that guitars built from 'The Tree', by a competent builder, are anything short of wonderful. Its just that I don't buy into the story, or the claim that they are anymore than that, that they are somehow more than the sum of the luthier's skill and understanding of their craft.
No doubt "the tree" has mojo. I've found really nice Honduras Mahogany, even quilted on furniture made in Mexico in the mid century. Keep your eyes open for it. This wood was cheaper than cherry and walnut by far, and that's part of the reason Gibson used it so much. Lumberyards carried it by the zillions of board feet. The best, though blandest, was "pattern grade," up to 16/4 and thicker even, for the pattern-making trade.
와 씨발 존나 소리 좋네
매우 감사합니다! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
===== Is it not true that only 10% of the sound comes from back and side woods? ==== Please correct me if I am wrong. =====
So much depends on the maker - the back and sides are often a major part of the character of the sound rather than the response itself
@@MichaelWatts === Thank you Michael Watts for responding. I do miss you on the other you tube channel you used to be on. No disrespect intended, but isn't the top of the guitar the main driver or speaker for the sounds it makes, along with the thickness of the top wood? I can here a difference if they use a cedar top verses other species of wood it being more dense and so is allowing less movement of the top? Of course you also have the air displacement according to the depth or width of the guitar. But the side of the guitar, isn't it less involved with the total sound of the whole guitar? Isn't bracing also a key component to how the top vibrates? I also heard a new system of build where they use two different tone woods on top of the guitar that is creating quite a buzz these days? Thank you sincerely for your response. ====
Beautiful depth and sweetness. ...but, if its okay to be a little negative, It sounds to me like the wood used for the front piece is holding back the sound too much, sort of choking it and limiting what it truely is capable of projecting. Is it possible that a thinner front or one thats braced differently would allow its true potential? ...But im just listening to this through studio headphones on a youtube video. I bet its even more amazing in real life.
This is a very light German Spruce top with Somogyi style hybrid lattice/X bracing.
Ive been interested in the recent 'streight bracing' that Tanglewood have been experimenting with. Ive only played one of thier new guitar models with this recently and it had an incredibly balaced sound when strumming full chords, anywhere up the fretboard, none of the highs, lows or mids were overpowering each other. That to me was really pleasing to hear. Whether it was the bracing or just the quality and build of the guitar I cant say, but it was something to think about.
If the wood is very good for a guitar, is it also very good for a violin? or a classical guitar? Why?
When you hold a chord I’m expecting it to decay but it just keeps on going.
That’s right Kenneth!
Question: How do you know when The Tree is The Tree and not just the tree. Or even a tree? OBVIOUSLY, the answer must be: Mu.
We have a winner!
nice playing but a bit tinkerbell for my taste. It would be nice if you could dig in so we could really hear what the body sounds like
That’s the entire purpose of the massive rest stroke A and sympathetic resonance that I start with. If you want to to hear me thrash the thing - well that’s not really what it’s there for but there are various performances on my channel of pieces where I take a more direct approach
@@MichaelWatts oh dear boy, no thrashing.
@@RnRanimal Actually I was wrong - I'd forgotten I kicked off with Between Streets - my apologies. I talk more about the headroom that a modified dreadnought gives you in another video
I've played a fair few "Tree" guitars and all have been very good guitars (with the exception of one, which was a real "dog"). However, have they been extraordinary? Well, yes visually but certainly not sonically. As Michael says, it's superb looking wood but given the excoriating price of entry, for me it's exceptionally poor value for money. Again like Michael says, a great luthier can make you something the sonic equal from back & sides far, far less expensive, padauk for example. Indeed, on avarage the Cuban mahogany guitars I've played have been superior sounding to Tree instruments. Just my opinion.
That's also a vital part of the conversation - ownership of a guitar made from The Tree is, thankfully, not compulsory. There are orders of magnitude more great guitars made from other woods than there have been from The Tree. Personal taste also comes into this. the same argument can be (and has been) made about a Brioni suit, an Andreas Strehler timepiece, A Behike 56 cigar, a meal at a Michelin star restaurant, the list goes on... Use of the tree (and other "premium" woods) elevates the acoustic guitar from blue-collar working man's instrument to a luxury creation. Not everyone wants that. I know I don't always. I get as much joy out of a depression era all-mahogany Martin as I do from a bespoke build from a sole luthier - but for very different reasons. If we all wanted the same guitar then they'd be sold on street corners out of slot machines.
Do you need to be an elite guitarist to be able to hear, or even exploit, the difference?
Not at all!
I wondered if anyone has made a guitar using the Tree for the entire body...? Hmmmm!
I think it has been done!
Everyone wants something sacred to call their own. I like to think a musical instrument is the most noble end for a beautiful tree…..I must admit though, quilted woods have always seemed a little gaudy to me.
I want someone on youtube to borrow a guitar made from the tree, someone who is a great player but not a luthier, record them cinematically playing it, show the wood and the visuals, talk about the story, but replace the audio entirely with them playing a normal mahogany guitar of similar style in like the 1,000 dollar range. Just a regular store bought mahogany guitar of the same shape and style with off the shelf mahogany normal Quality, but not "THE TREEEEEEE" and see if people still swoon and creme themselves over the sound purely because it;s a quality instrument played well and the story they are being told is like an audio placebo pill.
Yeah… I’d like to see that too…
Forget this Mahogany. Brazilian Rosewood is the best guitar wood.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this confidently incorrect about anything ever
Nice but I'll never own one
Never say never!
@@MichaelWatts I have a blue ridge that sounds phenomenal especial with the right pick. But I'm a gospel blue grasser but do a little county too. That guitar does sound really good but chances are I won't never own one.