Guitar Woods for Progessive Metal

[9X3]

Going to start this one a little differently.

Building a 6 string to play some Devin Townsend/Dream Theater/Cynic style progressive metal. 

I'm 99% sure I'll be ordering a Trilogy Suite neck and a Holydiver bridge.

That being said, what I can't settle on is what kind of woods to use (other than a Rosewood fretboard).

At the moment I'm looking at a Swamp Ash or Alder body, thin Maple top and a Wenge neck.

I've got two guitars with Mahogany bodies, one with a mahogany neck and the other with a maple neck.  I like the warmth of the mahogany, but I like the brightness of the maple, so based on what I've read, wenge tends to sit somewhere in between.

As for the bodies, I'm looking for something a little more balanced overall but still retaining a defined bottom end, which is what lead me to Alder and Swamp Ash. 

As always, any help is greatly appreciated!

Matt 

[Loomer]

I'd go for Swamp Ash. My main guitar is made of that wood, and it really has a nice resonance. Granted, the style I use it for is more... Well, regressive than anything, but it can pull off those things quite nicely.

However, when people say progressive metal these days, it can mean more than just the usual Dream Theater-style snoozefest. Just what kind is it you play?

[Alex]

I'd in general pair the HD with brighter sounding guitars.

My favorite combo is a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, which is obviously a staple for many modern classics. I've always felt that sounds very nice and has a bigger effect on the sound than the actual body wood.

[darkbluemurder]

Swamp ash/maple top seems fine for the body.

I personally would stay away from Wenge. It is very hard and heavy which could make for an unbalanced guitar if this is not compensated by body weight or shape. Furthermore it is difficult to work on and its sawdust is toxic - take appropriate precautions. Finally I heard it sounds very midrange heavy.

How about a maple neck with a pau ferro board?

Cheers Stephan

[9X3]

Thanks for all the input!

I'm basically looking for a tight, defined low-end, warm, vocal like leads and clear, bell-like highs. 

After doing more research on Wenge, I don't think it'll suit what I'm looking for.  I've heard good things about Rosewood necks, so I'll be looking into this. 

As for the body wood, I've been liking Basswood a lot lately.  I know it does not take abuse very well, so I was thinking of doing something similar to the John Petrucci signatures and have a Basswood tone block in a Maple body.

Any thoughts on these wood combinations?

Matt

[Cammi]

Me and my brother are actually getting a custom guitar made with Basswood Body, Maple Neck and Ebony Fingerboard with a Holy Diver. After research and playing many instruments, I have personally found that Basswood gives you that boosted mid range, that works really well for cutting through for Prog Metal. Tim also said, a Holy Diver in Basswood, is as 'Tight as a nut'.

Are you playing with just yourself, or with more than 1 guitar player?

[Cammi]

Oh and Petrucci doesn't have Basswood Tone Blocks. He has an Alder Body w/Mahogany Tone Block, Mahogany Neck, Ebony Fingerboard. His other guitars are just Basswood Body, Maple neck, Rosewood Fingerboard :)

[darkbluemurder]

If you want strong midrange, alder is a good way to go, better than swamp ash which can be a bit midscooped. Basswood is said to have a strong midrange, too but not many lows and highs. It apparently works well in guitars that have a Floyd Rose style trem and active electronics as the many 80s Jackson/Charvel models show.

For what it's worth, whenever I used an alder guitar on a gig I got harmonic feedback rather easily whereas with swamp ash or ash it did not work as well, even though the acoustic sustain of the guitars was equal.

Cheers Stephan

[9X3]

I write and record all my own instrumentals, so while I'm the only one playing, I write all my music for 2 guitars (or 1 guitar and a keyboard). 

Based on what I've read so far, I think a Swamp Ash body, thick Maple top and a Rosewood neck should do the trick.  Thoughts on this?

Oh and Petrucci doesn't have Basswood Tone Blocks. He has an Alder Body w/Mahogany Tone Block, Mahogany Neck, Ebony Fingerboard. His other guitars are just Basswood Body, Maple neck, Rosewood Fingerboard :)

 
Haha I knew that :P  I meant I'd like to try a Basswood tone block in a Maple body :P

[Cammi]

I write and record all my own instrumentals, so while I'm the only one playing, I write all my music for 2 guitars (or 1 guitar and a keyboard). 

Based on what I've read so far, I think a Swamp Ash body, thick Maple top and a Rosewood neck should do the trick.  Thoughts on this?

Oh and Petrucci doesn't have Basswood Tone Blocks. He has an Alder Body w/Mahogany Tone Block, Mahogany Neck, Ebony Fingerboard. His other guitars are just Basswood Body, Maple neck, Rosewood Fingerboard :)

 
Haha I knew that :P  I meant I'd like to try a Basswood tone block in a Maple body :P

I'd say Basswood then, easily. Why do you think all these famous artists use it as a wood choice? It really has the ability to cut through all the instuments when only 1 guitar is playing, and for soloing, it's like the Guru of woods :) That's my opinion though. I'm sure evryone else has their own too :)

[darkbluemurder]

The only guitar with a basswood body I ever had is long sold now. It had a H-S-S configuration with a DiMarzio Fred and two PJ Marx humcancelling single coil size pickups. I played that guitar in one band which did 80s rock (a lot of Huey Lewis covers) and liked it a lot for that purpose.

I think Suhr likes basswood for his guitars, too, especially with a maple top.

Cheers Stephan

[Cammi]

The only guitar with a basswood body I ever had is long sold now. It had a H-S-S configuration with a DiMarzio Fred and two PJ Marx humcancelling single coil size pickups. I played that guitar in one band which did 80s rock (a lot of Huey Lewis covers) and liked it a lot for that purpose.

I think Suhr likes basswood for his guitars, too, especially with a maple top.

Cheers Stephan

I think another which he may like about Basswood, is the fact that if it's a custom guitar he's getting made, he will be more or less guaranteed a great piece of good quality Basswood. Rather than it being a cheap, horrible sounding one on a £200 guitar