Blackat Custom DV-6 - Tonewood Suggestions?

[Solomon Monagle]

Hello,

I'm Solomon, from Melbourne,

I'm a new user here and this is my first post.

I'm currently finalising an order for a 6-string Blackat DV-6, and am continually getting myself stuck on which bodywood to go with. I've been tossing up between mahogany, swamp ash or black limba.

I'm quite familiar with mahogany and swamp ash, but have little experience playing on a black limba bodied guitar and would love some insight from people with more experience.

For reference, I'm a deathcore/melodic metalcore player, lead and rhythm, and looking for something that will be tight, especially in the low end, and that can bring out some more of those low-mid frequencies in the hump if possible.

I'm aiming for the Blackat tp give me something a little different to my current setup tone and feel wise without being too massive a departure for use on stage and in the studio.

Listed below is my current rig so that you can get an idea of tones currently available and what I'm hoping the Blackat will supplement. Rhythms are tight and very low-mid focused, leads are slower, hollow and more ambient rather than massive solo territory.

2019 Mayones Regius Gothic 6 - SD Nazgul/Sentient - Swamp Ash/Ash top
2009 ESP Horizon NT-II - SD Nazgul/Sentient - Mahogany/Quilted Maple top
2010 ESP Horizon NT-II - Orpheus Hellmouths - Mahogany/Quilted Maple top
2012 ESP Horizon NT-II - SD Invaders - Mahogany

Laboga Mr Hector
Peavey 6505
Both re-tubed with combination of JJ, Sovtek and EHX.

ENGL Pro 4x12

Maxon OD-9
ISP Decimator G-String
JPTRFX Kaleidoscope
Strymon El Capistan

Look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Thanks in advance

Solomon

 

[Hollowway]

My personal thoughts are you should go with what you think looks coolest. Because one of the following is true:

1) wood doesn’t affect tone
or
2) wood affects tone, but potentially so does the amount of wood (aka guitar body shape) bridge type, bridge type, neck joint type, nut type, fret type, neck wood, fretboard wood, pickups, and strings. Meaning that body wood won’t have a meaningful impact through all those other variables.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

My personal thoughts are you should go with what you think looks coolest. Because one of the following is true:

1) wood doesn’t affect tone
or
2) wood affects tone, but potentially so does the amount of wood (aka guitar body shape) bridge type, bridge type, neck joint type, nut type, fret type, neck wood, fretboard wood, pickups, and strings. Meaning that body wood won’t have a meaningful impact through all those other variables.

Thanks mate, yeah I guess it is easy to get swept up in the great tonewood debate and lose sight of how each part of the guitar makes up the whole picture. If I'm going off looks alone then it's definitely black limba haha

 

[4Eyes]

go for black limba...it'll give you different mahogany-ish flavor, but you have that and also swamp ash covered in other guitars, so I'd go with something different. other truth is - different cuts of wood will sound different, so you always can estimate what the guitar will sound like based on the woods used for construction, but also reality might totally different

 

[budda]

Go by weight.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

go for black limba...it'll give you different mahogany-ish flavor, but you have that and also swamp ash covered in other guitars, so I'd go with something different. other truth is - different cuts of wood will sound different, so you always can estimate what the guitar will sound like based on the woods used for construction, but also reality might totally different

Thanks for the insights into black limba mate, certainly the way I'm leaning and yeah agreed, my 3 horizons are all mahogany but sound different even when they're running the same pups. and they're all weighted differently. the cut of wood is always individual.

 

[Hollowway]

As an aside, I like a lot of different woods, but I think some of them look better with certain colors. Like, black limba looks cool with oranges and greens. But it would look like ass with pink, for instance. I like swamp ash for pink. Mahogany looks cool with greens, blues, and purples, because it’s got an orange vibe. PME looks killer with black, but I don’t like it paired up with other busy woods, like black limba.

I sound like a pompous asshole trying to pair up wine with a meal.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

No that's a really good point, there's definitely pairings that blend well. I'm tossing up between a few top choices, depending on the capacity for them to be fully realised, but it's between a black/white burst (mountain inspired), black and dark blue (ocean/PWD Deep Blue influence) or a more typical dark brown burl. Will keep those thoughts in mind!

 

[bigbusterstar]

I don't care about tonewoods, amp / vsts will do most of the work there, but i had a Kiesel that i had in black limba which i loved. Cemented black limba as my favorite wood aesthetically. Had the body neck and headstock all limba'ed out.

BUT, i've seen some absolutely lame ass cuts of limba. Definitely would want to be able to choose what piece ends up used in your guitar.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

Totally fair mate, if you get a dud bit of wood it sucks! Thanks for the insights!

 

[Wolfhorsky]

Nice, dry and light piece of black limba would get my vote. The wood species will have a small influence on the tone. Black limba looks nice and has that low mid punch yet it sounds tight. At least in my Skervesen. Light piece of swamp ash is a great option, but You already have one with it.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

Awesome, thanks for the vote of confidence on the limba. how have you found Skervesen? I can never get a good radar from reviews, it seems like a real love/hate relationship online.

 

[Wolfhorsky]

Awesome, thanks for the vote of confidence on the limba. how have you found Skervesen? I can never get a good radar from reviews, it seems like a real love/hate relationship online.

I have 4 Skervesens incl. 2 custom models, so Imight be biased. They are solid instruments. The necks are wide and chunky. For the first few years they made fretboard edges unrouded and the common thing was the fret sprout due to wood shrinkage or ivoroid shrinkage. My first one had that problem and they rounded the edges within a week or so (I live in Poland, thus it is not a problem for me). Also few years back, there were some QC issues. Now they are solid and greatly improved. I see the path of improvement on my guitars.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

That's cool, I recall reading a lot of QC horror stories that scared me off, but have also always appreciated the aesthetic and the vast array of options. Might look into a raptor, velociraptor or nebelung down the road, might make a nice little boutique triumvirate with the mayo and blackat.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

Heads up, I've submitted my order pending confirmation of different pups and a specific finish option.

Ended up going with the black limba, I'll attach the specsheet below:

Body shape: DV
Top style: Carved
Scale length: 25.5"
Body thickness: Regular 44 mm
Body wood: Black Limba
Top wood: Burl Poplar
Body binding: None
Chambers: No
Neck wood: Flame Maple
Stripes: Thin
Stripes wood: Wenge
Headstock shape: Ninja
Headstock binding: None
Headstock cap: Matching top wood
Fretboard wood: Ebony
Fretboard binding: None
Inlay: None
Luminlay sidedots: Blue
Bridge: Hipshot Hardtail
Piezo pickup: No
Hardware color: Black
Pickups: Bare Knuckle Warpigs (most likely changing to SD Nazgul/Sentient, waiting to confirm, not on the order sheet)
Pickup switch: 3-way toggle
Tone control: Yes
Top finish: Highgloss
Top color: Deep black-blue burst (pending)
Top finish style: Translucent
Back finish: Natural satin

 

[Wolfhorsky]

That's cool, I recall reading a lot of QC horror stories that scared me off, but have also always appreciated the aesthetic and the vast array of options. Might look into a raptor, velociraptor or nebelung down the road, might make a nice little boutique triumvirate with the mayo and blackat.

As far as I know Skerv team was ghost building Blackats 6 years ago or so.

 

[Solomon Monagle]

Yes they were the same factory for a stretch! Blackat fully independent now which will be fun to see what their build quality is like, all sings point to good.

 

[Isurez]

As far as I know Skerv team was ghost building Blackats 6 years ago or so.

Almost 7 years since we have not supplied Blackat with necks and bodies. Tomasz did final assembly, quality control etc. himself then. Now he has his own shop where he does everything without the help of other builders.