Gypsy om; mahogany or maple?

[Meticulosity]

I'm a first time Octave Mandolin buyer, and like lance_wallen (and partly inspired by him) I am turning to a Gypsy OM. I am going to be getting one of the "bare-bones" $700 models. I'm sure that whatever I get, I will enjoy. However, I have the option of choosing between Mahogany and Maple for the back and sides, and I just can't decide what I want. Could someone please describe each to me (soundwise) and make some recommendations? By the way, I am playing Traditional Irish Music (mostly melody) in a couple of jam sessions. I know that on the surface, maple seems better, but I'm worrying about it being too sharp. Thanks for the help

[otterly2k]

Well, there are a lot of factors that affect tonal quality... but all other things equal, maple (being a harder wood) will likely have a brighter tone, and mahogany will likely be a bit mellower.

Always a good idea to ask your luthier what their opinion is on the matter...

[Meticulosity]

His opinion is maple, but I'm just a bit worried the tone being too bright. I mean, will it still sound good chording?

[otterly2k]

Well, your luthier can say best what is likely to sound like what, given his design and building techniques. OM's sound different from mandos just by virtue of their size and scale...it will not be bright like a regular mando. OTOH, you should not expect it to have the fullness or boominess of a guitar, regardless of the wood. My guess is it will sound fine chording either way. If, as you say, you play "mostly melody", it may be a good idea to go with maple, as you will want the melody to be clear and have punch.

[steve V. johnson]

I'd suggest you ask Lance about the voice of his Gypsy. #Lance's experience, and the advice of the builder, is the only real empirical evidence we have available just now... #Maybe Lance can send you some sound clips...

(Builders sometimes have their own agendas, like ...'Gee, I've got a bunch of nice maple here...,' #or maybe 'I haven't done one of these in maple... I'd like to try this... and this, and maybe -this-, too, with maple... hmmm.....' # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif This is not necessarily a bad thing...)

I vote for mahogany, but I can't say that that's a rational nor scientific vote. #

I have a maple guitar and I love its voice. #My main working guitar is rosewood, as is my Crump bouzouki, but I find I'm more and more drawn to
mahogany instruments, particularly mahogany, rosewood and walnut for mando-family instruments.

A whole lot of things affect how the fretted strings work together and how an instrument will respond in single notes vs. chords. #My (again unscientific) opinion is that the top and it's bracing have the most effect, but still that's only one part of the whole thing.

I've had instruments thru here that just hated to play chords, the notes wouldn't... 'gel' in the chords and there was wonderful note separation and definition. # #Later I found out that the builder meant the thing to be a soloist's instrument for a roots or bluegrass band. #The builder succeeded rather spectacularly there! # This one was spruce over walnut. #I've played other OMs/zouks in that wood combination, and basically similar designs and they weren't like that, so I asked the builder how he did it and he mentioned the top and the top & back bracing designs.

The great majority, say... 99.8% of the OMs/zouks that I've experienced did both things well, chorded nicely and would sing out when played in single-note melody lines. #

Best,

stv