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Hey guys,
What do you guys think of a Jumbo acoustic guitar with mahogany neck, back and sides, and a Sitka spruce top guitar with a rosewood bridge and fretboard. I already have the mahogany back, sides, and neck, and the Sitka spruce top, but I have some choice of what kind of wood I can use for the fretboard and bridge. How do you think this combination of woods would sound with the rosewood fretboard and bridge? All input is appreciated. Thanks!!

Hi. I think that combination is pretty common. Here's the thing to consider: The hog back and sides combined with rosewood fingerboard/bridge would commonly be a "budget model" from most guitar making companies. BUT... change the fingerboard and bridge to ebony and you have a combination that could be considered really great... depending on how the finished instrument sounds! Given the amount of effort you'll put into building, I'd spring for ebony. Another consideration: there may come a day when we can't even *get* ebony. I'm using it now, when I can afford it and it's available.

Even more of my (questionable) two cents: My old takamine, bought when I was 19 years old, had divots in the fingerboard from years of playing. Those divots have been filled with epoxy and the guitar still plays nicely, but if the fingerboard had been ebony my fingernails would never have dug those holes. Guess that's why they use the hard stuff in better guitars!

Either of those combinations will make a great sounding guitar (I have made several of each type) AND any of a dozen other combos will as well. Go with your gut.