dpeters - Posted - 08/15/2009:  17:20:58

I’m thinking about purchasing a Yates RS and I’m wondering how the mahogany compares with the maple. I’ve had a listen to Ron Stewarts sound files, amazing picking, they both sound great...

To those of you lucky enough to have played both, what do you think?

Dave

moses - Posted - 08/15/2009:  17:31:21

Dave, I've played both and own a maple RS. There is no measurable difference to my ear.

dpeters - Posted - 08/15/2009:  17:44:01

Steve, I'm interested to know what swayed you toward the maple?

Dubz - Posted - 08/15/2009:  18:46:44

Ive also been thinking about buying one of these banjo's in the near future. My plan was to listen to all the songs Ron plays on, pick which sound I like the best from those recording and then message him to ask which type was used on that recording. So far my pick for tone is the song "I Ain't Taking You Back No More" - Dan Tyminski, Wheels. Ron is an active member on the hangout and always seems happy to answer questions. Haha maybe we could start an Aussie Yates-RS players club.

Doc Watson - "Somebody asked me once, how do you learn to play that good?.....You practice like the devil"

lightgauge - Posted - 08/15/2009:  19:19:56

I found the mahogany to be a little sweeter tone to my ear, but mahogany is typically my choice almost every time I compare. Both are great banjos and the choice is just personal taste.

irunnoft - Posted - 08/15/2009:  21:57:45

i played both a mahogany and a maple at Smoky Mountain Guitars in Pigeon Forge, TN and they both sounded extremely close. Maybe it was the set up, but I couldn't tell that much pronounced difference. They were both distressed Ron Stewart models. I also played a Shelby that they had in stock about a week ago, and it sounded very similar to the RS model. They didn't have an RS model in stock at the time to A/B compare it to, but it seemed to be tonally similar to what I'd heard in the RS.

Edthebanjo - Posted - 08/16/2009:  09:01:02

In my opinion they're both great but in different ways, however I have never played a yates, it is simply maple vs mahogany. You already already have a Huber which is a banjo hard to beat in terms of everything. It is simply a top quality banjo. However you could come equal to it with a different sounding banjo. Maybe getting a maple banjo would be good because then you would have the best of both worlds.

What has 10 legs, 3 teeth, and no hair?
A bluegrass band!

dpeters - Posted - 08/16/2009:  16:09:22

Thanks for your thoughts...

Dave

moses - Posted - 08/16/2009:  20:15:08

Dave I bought the maple because it was the only one Smoky Mtn Guitars had when I was there to buy one.

TownBranch - Posted - 08/17/2009:  05:33:38

I played both at the IBMA's last year. Although I usually lean towards mahogany, I have to say the maple RS Yates that I played was a cannon. Both are awesome. I recently got to see Ron in action about 2 weeks ago, and I asked him after the show to see which Yates he was picking. He said that he was picking the mahogany. I will attach a link to the Youtube video that I got that night. Take a listen to this and see what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZsldM9gsYo

B. Elkins
www.townbranchbluegrass.com

hardcase - Posted - 08/17/2009:  08:06:39

I too have played both. The mohogany model had the sound that I was looking for. The maple sounded great, but the mohogany had a little something extra. I really dont know how to explain it. Just sounded great!
By the way.... I just tracked the shipping of the banjo and it should be here today! Woo Hoo!!!

Dave

Ron Stewart - Posted - 08/17/2009:  09:19:21

Hey Guys,
Sorry to be so long in getting in on this post. As for Maple vs. Mahogany, I love them both, but there is a slight difference between the two. The way I would explain it is: Maple has a little more "Earl" tone, and Mahogany a little more "Crowe". Maple has slighty more Bite in the very top end, Mahogany a little sweeter. As for the "Core" tone, both will have it, but just colored a little differently on the top end. As for the question of "I Ain't Taking You Back No More", that is the Maple, and all of that CD was recorded on the Maple. I hope that helps, and if you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask! I'll try my best to answer them!

Ron

chickenpickin - Posted - 08/17/2009:  19:27:03

Hey Ron,
I'm curious if you have played any of Warrens' banjos that had a V1 tone ring, and if so, how would you compare the V1 to the V33?

Tim


Happy Pickin'' from the Chicken

phinski - Posted - 08/18/2009:  12:15:01

Hey Ron,
I'm curious which banjo you played on the Kenny & Amanda record.. that's some of my favorite tone and picking.
Best
Jonathan

dpeters - Posted - 08/18/2009:  15:10:50

Thanks to all who have contributed, keep 'em coming this is just what I was after...

Dave

lightgauge - Posted - 08/18/2009:  16:25:28

I have to respectfully disagree with: "but sounds no better then a Huber, Sullivan, Deering etc. ..it boils down to What name do you want on the peghead. "
Each is good in it's own sound and we all have our preferences, but there's more difference than the name in each of those. Each has their own unique sound. I still compare banjo sound to ice cream. Good ice cream comes in many flavors and we all have our preferences as to what is best, but chocolate does not taste like vanilla, regardless of what name is on the carton. But it's all good, just not alike !

JensKoch - Posted - 08/23/2009:  16:44:53

Interesting topic! I have spent some time thinking about this and trying maple and mahogny Yates banjos. I have a mahogany model myself. They're just different colors, tonally. I agree with Ron, it's more like Crowe and Earl tone. And if you find other consistent sounding banjos and compared a maple to a mahogny, you'd hear the same characteristics. It's all about taste. Personally, I'd like to have a maple RS too to be able to get both... I sure love my mahogany banjo though. It's wonderful.

My advice is to play them both and get the one you like best. It might be hard though... :)

Jens

www.g2bluegrassband.com

Jason West - Posted - 08/23/2009:  17:01:44

I've got the Maple RS...a little over a year old...

Haven't played the maple version, but have always owned and preferred mahogany banjos..My RS maple doesn't sound like a normal maple banjo, more like a "snappy, barky" mahogany...I think that straight grain maple sounds a lot closer to the mahogany end of the spectrum compared to the flame maple end....

Everyone that plays/hears mine is surprised it's maple...

Anyway....you can't go wrong wither way...

Jason West - Posted - 08/23/2009:  17:02:44

I've got the Maple RS...a little over a year old...

Haven't played the maple version, but have always owned and preferred mahogany banjos..My RS maple doesn't sound like a normal maple banjo, more like a "snappy, barky" mahogany...I think that straight grain maple sounds a lot closer to the mahogany end of the spectrum compared to the flame maple end....

Everyone that plays/hears mine is surprised it's maple...

Anyway....you can't go wrong wither way...

dpeters - Posted - 08/24/2009:  17:00:39

I guess the mahogany vs. maple debate is always very subjective, especially as the straight grain maple appears to be tonally very close to mahogany. In any case you’ve told me what I wanted to know and spurred me on down the track toward a Yates purchase!

Thanks again to you all for taking the time to share your thoughts...

Dave

Bow-tie75 - Posted - 08/25/2009:  08:42:17

Dave, you won't be dissapointed. I had the chance to play another yates mahog here in Ontario Canada a few festivals back. Although, they did have some of their own personality, I found the tonal qualities that I believe Warren is going for was present in both. I found this true of the 3 Yates that I tried at IBMA last year as well, one being the straight grain (can hardly believe it was maple), one other mahogany and the one that is now mine.

I've also had the pleasure of hearing Jens play his 5, same thing....great banjo, great player. Hey Jens, I'm assuming your Yates will be on your new album soon out? Don't mean to go on, but you folks should check out some great Talent with the G2 Bluegrass band.

Cheers,

D'Arcy

Jeller - Posted - 09/14/2009:  20:09:16

I went to Warren's shop and ordered a Yates Mahogany RS yesterday. It is supposed to be finished middle November. It's going to be a long 2 months. The sound is unbelievable, I have never played anything quite like it.

Jon

John 16:33