Flame Maple
It is usually used on necks, but in this case, we have an exception, rare in low or medium range guitars for its elaboration and price. The flame maple is a wood of not much density, and it is the reason why we have a guitar with a high profusion in treble and a good aesthetic. The problem is similar to the ash, there are maples of very different quality, so it is not advisable to buy a flame maple guitar blindly. Therefore, it is highly important that you try it before you make a decision to buy it.
Obviously, due to its slim, alder-like sound, it is ideal for country and blues with telecaster sound, but it is hardly suitable for the styles with a strong presence of bass. It is very typical that a guitar with a body type, for example, mahogany, has flamed maple top to color that sound with extra treble.
Koa
It is practically impossible to find quality Koa guitars in low and medium ranges, so we will not stop to talk a lot about this wood. It is similar to mahogany, with the variant of which also exists in flame maple version. In case of finding a low or medium range guitar with Koa wood, it is advisable to try it, most likely it is low quality Koa or with some defect.
Linden
Ibanez, a predominant brand in sales during the 80s, linden has models such as Jem and Destroyer that were very popular in the 80s. The difference between linden and alder is that linden has better balance of bass and less treble than the Alder. Thus, an Ibanez with linden will sound with more rhythmic weight and a creamier tone than an alder guitar of the same brand that, on the contrary, will have a greater presence of highs and resonance harmonics. Linden usually has an intermediate quality and is used a lot in modern music instrumentals such as rock, shred, hard rock and the like.
As you can see, it is convenient to take into account the type of wood that we want based on the sound and style that we are going to touch. It makes no sense to buy an ash or maple laminated guitar to make death metal or progressive, nor does it have to be made of mahogany or walnut if we want a more nasal style, close to the country or American bluegrass.
Also, if you are going to get an ash or koa guitar, it is a good idea to try that guitar in hand or try it out with someone with experience in the field. They are not woods with which you can risk buying blindly, given the huge difference between some models and others.
