Personal taste alert !! I've yet to find a maple guitar that really blew my socks off. And I can say the same thing about koa too. They can be some of the worlds most beautiful guitars but the sound leaves me cold. I'll take rosewood and mahogany every time.

Now a maple mandolin ? NOW we're talking - that's my idea of heaven. My sister has a beautiful maple rocking chair - it has a flame you would not believe. And everytime I look at it I think "What a waste".