The luthier simply takes the thinnest possible piece and reinforces it with cheaper materials, meaning that the attractive piece of wood can be used for a number of instruments. Let’s take a look at some of the most common choices for acoustic guitar backs & sides: Rosewood is without question one of the most popular and enduring tone woods known in acoustic guitar construction. Many argue that solid wood also offers a more resonant tone, again due to the uniform grain and thickness. As discussed earlier, walnut has a striking, rich appearance when used for acoustic guitar backs and sides, and would stand out in a similar fashion if used for the fretboard. Learn, © 2020 Andertons Music Company You can read more about the hard science behind evaluating tonewoods here: Sitka Spruce is used more than any other species for guitar soundboards. The midrange is where it differs, however, with a healthy bark that puts it somewhere in between rosewood and mahogany. It comes through in the instruction, and really shows in the quality of the instrument I made there.”, Copyright 2010–2020 Whetstone School of Lutherie, The Brazilian variety tends to have the more striking appearance of the two, with a dark brown complexion with rich orange hints, and fine black lines in the figuring. The brightness and clarity responds brilliantly to instrument microphones or pickup systems, allowing you to sit nicely in any mix. In the case of an electric guitar, there are a number of different design aspects that contribute to the overall sound; pickup types, configuration of electronics, hardware and tonewood choices are just a handful of things to consider. Light and unassuming in appearance. Rosewood is popular for fretboards thanks to its smooth feel, but its durability is also crucial. Traditionally used on classical guitars, cedar is becoming increasingly common in steel-string instruments. “There is a real love for the craft of lutherie at the Whetstone School. Examples: Martin DRS-1; Taylor ‘Baby Taylor’ Ovankol. The deep, pronounced grain is very reminiscent of mahogany but sapele tends to be a little lighter red/amber coloured and can often be striped between large dark and light patches (sometimes an inch or more in thickness). Now apply this to the gaps between the grains in different types of wood: if wood is dense, there will be less space among the grain for the sound to move around in, so you can expect quick attack and bright clarity. Honduran Mahogany yields a crisp fundamental sound, with a pleasing bloom of mid-range overtones. Sapele trees are protected in such a way as to prevent over-harvesting which makes this a relatively sustainable wood that is being harvested responsibly. It also has to look great, right? It wouldn’t be a 5. Yields a surprisingly strong, loud sound with an emphasis on clear, bright airy trebles. Walnut is a popular alternative to koa; it’s often easier to source and work with, resulting in more common usage and a more affordable price tag. Better vibration means better sustain and better tone! Sapele is much harder and stiffer than the Mahoganies, and it’s know for being difficult to bend. Summary: bright, immediate tone with excellent projection. You simply use the thicker, more expensive piece of wood. Made popular by Martin and Gibson in the pre-war era, mahogany was seen as a cheaper alternative to rosewood. It has high natural oil content, meaning that it can be left unfinished. Assuming we're talking about the same acoustic guitar shape with a solid spruce top, how would each of these woods affect the tone? It’s worth noting that again, similarly to koa, the tone of walnut will become warmer and softer with age. Light, golden colour with a rich variety of distinct grain types. This makes it a preferred wood for larger guitars, because it helps reduce dominating overtones in the lower frequencies. The wood has nice tight grain, and often displays beautiful bee’s wing and fiddleback figure. Here you can find photos of some of the tonewoods we’re presently using in shop, and brief summaries of their physical and acoustical characteristics. Here’s a selection of some of the most common options and their characteristics: Rosewood has arguably been the most common fretboard wood for quite some time, although it took a dip under CITES restrictions – but will no doubt grow in popularity once again. On the other hand, the relative prominence of the overtones in the sound it generates results in cedar being a favourite among fingerstyle players who value the quality and character of tone above volume and clarity. Although spruce is the most commonly employed top wood, cedar comes in at second place. It’s tone is similar to maple but less dry sounding, with more sustain and clarity in the bass and mid-range frequencies. Thanks, Bigleaf Maple is one of the most acoustically transparent tonewoods, due to a low velocity of sound and a high degree of internal damping. Micarta is worth a mention; though it’s not technically a type of tonewood, it’s becoming more popular as a significantly cheaper alternative. posted a video of a guy from a guitar shop comparing three tonewoods---rosewood, sapele, and mahogany, I believe. The mid-range frequency is the sweet spot for most acoustic guitars, and Honduran Mahogany is a mid-range powerhouse. Sitka’s combination of strength and elasticity translates into a broad dynamic range, yielding crisp articulation and allowing for everythi… An African tone wood closely related to Mahogany, Sapele is similar in …
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