Woods

Trying to classify and describe the tonal properties of different kinds of wood is a lot like describing dogs. One can classify dogs by breeds and state generalities about the characteristics of that breed, but each dog has his own distinct personality that differs from every other dog. Wood is much the same. One can make general statements about each species which are true and helpful, but each piece of wood has its own personality. Even pieces of wood from the same tree can often exhibit subtle differences from other pieces.

Now, having said all that, I will describe in general terms the woods I most often use to make guitars to give you an idea of the character your guitar could have and help you decide what kind of guitar you need to fit your style.

This list is the woods I most commonly use and by no means comprehensive, so, if you don't see a wood listed that you are interested in, give me a call and we'll talk it over.

A word about Brazilian Rosewood.

In May of 2008 an amendment to the Lacy Act took effect which, in the simplest of terms, broadend restrictions on the trade of protected plant life, Brazilian Rosewood included. Any and all Brazilian Rosewood coming into, leaving, or possessed in the United States must have the accompanying documents to prove that it was legally harvested and transported. As it is, much of the Brazilian in circulation has no documentation and some has forged documentation. On top of all this, good quality Brazilian is getting more and more scarce. I have seen some truly poor quality wood get made into guitars just because it was Dalbergia Nigra. Remember: bad Brazilian is not better that good East Indian, or any other tone wood. Bad wood is bad wood. Add this up and good quality legal Brazilian rosewood is very hard to come by. For these reasons I will not take orders for Brazilian Rosewood guitars. However, if I can come across some good quality Brazilian Rosewood the guitar will become available for sale in the U.S.
Check the Available Gutiars page or the Dealers page from time to time as Brazilian Rosewood guitars become available for sale.

The bright side of this whole affair is this; in the last several decades guitarmakers have been experimenting with and expanding the variety of tonewoods used to make guitars. Some woods provide comparable quality in tone to Brazilian, and some are even more attractive visually. See the Backs and Sides section for suitable alternatives to Brazilian Rosewood.

Soundboards

Sitka Spruce : (picea sitchensis) The most commonly used of the spruces, Sitka has a well balanced and full sound across the spectrum. Sitka is often considered the standard against which all other spruce species are compared. Sitka is a good solid all around sounding wood. Sitka is creamy in appearance often exhibiting bearclaw figure.

Engelmann Spruce: (picea engelmannii ) Another American spruce. Engelmann has a little softer tone than Sitka. The sound is warmer than Sitka giving the guitar a smooth slightly gentle tone.

Engelmann is very light in color, almost white with silky cross grain. Engelmann can make very elegant looking guitar because of its clean silky appearance

Adirondack Spruce: While the Red spruce speicies (picea rubens) comes from many places in the northeastern part of north America the common consent is that the best tonewood comes from the Adirondack mountains. Red spruce is characterized by its power and clear, direct tone. Adirondack has a distinct brightness in the trebles and mids, a clear and fast attack , and a clear articulation between notes. Flatpickers love Adirondack because of its power and the clear arrticulation of each note. Adirondack has very distinct growth rings with light almost white summer growth and dense red winter growth.

German Spruce: (picea abies) is on the same level of superior tone quality as Adirondack. It differs from the tone of Adirondack in that it is warmer and the notes are rounder and have a fullness to them. It is clear and articulate but without the brightness of Adirondack. Fingerstyle players love German spruce because of its full rich tone that rings through each note. German Spruce is often a light creamy yellow to pale white with evenly spaced growth rings.

Lutz Spruce: (picea X lutzi Little) Not a true species in its own right, Lutz is a hybrid of Sitka and White spruce. Lutz is a relatively new wood to guitar making but has been met with great success. Lutz has a uniquely powerful voice, highly articulate and exceptionally dynamic.

Lutz is similar to Sitka in appearance but slightly lighter in color

Western Red Cedar: (Thuja plicata) Red Cedar has a soft warm tone, not as bright or articulate as spruce. Guitars made with Red Cedar have a unique warm gentle tone distinctly different from spruce made guitars. If you are looking for tone different than "regular guitars" Red Cedar may be what you are after. Because of its warm soft tone Red Cedar lends itself well to fingerstyle playing.

Western Red Cedar is reddish brown to brown in appearance, usually with tight even grain lines.

Alaskan Yellow Cedar: (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) Another wood that is relatively new to guitarmaking. Unlike Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar is bright and lively. Alaskan Yellow is very light and very stiff making for powerful articulate guitars. Alaskan Yellow Cedar has a distinct tone that is not easily comparable to any other tonewood. As the name implies, Alaskan yellow cedar is very yellow in appearance. Evenly colored with non-distinct growth rings.

Redwood: (sequoia sempervirens ) The tone of Redwood falls neatly between Red Cedar and Sitka. Stronger and brighter than Cedar, but warmer and softer than Sitka. Redwood is pinkish red in appearance. Its color can be used with certain back and side woods to create a dramatic visual effect.

Backs and Sides

East Indian Rosewood: (dalbergia latifolia) This is the confession of a former East Indian snob. For a short time I didnít want to use East Indian because it is so commonly used. I confused common with boring, my mistake. Then, for a special project I used a nice set of East Indian and ended up with a remarkable sounding guitar. Everyone who played it commented on how good it sounded. Not only did it sound great, but it looked great too. Ever since I have been a true believer in East Indian Rosewood. There is a reason this wood is the industry standard rosewood, it is well balanced across the tonal spectrum, rich, not too bright and not to dark. East Indian guitars can lend themselves to any genre or style of music. East Indian Rosewood is rich dark purple in appearance with black winter growth grain lines.

Cocobolo: (dalbergia retusa) Cocobolo is a true rosewood from Central America and southern Mexico. One of the heavier and denser rosewoods, Cocobolo has a thick, sometimes dark tone. Like East Indian, Cocobolo is evenly balanced across the tonal spectrum but with a thick richness to it. Cocobolo is one of my favoirite woods both for it's gorgeous tone and gorgeous appearance. Cocobolo ranges from dark orange to brick red with black grain lines that often exhibit "spiderwebbing". Sometimes straight grained sometimes dramatic, Cocobolo is an exceptionally beautiful wood that makes guitars that are as pleasing to look at as they are to play.

Madagascar Rosewood: (Dalbergia baronni) Probably the closest in appearance to Brazilian Rosewood. Similar in color to Brazilian, but
with more purple than red, with dark wintergrowth often exhibiting spiderwebing. Madagascar is also quite similar in tone to Brazilian, clear and glassy. Madagascar rosewood is a wonderful tone wood and a more than suitable substitute for Brazilian rosewood.

African Blackwood: (Dalbergia melanoxylon) is actually a rosewood, coming from the same family as Brazilian, Cocobolo, and East Indian. African Blackwood has a stunning tone, rich, full, balanced, and dynamic. African Blackwood displays every good tonal characteristic of Brazilian rosewood to the ultimate degree. Some builders claim it tonally superior to Brazilian. It is a very dense and very stiff wood which gives it a strong glassy tone. I've yet to hear a guitar made with African Blackwood that didn't sound exceptional. In appearance African Blackwood is dark, dark purple almost to the point of appearing black. Not quite as black as ebony, but black nonetheless. Some sets have whitish sapwood that can be included for dramatic effect.

Macassar Ebony: (Diospyros celebica) Has a distinct "scooped EQ" tone. Strong and deep in the bass and bright and glassy in the trebles. When paired with German or Englemann spruce the effect is stunning. Macassar is a wonderful alternative to rosewoods for those looking for a unique instrument Macassar can be quite dramatic in appearance with black and cream stripes.


Koa: (Acacia Koa) is found only on the big island of Hawaii and as such is rare in good quality. The tone of Koa is warm, rich and creamy. Warm unlike anything else, Koa guitars are mellow sounding. Something about Koa guitars invites you to play for hours and hours. Possibly the most gorgeous of all tonewoods. Good Koa often has strong flame figure and is golden in color.



Maple: (Acer pseudoplatanus) is very bright in tone. Maple guitars can cut through a crowded room.  Whereas Koa is warm and mellow, Maple is bright and powerful. Maple is white in color with dramatic figure, flamed or quilted.