Guitar Woods
Below are pictures and descriptions of most all woods used in guitar making.
Ash
There are two very different types of Ash, Northern Hard Ash and
Southern Soft, or Swamp Ash. With its density, the tone is very
bright with a long sustain. Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many
reasons. This is the wood many 50's Fenders were made of. It is
easily distinguishable from Northern Ash by weight. A Strat body
will be under 5 lbs. This is a very musical wood offering a very
nice balance of brightness and warmth.
Alder
Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight
(about four pounds for a Strat body) and its full sound. Its closed
grain makes this wood easy to finish. Alder's natural color is a
light tan, with little or no distinct grain lines. Alder has been
the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years. It looks good with a
sunburst and in solid colors
Basswood
The color is white, This is a closed-grain wood, but can
absorb a lot of finish. This is not a wood for clear finishes, and
it is quite soft, not good for much abuse. Sound wise, Basswood has
a nice, warm tone.
Rosewood
The traditional and most revered wood for guitar back and sides is
Brazilian rosewood. This wood has a beautiful rich variety of brown
and purple colors in it, and makes a warm rich sounding guitar with
great resonance and volume. However, Brazilian rosewood is no longer
available in commercial quality or quantity.
Flame Maple
Maple comes in a variety of grain patterns. Two of the most popular
are quilted and flame. Quilted catches the rays of light in a more
circular pattern whereas flame reflects light in long streaks. Maple
gives a bright sound with great punch in the lower (5th and 6th)
strings. Maple is very strong and a bit heavier than mahogany. It is
also a good choice for necks.
Koa
This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii and has been
in short supply. Weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy, a good
wood for basses. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with
a little more brightness. Like walnut, this wood may be oiled,
but generally will look its best sprayed clear. Koa is sometimes
available in flame figure.
Korina
True name is White Limba, from Africa. Used in Gibson's Explorer and
V's. A medium weight wood similar to mahogany.
Ebony
Ebony, when not used in pianos, is a great material to use in
fretboards. The wood is extremely strong, bright, and durable. .
Quilted Mahogany
This is a fine wood with good musical properties, the tone is warm
and full with good sustain. Weight-wise, mahogany is mid to heavy
with a Strat body averaging 5 lbs. or more. The grain is easy
to fill although not particularly good looking for clear finishes.
Sitka Spruce
The most common spruce these days is Sitka, which comes from the
west coast of the United states and Canada. Because it is
still plentiful and the trees are huge, it is still possible to get
wonderful Sitka spruce. It makes a very strong, loud guitar which
has a balanced resonant sound with good sustain. Sitka shows a
very strong tendency to improve with age.
Red Cedar
It makes a very rich warm guitar with good definition, and a very
immediate sound. It is generally not well suited for vigorous
attack and wide dynamic range.