{"id":7390,"date":"2023-09-20T09:24:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T08:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/?p=7390"},"modified":"2024-06-17T07:48:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T06:48:48","slug":"guitar-woods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/en\/blog\/guitar-woods\/","title":{"rendered":"Guitar woods: how do they help us define our sound?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Guitar woods can be very different, and its choice is key to the sound of the instrument. We will have to take into account different issues that we will see below, since they are very important factors when<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/en\/blog\/construction-guitar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> <span style=\"color:#998677\" class=\"has-inline-color\">building a handmade guitar<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a luthier, choosing the different woods that will be a part of the instrument, is something that I\u2019m passionate about. Whether you want me to advise you on the best types of woods, or you want me to choose them for you, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><span style=\"color:#998677\" class=\"has-inline-color\">buy a handmade guitar in guitarrasfuentes.com<\/span><\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> and <strong>we will find the best solution for the sound you are looking for<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-points-to-consider-when-choosing-guitar-woods\"><strong>Points to consider when choosing guitar woods<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As I said before, when choosing guitar woods, three points are important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Geographical origin:<\/strong> this depends on the type of tree and climate in which it can develop, therefore, some species are harder to find than others.<\/li><li><strong>Tree species<\/strong>: depending on the type of tree family, the wood will have particular characteristics, therefore, it is an important issue. Even within the same tree family, there can be variations with different properties that will end up influencing the sound of the guitar.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Wood quality<\/strong>: even if they come from the same tree species, guitar woods can have different qualities, so they will be classified according to this. This includes issues like the knots, the aesthetic appearance, density or quality of the parenchyma tissue, which is studied in the laboratory.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/types-guitar-woods-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/types-guitar-woods-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/types-guitar-woods-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/types-guitar-woods-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/types-guitar-woods-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-types-of-woods-by-botanical-species\"><strong>Types of woods by botanical species<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-spruce\"><strong>Spruce<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a fragile wood that requires care, but offers a<strong> warm sound<\/strong>, widely used for the soundboard in classical guitars. There are different varieties of spruce:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>German spruce<\/strong>: for <strong>high-end <\/strong>guitars, it is a difficult wood to find.<\/li><li><strong>Engelmann spruce<\/strong>: <strong>it has been gaining followers<\/strong> and market-share since the German variety is in short supply and this one is similar.<\/li><li><strong>Sitka&#8217;s spruce:<\/strong> this type of spruce wood is robust but light, so it\u2019s frequently used in the construction of soundboards for acoustic models.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-maple\"><strong>Maple<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most used guitar woods for being <strong>dense and resistant<\/strong>, offering high durability with medium and medium-high sounds. In this case, we also find different types of maple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Hard maple<\/strong>: as the name suggests, it\u2019s the hardest of the maple types. Frequently used in the construction of electric guitars\u2019 necks.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>European maple<\/strong>: in this case, we\u2019ll find medium density.<\/li><li><strong>American maple<\/strong>: very similar to the European one in terms of density and characteristics, but differs in image.<\/li><li><strong>Quilted, flamed and bird&#8217;s-eye maple<\/strong>: both the European and the American maple can have different fiber shapes in the cut. These pieces have great aesthetic value for the construction of violins, jazz and electric guitars, and the body of classical and acoustic guitars.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-alder\"><strong>Alder<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Among guitar woods, this one offers great durability and resistance to humidity. It\u2019s a type of tree very common in Europe and gives guitars a very <strong>clean tone and great resonance. Mostly used in electric guitars.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-mahogany\"><strong>Mahogany<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a very dense wood, which offers a <strong>warm sound<\/strong> with a good sustain and rich low frequencies, although the mediums are slightly cut off. Frequently used in acoustic and electric guitars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There can be certain confusion in this type of wood since there can be several different species denominated \u201cmahogany\u201d, the most appreciated being the American mahogany or <em>Swietenia Macrophylla<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-canadian-red-cedar\"><strong>Canadian red cedar<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cedar\u2019s wood is soft, perfect for Spanish guitar sounding boards, with a <strong>powerful but warm sound<\/strong>, but weak in treble. There are other species called \u201ccedar\u201d but they have nothing to do with the Canadian red cedar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Honduras cedar<\/strong> (Cedrela Odorata) would be another species used for the construction of classical guitar necks or even electric guitar bodies. It has some characteristics similar to American mahogany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-ebony\"><strong>Ebony<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the favorite woods for fingerboard thanks to the sensations it offers. It gives us <strong>good sustain and high durability.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-ash-tree\"><strong>Ash tree<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A<strong> very balanced<\/strong> wood in all sound frequencies, with a good sustain. We are talking about a type of wood quite porous but resistant. <strong>Mostly used in electric guitars.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-koa\"><strong>Koa<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrary to the previous case, we find one of the <strong>densest <\/strong>guitar woods, offering <strong>a lot of sustain. <\/strong>This is an expensive wood due to its origin, Hawaii, but also because of the aesthetics it offers to the guitars.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-walnut\"><strong>Walnut<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like the koa tree, we find a very dense wood which has good sustain and therefore a <strong>great tonal balance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-rosewood\"><strong>Rosewood<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Palisander, commonly known as Rosewood, is<strong> one of the most used guitar woods<\/strong>, and we can find different varieties depending on their origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>River Rosewood<\/strong>: this wood produces high quality guitars that are becoming scarce, so&nbsp; its commercialization is highly regulated.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Amazon rosewood (Jacaranda)<\/strong>: good alternative to river rosewood.<\/li><li><strong>Indian rosewood:<\/strong> similar to the previous varieties, it\u2019s still a great alternative for the construction of guitar bodies, offering good bass and definition.<\/li><li><strong>Madagascar rosewood<\/strong>: similar to the Indian one, offers great volume and sonority.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Rosewood from Santos or Pau Ferro<\/strong>: it\u2019s not a wood from the <em>Dalbergias<\/em> family. It may give us a darker tone, but round at the same time.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nowadays, new species with similar behaviors to rosewood are incorporated, resulting in instruments with the same sound quality that allow us not to make a massive exploitation of the aforementioned species.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-pine\"><strong>Pine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth mentioning because it\u2019s very <strong>common<\/strong>, but it\u2019s usually used in cheaper guitars since it is not as resistant to humidity and offers a more <strong>opaque sound.<\/strong> It was used in the first Fender guitars, being replaced by other more stable species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-linden-tree\"><strong>Linden tree<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Good balance<\/strong> in bass and medium tones, linden guitars are light and have low density. This wood is used mainly in superstratum electric guitar bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wood-for-guitar-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wood-for-guitar-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wood-for-guitar-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wood-for-guitar-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wood-for-guitar-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-combination-of-guitar-woods-in-sound-definition\"><strong>Combination of guitar woods in sound definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you have seen, each wood is used more for one part than for another. This is a very important issue to consider since each part of the guitar requires a certain <strong>density and hardness<\/strong>, and we must avoid the <strong>resonance <\/strong>interferes in such a way that the sound quality is impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, to know how to combine the different types of wood, <strong>you must be experienced<\/strong> in the creation of handmade guitars. If you want to know what my process is like, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/blog\/mas-madera-mas-guitarras-entrevista-al-luthier-rafael-fuentes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#998677\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I leave you this interview<\/span><\/a>, where I talk more in depth about the types I choose for each part and why. Do you want the perfect guitar for you? <span style=\"color:#998677\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/en\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact Rafael Fuentes<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which points must be considered when choosing guitar woods?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Geographical origin: this depends on the type of tree and climate in which it can develop, therefore, some species are harder to find than others.\\nTree species: depending on the type of tree family, the wood will have particular characteristics, therefore, it is an important issue. Even within the same tree family, there can be variations with different properties that will end up influencing the sound of the guitar. \\nWood quality: even if they come from the same tree species, guitar woods can have different qualities, so they will be classified according to this. This includes issues like the knots, the aesthetic appearance, density or quality of the parenchyma tissue, which is studied in the laboratory.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the types of wood to build a guitar?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Spruce, maple, alder, mahogany, Canadian red cedar, ebony, ash tree, koa, walnut, rosewood, pine, linden tree\"}}]}<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guitar woods can be very different, and its choice is key to the sound of the instrument. We will have to take into account different issues that we will see below, since they are very important factors when building a handmade guitar. As a luthier, choosing the different woods that will be a part of the instrument, is something that I\u2019m passionate about. Whether you want me to advise you on the best types of woods, or you want me to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[173],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.1.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Guitar woods to define our sound<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Guitar woods: learn the importance of choosing the right one when building a handcrafted guitar because of how they help us define our sound\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarrasfuentes.com\/en\/blog\/guitar-woods\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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