The Secret Sound of Trees: Why Different Woods Give Your Guitar a Different Sound.
When you pick up a guitar and strum the strings, the sound you hear is the result of many different components and influences. From the thickness and type of strings, to the quality of the pickups and the resonance of the body and neck – it’s the combination of all of these factors that will influence the tone you get from your instrument. One of the most significant elements of a guitar’s sound is the type of wood used in its construction.
Guitar woods are of crucial importance to the look and sound of the instrument, and it can be quite overwhelming when you’re trying to determine the best type of wood for your build. Different types of wood provide different sound qualities, resonance, and weight, and many craftspeople know that a specific wood can make all the difference between a great sounding guitar and an average one.
The most popular guitar woods are Alder, Basswood, Cedar, Koa, Mahogany, Maple, and Rosewood. While all types of wood have their own distinct properties and sound qualities, let’s take a closer look at each of these woods:
Alder: One of the most popular guitar woods, Alder is often used to build electric guitars. It’s a light, strong tone wood that has a balanced sound character with neutral midrange to slightly scooped highs, and a good low end. Its clear sound with good sustain has made Alder a popular choice for blues and rock musicians.
Basswood: Basswood is often used in electric and acoustic guitars, as well as bass instruments. This lightweight, softwood has a balanced sound character that’s perfect for versatile players since it’s able to recreate many different sounds and genres. Its tight, warm bottom end and soft, clear highs makes it a great wood for funk, jazz, and blues.
Cedar: Cedar is usually used in acoustic guitars, and provides a bright, balanced sound with rich overtones. This softwood gives off an even sound with less attack, resulting in a rich, mellow tone.
Koa: Koa is an exotic hardwood that comes from Hawaii, and is prized for its beautiful grain, warm tone, and strength. It has a balanced sound character with treble that’s slightly brighter than mahogany, and solid lows that don’t get muddy. Although most koa guitars are acoustics, Koa is also used in semi-acoustics, teles, and guitars that feature unique tonewood combinations.
Mahogany: Mahogany has a long and distinguished history when it comes to guitars, as it provides warmer tones with rich lows, and bright yet subtle treble. Its heavier feel and texture makes it a great choice for electric guitars, with its mellow, rounded sound that’s well-suited to genres such as rock, blues, and country.
Maple: Used in both electric and acoustic guitars, maple is well-known for its bright tones due to its higher stiffness and reflectivity. Maple has a bright, tight sound that makes it a particularly popular choice for jazz and funk players who want clarity and definition in their sound.
Rosewood: Rosewood is a dense hardwood that provides guitars with a warm, balanced sound character with a tendency towards a brighter high-end. It’s often used for the fretboard and the back and sides of the body, and is a great choice for the blues, country, and rock genres.
Now that you know some of the woods that are popular for electric and acoustic guitars, you can decide which type of wood is right for you and your sound. Keep in mind that it takes a combination of factors — including woods, pickups, strings and construction — to determine the overall sound of your instrument. So experiment and find out what works best for you!