Guitar Tone Woods

Many guitarist don't realize how many different parts of the guitar interact with one
another and influence the over all tone. A commonly over looked aspect of the guitar
is the wood it's made up of! Believe it or not something as simple as the kind of wood a guitars body and neck are made up of will influence the tone. A softer more porous wood will resonate and sound different than a harder, more tightly grained wood.

Common Body Woods:

Alder is often used because its a relatively common wood and fairly light weight. Its an easy wood to finish, usually a tan color with few grain lines. When you tihnk of alder think of a Fender strat, a majority of stratocasters are alder. This wood is a good balance of lows mids and highs. Right in the middle of the tonal spectrum, a very balanced sound.

Ash: Ash is a relatively dense wood with a bright tone. When you think of Ash think of a Fender Telecaster. A majority of tele's are made up of Ash. It has an open grain and is a pain to finish, alot of lacquer is required, but it does look good with a clear coat.

Mahogany is similar to maple in weight and density. It providesd a soft, warm tone with rolled off highs and a good amount of low end chunk. Great sustain, but not well suited to clear finishes. When you think of mahogany think of Gibson.

Basswood is an incredibly light and soft wood. Usually has an ugly greenish color to it and does not take abuse very well at all. Think about Ibanez guitars like an RG when you think of basswood. A mellow tone with a lot of midrange.

Common neck woods:

Maple is a common wood for necks and fretboards.It has a bright tone, nice grain
patterns and moderate weight. Tonally it has a lot of sustain and a fair amount of bite. Its easy to finish and very durable.

Rosewood is definitely one of the heavier weighing woods. A strat style guitar made of rose wood would weigh in around 7 pounds. The sound is very warm, although the high end sounds are dampened. Finishes can be a bit tricky to apply. Usually not used for bodies just the fretboard.

Ebony is commonly only used in fretboards. It is a dark very durable wood with a
smooth finish. Ebony is also very bright with a long sustain to it.

Labels: