What wood are guitar bodies made of?

Many guitar and bass bodies are made from Mahogany. There are 49 types of Mahogany, but many are practically extinct because of the wood's popularity for furniture and musical instruments, and the types used today are not the same as the Mahogany used in guitars in the 1940s or 1950s.

What wood is best for guitar bodies?

Mahogany, mainly used in the acoustic world, for back and sides. It is the most commonly used hardwood because it's relatively economical, durable, attractive, easy to work with and resonant. Mahogany became popular in guitars because it is attractive and cheaper to get than rosewood.

What are guitar bodies made of?

The majority of material comprising a modern guitar is wood. Typical woods used for the body and neck of a guitar today are Mahogany, Ash, Maple, Basswood, Agathis, Alder, Poplar, Walnut, Spruce, and holly. Woods from around the world are also incorporated into modern acoustic and electric guitars.

What wood are most guitars made from?

Spruce: Spruce is the most common top wood. Spruce is light but strong and comes in a number of varieties with the most common variety for guitar tops being Sitka Spruce.

Is alder better than basswood?

Top 3 - Popular Alder Guitars

Tonally, alder is similar to basswood, but brighter and with slightly less sustain. The mids of alder aren't as pronounced as basswood, but there is more emphasis on the highs and a bit more breathing room for the lows.

How To | Types of Wood for Guitar Necks

What wood is a telecaster made of?

Overall design. The archetypical Fender Telecaster is a solid-body electric guitar with a flat asymmetric single-cutaway body; the body is usually made from alder or ash.

Is maple good for guitar bodies?

Maple is an excellent tonewood for acoustic and classical guitars and is the only commercially-viable tonewood to be used in guitar bodies (tops, backs and sides), necks and fretboards. It's a beautiful-sounding tonewood with a bright tone, and the figured pieces look stunning as well.

Is mahogany good for guitar bodies?

Genuine mahogany is only found in South America, though. The main reason that this wood type is such a popular choice for electric guitar bodies, is its exceptional resilience and resistance to damage. Mahogany is a fairly cheap material for manufacturers to source.

Is Basswood a good guitar body?

Basswood is generally considered too soft and not strong enough for use as a laminate tonewood for electric guitar bodies. However, it made a superb solidbody wood, keeping the weight of the guitar low and its tone neutral.

Is my guitar ash or alder?

Cosmetically, Ash has a more inconsistent but straight and visible grain that looks great with natural and transparent finishes whereas Alders tight grain is less visible but very consistent and is usually finished in solid colours.

Why did Fender stop using ash?

In an interview with Guitar World, Fender's Executive Vice President of Product, Justin Norvell, revealed that the difficult decision was made largely because of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle, a non-native invasive pest that has been destroying the unique "swamp ash" found in the American South - favored by Fender for ...

What kind of wood does Fender use?

When you're looking over the specs of a Fender electric guitar or bass, one of the first things you'll see listed is the kind of wood the body is made of. And with few exceptions, two mainstay woods have been used throughout Fender history for fashioning electric instrument bodies — alder and ash.

Can you use oak for a guitar?

Wanabeeshedder- You can used oak for a guitar, it will be fine. You may need to chamber it as oak is a heavy wood. Quite a few guitars have been made of oak.

Is Poplar good for guitar bodies?

Poplar is a superb solidbody wood, even though there's nothing particularly impressive about its tone. Tonewoods matter much less in electric guitars, which rely on the pickups, string, and gain stages for the overall tone. However, the balanced sound of poplar can make a decent-sounding body.

Which is heavier ash or alder?

Ash wood is slightly heavier than the Alder, weighing at around 3 – 3.6kg. But it must be kept in mind that the guitar's weight depends on how it's made. If the manufacturers want to keep the guitar-heavy, either one can be heavier or lighter.

Is basswood better than mahogany?

Plus, mahogany is usually more valuable than basswood. Thus, you'll more likely find basswood on cheaper guitars. This is because mahogany is harder, more stable, and more durable. As far as necks go, there is little debate that mahogany is better.

Is walnut good for guitars?

Walnut is remarkably easy to bend and work into guitar backs and sides. It's a great choice for acoustic and classical guitars and is an option available with several big-name manufacturers/brands. Walnut back and sides will yield a strong low-end and midrange response while maintaining the clarity it's known for.

Is basswood a cheap wood for guitars?

Affordable and abundant, basswood is particularly associated with mid-level or budget guitars. But basswood is a good tonewood by any standards, and it has been used by many high-end makers with excellent results.

Whats better mahogany or maple?

The stiffness of this tonewood makes it an ideal choice for guitar necks as well, as it is very stable and will resist warping. Maple will also often produce richer overtones than mahogany, which tends to favor the fundamental pitch.

Is alder heavier than mahogany?

Mahogany guitars are generally heavier, with alder being quite light. Because of this, alder gives a light bright sound, and Mahogany gives a deeper Les-Paulier sound.

Why do old guitars sound better?

The Quick Answer. Older guitars often sound better than newer ones as they dry out over time which causes them to become harder leading to a more resonant tone with better sustain. The increase in age affects the tone more in acoustic guitars than electric ones.

What wood does Gibson use?

Gibson's signature tonewood of choice is Mahogany. It uses this almost exclusively for its solid-body electric guitar model's bodies and necks. Mahogany yields the focused lows and rich mids that Gibson guitars are so renowned for, with its density contributing to the long sustain that they can also achieve.

What are Fender Strat bodies made of?

Overall design. The archetypical Stratocaster is a solid-body electric guitar with a contoured asymmetric double-cutaway body with an extended upper horn; the body is usually made from alder or ash.

Does Pine make a good guitar body?

Pine is a good yet rare tonewood for solid electric guitar bodies and acoustic guitar tops. However, it's largely too soft and weak for use in necks (unless laminated with other wood), back and sides, or fretboards. It's lightweight and offers a warm tone with clear highs and decent projection.