Which wood is best for guitar body?

Spruce. This evergreen, found in northern temperate regions of the globe, is literally top choice: the ideal wood for the soundboard, or top, of an acoustic guitar. Its look — light in color, even in grain — is appealing though somewhat plain; what sets it apart is its beautiful tonal properties.

Does guitar body wood matter?

On a solid body guitar the body shape and wood don't matter much. The most important thing about a guitar is the mechanical impedance as seen by the string. The string start vibrating and the rest of the guitar sucks out energy at different rates at different frequencies.

What wood is used for Les Paul body?

Mahogany. Gibson's wood of choice for the Les Paul, Les Paul Jr., and SG. Mahogany produces an overall balanced tone — nothing is missing from the highs, mids, or lows, but nothing stands out either.

What type of wood are most guitars 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 is the lightest wood for guitar body?

Basswood is a lightweight tonewood that is relatively soft compared to other woods listed in this article, but it's abundant and therefore relatively cheap. Because of its soft and lightweight nature, it's never used as a laminate material, or on necks or fretboards.

Quick Tips #32 Selecting Wood For A Guitar

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 mahogany a good tone wood?

As a guitar top, dense mahogany has a solid, punchy tone with low overtone content and good high-end response. Mahogany back and sides often emphasize bass and treble, with more overtone coloration and a “woody” sound (as opposed to the more metallic sound of, say, rosewood back and sides).

Which is better rosewood or mahogany?

Mahogany is usually strong in the middle, rosewood touches a wider tone palette. In your hands, a guitar with a rosewood body often feels a little different when you play. Due to the higher density, rosewood is usually a bit heavier and subtly reacts to your playing. Mahogany is often lighter and very direct.

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.

Is mahogany wood expensive?

Mahogany is so expensive because it has a high demand and is becoming increasingly hard to acquire. The high demand of Mahogany is due to its pleasing appearance, dark fine grain, and long lasting durability. Mahogany has also become more scarce leading to a lack of supply and higher prices.

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.

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.

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.

What wood has the best tone?

Maple is an extremely popular wood for necks and fretboards. Recognizable because of its bright tone, grain patterns and moderate weight. It's tonal characteristics include good sustain with plenty of bite.

Is alder a good tone wood?

Red alder boasts many sonic advantages. Not especially dense, it's a lightweight, closed-pore wood that has a resonant, balanced tone brighter than other hardwoods, with a little more emphasis in the upper midrange. It imparts excellent sustain and sharp attack. It's very easy to work with and it glues well.

Does body wood affect tone?

The Quick Answer. The wood a guitar is made from affects the tone of acoustic and electric guitars, but has more impact on acoustic guitars. Denser woods create more sustain and a sharper tone. The body wood type affects the tone more compared to the neck and fretboard wood type.

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.

What wood is mahogany?

There are many species of mahogany, mainly grown in North and Central America. Known for its straight grain and characteristic red brown colour, it polishes and oils very well and can be buffed to a very high shine. An exceptionally durable hardwood, it is the ideal choice for furniture and fittings around the home.

What kind of wood does Epiphone use?

Typically, Epiphone uses a very thin maple veneer, which is common for many companies when using a figured or flamed maple; however, Epiphone still uses a thin maple veneer when using plain maple tops too. Both Gibson and Epiphone use several pieces of wood glued together to form the body of their guitars.

Why is mahogany good for guitar?

Mahogany produces a strong, earthy midrange tonality with subtle overtones, making for a sound that is often described as “non-abrasive.” Mahogany top guitars are great for playing blues and are also an excellent choice in situations where you are playing with other instruments, since they cut through so well.

Are rosewood guitars heavy?

Rosewood is about 65% heavier than mahogany. Rosewood is also heavier than oak, which is a surprise to some people..... especially when they pick up one of my oak guitars.

Are mahogany guitars good for strumming?

What is this? Both tone woods can be used for strumming and fingerstyle. However, mahogany guitars excel more at rhythm playing due to their fuller but more subtle tones, whilst rosewood guitars work really well for fingerstyle playing due to their bright and rich sound.

Is walnut better than mahogany?

Mahogany has a more 'classic' and antique look while walnut is more modern and understated. This means that some home aesthetics may suit one more than the other, but solid wood generally can work well in most settings, whether it's rustic or more contemporary in style.

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 rosewood a good guitar wood?

“Rosewood is dense and heavy compared to other woods—almost so heavy that it sinks in water,” Boak says. “And it produces extremely warm and resonant tones.” In no small part due to its use in classic Martin guitars, Brazilian rosewood has long been considered the Holy Grail.