Quality Woods For Your Guitar
July 31, 2010Obviously, many guitars today are often made out of wood material (can be built by just using basic pieces). Not only that, many guitar builders use woods in different variations, to make out different guitar sounds. And the major sounds that you usually hear coming out from a guitar can be connected to a lot of factors, like the kind of wood that is used to build it; as well as its different parts. A guitar will always be built with a top, and is usually referred to as the wood piece with the hole in it. A guitar is also composed of a back and the sides (the box), and is actually the part that is responsible for amplifying the sounds in the guitar.
Now, first thing’s first. Identify with the functions of the two wood pieces. These are the main ones that apply to what’s going on in the guitar. But the type of wood that the finger board is made out of, as well as the bridge and the neck, all have something to do with it. The main types of woods that you see on a guitar, let’s say for the top, are usually made out of some kind of spruce, or sitter; or a relatively soft wood that has a smooth, and an even grain that can vibrate nicely together. Take note that there are also different kinds of spruce, like Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, German spruce, Italian spruce, and Red spruce (also known as Adirondack). And all of these pass on a slightly different quality for the top (and can even be determined); or can have a lot to do with the style of music you’re trying to play. For example, for a Bluegrass guitar, you might want the Adirondack top on a Dreadnought guitar, with Brazilian rose for its back and sides.
Looking for a nice guitar make should always be well thought of, like considering the wood that will be used to make a guitar’s back and sides (should be really made with hard wood). Harder woods should be used for these parts so that the sound from the guitar isn’t transferred, but reflected only. It’s like creating a sound chamber, so that the sound can just bounce-off of the guitar. Brazilian rosewood and Indian rosewood are usually the hardwood types that are used for these parts (even used from years ago). But since Brazilian rosewood hasn’t lowered its prices (ever since the late 60′s), people nowadays don’t use it anymore. The hardwood is already in danger of extinction, but then again, that’s another topic. And just like its counterpart, Indian rosewood is also a good hardwood choice when making a guitar; and also Mahogany (originally from the Philippines ) and Koa (originally from Hawaii) wood types. You can use Mahogany for a guitar’s back and sides since it’s a great hardwood option. Now for the guitar top, you’ll definitely get different sounds when you combine all of these wood types for it. Usually Mahogany, and sometimes Maple, are used to make guitars. But remember to use only hardwood when making a guitar, as this will make it stable for playing.
Finger boards on the other hand, are usually made out of Ebony or Rosewood (also used to make the saddle and the bridge). But sometimes, this is just made out for cosmetic matching purposes, just so that they stay together. All kinds of different woods that are usually used in guitar building have their own characteristics. You just have to play, hundreds, if not thousands of guitars to distinguish the differences in them. Get a real feel of the different kinds of sounds by getting from a combination of guitar woods. You can even try combining Italian spruce and Indian rosewood, or Engelmann spruce and Koa for an experiment.
Doing your own research on this topic will surely benefit you. You may even ask guitar builders about finding the right sound for your guitar. A lot of guitar woods are out there for your own personal selection, and the journey to finding the right ones is an experience worth enjoying.
Jeff Smith has luthier experience and likes to help others. To discuss more about the different guitar wood visit TotallyGuitars.com
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