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It used to be that only a few, traditional
tonewoods were used for electric guitars: mahogany, rosewood, maple, ebony, ash and alder.
However, with some of these traditional tonewoods becoming rarer or more expensive,
manufacturers have been introducing alternate species of tonewoods. While many of these
newer woods were chosen because of their similarity in sound and performance to the
traditional choices, there are often enough differences to complicate the understanding of
how an instrument made with these woods will sound. |
The influence of the wood on the tone of an
electric guitar is often underappreciated. The sound comes from the strings and pickups.
Right? Well... yes, but that's only a small part of the story. The pickups sense the
string's vibration, true - but that vibration is influenced by almost every other part of
the guitar. The different parts of the guitar all resonate, strengthening some frequencies
and filtering out others. The pickups also manage to sense some of the acoustic tone from
the body and add that into the equation. The body's influence adds character to all
aspects of the tone, but is strongest and most obviously heard in the sustained part of
the sound and the decay (as the sound fades away). The attack (the first part of the
sound) is more from the fingerboard wood, and the neck has the biggest influence on the
length of sustain (rather than the character) as well as having some influence on the
attack.
Bear in mind that every piece of wood is unique - even two
pieces of wood of the same species will differ from each other. Also, every listener has a
different idea of what sounds good. So any description of tonewoods must be general and
relatively subjective.
Electric Guitar body woods
Note:
To hear the tonal influence that the body is giving to a guitar, turn the
guitar around while playing and listen to the back of the body - you will hear a higher
percentage of the body tone with less string, fingerboard and neck influence.
Image
Click for large version |
Wood |
Description |
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Agathis |
Agathis is a 'poor man's mahogany', related
to the pine family of woods and grown in many asian countries. It's cheap, easy to use and
gives consistent and stable results, so it is often used in less expensive instruments.
The best way to describe the tone is similar to mahogany, but is more bland sounding with
a less complex sound. |
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Alder |
Alder is a standard body wood for solid body
guitars and and basses, and is one of the most popular because of its light weight,
balanced tonal response and good resonance. It is light in weight (a Strat body will weigh
approximately 4lbs), and has soft, tight pores similar to basswood, but with a bold harder
grain pattern, similar to ash, but less pronounced. The harder grain adds to the
stiffness, making it more robust than basswood. The colour is medium light tan with a
slight pinkish tint. Overall, it is darker than ash, but the grain lines are less
distinct. Alder has a balanced tone, without much accentuation in any area, aside from a
slightly pronounced upper midrange - which helps with clarity. It is fairly resonant and
complex, with a good dynamic range. While it is known for great Blues and Rock tones, it
is very flexible, making for a very adaptable guitar that can fit most musical styles. |
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Ash |
There are two different species of Ash used
for guitar building: Northern Hard Ash and Swamp Ash. "Southern Soft" or "Swamp Ash":
Swamp Ash comes from swamps in the Southern USA. While the tree grows, large parts are
submerged underwater for years, resulting in a porous lightweight wood. Many of the Fender
guitars from the 1950's were made of Swamp Ash. Swamp Ash has an open pore structure with
hard grain lines between softer layers. It is a fairly light weight wood (which helps
distinguish it from Hard Ash), with a Strat body normally weighing under 5 lbs. The grain
is open and is creamy light tan in color with bold, darker grain patterns. It is a very
musical wood offering a very nice balance of brightness and warmth with a lot of dynamic
range. It has clear, bell-like highs, slightly scooped but very complex mids, and
strong tight lows. The mid frequencies vary quite a lot from piece to piece, which will
vary the sound per guitar more than most woods. It has a very quick attack when striking
the strings and is very dynamic. It is very resonant across the whole frequency spectrum,
so it very detailed and complex when played clean to slightly driven.
Northern Hard Ash: Northern hard ash (also
sometimes called "bassball bat" ash) is similar to swamp ash, but is relatively
hard, heavy and dense, with a Strat body normally weighing 5 lbs or more. The density
makes it brighter sounding, and gives it a longer sustain. |
See
Koa |
Australian blackwood (or
black acacia) |
Australian blackwood is the Australian
cousin of the Hawaiian wood koa, and is identical in every respect. Tonally similar to
mahogany. |
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Basswood |
Basswood is a very lightweight, closed-grain
wood with a consistent and tight grain pattern. The colour is whitish through yellow to
tan, but sometimes has unattractive green mineral streaks. Better quality examples will be
darker tan and consistent in colour throughout, but it is not a good looking wood for
clear finishes. Basswood is a very soft wood which dents easily - this need not be a
problem as harder finishes such as polyester are usually used to counter this. However,
due to the softness, screw holes have a tendency to strip if overtightened. There also
needs to be a reasonable amount of wood in front of the anchors of a two-stud tremolo
system to prevent the wood from cracking and/or the studs from leaning forwards with
extreme tremolo use. On the upside, the softness means it’s easy on tools and easy to
cut, sand and finish. The softness of the Basswood attenuates both the high and extreme
low frequencies. This gives it a pronounced midrange fundamental frequency response.
Unlike Ash and alder, the tonal response is not particularly complex and the dynamic range
is relatively limited. The reduced and smoother high end response helps offset the treble
accentuation of floating tremolos and locking nuts. All together, this gives it an
"up-front" tone, suitable for Metal and Rock music styles as well as for
distorted lead tones, while clean sounds tend to be more sterile, somewhat lacking in
character. |
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Bubinga |
A very heavy, strong, stiff wood used
primarily as an electric bass body and neck wood. For electric guitars, it is best suited
for laminate tops because of the weight. It has a nice reddish brown color and sometimes
has a 'bees-wing' figure, which gives it a nice 3D shimmer. |
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Cocobolo |
Cocobolo is a rosewood species which is
grown in Mexico. Among the heaviest of the rosewoods, it has similar sonic characteristics
and a particularly striking grain. Unfortunately it is not often used, as the dust from
cutting and sanding this wood causes allergic reactions and it can be very difficult to
glue. |
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Koa |
Koa is an exotic medium to heavy weight wood
grown exclusively in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the traditional wood for ukeleles and
high-end acoustic guitar back and sides. It is a sigularly beautiful wood with a light,
honey-brown color. Figured koa has more 3D 'depth' than any other wood. It is becoming
increasingly difficult to find good quality and is fast becoming one of the most expensive
tonewoods - with prices often on a par with Brazilian rosewood. Koa has warmth and sustain
similar to Mahogany, but is denser, so is a bit brighter with less low end. Like rosewood,
it’s an oilier wood, and this dampens the high frequencies a bit, but less so than
rosewood. Overall, the sound is pronounced in the midrange, treble response is smooth and
compressed and the low end is clear but reduced. This produces a strong fundamental tone
which is less dynamic and more compressed than most, but a good sweet sound - especially
when played hard. It is a popular wood for electric guitars with 'hollow body' resonant
chambers as this type of construction adds some low end, increases both resonance and
dynamics as well as reducing the body's weight. |
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Korina (Limba) |
The grain pattern and tone is similar to
Mahogany, although it is not quite as dense. It was the original wood used for many
classic Gibson guitars such as the original Explorer and Flying V. It has all the good
tonal properties of mahogany, but is more responsive with a sweeter sounding midrange.
There are two variants of Korina, white and black. Black Korina is a medium weight wood,
which is olive in color with black streaking. White Korina is a medium to heavy weight
wood. The colour a light yellow/green. |
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Lacewood |
Lacewood is a medium weight wood from
Australia. A true multi-density wood, it has a 'snakeskin' like look, with a hard dark
reddish-brown grain surrounding softer, lighter coloured wood. Like maple, it is often
used as a laminate top over softer woods, for it's striking appearance. The tone is
similar to Alder, but brighter overall. The low frequencies are tight, with some
complexity in the midrange and a bright high frequency response. |
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Mahogany |
Mahogany has a fine, open grain with large
pores, similar to ash, but with a more even grain pattern and density. It is denser and
heavier than Alder (a Strat body will usually weigh over 5lbs), but lighter than Maple.
The colour is reddish brown, better examples often have a golden 'sparkle' under a clear
finish. The low frequencies are good, the midrange is compressed with prominent low mids
and less upper midrange and smooth sounding highs. Overall, the tone is warm, full and
thick with a slight nasal quality. Dynamically, it is punchy and has excellent sustain. In
a solid body, it is well suited for punchy rock music, in a hollowbody it has all the
warmth needed for jazz. It is often mated with a maple top or neck to add some high end
and some articulation. Of particular note is that good mahogany often ages really well,
becoming better sounding every year. It is also an extremely stable wood (particularly the
now rare Honduran mahogany), with less chance of warping over time than most other
species. |
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Maple |
There are two types of Maple: Eastern Hard
Maple (hard rock maple) and Western Soft Maple (big leaf maple). The colour is white with
tight pores and thin grain lines. Soft maple often has intense figuring. Maple is well
known for imparting bright tone to an instrument, with excellent separation (which allows
each note of a chord to sound distinct, without blurring together). Hard Maple (Eastern, hard rock or sugar maple): Hard
Maple is a very hard, heavy and dense wood which is more often used for necks than bodies
due to the weight. It is a brighter sounding wood, with very strong highs and upper
midrange. While the bass frequencies are quieter, they are very articulate and with the
right pickups and amp settings can be wonderful. Overall, maple has a very long sustain.
It is a particular sound which is well suited to certain styles of hard rock and heavy
metal or for a very articulate bass.
Soft Maple: It is usually much lighter weight than
Hard Maple but it features the same white color. It has bright tone with good bite and
attack, but is not as brittle as hard maple or other harder woods can be, and produces
singing highs with a tight low end. |
| See Images Below |
Figured maple |
Maple with figuring is preferred over plain
maple, but the figure has no real bearing on the sound of the wood. The figure is,
however, strikingly beautiful. Most common are curly maple (A.K.A. flame, fiddleback or
tiger maple), quilted maple (with a billowy, bubbly appearance) and birdseye maple
("the one with the spots" as a wood "specialist" once told me!). Less
common are burly maple, spalted maple and wild maple. |
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Flame
Maple
Flame, curly, fiddleback or tiger maple all generally refer to stripes. Flame can be
tight, wide, straight or crooked. The example above is finished in tobacco burst. |
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Quilted Maple
Quilted maple is distinguished by its billowing cloud or bubbly appearance. This figure
can vary from large, wide billows to tight small blisters.The figure can vary from large
cloud shapes to smaller pockets. |
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Birdseye
Maple
This figure is only found in the eastern hard maple trees. Birdseye does not usually run
deep in the boards, so solid bodies are not available. As a bookmatched top it can be
quite striking. |
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Spalted
Maple
This wood is actually the product of a dead or decaying tree which hasbeen attacked by
fungi. This wood is soft and is only used as a laminate top on flat top bodies, usually
with binding. Each piece is quite unique in look and it can look wonderful with a tobacco
burst finish. |
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Burl
Maple
This is a very busy looking wood usually with a lot of porosity and bark inclusions which
looks best finished in a natural clear gloss. |
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Wild maple
Wild maple can be stunning, consisting of irregular figuring which is never the
same from piece to piece. |
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Nato |
Nato
is a South American hard wood, similar to mahogany and was used as a cheap mahogany
substitute for entry level instruments until agathis gained in popularity. Not really a
great tonewood and is really only a step up from cheap ply or composite wood. |
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Padouk |
Brilliant purple-red or orange color which
oxidizes to a warm brown over time. The grain is open, similar to rosewood. It has a waxy
feeling and feels good to play on. Tonally it is bright, having a similar tone to maple.
While it is sometimes used for complete bodies, it is more likely to be found as laminate
strips. |
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Poplar |
Poplar is another common body wood which has
been used by many manufacturers in the past, including Fender. It is a closed grain wood
with a a greyish-green colour. It is very similar to alder in weight and tone, but is not
as popular due to the colour. Overall, a good choice for a inexpensive guitar which needs
to cover a range of playing styles. |
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Redwood |
Redwood is a hard, dense pinkish wood which
is sometimes used for laminated tops. It has a tone similar to maple, but slightly warmer
and more resonant. It sometimes shows dramatic figuring. |
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Rosewood |
Although it is more often used as a
fingerboard wood, rosewood is sometimes used for electric guitar bodies. It is the
heaviest tonewood, and a rosewood Strat body will always weigh in at 6lbs or more. It is a
beautiful, dark brown wood, often with reddish, purple or orange streaks running through
it. It is an extremely dense, stable wood. It is and resonant across the entire frequency
range, but has a high oil content, which serves to dampen the high frequencies, making it
one of the warmest sounding woods available. Guitars made of rosewood often have a
pronounced and dark reverb-like resonance. |
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Sen |
Sen is sometimes called sen ash, but is not
related to ash at all, but is rather a member of the ivy family. It is an Asian wood which
looks a lot like ash, but is tonally similar to poplar and is often used for inexpensive
Fender style bodies. |
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Spruce |
Spruce is best known as the main acoustic
guitar top wood. It is a very soft and lightweight wood, but is extremely stiff for its
density. Like ash, it's a multi-density wood, with a hard grain and soft wood in between.
The colour is creamy white. It has a broad frequency response even wider than alder
- possibly the widest of any electric guitar tonewood - with a very strong midrange
resonance. The softness of spruce means that it must be covered with an extremely hard
finish to protect the wood from damage. It is sometimes as a laminate to give life to
tonewoods with a more compressed sound. |
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Walnut |
Walnut is a dense medium hard wood which has
a strong grain pattern similar to ash, but it has a constant density more like mahogany.
It is harder, heavier and more dense than Mahogany, closer to maple. Tonally, it is warm
with solid, snappy low end, the midrange is a lot more complex than mahogany (more like
alder) and the top end is quite bright, but very smooth. It is a heavier wood which weighs
approximately 5.5lbs or more as a Strat body. Walnut often has quite dramatic figuring. |
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Wenge |
Wenge is an african hardwood which features
black and chocolate brown stripes, similar in appearance and tone to Zebrawood, but much
darker in colour. |
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Zebrawood |
This is another heavy weight wood with very
open grain. It has a distinctive look with light and dark brown stripes. Due to the
weight, it is more commonly used as a laminate top than as a complete body. Its weight and
sound are similar to hard maple. |
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Ziricote |
Ziricote is grayish brown in color and
features intense spider-web and 3D figuring. It is a high density oily wood, which makes
it sound and feel similar to rosewood. It is also a heavy weight wood, so is more often
used for laminated tops, rarely for complete bodies. |
Acknowledgements
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