Beginner's Guides, Tonewoods: Acoustic Guitar Edition

The sound of a guitar is a complex interplay of factors. We need to take in and account for a myriad of characteristics including player's skill level, the instrument's design, and the materials used in its construction to name just a few. Accounting these elements, tonewoods play a pivotal role in shaping the unique character of a guitar's voice.

What are Tonewoods?

Tonewoods are the specific types of timbers that are prized for their acoustic properties, particularly their ability to resonate and transmit sound effectively. These woods are very often harvested from trees that grow in tropical or subtropical regions, where they develop their unique characteristics over the centuries.

The Impact of Tonewood on a Guitar's Sound

While tonewoods play a significant role in shaping a guitar's sound, it's important to remember that other factors, such as the instrument's construction, the player's technique, and any amplification used, also contribute to the overall tone. Ultimately, the best tonewood for a guitar is the one that complements the player's style, personality and preferences.

By understanding the properties and characteristics of different tonewoods, guitarists can make informed decisions when selecting an instrument that will best suit their musical needs.

Solid & Laminate

Woods can be utilised in a number of ways when it comes to an acoustic guitar's construction. 

Naturally, the pieces of wood that are used to make the body of acoustic guitars are cut thinly, as they need to be manipulated into the shape that works with the intended design. Laminated woods is a number of thinner layers of wood that are stuck together with adhesives and pressure to form a single sheet. One of the most common reasons for this practice is so that the guitar can feature an attractive natural grain on the surface without needing to provide a much thicker thicker piece of wood. The luthier will simply take the thinnest possible piece and begin reinforcing it with cheaper materials, meaning that the attractive piece of wood can then be used for a greater number of instruments.

Solid wood is an opposite approach. Simply by using a thicker, more expensive piece of wood.
Regarding the guitar's top, the solid piece of wood is divided into two and mirrored – you’ll often notice a distinct divide running down the middle. While employing solid woods are more expensive, it arguably yields superior results. Solid woods can offer a more resonant and sustained tone, again due to the uniform grain and thickness. Better vibration means better sustain with improved tones.

Key Tonewood Characteristics

Several factors can influence the tone of a tonewood:

Density: Denser woods tend to produce a warmer, more resonant sound.

Grain Pattern: Grain refers to the growth rings in the wood. Straight grain refers to the rings being straight and parallel to each other. Fine grain is when the rings are close together or appear as fine lines. Coarse grain is when the lines are wider apart and more visible.

The arrangement of wood fibers can affect tone. Tight, straight grain often results in a brighter, more focused sound, while wider, more irregular grain can produce a warmer, more complex tone. 

Stiffness: This is an important quality: too much stiffness can cause less vibration and dampen the tone, too little can cause distortion in the wood. As a general rule, the stiffer the better as a top can always be made thinner.

Porosity: The amount of air pockets within the wood can influence its resonance. Woods with higher porosity may produce a more open, airy sound.

Popular Tonewoods Used in Acoustic Guitars

Mahogany: A versatile tonewood known for its warm, balanced sound. Often used for the bodies and necks of both acoustic and electric guitars.

Mahogany is possibly 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.

Spruce: Among the most common types of spruce used for soundboards are Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, Adirondack (Red) spruce, and European Spruce

Spruce is highly valued for its exceptional tonal qualities, producing a bright, clear, and balanced sound with good projection and sustain. It is favored by luthiers for its ability to enhance the volume and tonal complexity of the instrument.

Rosewood: A dense, rich-sounding tonewood often used for guitar fretboards and the backs and sides of acoustic guitars.

This wood has a beautiful rich variety of brown with purple & red hues. It makes a warm rich sounding guitar with great resonance and volume. However, Brazilian rosewood is no longer available in commercial quality or quantity. As a result it now sells for sizeable prices. To most, Brazilian has better clarity in the bottom and a almost bell like tone in the trebles. Indian rosewood has become the general substitute for Brazilian rosewood. 

Maple: Another versatile tonewood used for both acoustic and electric guitars. Maple can produce a bright, focused sound or a warmer, more complex tone depending on its density and grain pattern.

Maple is about as dense as hard ash, but is much easier to finish. Very durable. When used on a fretboard, Maple produces tremendous amounts of higher overtones and its tight, almost filtered away bass favours harmonics and variations in playing style.

Myrtlewood: Myrtlewood have a warm low end, a midrange similar to African mahogany, and a clear treble like maple. Some say it's a combination of the best qualities of rosewood, mahogany and maple. Its tonal balance, clarity, and responsiveness make it a valuable material for crafting acoustic guitars.

Cedar: Cedar is much less dense than spruce, and that softness typically translates into a sense of warmth.

Comparatively, Sitka spruce has a full dynamic range, cedar makes quieter tones louder, but it can also impose more of a ceiling on high volume levels driven by an aggressive attack. If one attempts to drive a cedar top hard, at a certain point it will reach a volume limit. Typically, players with a lighter touch sound wonderful on a cedar top guitar, fingerstyle players especially. Players with that lighter touch will find their sound being amplified a little more, and one's attack never reaches the volume ceiling.