Exploring Acoustic Guitar Woods
                     THE HEART AND SOUL OF 
SOUND: EXPLORING 
ACOUSTIC GUITAR 
WOODS
THE GUITAR IS SOMETHING MORE THAN AN INSTRUMENT – IT IS AN INTERPLAY 
AND MARRIAGE OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND THE 
EXPRESSION OF NATURE IN ITSELF. WHETHER YOU ARE PICKING UP A GUITAR 
FOR THE FIRST TIME OR YOU'RE A SKILLED LUTHIER WORKING ON DESIGNING 
CUSTOM GUITARS, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CONSIDER THE ROLE OF GUITAR WOOD 
IN CREATING FANTASTIC SOUNDS AND BEAUTY WITH IT. AT THE CRUX OF AN 
AWESOME ACOUSTIC GUITAR IS THE WOOD ITSELF – FROM THE TOP BY ITSELF 
TO THE BACK OF THE GUITAR AND THE SIDES IT HAS.
WHAT MAKES ACOUSTIC GUITAR WOOD 
SPECIAL?
NORMALLY, WHEN TALKING ABOUT ACOUSTIC GUITAR TONEWOODS, WHAT IS 
BEING REFERRED TO ARE TONEWOODS OF CHOICE FOR TOTAL USE WHEN 
CONSTRUCTING ANY PART OF AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR. THIS TONEWOOD 
DETERMINES ITS FINAL TONE, WEIGHT, RESONANCE, STABILITY, AND BEAUTY. 
UNLIKE THE CASE OF AN ELECTRIC GUITAR, WHERE TONEWOODS ARE 
SUPPLEMENTED WITH PICKUPS AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, AN ACOUSTIC 
GUITAR ENTIRELY DEPENDS UPON TONEWOODS.
THE MOST ACOUSTIC GUITARS CONSIST OF A MIXTURE OF VARIOUS WOODS:
• THE MAIN PROJECTION AND TONE ARE FORMED BY THE FACE OF THE GUITAR, WHICH 
IS THE TOP OR THE SOUNDBOARD.
• THE RESONANCE AND DEPTH OF SOUND ARE DEPENDENT ON THE BACK AND SIDES.
• THE NECK AND THE FINGERBOARD MAKE IT EASIER TO HOLD.
CHOOSING THE BEST WOOD FOR 
ACOUSTIC GUITAR
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ASPIRING BUILDERS ASK IS: WHAT IS THE 
BEST WOOD FOR ACOUSTIC GUITAR? THE STRAIGHTFORWARD SOLUTION IS TO TELL THE 
TRUTH WE HAVE NO ONE-FIT SOLUTION AS EVERY WOOD SUGGESTS. HOWEVER, OTHER 
WOODS HAVE BECOME A LEGEND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GUITARS DUE TO THEIR TONAL 
BALANCE AND RESPONSIVENESS.
• THE SPRUCE TOPS (SUCH AS THE SITKA AND ADIRONDACK SPRUCE) ARE ALWAYS PREFERRED DUE 
TO CLARITY AND DYNAMIC RANGE OF THE WOOD.
• MAHOGANY BRINGS IN A WARM TASTE, PUNCH AND A MIDDLE-RANGE FOCUS THAT IS BEST WITH 
BLUES AND FOLK.
• ROSEWOOD IS CHARACTERIZED BY ITS RICH OVERTONES, BASS, AND HIGH SHINERS OF THE HIGHS.
• MAPLE IS A BRIGHT ONE, WITH THE SEPARATION OF THE NOTES.
IT IS A MATTER OF YOUR STYLE OF PLAY. STRUMMERS MAY PREFER TO RECORD THE MAHOGANY 
WARM AND ROSY TONE, AND A FINGERSTYLE FIDDLER MAY BE ORIENTED AT THE COMPLICATED 
FLAVOURS OF ROSEWOOD.
THE ALLURE OF EXOTIC WOODS
BEYOND CLASSIC WOODS, MANY BUILDERS SEEK ACOUSTIC GUITAR EXOTIC WOOD SPECIES 
WOODS THAT ARE RARER, VISUALLY STRIKING, AND SONICALLY UNIQUE. EXOTIC WOOD 
ZONE OFFERS A GREAT SELECTION OF THESE SPECIES RANGING WITH SOME OF THE MOST 
BEAUTIFULLY PATTERNED SETS OF LEOPARDWOOD TO A DRAMATIC GRAIN IN ZIRICOTE.
• LEOPARDWOOD - HAS ITS VISUAL APPEAL AND A BOLD AND STRIKING SOUND THAT REMINDS 
OF WALNUT WITH A FLAVOR OF CHARACTER.
• ZIRICOTE - THIS IS VERY SOUGHT AFTER DUE TO ITS DARK GRAIN AND BALANCED RICH SOUND 
THAT MAKES THE GUITARS HAVE AN ADDITIONAL VOICE AND HIGH-QUALITY APPEARANCE.
• ACACIA - ALTHOUGH WEAKNESSES ARE ABSENT, ACACIA IS A THROUGH-PLAYER THAT 
POSSESSES A WARMER AND PROJECTED SOUND BUT WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SOUND.
THESE EXOTIC WOODS AREN'T JUST CONVERSATION PIECES, THEY OFFER TONAL NUANCES 
THAT CAN ELEVATE A CUSTOM BUILD TO A WORK OF ART.
WHY YOU TAKE WOODS MATTER MORE 
THAN CONSIDER.
WHILE ELECTRONICS AND TECHNIQUE MATTER IN OTHER INSTRUMENTS, THE 
ACOUSTIC GUITAR WOOD DETERMINES THE SOUL OF THE INSTRUMENT. ALL 
VIBRATIONS OF THE STRINGS PASS THROUGH THE WOOD SO THAT IT REACTS TO THE 
DENSITY, THE GRAIN, AND THE STIFFNESS AND PRODUCES COMPLETE HARMONICS. 
THE SELECTION OF THE EIGHT SUITABLE WOOD COMBINATIONS DEPENDS ON THE 
DIALOGUE OF THE CONNECTION OF YOUR MUSICAL OBJECTIVES AND THE 
PHYSICALITY OF THE SUBSTANCE.
BACK AND SIDE SETS OF THE LUTHIERS ARE MOSTLY BOOKMATCHED SO THAT THE 
WHOLE BODY HAS THE SAME TONE. THIS ENABLES ANY PREMIUM GUITAR WOOD 
THAT IS PROVIDED BY SUPPLIERS SUCH AS THE EXOTIC WOOD ZONE TO MAKE THIS 
PROCESS EASIER AND MORE INSPIRING TO THE BUILDERS OF ALL LEVELS.
BUILDING YOUR DREAM GUITAR
YOUR GUITAR PROJECT NEEDS YOU TO BEGIN BY DETERMINING THE DESIRED SOUND 
WHICH YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THROUGH YOUR CUSTOM GUITAR. DO YOU CRAVE A 
WARM, MELLOW VOICE, OR BRIGHT ARTICULATION WITH SPARKLING HIGHS? YOUR 
TONAL GOAL ENABLES YOU TO TEST DIFFERENT ACOUSTIC GUITAR WOODS WHICH 
INCLUDE BOTH TRADITIONAL AND RARE WOOD TYPES. A COMBINATION OF SPRUCE 
TOP AND ROSEWOOD BACK AND SIDES WILL PRODUCE BALANCED SOUND BUT 
USING EXOTIC WOODS WILL CREATE YOUR PERSONAL SIGNATURE TONE.
YOUR INSTRUMENT'S SOUND IDENTITY WILL BE DETERMINED BY YOUR SELECTION OF 
WOOD MATERIALS WHICH RANGE FROM TRADITIONAL OPTIONS TO CREATIVE 
ACOUSTIC GUITAR EXOTIC WOOD SETS. THE WOOD SELECTION PROCESS WILL 
CREATE UNIQUE MUSICAL EXPRESSIONS THROUGH EACH STRUM OR PICK WHICH 
SHOWCASES THE ARTISTRY AND PASSION BEHIND YOUR INSTRUMENT.