Guide to guitarbuilding (bèta)

Building materials

2011-02-05 12:02:19 guitarbuild

Example

Description

Alder (Alnus Glutinosa)

Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for
a Strat® body) and its full sound. Its closed grain makes this wood easy to finish.
Alder’s natural color is a light tan, with little or no distinct grain lines. Alder has been the
mainstay for Fender bodies for many years. It looks good with a sunburst and in solid
colors. Because of its fine characteristics and lower price, Alder is our most popular
wood.

Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

There are two very different types of Ash, Northern Hard Ash and Southern Soft, or
Swamp Ash. First, Northern Hard Ash: This stuff is very hard and heavy. A Strat® body
will weigh from 5 lbs. and up. With its density, the tone is very bright with a long sustain.
Its color is creamy, but also tends to have heartwood of pink to brown tints. The grain is
open and takes lots of finish to fill up. Hard Ash is popular for its bright, long sustain.
Southern Soft or Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many reasons. This is the wood
many 50′s Fenders were made of. It is easily distinguishable from Northern Ash by
weight. A Strat® body will be under 5 lbs. This is a very musical wood offering a very
nice balance of brightness and warmth with lots of “pop”. The grain is open and creamy
– a nice choice for clear finishes. Swamp Ash is our second most popular wood.

Basswood (Tilia americana)

This is a lighter weight wood offering Strat® bodies usually under 4 lbs. The color is
white, but often has nasty green mineral streaks in it. This is a closed-grain wood, but
can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a wood for clear finishes, and it is quite soft, not
good for much abuse. Soundwise, Basswood has a nice, warm tone.

Bocote (Cordia alliodora)

A very pretty wood with black patterns, which appear to be birdseyes, on a creamy
background. This wood is medium weight. Somewhat expensive, due to its rich
appearance. This wood comes from Central America. Normally used for fingerboards.

Bubinga (Guibourtia Demeusei)

Africa, Cameroon, Gabon. Reddish brown to deep red in color. Flat sliced is called
Bubinga and when rotary cut is called Kevasingo. A very strong stiff wood used
primarily for bass necks and in laminations. Used by Rickenbacker for fretboards. As a
bass neck, it brings bright midrange and a thick well defined bottom.
Fine pores are diffused throughout the wood, which often contain a reddish gum.
Texture is usually medium, and surface is highly lustrous. Excellent polishing qualities.
Sound is clear low, bright trebles, long sustain. Medium to high price.

Cedar, Western Red (Thuja plicata)

Is normally found in south east alaska is the traditional wood for nylon string guitars. As
for the sound, it produces a mellow sound. Alaskan yellow cedar is not a traditional
guitar wood, however has been used for the sides of Flamenco guitars. It is also a
denser wood than western red with a light yellow colour and a very fine and consistant
grain.(used for acoustic guitars, not common in solidbody-style).

Cocobolo (Dalbergia Retusa)

This is a rosewood from Central America. Color varies from rich reddish-purple to
variegated yellow, orange and red streaks, which matures to a mellow orange-red upon
exposure. It is very heavy and stable and has a very nice texture and grain pattern.
clear mid, warm trebles,slightly delayed attack, like rosewood. It is also poisonous.

Ebony (Dispyrus Melanoxylon)

This is black ebony. Very hard, smooth and fast feeling that has a bright, long
sustaining tone. Chocolate brown or dark gray streaks are not uncommon. Available
primarily as fingerboards and occasionally for full neck construction.

Macassar Ebony (Dispyrus Macassar)

Stripped ebony, black with with heavy striping, chocolate brown to gray. A beautiful
wood for those wanting the feel and tone of ebony but a more exciting look. Primarily for
fingerboard wood but sometimes available for solid necks. No finish required.

Goncalo Alves (Astronium Fraxini Folium)

Very dense smooth texture with a waxy fast feel – no finish required. Color is tan with
darker chocolate stripes (used by Smith & Wesson for pistol grips). Articulate clean
warm tone. Primarily used as a Neck wood and mates well with Pau Ferro or ebony
fingerboards.

Koa (Acacia Koa)

Koa comes from the Hawaiian Islands. It is the premiere ukulele wood. It is fairly similar
to mahogany in strength and weight though generally better looking. Weight varies
somewhat from medium to heavy, a good wood for basses. Koa has a warm sound
similar to mahogany, but with a little more brightness. Sometimes available with flame
figuring. Koa sounds best when combined with a pau ferro or ebony fingerboard. Koa
must be hard finished.

Lacewood (Cardwellia sublimis)

From Australia: This can be had as a book-matched top, or solid body. The size of the
spots range from very small to very large, creating a very striking, reptilian appearance.
May also refer to the wood of the American Sycamore, which has a similar appearance
when quartersawn.

Limba (Terminalia Superba)

Korina is the name guitarists recognize for this wood. Its light yellow green color is
unique and looks aged even though new. In both tone and texture limba is very similar
to mahogany. Limba is only suitable for neck stock, not fretboards. Must be finished.
Availability is limited or sporadic. Used in Gibson’s Explorer and V’s. A medium weight
wood similar to mahogany. Black Limba is usually lighter weight with more interesting
grain and darker color.

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Example

Description

Mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla)

Commonly called Honduran Mahogany. This is the wood most associated with Gibson
guitars. Not as dense or strong as maple. Good for warmer, fatter guitar tone. An open
grain wood requiring more work in finishing to fill the open pores. Must be hard finished.
This is a fine wood with good musical properties, the tone is warm and full with good
sustain. Weight-wise, mahogany is mid to heavy with a Strat® body averaging 5 lbs. or
more. The grain is easy to fill.

Maple (Acer Saccharum)

There are two basic types of maple, northern hard (hard rock maple) and western soft
(bigleaf maple). Hard maple is the same used for necks. It is very dense, and weighs
like hard ash. The grain is closed and easy to finish. The sound of maple is very bright
with long sustain and a lot of bite. Looks good in any style finish. It is usually much
lighter than hard maple, but is the same white color. Its sound is characterized by good
bite and attack, bright, but not brittle like the harder woods can be.

Maple, Birdseye (Acer Saccharum)

The characteristics of this wood are identical to plain maple, except for the highly prized
birdseye figuring.

Maple, Burl (Acer Saccharum)

The characteristics of this wood are identical to plain maple, except for the highly prized
quilted figuring. Sometimes this is available as a solid body or book-matched top.
Availability is spotty, and it tends to have a lot of holes to fill which makes it more
expensive.

Maple, Flamed (Acer Saccharum)

These woods are used as book-matched tops on alder, ash or mahogany, or as a solid
body. Hard Maple is the traditional Fender neck wood. Dense, hard and strong, offering
great sustain and stability. The tone is bright. Maple must be finished to protect from
warpage. We use flat sawn maple though quartersawn may be available at an
additional cost. While there are several maple species that show the flame figure, the
only one hard enough for making necks is Acer Saccarum. Identical to plain maple
above, except for the highly prized flame figuring.

Maple, Quilted (Acer Saccharum)

The characteristics of this wood are identical to plain maple, except for the highly prized
quilted figuring.

Padouk, African (Pterocarpus Soyauxii)

Bright vivid red color which oxidizes to a warm brown with use. This waxy feeling wood
has an open grain texture similar to rosewood and a tone similar to maple. It is very
stable in use and requires no finish. Feels great to play on. The weight is medium along
with the price. clear low, bright, transparent, long sustain.

Pau Ferro (Machaerium Villosum)

Relatively new as a fingerboard wood but very well suited to this purpose. Very smooth

texture similar to ebony. Tonally brighter than rosewood but not as bright as ebony.
Color varies from light tan to a darker coffee color. Usually quartersawn to show nice
striping. Primarily a fingerboard wood though occasionally available for necks as well.
This wood is also known as Bolivian Rosewood (which, incidentally, is not a
rosewood), or Ironwood. It is a very heavy, medium-priced wood, which looks like
Indonesian Rosewood. It comes from South America.

Poplar (Populus deltoides)

This is another standard music wood having been used by many companies over the
years. Due to the grey/green color, this wood is used only when solid color finishes are
to be applied. It’s weight generally runs about half a pound more than alder. Tonally it is
much similar to alder as well. Poplar is a closed grain wood that accepts finish well.

Purpleheart (Peltogyne Pubesens)

Generally this wood is used as an accent line in laminated necks. The purple color is
striking. A very hard dense wood. Similar to bubinga in its good bass tone. A specialty
wood that can be used for necks and fingerboards.

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

Highly figured wood, some with wide curl as pictured, and some with a tighter, quilty
look.

Redwood, Coastal (Sequoia sempervirens)

Normally used on finger style guitars because of it’s subtle playing response. The
sound piano like crispness and comes from northern California. (used for acoustic
guitars, not common in solidbody-style)

Rosewood, Brazilian (Dalbergia Nigra)

A very hard and dense wood. Great clarity and articulation in tone. Very smooth feeling.
Color varies a great deal from piece to piece, all being gorgeous. There are a wide
range of colors and grain. Book-matched tops only. Very limited supply. There are also
some necks with Brazilian rosewood fingerboards.

Example

Description

Rosewood, Indian (Dalbergia Latifolia)

This is the most popular fingerboard wood. it has a warm “rock’n roll” tonality. Colors
range from dark purple to lighter purple with yellows and orange. It is also one of the
heaviest wood with Strat® bodies always weighing in at over 6 lbs. Predominantly then
it is Indian rosewood like the fingerboards. The sound is warmer than maple. The highs
seem to be dampened somewhat by the oily nature of the wood. Finishes can be a little
difficult to apply.

Rosewood, Palisander (Dalbergia Nigra)

This is the wood of choice for making solid rosewood necks and bodies. The color

varies from light violet to darker purples, sometimes with darker stripes. The best
smelling wood around. Very hard and heavy with somewhat open cell structure. Feels
very fast and requires no finish.

Satine (Brosimum Paraense)

We know this as bloodwood because of its dark red color. A very dense hard tropical
wood with a waxy smooth feel. No finish is required and may be used as neck or
fingerboard wood.

Spruce, Engelmann (Picea engelmannii)

Gives the guitar a “lighter” touch and is more brighter sounding than Sitka and is usually
from Northwest Montana and Canada (used for acoustic guitars, not common in
solidbody-style).

Spruce, Sitka (Picea Sitchensis)

Is grown in from northern California up to Alaska. Due to the strength and elasticity of
the wood, it can handle some abuse and is great for sound boards. It also varies in
colour from white to pink to light brown (used for acoustic guitars, not common in
solidbody-style).

Walnut (Juglans Nigra)

Walnut is the only North American dark wood. It is somewhat softer than maple though
stiffer than mahogany. Looks and sounds good when combined with ebony
fingerboards. This wood must be hard finished. Walnut is not quite so heavy as hard
maple and has a similar sound though not as bright. Walnut is very beautiful with an
open grain.

Wenge (Millettia Laurentii)

A black hard wood with chocolate brown stripes. Very hard, coarser textured wood with
open grain. This wood makes awesome bass necks with strong midrange tones and
warm lows. Combine it with an ebony fretboard for more brightness. Used primarily as
Neck shafts but may also be used as a coarse fretboard. This wood is usually played
raw. No Finish required.

Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis)

This is another heavy wood with a very open grain. It has a very distinctive look with
light and dark brown stripes. It is becoming more difficult to find this wood in thick
pieces for bodies, but it is more commonly available for laminated bodies where it
excels. Its weight and sound are similar to walnut.

Zircote (Cordia dodecandra)

Very hard, heavy and dense material with tight grain. Color is dark brownish black to
black with streaks of black. Machines well with sharp hand and power tools,
susceptible to burning. Central and South America.