Tonewood Details: A-B
Begun as a private project, I was asked to make this available to others. For my own use, attribution was not a particular concern - which of course I regret now. If you see something you said or a photo of yours is in there, please first allow me the opportunity to properly credit it - or to remove it if you object.
Much of what has been said is highly subjective. We can post your experiences as well. My own are limited enough that they are best kept to myself. Two pieces of wood may exhibit very different characteristics; this is part of what makes wood so fascinating. And two luthiers may have differing opinions, based upon the wood they use, their techniques in handling it, and the level of their expertise. The more information that is gathered, the easier it will be to draw conclusions which help us all.
I have adopted a rating scale from the Elly Guitar site in which their ratings are given a numerical form of from 1 to 5. These numerical renditions of Highs ("H"), Mids ("M"), Bass ("B"), Sustain ("S"), Overtones ("O"), and Tone ("T") can give you a sense of the kind of sound which may be expected from any given wood. Remember, there is a vast amount of overlap and difference between each wood, each builder, and how they handle the woods. Like most everywhere here, we discuss in very broad generalities. You may wish to visit Elly Guitars and see for yourself their more graphical way of presenting this kind of material.
Much of what has been said is highly subjective. We can post your experiences as well. My own are limited enough that they are best kept to myself. Two pieces of wood may exhibit very different characteristics; this is part of what makes wood so fascinating. And two luthiers may have differing opinions, based upon the wood they use, their techniques in handling it, and the level of their expertise. The more information that is gathered, the easier it will be to draw conclusions which help us all.
I have adopted a rating scale from the Elly Guitar site in which their ratings are given a numerical form of from 1 to 5. These numerical renditions of Highs ("H"), Mids ("M"), Bass ("B"), Sustain ("S"), Overtones ("O"), and Tone ("T") can give you a sense of the kind of sound which may be expected from any given wood. Remember, there is a vast amount of overlap and difference between each wood, each builder, and how they handle the woods. Like most everywhere here, we discuss in very broad generalities. You may wish to visit Elly Guitars and see for yourself their more graphical way of presenting this kind of material.
"
Adirondack (Red) Spruce. Picea Rubens
Today's Adirondack differs cosmetically from that of pre-War days. It has heavy late growth lines, color streaks, grain variation, etc., which gives it it's own special charm. But it's stiff and hard, with a clear, ringing yet complex and nuanced tone that carries right through high volume levels where other spruces start to break up, - like the stuff of legend. It remains clear and well-defined no matter how hard you play it. Its extra stiffness gives it additonal velocity of sou8nd, the responsiveness that makes the sound project quickly from the top. And its tone continues to gain over time as it breaks in more slowly than other spruced.
Found in Maine and adjopining Canada through the Allegheny Mountains, at increasingly higher elevations as you move south, historically, it was over-harvested, but now large enough trees are being found once again, though with less uniformity in appearance in comparison to vintage wood.
it weighs 27lb/ft3 and on the Janka scale rates a 490. Specific gravity is .38.
African Blackwood (Dalbergia Melanoxylon)
Also called Mpingo or Grenadilla, and often erroneously called African Ebony, this generally small and stunted-growth tree is found in central to southern Africa and is definitely not magnificent in appearance as it's of poor form, heavily branched, sometimes with heart voids which end up as homes to all sorts of living things. Though it can live 200 years, it is generally harvested at 70-80 years. Unfortunately, it is so slow growing that there is little economic incentive for farmers to replant. It is also slow to dry, 2-3 years at the quickest. All these things contribute to the price premium it brings. Though related to the Australian blackwoods, it differs sharply in its characteristics.
Quite black in color (actually, it's a very dark brown to even purplish), and often with sharply contrasting sapwood, African Blackwood trees are quickly becoming harder and harder to find large enough to make two-piece backs. Rarely, it exhibits a bird's eye figure and, less rarely, an inner chatoyance. It has a tight but robust sound, one of many sometimes compared to Brazilian (though less deep). Fine-textured, it is an extremely hard wood, strong and stiff, and very stable, it has an oily surface. It polishes very well to a smooth, lustrous finish. Expect a dark bell-like overtone content with a slow response, a deep bass and well-defined trebles with some sparkle to them, plus very good volume and clarity of sound, with good note separation. Deep basses, well defined trebles, excellent tone wood, very responsive, with a terrific tap tone. It is also a guitar sound that stands out from the rest.
African blackwood is difficult to work and blunts tools. It's among the densest, hardest tonewoods out there and is certainly the hardest amongst the more common guitar tonewoods. It's challenging to bend and is a relatively brittle wood overall. Not terribly user-friendly. It's stable however.
Kathy Wingert: "African blackwood not only compares well to Brazilian rosewood, it bests it in some ways. It's very heavy, and mass usually favors sustain if there isn't any internal damping to muck it up. Bingo. It has all the "chocolatey" richness. It has the clarity, sustain, orchestral weightiness, sweetness, and reverberating overtones."
Handling it can cause mild eye and skin irritation. As well it has potental for irritable respiratory issues and is considered a sensitizer, meaning it can trigger reactions when exposed to the chemicals it contains.
It is also used for wooden flutes, clarinets and bagpipes. And for all sorts of turnery.
It is heavy - 85lb/ft3. Janka rating: 3669. Specific Gravity: 1.27
African Walnut. lacoa trichilioides
From the Congo, although it is commonly called “African Walnut,” it is not related to true walnuts (the Juglans genus), but is actually more closely related to Mahogany. Reddish brown to a golden color in the heartwood and may exhibit darker streaks which darken with age. High natural luster, clear tones.
Afzelia afzelia africana Chanfuta, Doussie, Pod mahogany, Xylay
Afzelia is a relatively dense wood from Africa and Asia that ranges in color between yellow, orange, and brown, with dark streaks and an interlocking grain. It is often compared to Koa in appearance. Tonally, Afzelia has an even tone with rich basses in a punchy low end, bright and clear, a pleasing aroma, and good projection and sustain. It is quite hard (Janka rating is 1980), surprisingly dense (51 lb/ft3), and resists decay. Some endangerment in the African species. With its seed pod fruit, it is used in Africa for animal feed. With many uses besides tonewood, pressure on stands is great It fixes nitrogen. Can reach 125' tall.
Heartwood is golden to reddish brown, sometimes reminding one of mahogany, sometimes with burl or high figure, which may be referred to as xylay pattern. Once dried (not as easy as may be wished), it is very stable with neglible warpage. Like many other woods as times wears on, the reds turn browner.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar. cupressus nootkatensis, chamaecyparis nootkatensis (unsure here)
Alaska Yellow Cedar, (AKA Alaska Cypress and Yellow Cypress), is a cypress very similar to Port Orford Cedar in many ways, though with a different aroma. It is very stable and stiff, has a soft velvety look and takes a beautiful finish. It is also one of the more resonant tonewoods but a bit warmer sound in the low end.
It exhibits a bright and uniform yellow color, as has the same rot-resistant properties as red cedar. However, it is far more dense than red cedar, therefore much stronger and harder. Since yellow cedar grows up in the snowy reaches of mountainous terrain, it grows very slowly, creating a very high grain count. Light, stiff, easily worked - and produces a surprisingly loud instrument. I believe the loudest guitar I have owned was a classical with Alaskan Yellow Cedar. (The following is from the umgf.) "It is one of the most stable of woods in terms of dimensional change due to moisture content change and so is more immune to cracking than any of the other soundboard woods (with the exception being Port Orford Cedar -another Cypress-like tonewood). Tonally, the wood is especially well suited for flatpicking steel string guitars when a strong tone with a bright attack is desired (its specific gravity is close to Sitka and Adirondack Spruces). Some classical and flamenco guitar builders report that it imbues the instrument with a chimey, clear, articulate tone with great sustain."
It sounds bright and lively and is very light and very stiff, which make for powerful and articulate guitars. Alaskan Yellow Cedar has a distinct tone that is not easily comparable to any other tonewood. As the name implies, it is very yellow in appearance, evenly colored with non-distinct growth rings. Sap and heartwood look similar.
Mike McConnell: "It is a beautiful wood, cuts like butter. Being of the cedar/cypress family it is very rot resistant. The toxicity that makes it resistant to fungus, also makes it toxic to humans. It contains a very aromatic oil that evaporates as the wood is being worked. Some people can have an allergic reaction to it that manifests as a skin rash, or respiratory problems. "
Petros Guitars says "It is hard and heavy and rings like a bell. This is a unique wood that can be used for backs or tops."
Weighs 31lb/ft3, has a Janka rating of 580 and a specific gravity of .4-.5.
Alder
Our Alder here is rarely more than an inch in diameter, loved by beavers to create dams and their homes, so I was suprised to learned it is used for guitars - electric ones.
Fender adopted alder in mid-1956, probably for no other reason than it was there; it was readily available and was affordable. Ever since, it remains the body wood for the majority of Fender electric instruments. It was and still is a very good choice.Alder belongs to the birch family and grows around the world throughout the north temperate zone...The wealth of regional varieties falls under two main types — black alder or European alder, which is native to most of Europe and to Southwest Asia; and red alder, which is native to the U.S. West Coast.
Red alder boasts many sonic advantages. Not especially dense, it’s a lightweight, closed-pore wood that has a resonant, balanced tone brighter than other hardwoods, with a little more emphasis in the upper midrange. It imparts excellent sustain and sharp attack. It’s very easy to work with and it glues well. It has a sound that’s beefy and full-bodied, with a slightly sizzling high end that’s never harsh, along with the right amount of sustain, snappy, punchy with the right amount of attack. It is also soft and easily marred.
Alder has a strong, close grain and is a medium-weight wood with a balanced range of frequencies and a full-bodied, clear tone on solid bodied guitars, producing a clear, articulate tone and a slightly scooped EQ curve. And it's versitile - and cheap. Notably, alder also takes finishes well — with a light brown color and a tight grain that’s only slightly visible. Lack of attractive figuring and coloration led to painted bodies.
Amazon Rosewood. Dalbergia spruceana Palissandre Para, Saboarana, Jacarandá, Jacamin
Amazon Rosewood is a smallish to medium-sized tree and its wood tends to be an orange or reddish brown, with darker contrasting streaks. Lighter yellowish sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartood. Though slightly lower on the Janka scale, Amazon Rosewood is significantly heavier than Brazilian Rosewood (to which it is often compared) and may sink in water. Its density contributes to challenging workability, while the oil content makes for difficult gluing. The effort is rewarded by its fine lustrous polish and superior tonal qualities. great look and acoustic properties. Very responsive, highly dynamic, very good separation of notes, slightly more pronounced on basses than the mids and trebles. It has equally a balanced warm sound with full round basses and crystal trebles. Due to its higher density, notes tend to come out more clear, piano-like, with great separation of voices.
It glues well and has a medium texture, uniform, and with open pores and a rosewood odor when worked.
Most comes from a single supplier and nearly all of that is rift and flat sawn, so good quarter-sawn is difficult to find.
68lb/ft3, Janka rating 2700, specific gravity - .8-1.08
Angelique Dicorynia guianensis
Angelique is medium brown colored wood, which has been widely used as a teak substitute outdoors and for flooring. It is used in parquet patterns where it uniquely reveals an almost 3D pattern.
(from woodworkdetails.com) "Two forms are commonly recognized by producers. The heartwood that is russet-colored when freshly cut and becomes superficially dull brown with a purplish cast is referred to as “gris.” The heartwood that is more distinctly reddish and frequently shows wide purplish bands is called “angelique rouge.” The texture of the wood is somewhat coarser than that of black walnut (Juglans nigra), and the grain is generally straight or slightly interlocked. In strength, angelique is superior to teak (Tectona grandis) and white oak (Quercus alba), when green or air dry, in all properties except tension perpendicular to grain. Angelique is rated as highly resistant to decay and resistant to marine borer attack. Machining properties vary and may be due to differences in density, moisture content, and silica content. After the wood is thoroughly air or kiln dried, it can be worked effectively only with carbide-tipped tools."
Apple Malus domestica, Malus sieversii, Malus sylvestris, etc.
Apple has a high shrinkage rate, and experiences a large amount of seasonal movement in service (ie - instability). Making sure it is well quarter-sawn is the best strategy against this. "Apple is fairly soft and low in density, much like soft maple, and bends nicely. Often with older wood you can get some nice figure, and it's easy to finish. Expect a tone that is more 'maple' than 'rosewood' " (Al Carruth) "Two factors are at play. While quartered sides are generally easier to bend and will ripple less, the presence of ladder bracing on the back will tend to cause cracks and sinking when it shrinks due to low humidity. The wider the piece, the more the shrinkage. There are different cuts of flat sawn, depending on how close to the heart the board is cut. As a result, the angle of the growth rings varies widely. Backs that have a narrow heart that is located outside the waist will tend to be more stable than those with a wider heart that is located in the center of each half. That is because the grain in the latter is more parallel with the face over a larger percentage of the width." (John Arnold)
Th heartwood varies from a light reddish or grayish brown to a deeper red/brown. The grain of Apple is sometimes seen with streaks of darker and lighter bands of color, similar to Olive. Sapwood is a pale cream color. In genral, it makes lighter-colored back. Straight grain (though it can also be wild). With a very fine, uniform texture. It can be somewhat difficult to work due to its high density, and burns easily when machined. But it glues, stains, finishes, and turns well. However, it has a high shrinkage rate, and experiences a large amount of seasonal movement in service
43-52lb/ft3, Janka = 1730, Specific gravity - .61, .83
Ash
Swamp Ash is not a species of Ash, but refers to the place where a particular tree may have grown. This is lighter wood than usual. Good Ash is being severely threatened as a viable species by the Emerald Ash Borer. In the past, most Ash has been used in electrics, although there is no reason to confine it to that use. You tend to think of it as straight-grained and boring, but it can show some striking figure at times.
Taylor has started using Shamel Ash found in cities and is marketing it as "Urban Ash". Cities tend to think of downed trees as potential mulch and little else, so he is on to something, turning a nuisance to get rid of into a high-end final product. this ash is heavier than the "Swamp" ash used in electrics, lighter than the northern ash used for baseball bats. It's sound is focused, a fundamental-strong voice, with clean notes which are mostly overtone-free.
John Calkin: "Ash is harder and stiffer than mahogany, sort of an open-grain maple. The pore structure is similar to oak; the pores are numerous and deep. It's about the color of cream when freshly cut, aging rapidly to a light tan. Ash stains well and a contrasting pore filler adds interest. Ash is pretty boring unless you are fond of Fender electrics, which mostly exhibit a sunburst or pickled finish when used with this wood. A rare sample of ash might have the most astonishing combination of swirls, curls and flame figure. Finding quartered ash is just a matter of luck."
Janka rating ranges from 850-1320.
**Australian Blackwood Acacia Melanoxylon
Blackwood often displays a natural ‘fiddleback’ look with bold figuring. You'll hear a warm, full tone, one exceptionally rich in the midrange, dscribed as "sweet" and "distinct". Listen for a warm, prominent mid-range. It is often compared ot its relative, Koa. Blackwood is also known for being a rather stiff timber that’s perfectly suited for percussive playing, and is renowned for handling climatic extremes better than most other woods. Most comes from Tasmania, with Victoria in second place. Its heartwood fluoresces beneath a blacklight - how cool is that?
It has good bending properties and has low shrinkage when drying. It is easy to work but figured pieces tend to be difficult to avoid tear-out, particularly on bladed machines. Blade angles should be increased and kept razor sharp to reduce tear-out. Grain is grain is typically straight to slightly interlocked, and typically wavy. Uniform fine to medium texture. It is relatively easy to work in areas that have fine texture but care must be taken when working in interlocked areas as it can cause tear-out. The quarter sawn surface may produce an attractive fiddle-back figure. Careful bending of sides is required on figured pieces. Australian Blackwood is easily worked with each hand and machine tools, although patterned wood and items with the interlocked grain will cause tear-out. Australian Blackwood turns, glues, stains, and finishes well. Responds well to steam bending but is moderately blunting to work with tools. Gluing may produce variable results. The wood is easily stained and produces a high-quality finish. Like so many other woods, the sawdust can cause breath and sinus irritation for some and use of dust masks is recommended.
40lb/ft3, Janka = 1160, specific gravity - .54, .64
*Australian Red Cedar Toona ciliata
Heartwood color ranges from pinkish to a darker reddish brown. Paler sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartwood, while the grain is generally straight to slightly interlocked, with a coarse, uneven texture. It has a natural luster. Easy to work with both hand and machine tools. You may notice the cedar odor when working it. Some difficulty can be encountered when surfacing quartersawn surfaces with interlocked grain. Can also exude resin and gum up cutters. Glues and finishes well.Red cedar is a fast-growing large deciduous hardwood that grows in the coastal rainforest areas of eastern Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea, South America, the Philippines and India. The heartwood of red cedar ranges from a pale pinkish red through to a richer dark reddish brown. The sapwood is paler pink or yellow in colour and is distinctive from the heartwood. It has a rough, uneven texture with a grain that is usually straight but may be slightly interlocked. Growth rings are often visible. It has a distinctive odour that moths dislike (skip to the last sentence to see if this statement makes sense).
Red cedar is soft and has good workability and a tight grain. Elsewhere, I read it has a very open grain with large pores that must be filled. Generally, though, it is a pleasure to with with though sometimes it exudes a resin which can gum up tools. It can be stained and polished and it finishes well, however its rough texture may require extra work. Precautions should be taken when machining red cedar as the sawdust can cause irritation for some people.
The sound of it when used for tops is warm and resonant. Spanish Cedar is a relative, as is Mahogany.
Due to historic over-harvest, it may be considered commercially extinct. When they first stared cutting it, it was referred to as "red gold". They could be nearly 200' tall with a diameter of 20'. Today, figure on 100-135' and 3-5' trunks. Very few of these are left. the species is under serious attack in Australia by a moth, but is being planted in other area where the moths are not a threat.
30lb/ft3, Janka = 700, Specific gravity = .40, .49
Avocado -
Bet you never thought of this as a wood. They don't get big, maybe 30', and only live like 50 years, but are, well, unusual. First, they are bi-sexual, with flowers that are male in the morning, then both, ending iup as female in the afternoon. Kinky. Then, it is both deciduous and evergreen at the same time as the leaves, which shed once a year, do not shed until the new ones are there, making it appear always green. It (perish the thought!) burns fast and starts easily.
Grayish/brown wood that works surprsingly well for soundboards, only the supply is so irregular that no one thinks of them. It has also been used for backs as well. It is fine and even-textured, without figure, but preents a nice sheen. When fresh-cut, it appears yellowiish. It is said to spalt easily, although the spalt progresses to rot faster than expected. Catch it right and it can be very nice.
From Elliot Coit (California Avocado Society): "The specific gravity of the sample submitted is .59, indicating that the wood has about the density (weight) of red maple and American elm, which are classed as medium in
that property. Shrinkage of the wood across the annual growth rings (radial shrinkage) is about 3.2 per cent; shrinkage along the growth rings (tangential shrinkage) is about 5.5 per cent; volumetric shrinkage 15.7 per cent. Shrinkage figures indicate that the wood is similar to chestnut, aspen, and bigleaf maple in the above except that the volumetric shrinkage is somewhat greater than that of the species named. The radial-
tangential shrinkage ratio (1.7) and high volumetric shrinkage indicate only moderate stability of the wood with fluctuating moisture content in service. However, a low radial- tangential shrinkage ratio is not always an accurate criterion of stability in wood, and cannot be fully relied upon in the absence of more exhaustive tests."
Avodire (Turraenthus africanus) H=3.5 M=3.3, B=4.3, S=3.5, O=3.7, T=4
Light-colored for something in the mahoghany family, it has a high luster and will darken with age. The grain varies and each cut may not look like the last. Hard and light. More overtones than mahoghany, but still is sweet.
Balsamo myroxylon balsamo or Santos rosewood
Balsamo is a Central American wood sometimes used as a Brazilian Rosewood substitute.
Barba Joleta - Pitheecellobium, arboreum
Highly figured when quartersawn, this has been used as a mahogany subsitute. Brownish-red color. From Mexico, Belize and Guatamala
**Basswood Tilia americana (That's pronounced like the fish's (Bass) name, not like a lower-pitched instrument or voice)
Ho-hummm.. well, it’s light even if it isn’t interesting or sturdy. Used in Japan. Easy to use because it is so soft, which leads to less lows, mids and highs. Decent sustain on electrics. Tonally similar to Alder, which isn't too good either. Therefore it gets used on electrics where you use a mike to get the sound. Not stiff either. The sapwood of basswood is white to cream and wide, while the heartwood is pale to reddish brown, with darker streaks. Uniform texture and straight grain. There can be green mineral streaks, which are not considered beautiful. When dry, the wood has no characteristic odor or taste. It seems to stain nicely, which is often used as the wood is blander in appearance as well as tone. is frequently stained dark to opaque. The wood is soft and light, dents easily, with a fine, even texture. It is easily worked, glues well, and dries quickly and is stable once dry. It does have higher shrinkage, is low in strength and does not bend all that well. It is easily obtained in the Orient, which is a factor in it's appearance on some of their lower-priced guitars. Long used for solid body electrics, it is appearing now on acoustics.
Bastogne Walnut J. hindsii x J. regia, bostogne walnut H=4, M=3.4, B=2.9, S=4, O=3.8, T=3
Perhaps the rarest and the densest Walnut in the world, a cross between English and Claro Walnut which occurs less than 1 % of the time. Only a few of these trees exist. They are all sterile as this is a hybrid. The colors and figuring are stunning. It's substantially harder than other Walnut varieties, similar to Rock Maple or old growth Brazilian Rosewood. Bastogne Walnut is highly prized for tonewood, gun stocks, and fine furniture.
Known to make very good guitars, and the figured material is as beautiful as any wood, almost all of the U.S. hand builders and factories offer some sort of a walnut line of guitars. Bastogne is fairly heavy, heavier than other walnuts, and it's hard and it's stiff. This is a bit surprising as it is the fastest growing walnut and often the faster-growing trees are the softest and least dense. It is cultivated for it's appearance, as a tree (and as wood) as it gives few or no nuts. It's rather porous, but it does finish nicely.
Bastogne Walnut can vary greatly in color, texture, grain and density. However, it is generally displays a green hue and broken fiddleback figure, but most often is on the brown side, with golden brown present. The most common color contrast is with the colors of Claro and the dark streaks of English Walnut. Some examples have a curly or rippled figure. Medium texture and luster.
Air drying takes long but it is stable in service once dry. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Claro walnut in how it works. It produces a striking guitar. Tonally it rivals the best Indian Rosewood in terms of strong and resonant overtones but it retains a stronger mid range, bright highs and a fundamental with a rich bass. Good note definition. The projection is within the realms of a mahogany guitar. (parapharasing from Guitar Bench)
George Lowden again: “Because of the hardness it gives a very defined clear sound, great for most playing styes except perhaps flat picking where you might prefer to use a rosewood for that ‘thicker’ lower mid range. I love walnut as a tonewood, particularly good with redwood tops and sitka in mid sized, and cedar in large guitars. In small guitars it works well with cedar also.“. Bob Taylor once described walnut as “rosewood on steroids”.
Harvey Leach says: This hybrid tree that results from the nuts produced from grafted Claro/English trees cannot reproduce so therefore it is very rare. It's also much harder than either of it's parent trees, close to rosewood in fact. As such it tends to produce guitars with a rosewood sound.
Janka rated 1000-1500, it’s the densest walnut, a hybrid that does not produce naturally, yet you can get it.
Specific gravity of 1.
Beech
Beech could be a decent choice for back and sides wood if one does not mind it's light and bland appearance. I've cut firewood from it that rings like a bell when one piece hits another. It is medium to high in density, with a 1300 Janka rating. There is a question on its stability. If steamed, that should solve the problem (if it exists). Mostly lIght colored, but with dark streaks in places, it stains well. Flame is possible, but rare. It bends and works easily. Don Sharp has used it in guitars.
Beefwood #1 Australia (Grevillea striata)
Quoting Woodfinder: "Beefwood is dark reddish brown with prominent figure when radial sawn. Medium hard and heavy. Used for craftwork including inlays and marquetry. Extremely limited availability due to limited number of trees (found in desert regions) and restrictions on harvesting." Maroon to red colors with gray rays. Watch for tear-out. Straight-grained but coarse.
Janka = 2420, 5 1/4lb/board foot
Beefwood #2 South America (Manilkara bidentata)
Called beefwood because of it's vague resemblance to marbled beef, it is red-brown with a very distinct ray-fleck pattern. Rays are tightly packed in quartersawn boards, large and widely distributed in flatsawn boards. Very similar to lacewood and leopardwood.
Belah Eastern Austrlia (Casucina cristata) "Scrubbed sheoak"
Mostly brown with some pink in spots and a subtle and delicate figure, it exhibits an African Blackwood-like tap tone. It glues well and is used at times for wood turning. 1100-1155kg/m3.
The trees are wind pollinated. So far, little is known about this wood except that it has the qualities that can make a great guitar.
Big Leaf Maple Western North America (Acer macrophyllum)
Cream in color this domestic hardwood gives a very tight and quick sound. It has sharp midranges and high ends but lacks the depth of Rosewood. A dense hardwood, maple’s tone is like a laser beam — very focused — and dominant on the fundamental. Often described as having a “bright” sound, maple has fewer overtones than other medium-density woods, resulting in quicker note decay. This makes it a preferred guitar wood for live performance settings with a band — especially with bass, drums and electric guitar — because it cuts through a mix well, allows the acoustic sound to be heard, and is less prone to feedback issues. It has some midrange, and a lot more treble sparkle than rosewood.
Bigleaf maple is a western states maple and grows in California on up the coast to Canada. Not too long ago it was considered a "weed tree" and was priced accordingly. Of course, being a weed tree meant that it wasn't sought out in a big way, either, so that costs as a function of supply and demand weren't all that appealing. But for a wood as striking as this maple can be, the costs are very fair.
Goes Well With Live band performances, recording, lead players who like clean articulation and note definition, 12-strings, players with dark bone tone. Maple's tap tone is rarely a ringing one, but it can't be denied that plenty of wonderful sounding guitars have been made from it, and even a few violins! In fact, many choose the wood as a first choice for creating the sound they seek. John Greven, whose steel string guitars have a very big sound, and who counts many "stars" as clients, prefers the maple sound.
Bigleaf maple usually display a a wider curl than the European or hard maples do. It is also the only maple in which the quilted figure is found, although it is rare, averaging about one tree in a thousand.
Birch Betula sp.
Long ago, makers used a lot of birch, especially in smaller instruments such as fiddles and mandolins. It was the cheapest hardwood available at the local lumber yard. It works, acts, and looks much like maple, though curly birch normally has a much larger curl than curly maple. Tear-out may be a problem. Not so popular any more. I would think yellow birch would be the best.
COLOR: In yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white; heartwood is light red- dish brown tinged with red. In sweet birch (B. lenta), sapwood is light colored and heartwood is dark brown tinged with red.
GRAIN: Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, even texture. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch. Paper birch (B. papyrifera) is softer and lower in weight and strength than yellow or sweet birch. However, yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain and color.
SIDE HARDNESS/JANKA: 1260 (yellow)
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average (change coefficient .00338).
DURABILITY: Hard and stiff; very strong, with excellent shock resistance.
SAWING/MACHINING: Difficult to work with hand tools, but good machining qualities.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
FINISHING: No known problems.
Black Acacia Acacia Melanoxylon, Australian (Tasmanian) Blackwood
With Koa prices escalating rapidly and quality on the decline, it’s nice to know that there are limited quantities of beautiful Black Acacia back and side sets - at roughly half the price of Koa. Known as Australian Blackwood to many because of the tree’s bark, this not-to-distant cousin of the koa tree (Koa is itself another acacia) offers many of the features of the popular Hawaiian wood. With many highly flamed sets available, the only difference between Black acacia and koa that you are likely to notice is that the color of the Black acacia is one shade lighter (more of a honey brown or gold brown) and the grain generally runs straighter. An excellent alternative to the rosewoods, it has a luminescence and depth similar to mahogany. The tap tone is roughly the same as Koa, and some say it makes a better sounding guitar. Though the tree grows well in northern California and many other places such as Africa and India, the best sets are imported from Australia where this wood has been a mainstay for most of the fine builders there. Other adherents include classical and Flamenco guitar builder Kenny Hill and Steel string builders Mike Baranik and McPherson guitars. The wood works and behaves very much like Mahogany.
Note: there are 2000 Acacia species, some are trees, some bushes. I have Chinese acacia floors in my home and they are not the least bit like Koa or Australian Blackwood.
Black Chacate Guibourtia conjugata (Small False Mopane)
"This wood is one of the nine precious hardwoods of Mozambique. It is also found in the bordering regions of Zambia as well as North Western Zimbabwe. Black chacate, Guibourtia conjugata is sometimes confused with the most common Guibourtia coleosperma.Its large and straight logs and high density are unique! It enables the production of large bells, bass clarinets and flutes that are difficult to obtain with other hardwoods like the African Blackwood and Mopane.
The wood is hard and the logs are above average dimensions of the hardwood species we work. The wood is therefore cut in stages. In a first stage, the logs are broken down in slabs on a band saw with a flexible thin blade. In a second stage into parts with tungsten tipped blades. The blades tend to clog. Good cleaning of blades is obtained in sugar soap bath.
The wood dries slowly and requires protection against slits and cracks." (Pro Sonos)
" It is golden brown with darker streaks. Very hard and heavy but machines well with few problems. Excellent for cabinetry and wood turning. Capable of taking a high polish and is stable in service." (Gilmer wood)
Black Ebony Diospyros sp.
It makes a striking guitar! About 15 years ago it was popular among the classic makers of Spain, when it was easier to get, and the price was not so dear. This is Indian ebony, not so brittle as the African ebonies, and it bends quite well. Excellent sustain, clear and articulate. There are so many subspecies that the various ebonies are often confused. True ebony is getting harder to find and the trees grow slowly. No fillers needed, glues easily, finishes to a sheen. Your tools need to be sharp! 65lb/ft3
Black-Hearted Sassafras Atherosperma Moschatum
Few woods on the market match the striking color contrasts found in this species. A native Tasmanian timber, the dark, variegated colors in the center of the log are caused by a fungus which fortunately, does not disturb the stability of the wood. The wood is light in weight, strong, easy to work, bend and to finish. Bends easily with little to no springback. Tonally it falls into a category that might also include Myrtle, Walnut and Maple, so expect an open sound with nice separation and sparkling highs. Great mid tones.
Of all Tasmanian timbers, sassafras has the most variable and dynamic coloring. It is a beautiful and pale creamy gray to white normally but can be streaked with rich browns and black heart, distinctive golden tones, dark browns, black and even green streaking running through the wood. Few woods on the market can match the striking colour contrasts found in this species. So, it is available in two major groupings; Golden Sassafras and Blackheart Sassafras. Finishing to a gray and golden tone, golden sassafras is particularly attractive as a veneer or as a solid timber with knots providing figure. If the tree is infected with a staining fungus it produces Blackheart sassafras. Blackheart is a timber with distinctive dark brown, black, and even green streaks running through the wood with a cream-colored sapwood and wild reddish brown heartwood. Light strong and easily worked. Sassafras grows as an under story species in lower altitude wet forests throughout Tasmania. It is not related to the timbers known as sassafras that grow on mainland Australia. It is an aromatic evergreen tree with some quite distinctive qualities; the bark, sap, and associated oils are highly aromatic and smell like cinnamon, while its leaves have a strong sarsaparilla scent. However, as finished wood, there is no scent.The leaves are dark green, turning yellow as the tree ages. The best trees are found in gullies where Sassafras may reach 45m in height and almost a meter in diameter. Sassafras is a component of wet eucalyptus forest and young rain forest where it may live for up to 150 - 200 years.
Expect an open sound with nice separation and sparkling highs. Tonally in the range of mahoganies and walnuts, with the characteristics of both, good balance across the range with a slightly pronounced high end, the figuring is caused by a fungus which fortunately does not affect the woods structure.
Taylor Guitars say, "Goes Well With: A variety of playing styles. It can be a bit of a chameleon in that its tonal personality tends to reflect the player. A person might bring out more of a mahogany sound, or rosewood, maple, walnut or something else depending on the playing approach and the body style of the guitar."
Janka rating - 1090, 39lb/ft2
Black Limba Terminalia superba, Korina H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.7, O=3, T=4
I've read that korina and limba are from the same tree, that korina is the thick sapwood and black limba is the heartwood. Of course, korina is the wood that went into the '50's Flying V's and Explorers made by Gibson. Both were made from white limba, which for some reason Gibson referred to instead as Korina (maybe limba didn’t sound sexy enough). Guitarists might drool at the mention of guitars made from Korina, but if you go to a lumberyard and ask for Korina, most managers will respond with a blank stare, followed by a comment like “Never heard of it….” Limba comes from Africa, and is somewhat difficult to come by here in the states (again, Limba is not the same thing as African mahogany).
It produces a beautiful, warm rich tone, similar to mahogany, but with maybe just a touch more resonance. It’s a personal favorite for guitar bodies and necks. The tone is great and it’s lightweight. Limba is usually classified as either black limba or white limba, depending on the coloration of the grain. Black limba looks much more interesting, is slightly more lightweight, and is easier to find for sale; while white limba is the traditional choice. The distinction between the two is not a matter of different species, like the difference between Philippine and Honduran mahogany. It’s simply the difference in grain pattern caused by mineral deposits. Black Limba is generally from older trees. There are opposing opinions as to which sounds better, but in a blind tone test, it’s doubtful anyone could recognize any difference.
Black limba is about the same as mahogany in weight, hardness and texture. The background color is a light gray. The heartwood ranges from light straw color to having black stripes. Hence white or black Limba. Korina refers to the striped version. It has a straight, close grain which is occasionally interlocked or wavy with an even but somewhat coarse texture. Fine streaks of brown and black make it far more appealing than plain mahogany. Some may have plenty of fine worm holes. The pores are small enough that one can finish the wood without filling it. It can be substituted for mahogany. It is used for back and sides for guitars, where it’s light weight allows it to compare to mahogany. Tim McKnight says: ”I have used Black Limba. It is a drop in tonal replacements for Mahogany.”
COMMON NAMES: generally known in the US as afara, korina, white limba, and black limba. It is all the same tree.
COLOR: There are three colors of limba. A "normal" tree has off-white sapwood and is sometimes yellowish or even pale brown and the heartwood is similarly colored and not clearly differentiated from the sapwood. These two types of limba and are virtually indistinguishable although sometimes the heartwood will be darker brown. The sapwood and heartwood of this version is white limba. The third limba, which is the somewhat more rare heartwood, has varying degrees of irregular black streaking,that can create some beautiful patterns. This is called "black limba".
Well defined basses, clear trebles, a clear and defined yet balanced sound throughout the scale and a very lively sound. Bright penetrating trebles. Top notch separation of voices. Rarely used by builders, Black limba is not always available. The figure of most cuts is very beautiful and dramatic in character
The Janka rating is around 670-730 and the specific gravity is 0.45.
Black Locust robinia pseudoacacia, Acacia, False Acacia (See also "Locust")
H=4, M=3.5, B=3, S=4.3, O=3.2, T=3.1
Black Locust, is a ring-porous hardwood. The wood is a pale yellowish brown to yellowish green. It is native to the eastern United States, but has been to other parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is among the hardest and heaviest of the North American hardwoods, very stiff, splits and bends easily, and sharp tools are a necessity. Black locust responds well to ebonizing, and does, in fact turn almost completely black. In the ground, the stuff never seems to rot and is only slightly less hard than mild steel. You'd say that if you tried to put a nail into cured locust. The tap tone is similar to rosewood - this is something I have heard several times from folks who have used it. I have also heard others claim it is to the left of Rosewood (ie - towards Mahogany). Very intriguing. A vibrant sound, with excellent tonal separation, rich overtones and long sustain. I have seen Black Locust (there is also a yellow locust and a honey locust - the honey locust is usually too small) sets that had interesting grain and figure, but it is uncommon.
The sapwood of Black Locust is a creamy white, while the heartwood can vary from a greenish yellow to dark brown, but is more likely to be a creamy or goldish brown all the way through. It may turn a reddish brown when exposed to the air. Figure is possible but rare. I have seen it only once. The wood is often confused with Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera). It has a high density and decay resistance. It shows slight shrinkage and stays in place well. It is very strong in bending and is one of the hardest woods in America. It’s shock resistance is almost equal to that of Hickory (Carya spp.).
Black Mulga - acacia aneura
Normally way too small for guitars, it is a rare Australian acacia that can exhibit birdeye or flame figure. Heavy, it can make an attractive fretboard.
"It is an Acacia just like koa, Acacia koa, but it is much harder like desert ironwood and tighter grained with rich dark colors more like walnut. It comes from the arid outback of Western Australia only. It is rarer than snakewood and harder than ebony. It is highly chatoyant and a true gem grade wood. Wide and roomy blocks. This wood does not require stabilization." (Blade Forums)
Bloodwood Brosimum rubescens H=3.8, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.8, O=3.4, TE=4
Bloodwood is a bolder red color then either Paduak or Bois d’ Rose, but has the advantage of not oxidizing to a warmer color over time. For this reason it is often used as decorative binding and inlay by luthiers and furniture makers alike. It is remarkably dense (about as dense as the harder rosewoods such as Honduran and Brazilian) and tight-grained so it is well suited for fingerboards, bridge blanks and backs and sides. The density is related to blunting one's tools. Matt Mustapick brought several Bloodwood instruments to the Healdsburg Guitar Festival and says, ”No bending problems whatsoever. Sands nice. Not splintery. It’s very dense and very hard with a glassy tap tone. The guitar has great volume and a very nice quick response to a light touch, great balance. It’s defining characteristics are its focus and separation and balance.”
Yet, Bill Kraus has this to say: "beautiful wood, pretty heavy, stiff and hard as a rock, and could be splintery on the edges, making for some nasty, painful slivers. I cut a ton of the stuff from lumber into guitar sets when I worked for a tonewood supplier. It was one of those woods that would often times give you trouble with cupping and occasionally blade drift when being re-sawn into back and side sets. Had a nice tap tone also. "
Very balanced sound, ideal for Baroque music, great volume and very nice quick response, great balance and separation of voices. Always a clear and crisp bass, punchy, and well defended kids and trebles, with good sustain.The guitar makes for terrific looking instruments. Matches marvelously well with Alpine spruce and the looks are simply stunning. It makes for excellent Flamenco guitars as well. If you like the tone red, this is by far the best wood for the job. Oxidizes deeper as it ages, but this can be lessened by its finish and just by keeping it out of the sun. Lustrous red surface, fined textured, with some lighter stripes and some chatoyance. Because of its brilliance, it works best paired with a warmer wood.
Not listed on CITES, but limited availability, Janka rating of 2900 and a specific gravity of 0.95
Blue Gum Eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus H=3.8, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.7, O=3.5, T=4
A cultivated Australian tree, which is yellow-brown, medium or coarse in texture, with little natural luster, but with an interlocked grain. It projects well, has clear highs and ringing bass, coupled with ample sustain, a well- balanced sound. Considered an invasive species in California.
Blue Mahoe Talipariti elatum H=2.9, M=3.5, b=4.1, =2.5,-2.8. T=4
Texture may vary from fine to coarse and the luster is low, but the name "blue" was not pulled out of the air. Actually it is more gray than blue and can have olive hues as well as the blue. As far as I know, it is the only wood which can be blue(ish) naturally. It projects well and has a powerful bass with crisp mids and highs. Sustain is just average at the best. Consequently the attack is fast.
Janka = 1420
*Blue Spruce Picea pungens
Blue spruce is a rare item in guitars but has been used with great success as a top wood by luthiers Mike Baranik, Harvey Leach, Randy Reynolds and especially Don Musser. It is very similar to Engelmann, though a bit brighter. Bruce Harvie has said in the past that blue spruce has often been cut and marketed as Engelmann.
Bocote Cordia Gerascanthus H=3.7, =3.1, B=4.1, S=3.7, =3.2, T=4
Bocote comes from the same family as Ziricote (Cordia) and is found in the same region (Central America to Northern Amazon). Less brittle than Ziricote, it is a popular wood with wood turners, works well and has had success as a guitar tonewood, though few builders have created stock models from it yet. It features a tobacco/reddish brown color with distinct, parallel black lines (it does not show the spider-webbing figure that the best Ziricote does). Unlike Ziricote, it darkens with age.). It has fine potential use in both steel string and classical guitars because of its attractive, dark color and rosewood-like tap tone. It has a spicy smell.
Deep sounding basses and an overall BIG sound, with a broad palette of mids. Tonewise, it compares with Rosewood, warm, powerful, with good volume and sustain. Very similar to African Blackwood too. Terrific tap tone and a very wide palette of mid ranges that make it one of the best tonewoods. The looks are also quite spectacular with all shades of yellow, orange and dark brown... Construction wise, it is far more stable than Brazilian rosewood because unlike the Brazilian species, it never fissures. This wood is officially classified as either extinct, endangered, rare or vulnerable within its natural habitat in Costa Rica. It offers some beautiful background colors of dark brown, red with multicolored strips that vary from yellow to orange and green to dark brown.
Though it looks exactly like a guitar should look, several luthiers have told me they do not like it. Internal damping seems to be the issue, leading to less sustain. Natural oiliness makes for more difficult glueing but if you know what you are dong, this can be overcome.
Bois D'Rose (Dalbergia maritima), Pallisander H=3.8, M=3.8, B=4.2, S=4, O=3.3, T=4
Bois D' Rose (pronounced bwah - duh - rose) is a true rosewood from Madagascar (not to be confused with dalbergia baroni). This is a dense heavy tonewood that enjoys many of the tonal properties of cocobolo, including a strong bass and overtones. The color ranges from deep plum purple to eggplant shades. Visually, it goes well with most appointment schemes and top wood selections. Dark purple when cut but fades to a nearly ebony-like color over the course of a year. Can be used for fingerboards.
The wood has an incredibly fine grain and is suitable for musical instrument making, including guitar backs and woodwinds. It polishes almost like glass if sanded finely enough. The pattern of the lines varies greatly from one piece to the next and no two are exactly alike. Avoid oil finishes unless you want to darken the wood to an almost black color. It is one of the rarest and most beautiful types of true rosewood. Supplies are limited. News: Current conditions in Madagascar mean that this wood will become unavailable, as all exports have apparently stopped permanently for those that only buy legal wood.
Bolivian Cedar
I can find little or no information on this but as I have seen one fine guitar made from it, decided to mention it. I suspect there is another name that should be used instead. The instrument that I saw exhibited a flamed figure, which of course made me think it was not a cedar at all. But it was a cedar-like medium brown.
Bosse
This is considered an able Mahogany substitute, but I have not been able to find any descriptions of this wood, other than cameo appearances as a tonewood on a couple of supplier's sites. It is an oily wood. I have a suspicion that it also may be called Tornillo. Let me know if you have any information. Thanks.
Boxelder
Steven Kinnaird: "It is very soft. It bends quite easily and the right piece can look spectacular under finish.
Seemed stable while I was working it, as well as in service. Tonally, Boxelder has the tap tone of a wet dog. So pick the top carefully, as the back and sides will contribute little."
A relative of the maple, it seems to share little of maple's tonewood characteristics, other than a tendency to be very white in appearance. Yet fine woodworkers use it. Why? Boxelder is subject to attack by the Ambrosia Beetle and where you find that, the wood has bright red stripes in it, very striking. However, the red/pink stripes are reputed to fade upon exposure to light.
Boxwood Buxus sempervirens H=4, M=3.2, B=2.5, S=2.6, 0=2, T=2.5
Normally too thin a trunk to make a back, it is very dense, even-textured and straight grained. The tone can be expected to be warm and full, clear with highs stronger than bass.
Branquilho termanalia spp
A Brazilian wood, It resembles Black Limba in how it looks, but is finer-grained and harder with a more rosewood-like tone. It easily takes a finish and bends quite well.
Brazilian Cherry Hymenaea courbaril Jatoba H=3.7, M=3.1, B=4.2, S=3.7, O=3.2, TE=4
Despite the common name, this is a legume, very hard, and often used for flooring and furniture. It ranges in color from a light orange/brown to a reddish brown and may have gray/brown streaks and, yes, it darkens upon exposure to sunlight. Interlocked grain and a medium coarse texture. Ringing and resonant tone, hiard, cold and bright with great projection. A warmer top will balance it out.
Brazilian Rosewood Dalbergia Nigra H=4, M=3.7, B=4.2, S=3.2, O=3, T=3.9
Though this wood is still in common usage and is very common among high end guitars, it has been protected against import and export by the CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species]. Brazilian rosewood is sought after for its (usually) striped dark brown color that ranges from chocolate brown, to rust or a warm burnt orange. Finer examples feature fine black line figuring and spider webbing (where the black lines make web-like shapes). Easily recognized by its interlocking spider web type grain (not on all specimens). Although now placed under strict CITES Restriction, some high quality sets are still available. It is considered by most to be the premier tonewood for steel string guitars. It offers a loud, warm, and rich tone with good separation of voice. "Glassy" has also been used to describe the tone.
Brazilian Rosewood (Brazil) From dark brown to violet in color with spidery black streaks. Brazilian rosewood is considered essentially extinct and is available in very limited quantities for custom or special limited edition guitars. It produces full, deep basses and brilliant trebles.
John Arnold on identifying it (as opposed to Indian Rosewood): "Color is not reliable when distinguishing Brazilian from Indian rosewood. Brazilian rosewood varies in color from light straw to jet black. Indian rosewood varies from pale brown to deep purple. The most obvious difference in BR and IR is the appearance of the dark lines. In BR these lines are often jet black, narrow, and have very defined edges. In IR, the dark lines are deep brown or purple, wider, and indistinct or fuzzy on the edges. The lines in IR also tend to vary in thickness along their length. "
First and foremost is the fact that this wood has been placed on the CITES treaty that restricts any post-ban felling of trees or export of new lumber. Beyond the fact that CITES makes it illegal to fell Brazilian trees in the rain forest, the political, humanitarian and environmental issues behind this policy are what is the most important. Even the use of legally harvested, pre-CITES Brazilian rosewood increases the wood's visibility within the guitar-buying public and helps feed the demand for an endangered species.
Secondly, to obtain high-quality Brazilian Rosewood, the cost of the guitar could easily rise by $1,000 to $3,000. That’s a lot of money to shell out, and a lot of liability for a builder, to assume. The extra expense may not provide sufficient payoff in increased quality, at least not for many of us.
Bruce Sexauer says, "I increasingly have fallen under its spell in that there is something there I don’t get anywhere else. Many woods sound great, and several are more “fun” to play on, but there is a quality I hear in BRW which is simply beyond compare. . . and it is addictive.… It must be very thin if one is to get the thing it does, and it is then prone to cracking if mishandled. It will crack spontaneously if it is rift sawn due the the inequality of expansion/contraction from one part to another (Opinion!!!!), but as long as it is properly cut and dried, it is incredibly stable, and I do not often see warping or distortion at all. The problem is that so much of what is being used would have been passed on 30 years or more ago; it should have no place in our work. But people will dream, and in combination with a poor understanding of wood as a medium they act on hope and pretty colors. The bottom line is that (nearly) perfectly quartered (OR dead flatsawn, I am increasingly convinced) seems to be the more reliable way to go. And don’t forget about grain alignment with the timber. The visible run out issue is the least of the trouble there, it indicates short fibers which are then liable to fail to be long enough to avoid splitting when the plates are as thin as BRW allows (demands) them to be.... The sure sign is the density of lines running across the back, which usually means non-aligned growth rings.”
And lastly, Brazilian Rosewood is exceptionally prone to severe warping, cracking, and splitting (see paragraph above); and at some time over the life of a Brazilian Rosewood guitar, a crack will likely develop and need to be repaired – something that is costly for both the guitar owner and the luthier. Other have called it stable (the same person said it was the same wood as as Pao Ferro).
While Brazilian Rosewood will definitely make an excellent-sounding guitar, there are woods available that are every bit as beautiful and sound just as good for considerably less money and of course, less worry about a truly endangered species (and possibly being in trouble at some customs office). East Indian Rosewood will produce an absolutely amazing guitar, and Madagascar Rosewood, Cocobolo and Honduran Rosewood are all suitable alternatives. If you read this site carefully, you will find others that have been touted as replacements for Brazilian. All of these woods will produce much of the same look and sound as Brazilian, if that is what you seek. Still.. when you read what Bruce Sexauer has to say above.....
Bubinga Guibourtia demeusei, often called “African Rosewood”, but not a true rosewood.
H=3.7, M=3, B= 4.2, S=3.8, O-3.5, T=4
This is a wonderful wood in every respect. It is as hard or even harder as the rosewoods, but has a finer texture with no pores to fill. It bends easily (some disagree, especially with the more wildly figured wood) and holds its' shape. The brownish-purple color is close enough to rosewood to look familiar. To top it off, it is red brown with a clearly demarcated lighter brown to white sapwood. The pinkish mauve cast may darken more to reds and browns over time. There is a three dimensional effect to it. It is a hard, durable wood with an interlocked grain which can make bending challenging.
Bubinga is quickly becoming a favorite wood with custom builders, and may soon find its way into large production shops. This wood, which comes from Africa, has a tremendously rich and full sound replete with warm even tones, a glassy ring, and a brilliant sparkle across the entire spectrum. It provides a slightly dark and woody overtone content with a low to mid end predominance- much like Indian Rosewood! Lacks the same low end of Rosewood but is more balanced than Mahogany. Lots of volume too. It is plentiful and available in a wide variety of cosmetic appearances. Typically Bubinga has a mottled "bees-wing" appearance under finish that is absolutely gorgeous, and also can be acquired with strong ropey curl.
Well balanced warm & rich tone with round basses and a fine mid range, bright trebles. Ample sustain without a sacrifice in clarity or separation in the kids and trebles.
Stephen Kinnaird is a big fan and says :”I have a growing appreciation for Bubinga. Visually, it can be quite stunning, with deep curl, Pomelle figure, bees’ wing mottle, etc. Even the plainer versions when well quartered are attractive. The pinkish mauve color is off-putting to some, though I find it attractive. It is hard, heavy and dense. The interlocking grain, which makes the wood so attractive, also make for an exciting time at the bending iron. This wood can resist you with a stubborn determination. A good night’s sleep is essential before bending. The sound is so close to rosewood, that Bubinga well earns its nickname of “African Rosewood”. That overtone structure one hears with rosewood is equally present in Bubinga, and yet at a reduced price tag. If one wanted a guitar with a traditional sound, but with more visual drama than Indian rosewood, Bubinga should definitely be considered.”
It has a Janka rating of ~2000-2500 and a specific gravity of approx. 0.9.
There is also White Bubinga, far rarer, with a little warmer tone than regular Bubinga.
Buckeye (Aesaules sp)
Burled Buckeye is used for tops in solid-bodied guitars. Spectacular appearing, it's tonal contribution aproximates that of wet tea leaves. I can see it used for rosettes or headstock overlays in acoustic guitars. It is "even tonally", meaning, I think, it would sound bad at any register. It is very lightweight and soft and has an oder which varies from piece to piece. One may smell like dirt and the next like flowers.
*Bunya A. bilwillii
Australian Bunya is a large evergreen conifer native to southeast Queensland and New South Wales which used to be plentiful. Heights of up to 50 m have been documented. An 80 year old tree will producue good tonewood. Robin Russell added: ”A. bidwillii was a sacred tree for the Aboriginal people. The vernacular name is Bunya, Bonye, Bunyi or Bunya-bunya, from various tribes or European variations of the Australian Aboriginal name for the tree. It is also often called Bunya Pine (though this is inaccurate, as it is not a pine). The seeds are edible, are similar to pine nuts, and have been an important food resource for Australian Aboriginal people. They are eaten both raw and cooked. Traditionally they were also ground and made into a paste, which was eaten directly or cooked in hot coals to make bread. Groves of the trees were often under particular tribal ownership.”
Although populations of Bunya have been reduced through logging, dam construction, and historical clearing, large populations are protected in reserves and parks. Bunya has an excellent stiffness to weight ratio and is actually 10-20% stronger than Englemann spruce. It lacks differentiation in annular rings due to it’s sub tropical and tropical habitat provides less seasonal climate variation. It is a bit heavy and may lack tap tone. Some folks don't like it; others do.
Robin Russell added: ”Bunya was regarded as a viable alternative to spruce for aircraft manufacture & Bunya is used as a top wood by leading Australian makers including Maton and Cole Clark.”
Rapid growth Bunya maintains these physical properties and coupled with less visible annular rings allows for plantation growth of this top wood. Bunya has an earthy, wild, evocative tone, a change from the conventional - but with the volume, tone and beauty to stand up in its own right.
Bunya was pioneered by Bradley Clark during his period at the Maton guitar factory. The story goes that in 1998, Clarke discovered through paper research that Bunya had the lightweight and stiff characteristics of a good top wood. Bunya topped guitars characteristically have a direct, strong sounding instruments with more midrange compared to spruce.
Janka rating of 650 and a specific gravity of 1.3., No CITES listing. Adequate supply.
Burmese Rosewood Dalbergia cochinchinensis Siamese Rosewood, Tracwood
Also found in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, it is very threatened by logging, much of that coming from China. Oily and resinous wood, denser than water, fine grained & beautiful, it fixes nitrogen and could help other trees re-establish were it not so endangered itself. Flatsawn pieces are at great risk for splitting. It is mostly used for luxury furniture and carving and its density and toughness allows furniture to be built without the use of nails or glue, but rather constructed through the use of doweling and close joinery.
Butternut Juglans cinera, White Walnut
Also called white walnut, butternut is softer and less likely to be figured than black walnut. It's not really white, but a creamy light brown. I think it is more attractive than Walnut as there is greater variation from light to dark. Definitely much lighter than Walnut and less dense (24lb/ft3), easier worked. Butternut is considerably softer than black walnut. The heartwood is light tan with pinkish or amber tones, sometimes with darker brown streaks; the narrow sapwood is white. Butternut has a coarser texture than black walnut. It machines easily, but sanding may cause a fuzzy surface unless fine-grit abrasives are used. It finishes well. The figure is virtually identical to black walnut. Flatsawn stock shows prominent lines from the growth rings. I've never come across a quarter sawn butternut. The dust can be quite dangerous, worse than walnut, which is not good either. It has been used in solid bodies and for necks. Its sonic signature is akin to walnut's, albeit softer, and overall the tone could be described as in between alder (smokey, raspy) and ash (poppy, open).
The sapwood of the butternut is almost white and usually is quite narrow. The heart wood is light brown, often with pinkish tones variegated with different shades of brown, quite pretty. It displays a satiny sheen. Relatively light weight for most domestic hardwoods, it has a straight coarse grain and is rather weak in bending strength. It may be difficult to bend. Once dry, the wood is very dimensionally stable.
Finishing: It is a very easy wood to finish, much like its cousin, walnut. Wiping with a damp cloth, raising the grain and sanding before the first coat of lacquer might help in attaining a perfect finish faster. Due to its softness, you must be particularly diligent in making sure it does not get dented in the process. You may be successful with an iron and damp cloth, to raise the dent, if this does in fact happen.
Machining: Butternut works easily with both hand and power tools. It has very limited dulling effects. It will rarely leave burn marks but can tear out when routing across the grain. If you do the ends of your board first and then the sides. The tear-out will usually be eliminated by the side routing. You must be particularly careful to not leave cross grain scratches and always finish off sanding with the grain. Butternut glues and stains easily. The coarse grain of the butternut requires sharp chisels when turning on the lathe.
Specific gravity from 0.36-0.45. 27lb/ft3
Today's Adirondack differs cosmetically from that of pre-War days. It has heavy late growth lines, color streaks, grain variation, etc., which gives it it's own special charm. But it's stiff and hard, with a clear, ringing yet complex and nuanced tone that carries right through high volume levels where other spruces start to break up, - like the stuff of legend. It remains clear and well-defined no matter how hard you play it. Its extra stiffness gives it additonal velocity of sou8nd, the responsiveness that makes the sound project quickly from the top. And its tone continues to gain over time as it breaks in more slowly than other spruced.
Found in Maine and adjopining Canada through the Allegheny Mountains, at increasingly higher elevations as you move south, historically, it was over-harvested, but now large enough trees are being found once again, though with less uniformity in appearance in comparison to vintage wood.
it weighs 27lb/ft3 and on the Janka scale rates a 490. Specific gravity is .38.
African Blackwood (Dalbergia Melanoxylon)
Also called Mpingo or Grenadilla, and often erroneously called African Ebony, this generally small and stunted-growth tree is found in central to southern Africa and is definitely not magnificent in appearance as it's of poor form, heavily branched, sometimes with heart voids which end up as homes to all sorts of living things. Though it can live 200 years, it is generally harvested at 70-80 years. Unfortunately, it is so slow growing that there is little economic incentive for farmers to replant. It is also slow to dry, 2-3 years at the quickest. All these things contribute to the price premium it brings. Though related to the Australian blackwoods, it differs sharply in its characteristics.
Quite black in color (actually, it's a very dark brown to even purplish), and often with sharply contrasting sapwood, African Blackwood trees are quickly becoming harder and harder to find large enough to make two-piece backs. Rarely, it exhibits a bird's eye figure and, less rarely, an inner chatoyance. It has a tight but robust sound, one of many sometimes compared to Brazilian (though less deep). Fine-textured, it is an extremely hard wood, strong and stiff, and very stable, it has an oily surface. It polishes very well to a smooth, lustrous finish. Expect a dark bell-like overtone content with a slow response, a deep bass and well-defined trebles with some sparkle to them, plus very good volume and clarity of sound, with good note separation. Deep basses, well defined trebles, excellent tone wood, very responsive, with a terrific tap tone. It is also a guitar sound that stands out from the rest.
African blackwood is difficult to work and blunts tools. It's among the densest, hardest tonewoods out there and is certainly the hardest amongst the more common guitar tonewoods. It's challenging to bend and is a relatively brittle wood overall. Not terribly user-friendly. It's stable however.
Kathy Wingert: "African blackwood not only compares well to Brazilian rosewood, it bests it in some ways. It's very heavy, and mass usually favors sustain if there isn't any internal damping to muck it up. Bingo. It has all the "chocolatey" richness. It has the clarity, sustain, orchestral weightiness, sweetness, and reverberating overtones."
Handling it can cause mild eye and skin irritation. As well it has potental for irritable respiratory issues and is considered a sensitizer, meaning it can trigger reactions when exposed to the chemicals it contains.
It is also used for wooden flutes, clarinets and bagpipes. And for all sorts of turnery.
It is heavy - 85lb/ft3. Janka rating: 3669. Specific Gravity: 1.27
African Walnut. lacoa trichilioides
From the Congo, although it is commonly called “African Walnut,” it is not related to true walnuts (the Juglans genus), but is actually more closely related to Mahogany. Reddish brown to a golden color in the heartwood and may exhibit darker streaks which darken with age. High natural luster, clear tones.
Afzelia afzelia africana Chanfuta, Doussie, Pod mahogany, Xylay
Afzelia is a relatively dense wood from Africa and Asia that ranges in color between yellow, orange, and brown, with dark streaks and an interlocking grain. It is often compared to Koa in appearance. Tonally, Afzelia has an even tone with rich basses in a punchy low end, bright and clear, a pleasing aroma, and good projection and sustain. It is quite hard (Janka rating is 1980), surprisingly dense (51 lb/ft3), and resists decay. Some endangerment in the African species. With its seed pod fruit, it is used in Africa for animal feed. With many uses besides tonewood, pressure on stands is great It fixes nitrogen. Can reach 125' tall.
Heartwood is golden to reddish brown, sometimes reminding one of mahogany, sometimes with burl or high figure, which may be referred to as xylay pattern. Once dried (not as easy as may be wished), it is very stable with neglible warpage. Like many other woods as times wears on, the reds turn browner.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar. cupressus nootkatensis, chamaecyparis nootkatensis (unsure here)
Alaska Yellow Cedar, (AKA Alaska Cypress and Yellow Cypress), is a cypress very similar to Port Orford Cedar in many ways, though with a different aroma. It is very stable and stiff, has a soft velvety look and takes a beautiful finish. It is also one of the more resonant tonewoods but a bit warmer sound in the low end.
It exhibits a bright and uniform yellow color, as has the same rot-resistant properties as red cedar. However, it is far more dense than red cedar, therefore much stronger and harder. Since yellow cedar grows up in the snowy reaches of mountainous terrain, it grows very slowly, creating a very high grain count. Light, stiff, easily worked - and produces a surprisingly loud instrument. I believe the loudest guitar I have owned was a classical with Alaskan Yellow Cedar. (The following is from the umgf.) "It is one of the most stable of woods in terms of dimensional change due to moisture content change and so is more immune to cracking than any of the other soundboard woods (with the exception being Port Orford Cedar -another Cypress-like tonewood). Tonally, the wood is especially well suited for flatpicking steel string guitars when a strong tone with a bright attack is desired (its specific gravity is close to Sitka and Adirondack Spruces). Some classical and flamenco guitar builders report that it imbues the instrument with a chimey, clear, articulate tone with great sustain."
It sounds bright and lively and is very light and very stiff, which make for powerful and articulate guitars. Alaskan Yellow Cedar has a distinct tone that is not easily comparable to any other tonewood. As the name implies, it is very yellow in appearance, evenly colored with non-distinct growth rings. Sap and heartwood look similar.
Mike McConnell: "It is a beautiful wood, cuts like butter. Being of the cedar/cypress family it is very rot resistant. The toxicity that makes it resistant to fungus, also makes it toxic to humans. It contains a very aromatic oil that evaporates as the wood is being worked. Some people can have an allergic reaction to it that manifests as a skin rash, or respiratory problems. "
Petros Guitars says "It is hard and heavy and rings like a bell. This is a unique wood that can be used for backs or tops."
Weighs 31lb/ft3, has a Janka rating of 580 and a specific gravity of .4-.5.
Alder
Our Alder here is rarely more than an inch in diameter, loved by beavers to create dams and their homes, so I was suprised to learned it is used for guitars - electric ones.
Fender adopted alder in mid-1956, probably for no other reason than it was there; it was readily available and was affordable. Ever since, it remains the body wood for the majority of Fender electric instruments. It was and still is a very good choice.Alder belongs to the birch family and grows around the world throughout the north temperate zone...The wealth of regional varieties falls under two main types — black alder or European alder, which is native to most of Europe and to Southwest Asia; and red alder, which is native to the U.S. West Coast.
Red alder boasts many sonic advantages. Not especially dense, it’s a lightweight, closed-pore wood that has a resonant, balanced tone brighter than other hardwoods, with a little more emphasis in the upper midrange. It imparts excellent sustain and sharp attack. It’s very easy to work with and it glues well. It has a sound that’s beefy and full-bodied, with a slightly sizzling high end that’s never harsh, along with the right amount of sustain, snappy, punchy with the right amount of attack. It is also soft and easily marred.
Alder has a strong, close grain and is a medium-weight wood with a balanced range of frequencies and a full-bodied, clear tone on solid bodied guitars, producing a clear, articulate tone and a slightly scooped EQ curve. And it's versitile - and cheap. Notably, alder also takes finishes well — with a light brown color and a tight grain that’s only slightly visible. Lack of attractive figuring and coloration led to painted bodies.
Amazon Rosewood. Dalbergia spruceana Palissandre Para, Saboarana, Jacarandá, Jacamin
Amazon Rosewood is a smallish to medium-sized tree and its wood tends to be an orange or reddish brown, with darker contrasting streaks. Lighter yellowish sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartood. Though slightly lower on the Janka scale, Amazon Rosewood is significantly heavier than Brazilian Rosewood (to which it is often compared) and may sink in water. Its density contributes to challenging workability, while the oil content makes for difficult gluing. The effort is rewarded by its fine lustrous polish and superior tonal qualities. great look and acoustic properties. Very responsive, highly dynamic, very good separation of notes, slightly more pronounced on basses than the mids and trebles. It has equally a balanced warm sound with full round basses and crystal trebles. Due to its higher density, notes tend to come out more clear, piano-like, with great separation of voices.
It glues well and has a medium texture, uniform, and with open pores and a rosewood odor when worked.
Most comes from a single supplier and nearly all of that is rift and flat sawn, so good quarter-sawn is difficult to find.
68lb/ft3, Janka rating 2700, specific gravity - .8-1.08
Angelique Dicorynia guianensis
Angelique is medium brown colored wood, which has been widely used as a teak substitute outdoors and for flooring. It is used in parquet patterns where it uniquely reveals an almost 3D pattern.
(from woodworkdetails.com) "Two forms are commonly recognized by producers. The heartwood that is russet-colored when freshly cut and becomes superficially dull brown with a purplish cast is referred to as “gris.” The heartwood that is more distinctly reddish and frequently shows wide purplish bands is called “angelique rouge.” The texture of the wood is somewhat coarser than that of black walnut (Juglans nigra), and the grain is generally straight or slightly interlocked. In strength, angelique is superior to teak (Tectona grandis) and white oak (Quercus alba), when green or air dry, in all properties except tension perpendicular to grain. Angelique is rated as highly resistant to decay and resistant to marine borer attack. Machining properties vary and may be due to differences in density, moisture content, and silica content. After the wood is thoroughly air or kiln dried, it can be worked effectively only with carbide-tipped tools."
Apple Malus domestica, Malus sieversii, Malus sylvestris, etc.
Apple has a high shrinkage rate, and experiences a large amount of seasonal movement in service (ie - instability). Making sure it is well quarter-sawn is the best strategy against this. "Apple is fairly soft and low in density, much like soft maple, and bends nicely. Often with older wood you can get some nice figure, and it's easy to finish. Expect a tone that is more 'maple' than 'rosewood' " (Al Carruth) "Two factors are at play. While quartered sides are generally easier to bend and will ripple less, the presence of ladder bracing on the back will tend to cause cracks and sinking when it shrinks due to low humidity. The wider the piece, the more the shrinkage. There are different cuts of flat sawn, depending on how close to the heart the board is cut. As a result, the angle of the growth rings varies widely. Backs that have a narrow heart that is located outside the waist will tend to be more stable than those with a wider heart that is located in the center of each half. That is because the grain in the latter is more parallel with the face over a larger percentage of the width." (John Arnold)
Th heartwood varies from a light reddish or grayish brown to a deeper red/brown. The grain of Apple is sometimes seen with streaks of darker and lighter bands of color, similar to Olive. Sapwood is a pale cream color. In genral, it makes lighter-colored back. Straight grain (though it can also be wild). With a very fine, uniform texture. It can be somewhat difficult to work due to its high density, and burns easily when machined. But it glues, stains, finishes, and turns well. However, it has a high shrinkage rate, and experiences a large amount of seasonal movement in service
43-52lb/ft3, Janka = 1730, Specific gravity - .61, .83
Ash
Swamp Ash is not a species of Ash, but refers to the place where a particular tree may have grown. This is lighter wood than usual. Good Ash is being severely threatened as a viable species by the Emerald Ash Borer. In the past, most Ash has been used in electrics, although there is no reason to confine it to that use. You tend to think of it as straight-grained and boring, but it can show some striking figure at times.
Taylor has started using Shamel Ash found in cities and is marketing it as "Urban Ash". Cities tend to think of downed trees as potential mulch and little else, so he is on to something, turning a nuisance to get rid of into a high-end final product. this ash is heavier than the "Swamp" ash used in electrics, lighter than the northern ash used for baseball bats. It's sound is focused, a fundamental-strong voice, with clean notes which are mostly overtone-free.
John Calkin: "Ash is harder and stiffer than mahogany, sort of an open-grain maple. The pore structure is similar to oak; the pores are numerous and deep. It's about the color of cream when freshly cut, aging rapidly to a light tan. Ash stains well and a contrasting pore filler adds interest. Ash is pretty boring unless you are fond of Fender electrics, which mostly exhibit a sunburst or pickled finish when used with this wood. A rare sample of ash might have the most astonishing combination of swirls, curls and flame figure. Finding quartered ash is just a matter of luck."
Janka rating ranges from 850-1320.
**Australian Blackwood Acacia Melanoxylon
Blackwood often displays a natural ‘fiddleback’ look with bold figuring. You'll hear a warm, full tone, one exceptionally rich in the midrange, dscribed as "sweet" and "distinct". Listen for a warm, prominent mid-range. It is often compared ot its relative, Koa. Blackwood is also known for being a rather stiff timber that’s perfectly suited for percussive playing, and is renowned for handling climatic extremes better than most other woods. Most comes from Tasmania, with Victoria in second place. Its heartwood fluoresces beneath a blacklight - how cool is that?
It has good bending properties and has low shrinkage when drying. It is easy to work but figured pieces tend to be difficult to avoid tear-out, particularly on bladed machines. Blade angles should be increased and kept razor sharp to reduce tear-out. Grain is grain is typically straight to slightly interlocked, and typically wavy. Uniform fine to medium texture. It is relatively easy to work in areas that have fine texture but care must be taken when working in interlocked areas as it can cause tear-out. The quarter sawn surface may produce an attractive fiddle-back figure. Careful bending of sides is required on figured pieces. Australian Blackwood is easily worked with each hand and machine tools, although patterned wood and items with the interlocked grain will cause tear-out. Australian Blackwood turns, glues, stains, and finishes well. Responds well to steam bending but is moderately blunting to work with tools. Gluing may produce variable results. The wood is easily stained and produces a high-quality finish. Like so many other woods, the sawdust can cause breath and sinus irritation for some and use of dust masks is recommended.
40lb/ft3, Janka = 1160, specific gravity - .54, .64
*Australian Red Cedar Toona ciliata
Heartwood color ranges from pinkish to a darker reddish brown. Paler sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartwood, while the grain is generally straight to slightly interlocked, with a coarse, uneven texture. It has a natural luster. Easy to work with both hand and machine tools. You may notice the cedar odor when working it. Some difficulty can be encountered when surfacing quartersawn surfaces with interlocked grain. Can also exude resin and gum up cutters. Glues and finishes well.Red cedar is a fast-growing large deciduous hardwood that grows in the coastal rainforest areas of eastern Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea, South America, the Philippines and India. The heartwood of red cedar ranges from a pale pinkish red through to a richer dark reddish brown. The sapwood is paler pink or yellow in colour and is distinctive from the heartwood. It has a rough, uneven texture with a grain that is usually straight but may be slightly interlocked. Growth rings are often visible. It has a distinctive odour that moths dislike (skip to the last sentence to see if this statement makes sense).
Red cedar is soft and has good workability and a tight grain. Elsewhere, I read it has a very open grain with large pores that must be filled. Generally, though, it is a pleasure to with with though sometimes it exudes a resin which can gum up tools. It can be stained and polished and it finishes well, however its rough texture may require extra work. Precautions should be taken when machining red cedar as the sawdust can cause irritation for some people.
The sound of it when used for tops is warm and resonant. Spanish Cedar is a relative, as is Mahogany.
Due to historic over-harvest, it may be considered commercially extinct. When they first stared cutting it, it was referred to as "red gold". They could be nearly 200' tall with a diameter of 20'. Today, figure on 100-135' and 3-5' trunks. Very few of these are left. the species is under serious attack in Australia by a moth, but is being planted in other area where the moths are not a threat.
30lb/ft3, Janka = 700, Specific gravity = .40, .49
Avocado -
Bet you never thought of this as a wood. They don't get big, maybe 30', and only live like 50 years, but are, well, unusual. First, they are bi-sexual, with flowers that are male in the morning, then both, ending iup as female in the afternoon. Kinky. Then, it is both deciduous and evergreen at the same time as the leaves, which shed once a year, do not shed until the new ones are there, making it appear always green. It (perish the thought!) burns fast and starts easily.
Grayish/brown wood that works surprsingly well for soundboards, only the supply is so irregular that no one thinks of them. It has also been used for backs as well. It is fine and even-textured, without figure, but preents a nice sheen. When fresh-cut, it appears yellowiish. It is said to spalt easily, although the spalt progresses to rot faster than expected. Catch it right and it can be very nice.
From Elliot Coit (California Avocado Society): "The specific gravity of the sample submitted is .59, indicating that the wood has about the density (weight) of red maple and American elm, which are classed as medium in
that property. Shrinkage of the wood across the annual growth rings (radial shrinkage) is about 3.2 per cent; shrinkage along the growth rings (tangential shrinkage) is about 5.5 per cent; volumetric shrinkage 15.7 per cent. Shrinkage figures indicate that the wood is similar to chestnut, aspen, and bigleaf maple in the above except that the volumetric shrinkage is somewhat greater than that of the species named. The radial-
tangential shrinkage ratio (1.7) and high volumetric shrinkage indicate only moderate stability of the wood with fluctuating moisture content in service. However, a low radial- tangential shrinkage ratio is not always an accurate criterion of stability in wood, and cannot be fully relied upon in the absence of more exhaustive tests."
Avodire (Turraenthus africanus) H=3.5 M=3.3, B=4.3, S=3.5, O=3.7, T=4
Light-colored for something in the mahoghany family, it has a high luster and will darken with age. The grain varies and each cut may not look like the last. Hard and light. More overtones than mahoghany, but still is sweet.
Balsamo myroxylon balsamo or Santos rosewood
Balsamo is a Central American wood sometimes used as a Brazilian Rosewood substitute.
Barba Joleta - Pitheecellobium, arboreum
Highly figured when quartersawn, this has been used as a mahogany subsitute. Brownish-red color. From Mexico, Belize and Guatamala
**Basswood Tilia americana (That's pronounced like the fish's (Bass) name, not like a lower-pitched instrument or voice)
Ho-hummm.. well, it’s light even if it isn’t interesting or sturdy. Used in Japan. Easy to use because it is so soft, which leads to less lows, mids and highs. Decent sustain on electrics. Tonally similar to Alder, which isn't too good either. Therefore it gets used on electrics where you use a mike to get the sound. Not stiff either. The sapwood of basswood is white to cream and wide, while the heartwood is pale to reddish brown, with darker streaks. Uniform texture and straight grain. There can be green mineral streaks, which are not considered beautiful. When dry, the wood has no characteristic odor or taste. It seems to stain nicely, which is often used as the wood is blander in appearance as well as tone. is frequently stained dark to opaque. The wood is soft and light, dents easily, with a fine, even texture. It is easily worked, glues well, and dries quickly and is stable once dry. It does have higher shrinkage, is low in strength and does not bend all that well. It is easily obtained in the Orient, which is a factor in it's appearance on some of their lower-priced guitars. Long used for solid body electrics, it is appearing now on acoustics.
Bastogne Walnut J. hindsii x J. regia, bostogne walnut H=4, M=3.4, B=2.9, S=4, O=3.8, T=3
Perhaps the rarest and the densest Walnut in the world, a cross between English and Claro Walnut which occurs less than 1 % of the time. Only a few of these trees exist. They are all sterile as this is a hybrid. The colors and figuring are stunning. It's substantially harder than other Walnut varieties, similar to Rock Maple or old growth Brazilian Rosewood. Bastogne Walnut is highly prized for tonewood, gun stocks, and fine furniture.
Known to make very good guitars, and the figured material is as beautiful as any wood, almost all of the U.S. hand builders and factories offer some sort of a walnut line of guitars. Bastogne is fairly heavy, heavier than other walnuts, and it's hard and it's stiff. This is a bit surprising as it is the fastest growing walnut and often the faster-growing trees are the softest and least dense. It is cultivated for it's appearance, as a tree (and as wood) as it gives few or no nuts. It's rather porous, but it does finish nicely.
Bastogne Walnut can vary greatly in color, texture, grain and density. However, it is generally displays a green hue and broken fiddleback figure, but most often is on the brown side, with golden brown present. The most common color contrast is with the colors of Claro and the dark streaks of English Walnut. Some examples have a curly or rippled figure. Medium texture and luster.
Air drying takes long but it is stable in service once dry. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Claro walnut in how it works. It produces a striking guitar. Tonally it rivals the best Indian Rosewood in terms of strong and resonant overtones but it retains a stronger mid range, bright highs and a fundamental with a rich bass. Good note definition. The projection is within the realms of a mahogany guitar. (parapharasing from Guitar Bench)
George Lowden again: “Because of the hardness it gives a very defined clear sound, great for most playing styes except perhaps flat picking where you might prefer to use a rosewood for that ‘thicker’ lower mid range. I love walnut as a tonewood, particularly good with redwood tops and sitka in mid sized, and cedar in large guitars. In small guitars it works well with cedar also.“. Bob Taylor once described walnut as “rosewood on steroids”.
Harvey Leach says: This hybrid tree that results from the nuts produced from grafted Claro/English trees cannot reproduce so therefore it is very rare. It's also much harder than either of it's parent trees, close to rosewood in fact. As such it tends to produce guitars with a rosewood sound.
Janka rated 1000-1500, it’s the densest walnut, a hybrid that does not produce naturally, yet you can get it.
Specific gravity of 1.
Beech
Beech could be a decent choice for back and sides wood if one does not mind it's light and bland appearance. I've cut firewood from it that rings like a bell when one piece hits another. It is medium to high in density, with a 1300 Janka rating. There is a question on its stability. If steamed, that should solve the problem (if it exists). Mostly lIght colored, but with dark streaks in places, it stains well. Flame is possible, but rare. It bends and works easily. Don Sharp has used it in guitars.
Beefwood #1 Australia (Grevillea striata)
Quoting Woodfinder: "Beefwood is dark reddish brown with prominent figure when radial sawn. Medium hard and heavy. Used for craftwork including inlays and marquetry. Extremely limited availability due to limited number of trees (found in desert regions) and restrictions on harvesting." Maroon to red colors with gray rays. Watch for tear-out. Straight-grained but coarse.
Janka = 2420, 5 1/4lb/board foot
Beefwood #2 South America (Manilkara bidentata)
Called beefwood because of it's vague resemblance to marbled beef, it is red-brown with a very distinct ray-fleck pattern. Rays are tightly packed in quartersawn boards, large and widely distributed in flatsawn boards. Very similar to lacewood and leopardwood.
Belah Eastern Austrlia (Casucina cristata) "Scrubbed sheoak"
Mostly brown with some pink in spots and a subtle and delicate figure, it exhibits an African Blackwood-like tap tone. It glues well and is used at times for wood turning. 1100-1155kg/m3.
The trees are wind pollinated. So far, little is known about this wood except that it has the qualities that can make a great guitar.
Big Leaf Maple Western North America (Acer macrophyllum)
Cream in color this domestic hardwood gives a very tight and quick sound. It has sharp midranges and high ends but lacks the depth of Rosewood. A dense hardwood, maple’s tone is like a laser beam — very focused — and dominant on the fundamental. Often described as having a “bright” sound, maple has fewer overtones than other medium-density woods, resulting in quicker note decay. This makes it a preferred guitar wood for live performance settings with a band — especially with bass, drums and electric guitar — because it cuts through a mix well, allows the acoustic sound to be heard, and is less prone to feedback issues. It has some midrange, and a lot more treble sparkle than rosewood.
Bigleaf maple is a western states maple and grows in California on up the coast to Canada. Not too long ago it was considered a "weed tree" and was priced accordingly. Of course, being a weed tree meant that it wasn't sought out in a big way, either, so that costs as a function of supply and demand weren't all that appealing. But for a wood as striking as this maple can be, the costs are very fair.
Goes Well With Live band performances, recording, lead players who like clean articulation and note definition, 12-strings, players with dark bone tone. Maple's tap tone is rarely a ringing one, but it can't be denied that plenty of wonderful sounding guitars have been made from it, and even a few violins! In fact, many choose the wood as a first choice for creating the sound they seek. John Greven, whose steel string guitars have a very big sound, and who counts many "stars" as clients, prefers the maple sound.
Bigleaf maple usually display a a wider curl than the European or hard maples do. It is also the only maple in which the quilted figure is found, although it is rare, averaging about one tree in a thousand.
Birch Betula sp.
Long ago, makers used a lot of birch, especially in smaller instruments such as fiddles and mandolins. It was the cheapest hardwood available at the local lumber yard. It works, acts, and looks much like maple, though curly birch normally has a much larger curl than curly maple. Tear-out may be a problem. Not so popular any more. I would think yellow birch would be the best.
COLOR: In yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white; heartwood is light red- dish brown tinged with red. In sweet birch (B. lenta), sapwood is light colored and heartwood is dark brown tinged with red.
GRAIN: Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, even texture. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch. Paper birch (B. papyrifera) is softer and lower in weight and strength than yellow or sweet birch. However, yellow birch is most commonly used for flooring. Boards can vary greatly in grain and color.
SIDE HARDNESS/JANKA: 1260 (yellow)
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average (change coefficient .00338).
DURABILITY: Hard and stiff; very strong, with excellent shock resistance.
SAWING/MACHINING: Difficult to work with hand tools, but good machining qualities.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
FINISHING: No known problems.
Black Acacia Acacia Melanoxylon, Australian (Tasmanian) Blackwood
With Koa prices escalating rapidly and quality on the decline, it’s nice to know that there are limited quantities of beautiful Black Acacia back and side sets - at roughly half the price of Koa. Known as Australian Blackwood to many because of the tree’s bark, this not-to-distant cousin of the koa tree (Koa is itself another acacia) offers many of the features of the popular Hawaiian wood. With many highly flamed sets available, the only difference between Black acacia and koa that you are likely to notice is that the color of the Black acacia is one shade lighter (more of a honey brown or gold brown) and the grain generally runs straighter. An excellent alternative to the rosewoods, it has a luminescence and depth similar to mahogany. The tap tone is roughly the same as Koa, and some say it makes a better sounding guitar. Though the tree grows well in northern California and many other places such as Africa and India, the best sets are imported from Australia where this wood has been a mainstay for most of the fine builders there. Other adherents include classical and Flamenco guitar builder Kenny Hill and Steel string builders Mike Baranik and McPherson guitars. The wood works and behaves very much like Mahogany.
Note: there are 2000 Acacia species, some are trees, some bushes. I have Chinese acacia floors in my home and they are not the least bit like Koa or Australian Blackwood.
Black Chacate Guibourtia conjugata (Small False Mopane)
"This wood is one of the nine precious hardwoods of Mozambique. It is also found in the bordering regions of Zambia as well as North Western Zimbabwe. Black chacate, Guibourtia conjugata is sometimes confused with the most common Guibourtia coleosperma.Its large and straight logs and high density are unique! It enables the production of large bells, bass clarinets and flutes that are difficult to obtain with other hardwoods like the African Blackwood and Mopane.
The wood is hard and the logs are above average dimensions of the hardwood species we work. The wood is therefore cut in stages. In a first stage, the logs are broken down in slabs on a band saw with a flexible thin blade. In a second stage into parts with tungsten tipped blades. The blades tend to clog. Good cleaning of blades is obtained in sugar soap bath.
The wood dries slowly and requires protection against slits and cracks." (Pro Sonos)
" It is golden brown with darker streaks. Very hard and heavy but machines well with few problems. Excellent for cabinetry and wood turning. Capable of taking a high polish and is stable in service." (Gilmer wood)
Black Ebony Diospyros sp.
It makes a striking guitar! About 15 years ago it was popular among the classic makers of Spain, when it was easier to get, and the price was not so dear. This is Indian ebony, not so brittle as the African ebonies, and it bends quite well. Excellent sustain, clear and articulate. There are so many subspecies that the various ebonies are often confused. True ebony is getting harder to find and the trees grow slowly. No fillers needed, glues easily, finishes to a sheen. Your tools need to be sharp! 65lb/ft3
Black-Hearted Sassafras Atherosperma Moschatum
Few woods on the market match the striking color contrasts found in this species. A native Tasmanian timber, the dark, variegated colors in the center of the log are caused by a fungus which fortunately, does not disturb the stability of the wood. The wood is light in weight, strong, easy to work, bend and to finish. Bends easily with little to no springback. Tonally it falls into a category that might also include Myrtle, Walnut and Maple, so expect an open sound with nice separation and sparkling highs. Great mid tones.
Of all Tasmanian timbers, sassafras has the most variable and dynamic coloring. It is a beautiful and pale creamy gray to white normally but can be streaked with rich browns and black heart, distinctive golden tones, dark browns, black and even green streaking running through the wood. Few woods on the market can match the striking colour contrasts found in this species. So, it is available in two major groupings; Golden Sassafras and Blackheart Sassafras. Finishing to a gray and golden tone, golden sassafras is particularly attractive as a veneer or as a solid timber with knots providing figure. If the tree is infected with a staining fungus it produces Blackheart sassafras. Blackheart is a timber with distinctive dark brown, black, and even green streaks running through the wood with a cream-colored sapwood and wild reddish brown heartwood. Light strong and easily worked. Sassafras grows as an under story species in lower altitude wet forests throughout Tasmania. It is not related to the timbers known as sassafras that grow on mainland Australia. It is an aromatic evergreen tree with some quite distinctive qualities; the bark, sap, and associated oils are highly aromatic and smell like cinnamon, while its leaves have a strong sarsaparilla scent. However, as finished wood, there is no scent.The leaves are dark green, turning yellow as the tree ages. The best trees are found in gullies where Sassafras may reach 45m in height and almost a meter in diameter. Sassafras is a component of wet eucalyptus forest and young rain forest where it may live for up to 150 - 200 years.
Expect an open sound with nice separation and sparkling highs. Tonally in the range of mahoganies and walnuts, with the characteristics of both, good balance across the range with a slightly pronounced high end, the figuring is caused by a fungus which fortunately does not affect the woods structure.
Taylor Guitars say, "Goes Well With: A variety of playing styles. It can be a bit of a chameleon in that its tonal personality tends to reflect the player. A person might bring out more of a mahogany sound, or rosewood, maple, walnut or something else depending on the playing approach and the body style of the guitar."
Janka rating - 1090, 39lb/ft2
Black Limba Terminalia superba, Korina H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.7, O=3, T=4
I've read that korina and limba are from the same tree, that korina is the thick sapwood and black limba is the heartwood. Of course, korina is the wood that went into the '50's Flying V's and Explorers made by Gibson. Both were made from white limba, which for some reason Gibson referred to instead as Korina (maybe limba didn’t sound sexy enough). Guitarists might drool at the mention of guitars made from Korina, but if you go to a lumberyard and ask for Korina, most managers will respond with a blank stare, followed by a comment like “Never heard of it….” Limba comes from Africa, and is somewhat difficult to come by here in the states (again, Limba is not the same thing as African mahogany).
It produces a beautiful, warm rich tone, similar to mahogany, but with maybe just a touch more resonance. It’s a personal favorite for guitar bodies and necks. The tone is great and it’s lightweight. Limba is usually classified as either black limba or white limba, depending on the coloration of the grain. Black limba looks much more interesting, is slightly more lightweight, and is easier to find for sale; while white limba is the traditional choice. The distinction between the two is not a matter of different species, like the difference between Philippine and Honduran mahogany. It’s simply the difference in grain pattern caused by mineral deposits. Black Limba is generally from older trees. There are opposing opinions as to which sounds better, but in a blind tone test, it’s doubtful anyone could recognize any difference.
Black limba is about the same as mahogany in weight, hardness and texture. The background color is a light gray. The heartwood ranges from light straw color to having black stripes. Hence white or black Limba. Korina refers to the striped version. It has a straight, close grain which is occasionally interlocked or wavy with an even but somewhat coarse texture. Fine streaks of brown and black make it far more appealing than plain mahogany. Some may have plenty of fine worm holes. The pores are small enough that one can finish the wood without filling it. It can be substituted for mahogany. It is used for back and sides for guitars, where it’s light weight allows it to compare to mahogany. Tim McKnight says: ”I have used Black Limba. It is a drop in tonal replacements for Mahogany.”
COMMON NAMES: generally known in the US as afara, korina, white limba, and black limba. It is all the same tree.
COLOR: There are three colors of limba. A "normal" tree has off-white sapwood and is sometimes yellowish or even pale brown and the heartwood is similarly colored and not clearly differentiated from the sapwood. These two types of limba and are virtually indistinguishable although sometimes the heartwood will be darker brown. The sapwood and heartwood of this version is white limba. The third limba, which is the somewhat more rare heartwood, has varying degrees of irregular black streaking,that can create some beautiful patterns. This is called "black limba".
Well defined basses, clear trebles, a clear and defined yet balanced sound throughout the scale and a very lively sound. Bright penetrating trebles. Top notch separation of voices. Rarely used by builders, Black limba is not always available. The figure of most cuts is very beautiful and dramatic in character
The Janka rating is around 670-730 and the specific gravity is 0.45.
Black Locust robinia pseudoacacia, Acacia, False Acacia (See also "Locust")
H=4, M=3.5, B=3, S=4.3, O=3.2, T=3.1
Black Locust, is a ring-porous hardwood. The wood is a pale yellowish brown to yellowish green. It is native to the eastern United States, but has been to other parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is among the hardest and heaviest of the North American hardwoods, very stiff, splits and bends easily, and sharp tools are a necessity. Black locust responds well to ebonizing, and does, in fact turn almost completely black. In the ground, the stuff never seems to rot and is only slightly less hard than mild steel. You'd say that if you tried to put a nail into cured locust. The tap tone is similar to rosewood - this is something I have heard several times from folks who have used it. I have also heard others claim it is to the left of Rosewood (ie - towards Mahogany). Very intriguing. A vibrant sound, with excellent tonal separation, rich overtones and long sustain. I have seen Black Locust (there is also a yellow locust and a honey locust - the honey locust is usually too small) sets that had interesting grain and figure, but it is uncommon.
The sapwood of Black Locust is a creamy white, while the heartwood can vary from a greenish yellow to dark brown, but is more likely to be a creamy or goldish brown all the way through. It may turn a reddish brown when exposed to the air. Figure is possible but rare. I have seen it only once. The wood is often confused with Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera). It has a high density and decay resistance. It shows slight shrinkage and stays in place well. It is very strong in bending and is one of the hardest woods in America. It’s shock resistance is almost equal to that of Hickory (Carya spp.).
Black Mulga - acacia aneura
Normally way too small for guitars, it is a rare Australian acacia that can exhibit birdeye or flame figure. Heavy, it can make an attractive fretboard.
"It is an Acacia just like koa, Acacia koa, but it is much harder like desert ironwood and tighter grained with rich dark colors more like walnut. It comes from the arid outback of Western Australia only. It is rarer than snakewood and harder than ebony. It is highly chatoyant and a true gem grade wood. Wide and roomy blocks. This wood does not require stabilization." (Blade Forums)
Bloodwood Brosimum rubescens H=3.8, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.8, O=3.4, TE=4
Bloodwood is a bolder red color then either Paduak or Bois d’ Rose, but has the advantage of not oxidizing to a warmer color over time. For this reason it is often used as decorative binding and inlay by luthiers and furniture makers alike. It is remarkably dense (about as dense as the harder rosewoods such as Honduran and Brazilian) and tight-grained so it is well suited for fingerboards, bridge blanks and backs and sides. The density is related to blunting one's tools. Matt Mustapick brought several Bloodwood instruments to the Healdsburg Guitar Festival and says, ”No bending problems whatsoever. Sands nice. Not splintery. It’s very dense and very hard with a glassy tap tone. The guitar has great volume and a very nice quick response to a light touch, great balance. It’s defining characteristics are its focus and separation and balance.”
Yet, Bill Kraus has this to say: "beautiful wood, pretty heavy, stiff and hard as a rock, and could be splintery on the edges, making for some nasty, painful slivers. I cut a ton of the stuff from lumber into guitar sets when I worked for a tonewood supplier. It was one of those woods that would often times give you trouble with cupping and occasionally blade drift when being re-sawn into back and side sets. Had a nice tap tone also. "
Very balanced sound, ideal for Baroque music, great volume and very nice quick response, great balance and separation of voices. Always a clear and crisp bass, punchy, and well defended kids and trebles, with good sustain.The guitar makes for terrific looking instruments. Matches marvelously well with Alpine spruce and the looks are simply stunning. It makes for excellent Flamenco guitars as well. If you like the tone red, this is by far the best wood for the job. Oxidizes deeper as it ages, but this can be lessened by its finish and just by keeping it out of the sun. Lustrous red surface, fined textured, with some lighter stripes and some chatoyance. Because of its brilliance, it works best paired with a warmer wood.
Not listed on CITES, but limited availability, Janka rating of 2900 and a specific gravity of 0.95
Blue Gum Eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus H=3.8, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=3.7, O=3.5, T=4
A cultivated Australian tree, which is yellow-brown, medium or coarse in texture, with little natural luster, but with an interlocked grain. It projects well, has clear highs and ringing bass, coupled with ample sustain, a well- balanced sound. Considered an invasive species in California.
Blue Mahoe Talipariti elatum H=2.9, M=3.5, b=4.1, =2.5,-2.8. T=4
Texture may vary from fine to coarse and the luster is low, but the name "blue" was not pulled out of the air. Actually it is more gray than blue and can have olive hues as well as the blue. As far as I know, it is the only wood which can be blue(ish) naturally. It projects well and has a powerful bass with crisp mids and highs. Sustain is just average at the best. Consequently the attack is fast.
Janka = 1420
*Blue Spruce Picea pungens
Blue spruce is a rare item in guitars but has been used with great success as a top wood by luthiers Mike Baranik, Harvey Leach, Randy Reynolds and especially Don Musser. It is very similar to Engelmann, though a bit brighter. Bruce Harvie has said in the past that blue spruce has often been cut and marketed as Engelmann.
Bocote Cordia Gerascanthus H=3.7, =3.1, B=4.1, S=3.7, =3.2, T=4
Bocote comes from the same family as Ziricote (Cordia) and is found in the same region (Central America to Northern Amazon). Less brittle than Ziricote, it is a popular wood with wood turners, works well and has had success as a guitar tonewood, though few builders have created stock models from it yet. It features a tobacco/reddish brown color with distinct, parallel black lines (it does not show the spider-webbing figure that the best Ziricote does). Unlike Ziricote, it darkens with age.). It has fine potential use in both steel string and classical guitars because of its attractive, dark color and rosewood-like tap tone. It has a spicy smell.
Deep sounding basses and an overall BIG sound, with a broad palette of mids. Tonewise, it compares with Rosewood, warm, powerful, with good volume and sustain. Very similar to African Blackwood too. Terrific tap tone and a very wide palette of mid ranges that make it one of the best tonewoods. The looks are also quite spectacular with all shades of yellow, orange and dark brown... Construction wise, it is far more stable than Brazilian rosewood because unlike the Brazilian species, it never fissures. This wood is officially classified as either extinct, endangered, rare or vulnerable within its natural habitat in Costa Rica. It offers some beautiful background colors of dark brown, red with multicolored strips that vary from yellow to orange and green to dark brown.
Though it looks exactly like a guitar should look, several luthiers have told me they do not like it. Internal damping seems to be the issue, leading to less sustain. Natural oiliness makes for more difficult glueing but if you know what you are dong, this can be overcome.
Bois D'Rose (Dalbergia maritima), Pallisander H=3.8, M=3.8, B=4.2, S=4, O=3.3, T=4
Bois D' Rose (pronounced bwah - duh - rose) is a true rosewood from Madagascar (not to be confused with dalbergia baroni). This is a dense heavy tonewood that enjoys many of the tonal properties of cocobolo, including a strong bass and overtones. The color ranges from deep plum purple to eggplant shades. Visually, it goes well with most appointment schemes and top wood selections. Dark purple when cut but fades to a nearly ebony-like color over the course of a year. Can be used for fingerboards.
The wood has an incredibly fine grain and is suitable for musical instrument making, including guitar backs and woodwinds. It polishes almost like glass if sanded finely enough. The pattern of the lines varies greatly from one piece to the next and no two are exactly alike. Avoid oil finishes unless you want to darken the wood to an almost black color. It is one of the rarest and most beautiful types of true rosewood. Supplies are limited. News: Current conditions in Madagascar mean that this wood will become unavailable, as all exports have apparently stopped permanently for those that only buy legal wood.
Bolivian Cedar
I can find little or no information on this but as I have seen one fine guitar made from it, decided to mention it. I suspect there is another name that should be used instead. The instrument that I saw exhibited a flamed figure, which of course made me think it was not a cedar at all. But it was a cedar-like medium brown.
Bosse
This is considered an able Mahogany substitute, but I have not been able to find any descriptions of this wood, other than cameo appearances as a tonewood on a couple of supplier's sites. It is an oily wood. I have a suspicion that it also may be called Tornillo. Let me know if you have any information. Thanks.
Boxelder
Steven Kinnaird: "It is very soft. It bends quite easily and the right piece can look spectacular under finish.
Seemed stable while I was working it, as well as in service. Tonally, Boxelder has the tap tone of a wet dog. So pick the top carefully, as the back and sides will contribute little."
A relative of the maple, it seems to share little of maple's tonewood characteristics, other than a tendency to be very white in appearance. Yet fine woodworkers use it. Why? Boxelder is subject to attack by the Ambrosia Beetle and where you find that, the wood has bright red stripes in it, very striking. However, the red/pink stripes are reputed to fade upon exposure to light.
Boxwood Buxus sempervirens H=4, M=3.2, B=2.5, S=2.6, 0=2, T=2.5
Normally too thin a trunk to make a back, it is very dense, even-textured and straight grained. The tone can be expected to be warm and full, clear with highs stronger than bass.
Branquilho termanalia spp
A Brazilian wood, It resembles Black Limba in how it looks, but is finer-grained and harder with a more rosewood-like tone. It easily takes a finish and bends quite well.
Brazilian Cherry Hymenaea courbaril Jatoba H=3.7, M=3.1, B=4.2, S=3.7, O=3.2, TE=4
Despite the common name, this is a legume, very hard, and often used for flooring and furniture. It ranges in color from a light orange/brown to a reddish brown and may have gray/brown streaks and, yes, it darkens upon exposure to sunlight. Interlocked grain and a medium coarse texture. Ringing and resonant tone, hiard, cold and bright with great projection. A warmer top will balance it out.
Brazilian Rosewood Dalbergia Nigra H=4, M=3.7, B=4.2, S=3.2, O=3, T=3.9
Though this wood is still in common usage and is very common among high end guitars, it has been protected against import and export by the CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species]. Brazilian rosewood is sought after for its (usually) striped dark brown color that ranges from chocolate brown, to rust or a warm burnt orange. Finer examples feature fine black line figuring and spider webbing (where the black lines make web-like shapes). Easily recognized by its interlocking spider web type grain (not on all specimens). Although now placed under strict CITES Restriction, some high quality sets are still available. It is considered by most to be the premier tonewood for steel string guitars. It offers a loud, warm, and rich tone with good separation of voice. "Glassy" has also been used to describe the tone.
Brazilian Rosewood (Brazil) From dark brown to violet in color with spidery black streaks. Brazilian rosewood is considered essentially extinct and is available in very limited quantities for custom or special limited edition guitars. It produces full, deep basses and brilliant trebles.
John Arnold on identifying it (as opposed to Indian Rosewood): "Color is not reliable when distinguishing Brazilian from Indian rosewood. Brazilian rosewood varies in color from light straw to jet black. Indian rosewood varies from pale brown to deep purple. The most obvious difference in BR and IR is the appearance of the dark lines. In BR these lines are often jet black, narrow, and have very defined edges. In IR, the dark lines are deep brown or purple, wider, and indistinct or fuzzy on the edges. The lines in IR also tend to vary in thickness along their length. "
First and foremost is the fact that this wood has been placed on the CITES treaty that restricts any post-ban felling of trees or export of new lumber. Beyond the fact that CITES makes it illegal to fell Brazilian trees in the rain forest, the political, humanitarian and environmental issues behind this policy are what is the most important. Even the use of legally harvested, pre-CITES Brazilian rosewood increases the wood's visibility within the guitar-buying public and helps feed the demand for an endangered species.
Secondly, to obtain high-quality Brazilian Rosewood, the cost of the guitar could easily rise by $1,000 to $3,000. That’s a lot of money to shell out, and a lot of liability for a builder, to assume. The extra expense may not provide sufficient payoff in increased quality, at least not for many of us.
Bruce Sexauer says, "I increasingly have fallen under its spell in that there is something there I don’t get anywhere else. Many woods sound great, and several are more “fun” to play on, but there is a quality I hear in BRW which is simply beyond compare. . . and it is addictive.… It must be very thin if one is to get the thing it does, and it is then prone to cracking if mishandled. It will crack spontaneously if it is rift sawn due the the inequality of expansion/contraction from one part to another (Opinion!!!!), but as long as it is properly cut and dried, it is incredibly stable, and I do not often see warping or distortion at all. The problem is that so much of what is being used would have been passed on 30 years or more ago; it should have no place in our work. But people will dream, and in combination with a poor understanding of wood as a medium they act on hope and pretty colors. The bottom line is that (nearly) perfectly quartered (OR dead flatsawn, I am increasingly convinced) seems to be the more reliable way to go. And don’t forget about grain alignment with the timber. The visible run out issue is the least of the trouble there, it indicates short fibers which are then liable to fail to be long enough to avoid splitting when the plates are as thin as BRW allows (demands) them to be.... The sure sign is the density of lines running across the back, which usually means non-aligned growth rings.”
And lastly, Brazilian Rosewood is exceptionally prone to severe warping, cracking, and splitting (see paragraph above); and at some time over the life of a Brazilian Rosewood guitar, a crack will likely develop and need to be repaired – something that is costly for both the guitar owner and the luthier. Other have called it stable (the same person said it was the same wood as as Pao Ferro).
While Brazilian Rosewood will definitely make an excellent-sounding guitar, there are woods available that are every bit as beautiful and sound just as good for considerably less money and of course, less worry about a truly endangered species (and possibly being in trouble at some customs office). East Indian Rosewood will produce an absolutely amazing guitar, and Madagascar Rosewood, Cocobolo and Honduran Rosewood are all suitable alternatives. If you read this site carefully, you will find others that have been touted as replacements for Brazilian. All of these woods will produce much of the same look and sound as Brazilian, if that is what you seek. Still.. when you read what Bruce Sexauer has to say above.....
Bubinga Guibourtia demeusei, often called “African Rosewood”, but not a true rosewood.
H=3.7, M=3, B= 4.2, S=3.8, O-3.5, T=4
This is a wonderful wood in every respect. It is as hard or even harder as the rosewoods, but has a finer texture with no pores to fill. It bends easily (some disagree, especially with the more wildly figured wood) and holds its' shape. The brownish-purple color is close enough to rosewood to look familiar. To top it off, it is red brown with a clearly demarcated lighter brown to white sapwood. The pinkish mauve cast may darken more to reds and browns over time. There is a three dimensional effect to it. It is a hard, durable wood with an interlocked grain which can make bending challenging.
Bubinga is quickly becoming a favorite wood with custom builders, and may soon find its way into large production shops. This wood, which comes from Africa, has a tremendously rich and full sound replete with warm even tones, a glassy ring, and a brilliant sparkle across the entire spectrum. It provides a slightly dark and woody overtone content with a low to mid end predominance- much like Indian Rosewood! Lacks the same low end of Rosewood but is more balanced than Mahogany. Lots of volume too. It is plentiful and available in a wide variety of cosmetic appearances. Typically Bubinga has a mottled "bees-wing" appearance under finish that is absolutely gorgeous, and also can be acquired with strong ropey curl.
Well balanced warm & rich tone with round basses and a fine mid range, bright trebles. Ample sustain without a sacrifice in clarity or separation in the kids and trebles.
Stephen Kinnaird is a big fan and says :”I have a growing appreciation for Bubinga. Visually, it can be quite stunning, with deep curl, Pomelle figure, bees’ wing mottle, etc. Even the plainer versions when well quartered are attractive. The pinkish mauve color is off-putting to some, though I find it attractive. It is hard, heavy and dense. The interlocking grain, which makes the wood so attractive, also make for an exciting time at the bending iron. This wood can resist you with a stubborn determination. A good night’s sleep is essential before bending. The sound is so close to rosewood, that Bubinga well earns its nickname of “African Rosewood”. That overtone structure one hears with rosewood is equally present in Bubinga, and yet at a reduced price tag. If one wanted a guitar with a traditional sound, but with more visual drama than Indian rosewood, Bubinga should definitely be considered.”
It has a Janka rating of ~2000-2500 and a specific gravity of approx. 0.9.
There is also White Bubinga, far rarer, with a little warmer tone than regular Bubinga.
Buckeye (Aesaules sp)
Burled Buckeye is used for tops in solid-bodied guitars. Spectacular appearing, it's tonal contribution aproximates that of wet tea leaves. I can see it used for rosettes or headstock overlays in acoustic guitars. It is "even tonally", meaning, I think, it would sound bad at any register. It is very lightweight and soft and has an oder which varies from piece to piece. One may smell like dirt and the next like flowers.
*Bunya A. bilwillii
Australian Bunya is a large evergreen conifer native to southeast Queensland and New South Wales which used to be plentiful. Heights of up to 50 m have been documented. An 80 year old tree will producue good tonewood. Robin Russell added: ”A. bidwillii was a sacred tree for the Aboriginal people. The vernacular name is Bunya, Bonye, Bunyi or Bunya-bunya, from various tribes or European variations of the Australian Aboriginal name for the tree. It is also often called Bunya Pine (though this is inaccurate, as it is not a pine). The seeds are edible, are similar to pine nuts, and have been an important food resource for Australian Aboriginal people. They are eaten both raw and cooked. Traditionally they were also ground and made into a paste, which was eaten directly or cooked in hot coals to make bread. Groves of the trees were often under particular tribal ownership.”
Although populations of Bunya have been reduced through logging, dam construction, and historical clearing, large populations are protected in reserves and parks. Bunya has an excellent stiffness to weight ratio and is actually 10-20% stronger than Englemann spruce. It lacks differentiation in annular rings due to it’s sub tropical and tropical habitat provides less seasonal climate variation. It is a bit heavy and may lack tap tone. Some folks don't like it; others do.
Robin Russell added: ”Bunya was regarded as a viable alternative to spruce for aircraft manufacture & Bunya is used as a top wood by leading Australian makers including Maton and Cole Clark.”
Rapid growth Bunya maintains these physical properties and coupled with less visible annular rings allows for plantation growth of this top wood. Bunya has an earthy, wild, evocative tone, a change from the conventional - but with the volume, tone and beauty to stand up in its own right.
Bunya was pioneered by Bradley Clark during his period at the Maton guitar factory. The story goes that in 1998, Clarke discovered through paper research that Bunya had the lightweight and stiff characteristics of a good top wood. Bunya topped guitars characteristically have a direct, strong sounding instruments with more midrange compared to spruce.
Janka rating of 650 and a specific gravity of 1.3., No CITES listing. Adequate supply.
Burmese Rosewood Dalbergia cochinchinensis Siamese Rosewood, Tracwood
Also found in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, it is very threatened by logging, much of that coming from China. Oily and resinous wood, denser than water, fine grained & beautiful, it fixes nitrogen and could help other trees re-establish were it not so endangered itself. Flatsawn pieces are at great risk for splitting. It is mostly used for luxury furniture and carving and its density and toughness allows furniture to be built without the use of nails or glue, but rather constructed through the use of doweling and close joinery.
Butternut Juglans cinera, White Walnut
Also called white walnut, butternut is softer and less likely to be figured than black walnut. It's not really white, but a creamy light brown. I think it is more attractive than Walnut as there is greater variation from light to dark. Definitely much lighter than Walnut and less dense (24lb/ft3), easier worked. Butternut is considerably softer than black walnut. The heartwood is light tan with pinkish or amber tones, sometimes with darker brown streaks; the narrow sapwood is white. Butternut has a coarser texture than black walnut. It machines easily, but sanding may cause a fuzzy surface unless fine-grit abrasives are used. It finishes well. The figure is virtually identical to black walnut. Flatsawn stock shows prominent lines from the growth rings. I've never come across a quarter sawn butternut. The dust can be quite dangerous, worse than walnut, which is not good either. It has been used in solid bodies and for necks. Its sonic signature is akin to walnut's, albeit softer, and overall the tone could be described as in between alder (smokey, raspy) and ash (poppy, open).
The sapwood of the butternut is almost white and usually is quite narrow. The heart wood is light brown, often with pinkish tones variegated with different shades of brown, quite pretty. It displays a satiny sheen. Relatively light weight for most domestic hardwoods, it has a straight coarse grain and is rather weak in bending strength. It may be difficult to bend. Once dry, the wood is very dimensionally stable.
Finishing: It is a very easy wood to finish, much like its cousin, walnut. Wiping with a damp cloth, raising the grain and sanding before the first coat of lacquer might help in attaining a perfect finish faster. Due to its softness, you must be particularly diligent in making sure it does not get dented in the process. You may be successful with an iron and damp cloth, to raise the dent, if this does in fact happen.
Machining: Butternut works easily with both hand and power tools. It has very limited dulling effects. It will rarely leave burn marks but can tear out when routing across the grain. If you do the ends of your board first and then the sides. The tear-out will usually be eliminated by the side routing. You must be particularly careful to not leave cross grain scratches and always finish off sanding with the grain. Butternut glues and stains easily. The coarse grain of the butternut requires sharp chisels when turning on the lathe.
Specific gravity from 0.36-0.45. 27lb/ft3
Go to Woods: C-G
