Tonewood Details: C-G
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 or 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.
A click on each underlined wood takes you to a Sub-Page where photos are arranged alphabetically by wood.
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.
A click on each underlined wood takes you to a Sub-Page where photos are arranged alphabetically by wood.
Cachimbo (Cariniana domesticata)
Cachimbo is a small-pore hardwood of a medium tan color, it is a relatively stiff wood with similar tonal and structural properties to red maple. Cachimbo lends itself to those instruments where tonal brightness is more important than elaborate figure or grain. (from "Forgotten Woods")
39lb/ft3
Camatillo Dalbergia congestiflora
Related to Brazilian Kingwood (Dalbergia caerensis), this beautiful Rosewood is rich with vivid purple & violet colors. Though related to Kingwood, the colors in this wood are more intense and the grain more demarcated. No two sets are alike; this is a very diverse and unique wood.
Camatillo comes from Central America where it is selectively logged by hand and harvested from the forest by mules in an environmentally friendly manner. The grain in this wood is rarely straight and generally is figured on backs & sides. There are sapwood centers in most as the tree is relatively small, producing less heartwood than many Rosewoods. This extremely rare Rosewood species holds its purple color better than any other Rosewood.
Cambodian Beng Pahudia cochichinensis
Someone tell me about this. I saw one attractive instrument made of it, can't remember the maker. I know Steve Kinnaird has some familiarity with it as well. It has been said to have the same density hardness as Brazilian Rosewood.
Canalete (Cordia dodecandra) SeeZiracote for more information and photos
"This dark gray to brown to black wood is similar to ebony in weight and density. Some pieces have gorgeous striping and spider web grain patterns. The feel is buttery smooth and slick. The density translates to great sustain and the tone is considered to be much like Brazilian Rosewood. Limited availability and expensive." (BassShed)
Canarywood Centrolobium ochroxylon - several species, known by many common names
H=4, M=3.8, B=2.7, S=4, O=3.7, T=3.5
A heavy South American wood (note: I have seen a single reference to it as African) with a Janka hardness of 1520 (note: I have read a variety of figures for this, from 1030 to 1800). It is a legume. Can be wildly colored, pale yellow-orange to darker reds and browns, even some purples, in streaks. The sapwood is pale yellow. With age, the colors darken and become less spectacular. Usually but not always straight-grained, with a fine natural luster and a uniform texture. Resistance to insects and decay is good. Canarywood works well and is one of the nicest I have personally handled. Watch for tear-out when planing the wilder-grained specimens. When you work some species, you will notice a distinct scent. The dust causes problems with skin irritation or coughing with some people.
Edwinson Guitar has built a couple and loves the wood. "I found it to be beautiful, and tone-ful as well, with a loud, ringing, metallic tap tone, what I would call a Rosewood vibe, and excellent machining, bending, and gluing properties... The only problem I had with Canary was in trying to re-saw sets from a highly figured slab-sawn plank that wasn't well seasoned. It warped like crazy, even as I was pushing it through the saw. I had to abandon it halfway through the second cut. So I decided to stick with quarter-to-rift sawn boards, and they came out exceptionally well- totally stable and fine. ..I'll tell you what: Were I given a choice between using Pernambuco or quarter-sawn Canary, I would probably pick the Canary. Some Canary wood is very similar in appearance to the extremely rare and exotic Tulipwood, with the deep yellows, oranges, and reds; but most often with straight-grain figure."
David Norton found a report that said it was dense and non-porous "with a bright ringing tap tone and surprising sustain... lustrous chatoyance in the figure. This wood bends, works and finishes very nicely and remains dimensionally stable in service." Some pore filling is needed, not too much. It can also be used for necks.
It may have exceptional clarity in sound, strong fundamentals, and loud, with a rounder bass and overtones which are obvious.
Candlenut - Aleurites moluccanus
The Hawaiian Kukui tree, once used for a seasoning, for boats and by burning the oily nut like a candle, is now finding a use in inexpensive solid-body guitars and uses, often sold unfinished. The wood is very lightweight and, I imagine, would be similar to Alder, Basswood and Poplar in such uses. Lack of information makes me use the word "imagine".
*Carpathian Spruce (picea abies) H=3.8, M=3.5, B= 4.5, S=3.7, OP=3.5, T=4
Often considered similar to other European Spruces (German, Italian, Alpine...), it has creamy white wood with a wide grain spacing; it's tone glassy and brighter with good note separation, yet retaining sensitivity that fingerpickers like.
Capirona (Callycophylum spruceanum)
Capirona is a light-coffee colored hardwood that finishes just slightly darker than its sanded surface. It has wispy gray streaks that give this wood an attractive but not overstated appearance. Capirona weighs 52 pounds per cubic foot, a weight that classes it in the category of our more dense instrument woods. This wood is very rigid and evokes a bright, clear tone when tapped, an attribute that would support the instrument’s note-to-note clarity and treble range when used for rims and backboards. Since the wood does not change color or darken dramatically when finished, a guitar made from Capirona would have a bright and stately appearance. (from "Forgotten Woods")
52lb/ft3
*Carbon Fiber (Woodsy fako)
OK, it's not wood at all. But it is used in the making of some fine guitars. Incredibly strong and stiff and extremely lightweight, carbon fiber layup can be roughly compared to that of fiberglass with it's layers of resin and cloth build. Most, but not all, of the carbon fiber guitars I have seen are all carbon fiber, tops and back and sides both. It can be tweaked for sound and other properties by adding kevlar, using unidirectional laminations, etc. Necks can be hollow to create extra sound space and can be cast in one step with the fingerboards, bridges and tuners added later. Some makers have eliminated ribbing.
The sound has often been described as very crystalline, with extra note definition and long sustain. It has it's own sound, not exactly like wood, but pleasant in it's own right, but I suspect that casual listeners will not notice much of a difference. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic is over 4 times stiffer than Glass reinforced plastic, almost 20 times more than pine, 2.5 times greater than aluminum. It is very strong in the directions with which it designed to be strong and can be stronger than steel, but not necessarily in every direction.
*Catahua (Hura crepitans)
Catahua is the lightest weight of the hardwoods weighing in at 25 pounds per cubic foot. Its light weight, strength, and great flexibility suggest that this wood would work well for backboards and rims of classical guitars. This wood is a light blonde color with mild grain and figure. If you are experimenting with soundboard woods and are seeking options other than spruce, Catahua would be an interesting material to evaluate. (Also see Achihua and Pashaco Negro for soundboard wood options.) (from "Forgotten Woods")
25lb/ft3
**Catalpa
Rarely used, it has a greenish golden hue, very resonant and responsive, clear fundamentals and crystalline trebles, not overtone-laden. Caltapa is a soft and light wood and may have it's own ideas about bending, trying to straighten after the fact. Catalpa has been used in traditional Chinese instruments. Bruce Sexauer built a guitar of all Catalpa - top, back, sides and neck. He loves the wood. From photos I have seen, the wood has a natural golden aged look.
Cedro Cedrela Odorata
Cedro is a medium-lightweight wood. It is very stiff in comparison to its weight and is also very resistant against twisting and warping. It has a brown-red color without a very characteristic structure. C. looks similar to several Mahogany species. Normally used for necks and for interior parts.
Cha Chen Metopium Brownei, Caribbean Rosewood (Che Chen) H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=4, O=3.5, T=2.8
Cha Chen is not a true rosewood. Beautiful red, orange and brown color with darker brown and black stripes, turns darker with age. Light yellow sapwood. fine and consistent, tight straight grain, heavy and dense, with natural luster and fine texture. It's rich tone adds projection and volume. Deep, humming tap tone, good sustain, like a lot of rosewoods have. Better for strumming than individual notes as they will muddy up.
Chakte Viga Caesalpinia platyloba H=3.7, M=3.1, B=4.2, =3.7, O=3, T=3.9, Paela
Mistakenly called (Mexican) Perambuco, a close relative, Chakte Viga is also used for violin bows. Also called Paela (used for the burl) or Aripin, it comes from smaller trees and can be expected to be difficult to find in sizes adequate for back and sides, which of course has an upwards effect upon the price. It's a very heavy wood, weighing 65lb/ft3 and is 2250-2750 on the Janka scale (I've read both figures), which causes one to think fretboards might be another good use for it. Mexicans sometimes use it for fenceposts as it can last 100 years in contact with the soil.
Color/Appearance: Heartwood bright orange to golden brown. Sapwood pale ranges from white to yellow. Chakte Viga is sought for the unrivaled orange color tone for which the heartwood is renowned. It ranges in shades from light apricot to burnt orange with hints of red and it’s color deepens with time. Upon occasion has fine black lines.
Grain/Texture: Grain is usually straight, though sometimes interlocked. Has a fine, even texture with a good natural luster.
Workability: Despite its high density, Chakte Viga generally responds well to most machining operations, though interlocked grain can result in tearout. Be sure to keep things sharp and don't allow the wood to heat up too much when sanding. It's oiliness can muck up sandpaper too. Turns, glues, and finishes well, a joy to work with. It turns well and can be shaped to fine detail and buffed to a glassy polish. Very fine texture with a closed grain, it sometimes displays figuring. With a proper finish, this wood can take on an amazing iridescence and shimmer.
Odor: No characteristic odor, slight odor when worked..
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Comments: Perhaps the closest relative to the more-famous Brazilwood (used for violin bows), Chakte Viga shares many of the same excellent acoustic properties. With great color, a smooth texture, and a unique iridescent quality that seems to shimmer under the proper wood finish, Chakte Viga has an almost subliminal cachet. A guitar from it will be well-balanced, have excellent projection and will be strong on the lows and highs.
Cherry Prunnus Serotina Black Cherry H=3.7, M=3, B=4.1, S=3.8, O=3, T=3.8
In working properties, cherry is sort of a reddish version of plain maple with a tangy smell thrown in. Seldom found as quarter sawn lumber, it nevertheless makes into fine, if rather plain, instruments. It's useful to examine one's expectations for alternative species. Cherry (and birch) are locally available and cheap. Tonally, it is articulate and falls between maple and mahogany, though a bit mellower and with somewhat greater sustain.
Cherry has a density and reflectivity approaching that of maple, producing a rich, projective midrange and balance without favoring the bass or treble frequencies. Similar to maple but less dry-sounding., clean and articulate, with more sustain and clarity than maple, also more bass and mid-range. Better clarity and balance than Honduran. Changes to darker reddish hue over time.
COLOR: Heartwood is light to dark reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Darkens with age. Some examples may be curly. Some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sap- wood, resulting in a more uniform color.
GRAIN: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. Distinctive flake pattern on true quartersawn surfaces. Texture is fine and satiny, with some gum pockets.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Significant color variation between boards.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average (change coefficient .00248).
DURABILITY: Strong, moderately hard; excellent shock resistance.
SAWING/MACHINING: Good machining qualities.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. NAILING: Good holding ability.
FINISHING: No known problems.
COMMENTS: High in bending strength. Light-sensitive; strong color change upon exposure to light.
Janka rating of 950, not listed on CITES. Specific gravity of 0.55.
**Chesnut
Chesnut once covered 80% of the eastern forests in the US. It was used for food, flowers, rail fences, boxes, furniture... But a blight appeared in the early 12900s and by the 30's it was virtually gone. Today, trees sprout, bear a few nuts and die. It is a porous wood and needs filling. Soft and light (think Janka 540), it lacks the visible rays that oak has. It's tonal properties should be similar to mahogany or Spanish cedar. Consequently, it may also work as a top wood as well. Twisting is a possibility. It has been used in mountain dulcimers and as backing for veneers in upright pianos and is being featured now for guitars by some supplier such as Northwind or Adirondack Hardwoods.
Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinenesis
A popular ornamental, planted for it fall color and resistance to insects and drought, it is related to Pistachio, only has no nuts. It would be uncommon for Pistache to grow large enough to make a guitar, but it can happen and has been used as such. It is very hard, used in furniture making and one can extract a yellow dye from it. There are tons of information on how to grow it, but little or nothing on what the wood is like.
Claro Walnut Central California Juglans hindsii (See also Walnut)
H=3.6, M=3.3, B=4.1, S=3.6, O=3.2, T=4
Another beautiful hardwood, walnut has a similar density and stiffness to koa, with a similar tightness initially. Like koa, it tends to have a bright top end, but with a more present midrange, somewhere between mahogany and rosewood. Walnut also starts off a little deeper on the low end, initially giving it a slightly woodier sound than koa. The low end will continue to fill out after being played in. Goes well with players who like a blend of brightness, projection and warm and earthy overtones. Bass and highs tend to be less colored. A smaller-bodied walnut guitar with a cedar top would likely appeal to fingerstyle players, while flatpickers and strummers on a larger body with a spruce top will find ample horsepower, low end and crisp highs sufficient to support an aggressive attack.
Claro Walnut is beautiful timber. It’s color varies from black and orange contrasts to the usual chocolate walnut tones. It frequently has prominent curly figure which occurs in conjunction with color variation. A a timber, Claro Walnut is a pleasure to work with as it works well with both hand & power tools, has good strength and bending properties, and takes finishes well.
As a tonewood, guitars built from claro walnut retain the wood’s natural color & figure and has the bonus of being stable in service. Many luthiers and factories offer Claro Walnut as an option, a testament to it’s beauty, wood working properties and sustainability. Warm and earthy with the overtone depth of rosewood and clarity comparable to mahogany guitar, it also tends to impart less color to the bass and treble.
Stephen Kinnaird is a big fan and says: “Claro walnut is one of our favorites. First of all, there is the undeniable beauty of the material. Few North American species can trump Claro visually. Some of the wilder maples have more to offer in the swimsuit competition, but not everyone likes a blonde guitar. Claro’s rich chocolate color helps – for those who listen with their eyes. Second, the workability is a dream. This stuff should be offered to every apprentice when they attempt their first side-bending. It bends itself. Third, the sound. Unfortunately, Claro has gotten the meaningless reputation for sounding “woody”. Every species sounds like wood, and that’s precisely why we like guitars! (Ok, some species sound woodier than others, but that’s a different discussion.) Let me say this: Claro walnut sounds spicy. I think it sounds like it smells, and it smells great.”
Harvey Leach says: The native walnut tree to California produces inferior nuts so often English walnut is grafted onto Claro root stock (English walnut can't survive it the typical California soil).This grafting produces some of the most beautiful multi colored guitar sets, some actually showing the actual graft line with English on one side and Claro on the other. Make wonderful "woody" sounding guitars.
It has a Janka rating of approximately 1,000 lbs force and a specific gravity of 0.56.
Cocobolo Central Mexico - Dalbergia Restusa H=3.7, M=3.4, B=4.2, S=3.5, O=3.3, T=4
Cocobolo is a dense, stiff tropical hardwood with a fairly bright tone. Sonically, it’s similar to koa, but resonates a little deeper on the low end, although it doesn’t have quite the full low end of rosewood or ovangkol. Fast and responsive, with moderate note decay, it’s articulate with lots of note distinction. It blends the low end and midrange of the body with the wood’s brightness. Also good for fingerstyle. Goes well with a wide range of playing styles (depending on the body shape). Also, with players who want a brighter rosewood sound with a little less but still a strong low end and a little more treble zing with fine distinction between notes. It is fast and responsive.
Cocobolo, on the other hand, is readily available from Mexico. This superb tonewood has bold, distinctive orange highlights with plenty of black lines that can often show exciting swirly patterns. Some sets are dark reddish-brown. One of the most striking-appearing woods, it's hard and heavy. Cocobolo is a true Rosewood and grows in southern Mexico and Central America along the Pacific seaboard. It’s a beautiful wood, which when freshly cut is a bright yellow and orange-red. Over time it oxidizes to a rich brown-red color with black streaks. It is probably as close to Brazilian Rosewood in beauty and tonal qualities as any wood. These visual and tonal features make Cocobolo a premium choice for many builders, including José Oribe, internationally known classical guitar maker. Cocobolo is heavier than most other Rosewoods, although not as stable (still, it is not bad), and occasionally more brittle. Because it is usually oily, it can be difficult to glue. It has the odor of flowers. Cocobolo also has excellent machining properties and can be worked well with a scraper, which will help keep dust down. For those who can work around Brazilean Rosewood problems, Cocobolo is a great favorite for both tone and beauty.
Some people consider cocobolo to be the most beautiful of the rosewoods. With it's many shades of browns, reds, orange, yellow and black colors, it can be very striking. The sapwood is cream colored and desired by some acoustic guitar builders. Freshly cut cocobolo exhibits purple and yellow hues which over a short period of time will oxidize to a rich brown-red color with black streaks. Cocobolo is as close to Brazilian Rosewood in beauty and tonal qualities as any wood and makes Cocobolo a premium choice for many builders. It is expected to become much more expensive and rarer in the future.
Care must be used when cutting Cocobolo, as the wood's oils can induce allergic reactions if inhaled or exposed to unprotected skin and eyes. A dust collection system, coupled with the use of personal protective equipment such as respirators, is highly recommended when machining this wood.
Cocobolo has variable heartwood coloration from bright orange to dark brown and purple. Oxidation darkens the lighter colors and merges them with the darker which can produce a deep red with irregular markings of purple or black. The heartwood is straight grained, occasionally interlocked and with a very fine, oily texture. Cocobolo is a common option in most luthier’s lists, with it’s own beauty and tone. The density and it’s ability to take a fine finish. make it an attractive option.
Chris Bozung is a big fan and writes: ”Cocobolo is probably closer in tone, color and figure to the finest-grade Brazilian Rosewood used on the classic guitars of yesteryear than any tone wood available today, and for far less money than the inferior-quality Brazilian currently available. Cocobolo offers everything Brazilian Rosewood offers, and more: increased power, increased sustain, increased volume, along with beauty of color and figure not available in Brazilian Rosewood for years. “
Cocobolo back and sides characteristically have an abundance of low overtones resulting in a complex bottom end and strong upper register. The overall effect is also a bell like tone with clear, slow decaying harmonics. Warm, brilliant and powerful. Bruce Sexuaer says: People like to say that Cocobolo is the closest thing to BRW, or even that it is better. I think that it is certainly harder and more brittle, both as a material and in it’s sound. Most Cocobolo guitars I’ve heard seem to have so much cutting edge that they sound harsh to me, but there are things to be done about that, and my last several please me just fine... Oxidation darkens the lighter colors and merges them with the darker which can produce a deep red with irregular markings of purple or black.”
CHARACTER: Cocobolo Rosewood wood has irregular grain, medium fine texture
COMPARES: Cocobolo Rosewood tonewood compares to Brazilian Rosewood, but is heavier
Cocobolo grows on a thin band along the Pacific Coast of Mexico down through Central America. It is selectively cut and logged by hand in Mexico, squared by chainsaw, and drug out of the forest by Mules. This is a very environmentally low impact procedure. Cocobolo is a true Rosewood, similar in color & tap tone to Brazilian Rosewood and considered to be a good substitute. It is denser than most Rosewoods and oilier. For best results in gluing, epoxy is recommended. Cocobolo has great working properties. The colors range from any combination of orange, red, yellow, black & violet. For this reason, it has also been called rainbow wood. Special quality is quarter sawn, containing beautiful colors. The best grade sets are slab sawn with beautiful colors & patterns.
It has a Janka of 1136 and a specific gravity of 1.0.
Cooba Acacia salicina Wilow Wattle
Lighter than most other acacia, it is not large or common enough to attain commercial viability. The trees have willow-like leaves and yellowish white flowers. Often, they grow in a curved manner, which precludes them for commerical buldiing - but does not eliminate their use for guitars. 60' tall would be a big one. Its native range is eastern Australia, but it has been planted in many other areas around the world.
The heartwood is dark brown and attractively marked, close-grained, tough and moderately heavy while the sapwood is light yellowish. It's ability to take a high polish, coupled with attractive coloration has led to its use in fine furniture.
43lb/ft3, Janka = 1270
Copaiba (Copaifera officinallis)
Copiaba is an unusual hardwood whose delicate figure features lots of small curly lines of medium-dark brown on a grayish-tan field. The figure becomes very prominent when under a clear finish. At 38 pounds per cubic foot, Copiaba is of medium weight, and its density and moderate flexibility lend to enhancing the instrument’s tone in the mid and bass ranges. (from "Forgotten Woods")
38lb/ft3
Cuban Mahogany Swietenia Mahogani H=4, M=3.9, B=4.5, S=2.9. O=3, T=3.2
Cuban Mahogany is a light pink when fresh oxidizing to deep rich red. It is easy to work with hand or machine tools and takes a excellent polish. Compared to Honduran Mahogany, Cuban is even easier to work with. It has a closer, finer grain and carves beautifully. It is seen in various 3D figures, with curl, quilt and wavy grain although these are now rare. Heartwood is a pinkish brown to a darker red-brown, which darkens as it ages.
Cuban Mahogany tends to be denser than Honduran and hence has more rosewood like qualities, with a better developed midrange and low end. Plantations occasionally yield logs wide enough for guitar sets, although old growth timber is now on the CITES appendix II and although raw timber trade is regulated, finished articles can be traded freely.
Basic specific gravity (oven dry weight/green volume) 0.40 to 0.68; air- dry density 30 to 52 pcf. Janka side hardness 740 lb for green material and 800 lb for dry.
Curupau (Curupay, Cebil, Patagonian Rosewood, Angico Preto, Tigerwood) Anadenanthera colubrina, A. peregrina
The trees can reach 80-100' in height and 2-4' in diameters a legume.It is not a rosewood, despite the name sometimes applied to it. lmny uses, and is often used for veneers and flooring.
Pink and Yellow tones which contrast with a dark cinamon brown heartwood with black streaks, which darkens with exposure to sunlight. Tans can change to reds. I find that uncommon as in my experience wood is far more likely to fade, to lighten from sunlight. It has fine and uniform texture. Very irregular and interlocked grain, and is quite resistant to splitting. One of the very hardest woods available, with Janka rating of3630- 3840. Density is high - (64lb/ft3 Because of this, it is hard to work and quickly blunts formerly sharp edges. Chips easily when planed. I have heard that it will twist and turn if dried quickly. And I have heard that it does not warp when drying, though kiln drying may produce checking. Naturally lustrous appearance. In appearance, may be confused with Goncalo Alves. Most is used in the flooring industry.
Simon Fay has used it for bridge plates and has this to say, It " is about as split resistant as wood can get. IMO, it is a perfect wood for the bridge plate. It would also work great for fingerboards and bridges but it isn’t especially attractive."
Janka - 3840
**Cypress Cupressus sempervirens, Mediterranean Cypress
1) Clear penetrating sound excellent response and tap tone. It has become the wood of choice for Flamenco construction because it s easy to come by. It is also true that it makes for great classical playing. Cypress allows for a crisp sound with little sustain but very penetrating trebles. Also great to accompany singing. The pale coloring of the grain makes the resulting instrument a striking one.
Cypress is one of the few coniferous woods, which are suitable for backs and sides for their comparable high density. It is mostly used for Flamenco guitars. Besides its light-yellow color, its appearance is typical for coniferous woods. Remarkable is its intensive, aromatic smell, which lasts for years.
2) True cypress (Cupressus spp.) is hard, sonically reflective, difficult to bend, and absolutely isn't used as the soundboard of modern instruments. There is a tree of southern US swamps that is more properly called bald cypress (Taxodium distichum); this tree is actually a redwood (along with the whopping Sequoia spp.). It would probably be similar to redwood as a soundboard...but that's just a guess. It could be substantially different as most redwoods grow in moist but well-drained soils while Taxodium grows in inundation.
The Spanish cypress traditionally used for flamenco guitars (cupressus macrocarpa) is unlikely to be the same as US woods.
3) Canadian Cypress Botanical Name: (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) Canadian Cypress/Yellow Cedar Alaskan Yellow Cedar, aka Canadian cypress, is so closely related to the true cypresses that it has been classified with them by botanists in the past. It is an excellent carving wood, with fine even texture, and very close-grained. It is one of the most stable woods in terms of dimensional change due to moisture content change. It works easily and finishes well. Though YC/CDN Cypress is not a traditional wood, it is gaining popularity. Many custom builders use YC/CDN cypress for guitar tops, including archtops (jazz guitars and mandolins). It is also used for backs and sides of Flamenco guitars. It is a denser wood than Red Cedar, with a specific gravity very close to Sitka Spruce. It has a nice light yellow color and a pleasant aroma. Tonewise, the wood is very well suited for flatpicking steel string guitars. With a specific gravity close to Sitka and Adirondack Spruce it makes a very good soundboard material as well as back/sides.
4) Greg Monroe frequently uses Florida Bald Cypress and reports a tone unlike any other - warm, full and mellow. He uses sinker material or recovered fallen logs that were seasoned for decades.
50 see also Port Orford Cedar and Alaskan Yelow Cedar - they are both Cypresses.
Desert Ironwood (Palo Fierro) Olneya tesota
"Tree Size: 20-30 ft (6-10 m) tall, 1-2 ft (.3-.6 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: About 75 lbs/ft3 (1,210 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): ~.97, ~1.21
Janka Hardness: 3,260 lbf (14,500 N)
Shrinkage: No data available; reported to be very stable in service
Color/Appearance: Heartwood color ranges from an orangish yellow to a darker red or brown, with darker violet to black streaks. Some pieces may be almost entirely black. Narrow yellow sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartwood.
Grain/Texture: Due to the small size of the tree, grain can be wild or gnarled. Fine even texture and excellent natural luster.
Workability: Very difficult to work on account of its density. High cutting resistance. Desert Ironwood is usually restricted to very small projects, though it takes a good natural polish and is very stable in service. Turns, polishes, and finishes well." (Wood Database)
"Desert Ironwood (Palo Fierro in Spanish) only grows in the Sonoran Desert in Southwestern Arizona and the Northwestern part of Mexico.? It is one of the hardest and densest woods in the world. It ranges massively in color and can have some stunning figures as a result. A very difficult timber to work with due to its density, but it does turn, polish and finish well." (Rare Woods SA)
Because of size limitations, it is nearly impossible to get wood large enough for a 2 piece back. But it would make an outstanding fingerboard material, because of its extreme hardness and also its beauty. It has a natural luster and polish and exhibits a fine and even texture. Chatoyance is common. When being worked, you may experience an unpleasant odor. Tonally, it may resemble Ebony.
I played a Desert Ironwood guitar (Simon Fay, luthier) for a couple of weeks and found it quite well-balanced, with perfectly adequate (ie - less than "outstanding") overtones, volume and sustain. The kind of guitar that does most anything well, but does not specialize. Darkish wood at first glance. At second glance you begin to see the variation in color and tone in the wood.
Dogwood Cornus florida
Another smaller tree, famous for it's delicate blossoms, the State Tree of Delaware (like you needed to know that), and capable of making a very pretty guitar. Who knew?
Dry Weight = 51lb ft2
Janka rating - 2150
From the Wood Database
"Color/Appearance: Most boards and blanks and composed primarily of sapwood rather than heartwood. Narrow heartwood is a reddish brown. Wide sapwood is cream to pale pinkish in color.
Grain/Texture: Grain is interlocked, with a fine, uniform texture. Moderate natural luster.
Workability: Despite it’s high density and interlocked grain, Dogwood tends to produce decent results with both hand and machine tools, though it can have a blunting effect on cutters. Glues, turns, and finishes well.
Pricing/Availability: Not generally available commercially. Small quantities of Dogwood are occasionally harvested and utilized locally throughout its natural range, with prices high for a domestic hardwood.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Comments: Dogwood has excellent shock resistance, and is one of the hardest domestic woods of the United States or Canada. Its toughness is appreciated in a variety of applications, though its poor dimensional stability means that its use is usually restricted to unglued/unjoined standalone components where it’s expansion and contraction can occur freely."
*Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
This common wood, actually a false hemlock and not a true fir, is often overlooked for musical instruments. Yet, when a major scientific study was conducted on a wide variety of woods for their tonal qualities, old growth Douglas Fir was rated as one the most desirable, rating higher than nearly every other species.
It tends to be harder and heavier than spruce. The tone is good. Rolf Gearhart used Doug fir in the Unicorn mandolins he used to build before he built Phoenix mandolins. He liked the tone, but had splitting problems, and switched to spruce. Others report no splitting problems with Doug fir.
If you don’t personally know the person who cut the tree the produced the board you’re looking at, you really can’t be sure of whether what you have is hemlock, false hemlock, true fir or larch. You just have to rely on your instincts, or your luthier’s instincts, whether it’ll be a good top or not.
COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish tan to light brown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood may be confused with that of Southern yellow pine. Radical color change upon exposure to sunlight.
GRAIN: Normally straight, with occasional wavy or spiral texture.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Wood varies greatly in weight and strength. Young trees of moderate to rapid growth have reddish heartwood and are called red fir. The narrow-ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish-brown and is known as yellow fir.
HARDNESS (JANKA): 660
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average (change coefficient .00267).
DURABILITY: Durable but easily dented. Somewhat brittle and splinters easily, especially with age.
SAWING/MACHINING: Harder to work with hand tools than the soft pines.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
FINISHING: Some boards develop a slight pinkish to bright salmon color when finished with some products.
J Humphrey:
"RE soundboard: old-growth tight grain fir compares very well with some of the tighter sitka spruce I have used. The tone is bright and clear, but believe it or not, there is plenty of warmth and room for bass as well. Sustain and volume are both readily available with fir.
RE back and sides: fir is a funny one to bend; it loves to bend if it's soaking wet, but as soon as its dry it won't budge. I bend most of my woods dry, so this was surprising to me. It was no problem to attain my desired stiffness for the back, and it is lightweight and visually interesting.
RE Neck: easy to find straight grain, locally sourced, tap tone rings like a bell, comparable in stiffness to mahoganies, but lighter. "
Francois Gunning:
"The one most obvious (to me) characteristic that makes Douglas Fir easily recognisable is its smell. It has a bit of Damas rose and a bit of strawberry and some camphor along with more subtle undertones. I once worked some timber issued from an old barn from Oregon and the smell lingered in the workshop for weeks."
Dragonwood Termanalia Oblonga Sura, guayabon, Guayabo de montana
Appearing from Honduras to the Amazon, this wood has creamyu sapwood with grayish-brown heartwood. As it dries, the sapwood turns to yellow/gray as the heartwood gets darker and even darker veins appear in an olive/brown solor. it is used for a variety of other things besides guitars - furniture, flooring, veneers and in bridge fpundations and shops as well. It has not been affected by CITES regulations and no special health concerns have been nnoted.
Janka = 1800lb
Density = 4.47
Thank you to Reuben Forsland for providing this nformation.
East Indian Rosewood (India) Dalbergia Latifolia
It is richly grained with dark purple, red and brown color. It is resinous, stable and generally more consistent than most other rosewood species. It produces a deep warm reverby projective bass response that is especially marked on large-bodied guitars.
Ebiara Berlinia Grandiflora, Red Zebrawood, berlinia, aben, poculi, and essaben.
H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4, S=3.6, O=1.8, T=4
"This exotic hardwood comes mostly from West African countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Congo and Zaire where the tress can be found growing up to 130 feet tall and with trunk diameters up to 48 inches. Ebiara has a whitish pink sapwood with a heartwood color that ranges from red to brown and purplish brown streaks throughout. When quartersawn, this timber resembles Zebrawood but without the Zebrawood odor. Tap is somewhat brighter than IRW." (RC Tonewoods) Bends easily, finishes well. It has the beautiful reds of Bubinga with the striking stripes of Zebra in one species. Interlocking grain with coarse texture, yet bright and crisp, sharp overtones, and good trebles with out the sacrifice of bass.
Specific gravity .58, Janka hardness 1350
Ebony Diospyros crassiflora , also called Gabon Ebony (or any other African name)
Black. Hard. Dense. Mostly used for saddles and fingerboards, it can make a nice guitar as well, though it's getting rarer and rarer. Tight grain, powerful bass, rich kids and trebles that ring. Lots of sustain and projection. Even termites will bypass a fallen ebony log. I once picked up a smallish stump section at an Ecuadorian luthier's shop. With one hand, I could barely lift it. This density contributes to ebony's commercial appeal, as it results in a finish that will take a high polish, adding to its beauty.
(Savagewoods) "Gabon Ebony, also known as “Gaboon” or “Black” Ebony, is capable of polishing to a glass like finish, and can provide a genuine black color with almost no visible grain whatsoever. Most often is straight grained but infrequently might have some interlocked grain.
From a musical instrument perspective, it has proven itself time and again to be of the finest material to work with, and is known for superior tonality due to the higher density over the other types of ebony. It has a long history as being used for piano keys, as well as bodies for clarinets and other woodwind instruments. Also, with luthiers it is prized for fingerboards, bridges and headplates in quality guitar building. Size limitations of available stock prevent it from being widely used for the guitar body itself, but there are some out there.
Few species can imitate the depth of blackness true gabon ebony affords. While there are a number of other species in the Diospyros genus, the vast majority of them don’t yield a true black color tone. And when they do, it is variegated with other tones. Even the best quality of gabon is subject to having sporadic caramel streaks in it, but this is not to be considered a defect rather, it is the character of the wood. The only competitor from a visual perspective would be African Blackwood, an acacia, not true ebony. One of the few species that is an accepted substitute (from a grain density and tonal perspective) is Katalox (aka Mexican Royal Ebony), but it provides a purplish color tone in lieu of the solid black.
As for price and availability, Gabon Ebony is one of the most expensive lumber species on today’s market. This is driven by 3 factors. First, if & when the tree is allowed to grow to maturity they usually only grow to a maximum diameter of 2 feet. These mature trees are still subject to a varying ratio of the coveted heartwood (as are all Diospyros species). Second, a consistently high demand has spurred overharvesting and illegal logging in its native regions which has pushed the species to being unsustainable. Third, there is no easy access or viable roads to easily get to the remote areas where mature trees can still be found. The primary method for harvesting remains to be local villagers hiking deep in the jungle, manually felling the trees and then stripping them down to the black heartwood. Once this is done, they then must be cross cut down to a manageable size that a person can carry out while navigating uneven and perilous terrain over long distances. The weight of fresh cut lumber combined with the extreme density of this species translates to an average of 6’’ diameter heartwood logs that usually don’t exceed 6’ ft lengths. These combined factors render the vast majority of gabon ebony on today’s market into small sizes of varying quality. It is almost unheard of to find widths exceeding 7’’ and therefore has reduced the role of this amazing timber to that of accent wood on larger artisan projects."
LJGuitar - He has played one and found: "The sound profile was Incredible sustain, very clear tone & projection, and a very articulate bass, very concise attack, strong voice. I'd have classified it somewhere between Rosewood and Mahogany - but more to the Rosewood side of things."
Howard Klepper said, "The ebonies are all in the same genus, which is closer than the family relationship between, say, rosewood and English peas. They share high density and high damping. This translates into a general tendency to deep bass but not too long sustain. That doesn't mean that the guitar is going to sound like it's stuffed with feathers. In good hands, there will be sufficient sustain, and the damping will be heard as good string to string separation. "
Roberts: "Saw a couple of Gabon/Black Ebony numbers by Bernie Lehmann and Randy Muth last week at Woodstock, which were outstanding, so maybe this species is becoming more available. These were literally almost black in color and sounded fairly complex, though with the noise in that room it was hard to tell."
Harvey Leach, "Black ebony has become one of my favorites. I think I've built 4 guitars from it and all of them had the same characteristics. Great volume and sustain with great note separation and clarity. Plus I love the look!"
Other Ebonies -
Diospyrus macassar, commonly called Macassar Ebony (see elsewhere), is not as plentiful as the African species, but its greater density makes it even more useful in certain types of manufacturing. With a weight of 68 lb/cu ft (1,090 kg/cu m), it is even more dense than African ebony. It has a specific gravity of 1.09, and also does not float. Macassar ebony is found mostly in the Celebes Islands of Indonesia, with some minor growth in India. The heartwood is frequently streaked with lighter bands, and this type is favored by piano makers. Because they are so difficult to dry, the trees are usually girdled to kill them and then left standing for two years to dry out. After they are felled and cut into lumber, they must dry for another six months.
Diospyros mespiliformis, also known as the Jakkals-bessie (Jackal's berry), Transvaal ebony, or Rhodesian ebony, is a straight tree that grows 70 ft (21 m) tall with a trunk up to 4 ft (1.4 m) or more in diameter. It is more widespread and abundant than other ebonies, but the heartwood is more brown than black, limiting its appeal. Color aside, the density of Rhodesian ebony renders it desirable for furniture, knife handles, and flooring. The fruit is edible.
Diospyrus virginiana, the Persimmon (see elsewhere), or American ebony, is a native of the southeastern United States. It takes approximately 100 years to mature and grows to a height of 65 ft (20 m). Due to its hardness, the wood is used for handles, furniture, and golf club heads. Since there are no vast groves of persimmon, it is not of great economic importance. Persimmon weighs 53–55 lb/cu ft (826–904 kg/cu m).
Elm Ulmus americana
An underrated wood. Sounds like maple, but warmer in the highs. This is an amazing tone wood and looks incredible. Elm wood is tight grained and generally comes in an ash-gray or brown color. The beauty of this wood is its discernible oblong ridges within the wood pattern itself. Hard and tough, elm still bends when steamed and when dry, holds its shape. As the wood is resistant to decay, it is prized in woodworking, furniture and flooring. Nearly impossible to split due to interlocking grain. In terms of musical instruments, Elm isn't as commonly used as other woods but it still produces a sturdy instrument. Can be a little unstable. It's quite dense.
*Engelmann Spruce Western North America (Picea Englemannii, also Picea abies/excelsa (European) H=3.5, M=3, B=4, S=3.7, O=3.2, T=2
1) Engelmann is also known as white, European or German spruce, although they are technically different species. It is usually visually distinguishable from Sitka by its creamier complexion. We’re almost out of the “good stuff.” Engelmann trees these days are so small and twisted that there is a fair amount of runout (grain that doesn’t run parallel to the surface) and as a result, mismatched tops. Sonically, Engelmann has a mature tone, and yields a slightly richer midrange than Sitka, which makes a guitar sound a bit older. Old growth Engelmann tends to have a sonic attribute of smoothness or refinement to it, but the days of older growth Engelmann trees are essentially gone for now. Goes well with all styles of guitars and players, but especially favored by fingerpickers.
Englemann Spruce is a bit softer than Sitka, and while many sets can be quite stiff and produce wonderful tap tones, they are not as consistent as Sitka and you may spend a considerable amount of time working with suppliers to procure the best, stiffest sets. The color of Englemann tends to be a bit whiter and creamier than Sitka, and the silking patterns are very pronounced and quite striking in master-grade soundboards. With its high overtone content and strong fundamental tone, Englemann Spruce delivers a warm mellow tone that is well suited for light strumming and fingerpicking.
Engelmann is often more expensive than Sitka due to the lower yield from its smaller logs and because most logs have a spiral-grained structure that renders them unsuitable for proper quarter-sawing. Engelmann is considerably lighter in color than Sitka spruce, lighter in weight, and usually less stiff, resulting in a slightly lower velocity of sound. Engelmann also tends to exhibit a weaker fundamental tone, although it produces a noticeably broader and stronger overtone component. It is therefore a good choice for players who require a richer, more complex tone than can be obtained from most Sitka tops, particularly when the instrument is played softly. It exhibits a weaker fundamental and has stronger overtones and can sound complex when lightly played.The downside is that Engelmann tops can have lower "headroom" than Sitka tops, which is to say that clarity and definition are often sacrificed when the guitar is played loudly.
Englemann Spruce (USA) Is prized for being similar in color to European (German) White spruce. Extremely light in weight, it seems to produce a slightly louder and "open" sound than Sitka spruce. It is thought to have the greatest overtones of any top wood. Grows in the American Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Cascades. Considerably limited supply.
2) There are other spruces that differ from Sitka in that they are a little sweeter sounding. Along with Engelmann spruce from Western Canada, there is blue Engelmann spruce from Colorado. These have become popular with fingerstyle guitarists. When Engelmann spruce was first being discovered by luthiers, it was touted as an inexpensive replacement for German spruce and in fact, it has many of the same fine qualities- a robust sound rich in harmonics with good projection.
3) European or Silver Spruce, the spruce of choice for makers of classical guitars, shares a number of characteristics with Engelmann spruce, including color, lightness of weight, harmonic complexity, and fullness at the lower end of the dynamic range. Next to Englemann, European has been said to have the greatest overtone of any top wood. Because of its visual similarity and significantly higher cost, its name has been affixed more than once to a piece of Engelmann spruce by unscrupulous (or uninformed) wood dealers and luthiers. European spruce differs from Engelmann in its potentially quicker response and greater headroom. The availability of anything better than mediocre European spruce (which is easily exceeded in quality by the better grades of Engelmann - a commodity that is still readily obtainable) is sharply limited, unless the boards are selected at the source in Europe.
4) German Spruce: Very “ringy” and white in color. Extremely clear and bell like, has the versatility of Sitka. Exceptional sound for light to very firm techniques. "German Spruce is a common term for Spruce coming from Europe, but it is not really accurate. Guitar grade Spruce has not come out of Germany for many years now. The best material comes from the former Yugoslavia region. With German Spruce, you can expect the excellent, slightly golden-colored tonewood that, for years now, has been the staple of the bowed instrument world, and a favorite among high-end steel string and classical guitar builders. "German Spruce is of exactly the same species as Alpine or Italian Spruce, but is different in sound because of the high regions the Alpine Spruce grows in. Alpine Spruce is just a bit warmer in color and the winter grain, when visible, is a bit pinker. Tonally, it is said be more focused with a slightly stronger fundamental than regular German Spruce." (Fellowship of Acoustics)
5) Recently, several European alternatives to German spruce have emerged in the American market. The first is Italian spruce and its cousin, Alpine/Italian Spruce. Italian spruce is of the same species as German spruce (picea abies). Alpine/Italian spruce (also picea abies) is similar in tone, but varies in appearance in that it is a little more pink/tan in color (though still basically white). Finally, there is Ukrainian Spruce from the Caucasus and Carpathian mountains.
English Oak Quercus robur H=3.9, M=3.7, B= 4.1, S=3.6, O=1.8, T=4
Medium to light brown and may have N olive cast to the heartwood, straight-grained, coarse and uneven texture, with interlocking grain. It is noted for dense mids and clear and loud trebles. It's versatility will allow it to be used for many styles of music.
English Walnut Juglans regia H=3.9, =3.5, B=3.9, S=3.9, 3.5, T=3.5
Heartwood can be various shades of brown, sometimes with a red,purple or gray cast to it. Sapwood is white. Figure can be burled, crotched, or curly. It exhibits as moderate texture and luster. Grain is most commonly straight, but can also be irregular. Tone can be loud and punchy with a huge bass. Lots of overtones and rich highs and mids, a good tonewood.
Espave (White Mahogany)
Panamanian. I don't know much about this; maybe it is more widespread. Used for solid-bodied guitars, but can be used for acoustics as well. Easily worked, softer than either alder or mahogany. Appearance may vary considerably. Has a "memorable" smell (is that good - or bad?)
Estoraque (Myroxylon balsamun)
Estoraque is an interestingly-figured wood decorated with a medullary-ray figure similar to what we commonly see in red oak (Quercus rubra) but of more minute detail. Estoraque weighs 63 pounds per cubic foot and is a light red-brown color that finishes to a rich and beautiful mahogany brown. The elevated stiffness of Estoraque helps to enhance the mid- to treble-range of an instrument built from this wood. (from "Forgotten Woods")
63lb/ft3
Eucalyptus (Jarrah, Tasmlanian Oak, Mountain Ash, Red Gum)
As far as the eucs go there's about 400 or more species of all sizes & characteristics covering a range of landscapes as diverse as the continent itself. Tropical to temperate rainforests, vast tracts of woodlands, deserts, alpine areas etc. etc. Pretty much the dominant hardwood family down here. E. camaldulensis is the River Red Gum. (Saxonblue) It is a sustainable wood and not on any CITIES list; for instance, I have seen it in Arizona, California, New Zealand (as I recall), and it seems to be the dominant tree in the Eucuadorian Highlands, growing there very quickly, with a tall but narrow trunk. In some areas, it is considered invasive.I suspect there are large differences between varieties and between the areas in which it grows. It is the tallest flowering plant in the world and can be 300' tall.
Tree Size: 100-150 ft (30-46 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 54 lbs/ft3 (870 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .67, .87
Janka Hardness: 2,160 lbf (9,600 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 17,940 lbf/in2 (123.8 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,711,000 lbf/in2 (11.80 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,370 lbf/in2 (57.8 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 5.3%, Tangential: 8.8%, Volumetric: 14.1%, T/R Ratio: 1.7
Allergies/Toxicity: There have been no adverse health effects associated with River Red Gum.
"There are more than 250 types of eucalypt tree and for each type the characteristics of the wood are heavily influenced by the growing conditions. Plantation eucalypts in Australia (mainly E. globulus) are focused on fast growing trees for the pulp and paper industry and they grow with significant stresses built into the wood. They would be terrible for guitars.
On the other hand, redgum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) has been used for guitars. This is a tree that can grow slowly and to great size. It is much harder than E.globulus and used to be favoured for house stumps and railway sleepers. I tried to cut some years ago to use it for firewood, and it was like cutting concrete.
And the eucalyptus scent? It is an oil in the leaves, not the wood." (Colins)
Marketed as "Urban Ironbark" by Taylor, they have this to say: "Usually, denser woods are hard to dry and prone to distortion, which needs to be carefully controlled to yield a stable guitar part — like ebony," Powers said. "With red ironbark, we found that we could dry it consistently well the way we might dry East Indian rosewood. This ironbark has similar characteristics in that regard. It's very stable. On top of all of this, it has one of the smoothest and most uniform textures of any dense wood I've ever seen. The Urban Ironbark backs add more volume and projection to the guitar's sound.
The new urban tonewood has a physical density comparable to ebony while also delivering the sonic depth and richness of Indian rosewood, but pushed to another level, according to the company. The voicing recipe for the new guitars include a torrefied (roasted) Sitka spruce top paired with Taylor's V-Class bracing. The result can be described as a fresh variation on the classic spruce/rosewood sound with the help of Taylor's modern acoustic engineering, and with the guitar's enhanced volume and projection immediately evident, even with a lighter playing touch, according to the company.
"Urban Ironbark has a tone-shaping quality where it produces the deep, clear sound of rosewood but with just enough of the damping effect of ebony or mahogany that helps smooth out the sharp edges of the sound," Powers said. "With the ironbark's density, the guitar sound is what I would describe as muscular and strong. The sensation I get when I play it is like the guitar is naturally amplifying everything I do. It's giving me back more than I put into it — like the notes want to jump out of the guitar. These are guitars I'm really excited to get into people's hands."
Full, strong mids and trebles - balanced bass. (Kupuna50) Others have called it a bit bright. Generally straight-grained but can exhibit fiddleback figure. Weight and taptone are similar to mahogany.
Wade Hampton Miller tells this story: "Luthier Roy McAlister... had eucalyptus trees growing on his property ....He had a eucalyptus tree on his property blow down, so he experimented by building a guitar out of it.
Afterwards he had strongly negative opinions about eucalyptus as a tonewood, both in terms of its workability and in the unpleasant sound of the instrument itself. It was a real “never again” proposition for him."
But which Eucalyuptus was it?
European Spruce - look under Englemann Spruce
European Beech Fagus sylvatica H= 3.9, M=3.6, B=2.8, S=3.0, O=2, T=2
Like American beech, it is a nearly white wood but may have some pink or brown mixed in. Moderate texture and straight graIn, when quartersawn, it may show silvery flecks. Rings like a bell, great projection, a balanced sound, sweet and rich.
Flamewood Dalbergia cochinshinensis
A true rosewood from SE Asia (Laos). Similar in color to freshly cut Nicaraguan Cocobolo but will keep it's color. It is not oily like cocobolo. Glues well and bends readily. A truly exciting find. Tap tone is comparable to Honduran RW and rings like a bell. Some people have an allergic reaction to it.
Franquette Walnut – aka Carpathian/English Walnut.
The Franquette is a very old Walnut variety, originating in Persia. For centuries it was cultivated for nut production, but is now being replaced with more productive hybrids. Franquette Walnut is very dense and hard with spectacular high contrast marbling. It is highly prized for the finest gun stocks and furniture. The tonal qualities are excellent.
Freijo Cordia goeldiana (Jennywood)
From Brazil, it is olive-brown to golden brown in color, similar to Teak, occasionally with darker stripes. It has large, flaky, lustrous medullary rays on the quartersawn surfaces. Moderately hard and heavy, dimensionally stable, it works easily and takes a beautiful finish. (from Gilmer Hardwoods) I suspect it is rarely large enough for back and sides.
German Spruce - look under Englemann Spruce
Gidgee Acacia cambegei
This timber is chocolate colored with a fine, even grain. It occurs in flamed varieties, occasionally called Ringed Gidgee. The leaves and bark of this tree produce a characteristic odor, hence the name “stinking gidgee”. is a dark chocolate brown to black, occasionally with streaks of purple. Unusual to find it large enough for back and sides. Great fingerboards, however.
Goncalo Alves Astronium graveolens, or Tigerwood, S American Zebrawood
H=3.4, M=3, B=4.1, S=3.5, O=3.6, T=4
Goncalo Alves, a wood that comes mainly from Brazil, has been growing in popularity among builders who favor bold, contrasting figure on the back and sides, which will darken as it ages. Sometimes called ”Tigerwood”, the color is an attractive honey-tan with broad reddish brown stripes which often paint dramatic, symmetrical shapes across the bookmatched guitar back. Although it is lightweight, it is only slightly porous and finishes nicely. Some say the tone is similar to Mahogany.
Goncalo Alves Astronium fraxinifolium (Figure that out)
Goncalo Alves is another one of the dense wildly colored tropical hardwoods. Also known as Tigerwood because of the colors in this species with its orange and black streaks. It is a dense heavy wood with a specific Gravity of .95. Tree is Native To: Guyana, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Trinidad and Brazil. Goncalo Alves is a wonderful often overlooked tonewood. It has tone very similar to that of Mahogany except it offers clearer highs with warm mids and lows.
Goncalo Alves, also known as South American Zebrawood , originates on the East Coast of Brazil though this particular species can be found anywhere between Mexico and Brazil. Huge logs up to six feet in diameter are available, but these large logs usually lack the beautiful dark streaking that makes this wood so desirable. Dense and colorful, most sets are near quarter or better. It is unusual in this species to find well striped backs & sides. Bright tap tone and good sustain make this a great choice for backs & sides. One of the most notable features of Goncalo Alves is the rare striping that occurs in very few of the logs.
Well balanced sound throughout the strings, quick response, resonant with clear and crisp bass, lush trebles, superior mids. It is a very "unknown wood" and yet it offers some of the most valued characteristics of the more expensive tropical species. Clear crisp basses, great middle tones and rampant trebles. The finished instrument looks like a wild cat. You can find yourself staring at the grain for hours at a time. It honors its name because it really looks like a wild cat. The best cuts are found in Brazil although it grows in parts of Africa as well.
Granadillo Pittier Dalbergia granadillo
Dalbergia granadillo is also a form of cocobolo, a closely related cousin in fact. Sometimes called Black Cocobolo. Also known as 'Granadillo Negro". The wood has a beautiful red/purple wine color. This is a true Rosewood. Grace Guitars and Bruce Sexauer have used it, among others.
Granadillo Platymiscium sp., Granadillo, Mexican or Amazon Rosewood, Macacauba, Hormigo
This wood has a nice purple brown color reminiscent of Indian rosewood, except that it does not have the straight lines that Indian has. The heartwood may have blacks, violets, reds and oranges, frequently streaked. Grenadillo does have a subtle wavy figure & a bright responsive and ringing tap tone. It is a good Cocobolo or Rosewood replacement. Hard, dense, and heavy, would be good for fingerboards. In fact, Tom Rein uses it for that. Takes a high natural polish. Used in banjos and recorders as well.
Granadillo is a relatively new wood to American guitar making but is fairly common in South America. It is nonporous, straight grained, very dense, and has a ringing, bright tap tone. Brittle, it works easily but can dull tools a bit, has a medium to fine texture, and finishes and glues well. The reddish brown color will darken to a brick color over time, much like Honduran rosewood. It is sure to become popular for steel string guitars. Tim McKnight has built several. Gibson has offered a model in Grenadillo as well.
Similar to Cocobolo, another name for Grenadillo is Mexican Rosewood. Not a true Rosewood, it is commonly used by many in South America for instrument building under the name Macacauba. Dense, straight, and closed grain structure combine to produce bright tap tone with good sustain. Wood darkens to Rosewood colors. Some have sapwood centers. Best Grade is quarter sawn. Second grade sets are rift or flat sawn with pin knots - beautiful color & character at a good value.
Clear, ringing notes with long sustain.
There are several subspecies and they vary some. Savage Woods describes them this way:
"P. yucatanum: Granadillo that is indigenous to the Yucatan peninsula of southern Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala and is known for more saturated color tones and frequent figuring in the logs. Found to be slightly denser than the other Granadillo species.
P. pinnatum: Granadillo that is most common on today’s market due to its abundance and wide availability. Sometimes misrepresented as “Amazon Rosewood”, it is not a true rosewood but rather is a Platymiscium that is indigenous from the Amazon basin up thru to the lower portion of Central America. On average, this Granadillo carries more of a reddish tone throughout the logs. Also called Macacauba.
P. pleiostachyum: Granadillo that carries the reputation of being the best quality in the Platymiscium genus. Unfortunately, this reputation as also caused pleiostachyum to be severely exploited over the last few decades and consequently is now listed as endangered in the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species including being CITES Appendix 2 Restricted. ... If you’re looking for the absolute best in Granadillo material, then this is it. Originally indigenous to Costa Rica, it is now virtually extinct in this country due to illegal logging and exploitation. It can still be found in El Salvador and Nicaragua and legally sourced from these countries." Also called Hormigo, same species, different name.
Janka rating = 2450-2700 72lb/ft3
Guanacaste Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Also known as Parota, it has beautiful golden-brown, Hawaiian Koa or Monkeypod-like figure, consistent availability in large hard-to-find dimensions. Guanacaste has a unique appearance and texture, which is mostly due to its very large pores. It works easy and is chatoyant. This tree is found in Mexico and Central America and abundant in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica where it is their national tree. It is easily grown from seed (think: no CITES) and is one of the largest, shadiest and longest lasting trees, able to reach heights of up to 125' with a trunk measuring more than 4' in diameter. The wood from Guanacaste is reddish-brown, lightweight (density 0.34–0.6 g/cm³) and it's water-resistant, as if you'll need that.
Guatemalan Rosewood - dalberia tucanensis
Compared to other rosewoods, Guatemalan is lighter and less dense. It is one of the woods often compared to Brazilian. it glues and finishes well and will take a polish. It is very fine-textured and it's figure is less apt to be wild than many other rosewoods. Average workability. Reddish brown to darker brown, it has a cinnamon-like smell. It has a crisp tap tone.
Cachimbo is a small-pore hardwood of a medium tan color, it is a relatively stiff wood with similar tonal and structural properties to red maple. Cachimbo lends itself to those instruments where tonal brightness is more important than elaborate figure or grain. (from "Forgotten Woods")
39lb/ft3
Camatillo Dalbergia congestiflora
Related to Brazilian Kingwood (Dalbergia caerensis), this beautiful Rosewood is rich with vivid purple & violet colors. Though related to Kingwood, the colors in this wood are more intense and the grain more demarcated. No two sets are alike; this is a very diverse and unique wood.
Camatillo comes from Central America where it is selectively logged by hand and harvested from the forest by mules in an environmentally friendly manner. The grain in this wood is rarely straight and generally is figured on backs & sides. There are sapwood centers in most as the tree is relatively small, producing less heartwood than many Rosewoods. This extremely rare Rosewood species holds its purple color better than any other Rosewood.
Cambodian Beng Pahudia cochichinensis
Someone tell me about this. I saw one attractive instrument made of it, can't remember the maker. I know Steve Kinnaird has some familiarity with it as well. It has been said to have the same density hardness as Brazilian Rosewood.
Canalete (Cordia dodecandra) SeeZiracote for more information and photos
"This dark gray to brown to black wood is similar to ebony in weight and density. Some pieces have gorgeous striping and spider web grain patterns. The feel is buttery smooth and slick. The density translates to great sustain and the tone is considered to be much like Brazilian Rosewood. Limited availability and expensive." (BassShed)
Canarywood Centrolobium ochroxylon - several species, known by many common names
H=4, M=3.8, B=2.7, S=4, O=3.7, T=3.5
A heavy South American wood (note: I have seen a single reference to it as African) with a Janka hardness of 1520 (note: I have read a variety of figures for this, from 1030 to 1800). It is a legume. Can be wildly colored, pale yellow-orange to darker reds and browns, even some purples, in streaks. The sapwood is pale yellow. With age, the colors darken and become less spectacular. Usually but not always straight-grained, with a fine natural luster and a uniform texture. Resistance to insects and decay is good. Canarywood works well and is one of the nicest I have personally handled. Watch for tear-out when planing the wilder-grained specimens. When you work some species, you will notice a distinct scent. The dust causes problems with skin irritation or coughing with some people.
Edwinson Guitar has built a couple and loves the wood. "I found it to be beautiful, and tone-ful as well, with a loud, ringing, metallic tap tone, what I would call a Rosewood vibe, and excellent machining, bending, and gluing properties... The only problem I had with Canary was in trying to re-saw sets from a highly figured slab-sawn plank that wasn't well seasoned. It warped like crazy, even as I was pushing it through the saw. I had to abandon it halfway through the second cut. So I decided to stick with quarter-to-rift sawn boards, and they came out exceptionally well- totally stable and fine. ..I'll tell you what: Were I given a choice between using Pernambuco or quarter-sawn Canary, I would probably pick the Canary. Some Canary wood is very similar in appearance to the extremely rare and exotic Tulipwood, with the deep yellows, oranges, and reds; but most often with straight-grain figure."
David Norton found a report that said it was dense and non-porous "with a bright ringing tap tone and surprising sustain... lustrous chatoyance in the figure. This wood bends, works and finishes very nicely and remains dimensionally stable in service." Some pore filling is needed, not too much. It can also be used for necks.
It may have exceptional clarity in sound, strong fundamentals, and loud, with a rounder bass and overtones which are obvious.
Candlenut - Aleurites moluccanus
The Hawaiian Kukui tree, once used for a seasoning, for boats and by burning the oily nut like a candle, is now finding a use in inexpensive solid-body guitars and uses, often sold unfinished. The wood is very lightweight and, I imagine, would be similar to Alder, Basswood and Poplar in such uses. Lack of information makes me use the word "imagine".
*Carpathian Spruce (picea abies) H=3.8, M=3.5, B= 4.5, S=3.7, OP=3.5, T=4
Often considered similar to other European Spruces (German, Italian, Alpine...), it has creamy white wood with a wide grain spacing; it's tone glassy and brighter with good note separation, yet retaining sensitivity that fingerpickers like.
Capirona (Callycophylum spruceanum)
Capirona is a light-coffee colored hardwood that finishes just slightly darker than its sanded surface. It has wispy gray streaks that give this wood an attractive but not overstated appearance. Capirona weighs 52 pounds per cubic foot, a weight that classes it in the category of our more dense instrument woods. This wood is very rigid and evokes a bright, clear tone when tapped, an attribute that would support the instrument’s note-to-note clarity and treble range when used for rims and backboards. Since the wood does not change color or darken dramatically when finished, a guitar made from Capirona would have a bright and stately appearance. (from "Forgotten Woods")
52lb/ft3
*Carbon Fiber (Woodsy fako)
OK, it's not wood at all. But it is used in the making of some fine guitars. Incredibly strong and stiff and extremely lightweight, carbon fiber layup can be roughly compared to that of fiberglass with it's layers of resin and cloth build. Most, but not all, of the carbon fiber guitars I have seen are all carbon fiber, tops and back and sides both. It can be tweaked for sound and other properties by adding kevlar, using unidirectional laminations, etc. Necks can be hollow to create extra sound space and can be cast in one step with the fingerboards, bridges and tuners added later. Some makers have eliminated ribbing.
The sound has often been described as very crystalline, with extra note definition and long sustain. It has it's own sound, not exactly like wood, but pleasant in it's own right, but I suspect that casual listeners will not notice much of a difference. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic is over 4 times stiffer than Glass reinforced plastic, almost 20 times more than pine, 2.5 times greater than aluminum. It is very strong in the directions with which it designed to be strong and can be stronger than steel, but not necessarily in every direction.
*Catahua (Hura crepitans)
Catahua is the lightest weight of the hardwoods weighing in at 25 pounds per cubic foot. Its light weight, strength, and great flexibility suggest that this wood would work well for backboards and rims of classical guitars. This wood is a light blonde color with mild grain and figure. If you are experimenting with soundboard woods and are seeking options other than spruce, Catahua would be an interesting material to evaluate. (Also see Achihua and Pashaco Negro for soundboard wood options.) (from "Forgotten Woods")
25lb/ft3
**Catalpa
Rarely used, it has a greenish golden hue, very resonant and responsive, clear fundamentals and crystalline trebles, not overtone-laden. Caltapa is a soft and light wood and may have it's own ideas about bending, trying to straighten after the fact. Catalpa has been used in traditional Chinese instruments. Bruce Sexauer built a guitar of all Catalpa - top, back, sides and neck. He loves the wood. From photos I have seen, the wood has a natural golden aged look.
Cedro Cedrela Odorata
Cedro is a medium-lightweight wood. It is very stiff in comparison to its weight and is also very resistant against twisting and warping. It has a brown-red color without a very characteristic structure. C. looks similar to several Mahogany species. Normally used for necks and for interior parts.
Cha Chen Metopium Brownei, Caribbean Rosewood (Che Chen) H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4.2, S=4, O=3.5, T=2.8
Cha Chen is not a true rosewood. Beautiful red, orange and brown color with darker brown and black stripes, turns darker with age. Light yellow sapwood. fine and consistent, tight straight grain, heavy and dense, with natural luster and fine texture. It's rich tone adds projection and volume. Deep, humming tap tone, good sustain, like a lot of rosewoods have. Better for strumming than individual notes as they will muddy up.
Chakte Viga Caesalpinia platyloba H=3.7, M=3.1, B=4.2, =3.7, O=3, T=3.9, Paela
Mistakenly called (Mexican) Perambuco, a close relative, Chakte Viga is also used for violin bows. Also called Paela (used for the burl) or Aripin, it comes from smaller trees and can be expected to be difficult to find in sizes adequate for back and sides, which of course has an upwards effect upon the price. It's a very heavy wood, weighing 65lb/ft3 and is 2250-2750 on the Janka scale (I've read both figures), which causes one to think fretboards might be another good use for it. Mexicans sometimes use it for fenceposts as it can last 100 years in contact with the soil.
Color/Appearance: Heartwood bright orange to golden brown. Sapwood pale ranges from white to yellow. Chakte Viga is sought for the unrivaled orange color tone for which the heartwood is renowned. It ranges in shades from light apricot to burnt orange with hints of red and it’s color deepens with time. Upon occasion has fine black lines.
Grain/Texture: Grain is usually straight, though sometimes interlocked. Has a fine, even texture with a good natural luster.
Workability: Despite its high density, Chakte Viga generally responds well to most machining operations, though interlocked grain can result in tearout. Be sure to keep things sharp and don't allow the wood to heat up too much when sanding. It's oiliness can muck up sandpaper too. Turns, glues, and finishes well, a joy to work with. It turns well and can be shaped to fine detail and buffed to a glassy polish. Very fine texture with a closed grain, it sometimes displays figuring. With a proper finish, this wood can take on an amazing iridescence and shimmer.
Odor: No characteristic odor, slight odor when worked..
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Comments: Perhaps the closest relative to the more-famous Brazilwood (used for violin bows), Chakte Viga shares many of the same excellent acoustic properties. With great color, a smooth texture, and a unique iridescent quality that seems to shimmer under the proper wood finish, Chakte Viga has an almost subliminal cachet. A guitar from it will be well-balanced, have excellent projection and will be strong on the lows and highs.
Cherry Prunnus Serotina Black Cherry H=3.7, M=3, B=4.1, S=3.8, O=3, T=3.8
In working properties, cherry is sort of a reddish version of plain maple with a tangy smell thrown in. Seldom found as quarter sawn lumber, it nevertheless makes into fine, if rather plain, instruments. It's useful to examine one's expectations for alternative species. Cherry (and birch) are locally available and cheap. Tonally, it is articulate and falls between maple and mahogany, though a bit mellower and with somewhat greater sustain.
Cherry has a density and reflectivity approaching that of maple, producing a rich, projective midrange and balance without favoring the bass or treble frequencies. Similar to maple but less dry-sounding., clean and articulate, with more sustain and clarity than maple, also more bass and mid-range. Better clarity and balance than Honduran. Changes to darker reddish hue over time.
COLOR: Heartwood is light to dark reddish brown, lustrous; sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. Darkens with age. Some examples may be curly. Some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sap- wood, resulting in a more uniform color.
GRAIN: Fine, frequently wavy, uniform texture. Distinctive flake pattern on true quartersawn surfaces. Texture is fine and satiny, with some gum pockets.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Significant color variation between boards.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average (change coefficient .00248).
DURABILITY: Strong, moderately hard; excellent shock resistance.
SAWING/MACHINING: Good machining qualities.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily. NAILING: Good holding ability.
FINISHING: No known problems.
COMMENTS: High in bending strength. Light-sensitive; strong color change upon exposure to light.
Janka rating of 950, not listed on CITES. Specific gravity of 0.55.
**Chesnut
Chesnut once covered 80% of the eastern forests in the US. It was used for food, flowers, rail fences, boxes, furniture... But a blight appeared in the early 12900s and by the 30's it was virtually gone. Today, trees sprout, bear a few nuts and die. It is a porous wood and needs filling. Soft and light (think Janka 540), it lacks the visible rays that oak has. It's tonal properties should be similar to mahogany or Spanish cedar. Consequently, it may also work as a top wood as well. Twisting is a possibility. It has been used in mountain dulcimers and as backing for veneers in upright pianos and is being featured now for guitars by some supplier such as Northwind or Adirondack Hardwoods.
Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinenesis
A popular ornamental, planted for it fall color and resistance to insects and drought, it is related to Pistachio, only has no nuts. It would be uncommon for Pistache to grow large enough to make a guitar, but it can happen and has been used as such. It is very hard, used in furniture making and one can extract a yellow dye from it. There are tons of information on how to grow it, but little or nothing on what the wood is like.
Claro Walnut Central California Juglans hindsii (See also Walnut)
H=3.6, M=3.3, B=4.1, S=3.6, O=3.2, T=4
Another beautiful hardwood, walnut has a similar density and stiffness to koa, with a similar tightness initially. Like koa, it tends to have a bright top end, but with a more present midrange, somewhere between mahogany and rosewood. Walnut also starts off a little deeper on the low end, initially giving it a slightly woodier sound than koa. The low end will continue to fill out after being played in. Goes well with players who like a blend of brightness, projection and warm and earthy overtones. Bass and highs tend to be less colored. A smaller-bodied walnut guitar with a cedar top would likely appeal to fingerstyle players, while flatpickers and strummers on a larger body with a spruce top will find ample horsepower, low end and crisp highs sufficient to support an aggressive attack.
Claro Walnut is beautiful timber. It’s color varies from black and orange contrasts to the usual chocolate walnut tones. It frequently has prominent curly figure which occurs in conjunction with color variation. A a timber, Claro Walnut is a pleasure to work with as it works well with both hand & power tools, has good strength and bending properties, and takes finishes well.
As a tonewood, guitars built from claro walnut retain the wood’s natural color & figure and has the bonus of being stable in service. Many luthiers and factories offer Claro Walnut as an option, a testament to it’s beauty, wood working properties and sustainability. Warm and earthy with the overtone depth of rosewood and clarity comparable to mahogany guitar, it also tends to impart less color to the bass and treble.
Stephen Kinnaird is a big fan and says: “Claro walnut is one of our favorites. First of all, there is the undeniable beauty of the material. Few North American species can trump Claro visually. Some of the wilder maples have more to offer in the swimsuit competition, but not everyone likes a blonde guitar. Claro’s rich chocolate color helps – for those who listen with their eyes. Second, the workability is a dream. This stuff should be offered to every apprentice when they attempt their first side-bending. It bends itself. Third, the sound. Unfortunately, Claro has gotten the meaningless reputation for sounding “woody”. Every species sounds like wood, and that’s precisely why we like guitars! (Ok, some species sound woodier than others, but that’s a different discussion.) Let me say this: Claro walnut sounds spicy. I think it sounds like it smells, and it smells great.”
Harvey Leach says: The native walnut tree to California produces inferior nuts so often English walnut is grafted onto Claro root stock (English walnut can't survive it the typical California soil).This grafting produces some of the most beautiful multi colored guitar sets, some actually showing the actual graft line with English on one side and Claro on the other. Make wonderful "woody" sounding guitars.
It has a Janka rating of approximately 1,000 lbs force and a specific gravity of 0.56.
Cocobolo Central Mexico - Dalbergia Restusa H=3.7, M=3.4, B=4.2, S=3.5, O=3.3, T=4
Cocobolo is a dense, stiff tropical hardwood with a fairly bright tone. Sonically, it’s similar to koa, but resonates a little deeper on the low end, although it doesn’t have quite the full low end of rosewood or ovangkol. Fast and responsive, with moderate note decay, it’s articulate with lots of note distinction. It blends the low end and midrange of the body with the wood’s brightness. Also good for fingerstyle. Goes well with a wide range of playing styles (depending on the body shape). Also, with players who want a brighter rosewood sound with a little less but still a strong low end and a little more treble zing with fine distinction between notes. It is fast and responsive.
Cocobolo, on the other hand, is readily available from Mexico. This superb tonewood has bold, distinctive orange highlights with plenty of black lines that can often show exciting swirly patterns. Some sets are dark reddish-brown. One of the most striking-appearing woods, it's hard and heavy. Cocobolo is a true Rosewood and grows in southern Mexico and Central America along the Pacific seaboard. It’s a beautiful wood, which when freshly cut is a bright yellow and orange-red. Over time it oxidizes to a rich brown-red color with black streaks. It is probably as close to Brazilian Rosewood in beauty and tonal qualities as any wood. These visual and tonal features make Cocobolo a premium choice for many builders, including José Oribe, internationally known classical guitar maker. Cocobolo is heavier than most other Rosewoods, although not as stable (still, it is not bad), and occasionally more brittle. Because it is usually oily, it can be difficult to glue. It has the odor of flowers. Cocobolo also has excellent machining properties and can be worked well with a scraper, which will help keep dust down. For those who can work around Brazilean Rosewood problems, Cocobolo is a great favorite for both tone and beauty.
Some people consider cocobolo to be the most beautiful of the rosewoods. With it's many shades of browns, reds, orange, yellow and black colors, it can be very striking. The sapwood is cream colored and desired by some acoustic guitar builders. Freshly cut cocobolo exhibits purple and yellow hues which over a short period of time will oxidize to a rich brown-red color with black streaks. Cocobolo is as close to Brazilian Rosewood in beauty and tonal qualities as any wood and makes Cocobolo a premium choice for many builders. It is expected to become much more expensive and rarer in the future.
Care must be used when cutting Cocobolo, as the wood's oils can induce allergic reactions if inhaled or exposed to unprotected skin and eyes. A dust collection system, coupled with the use of personal protective equipment such as respirators, is highly recommended when machining this wood.
Cocobolo has variable heartwood coloration from bright orange to dark brown and purple. Oxidation darkens the lighter colors and merges them with the darker which can produce a deep red with irregular markings of purple or black. The heartwood is straight grained, occasionally interlocked and with a very fine, oily texture. Cocobolo is a common option in most luthier’s lists, with it’s own beauty and tone. The density and it’s ability to take a fine finish. make it an attractive option.
Chris Bozung is a big fan and writes: ”Cocobolo is probably closer in tone, color and figure to the finest-grade Brazilian Rosewood used on the classic guitars of yesteryear than any tone wood available today, and for far less money than the inferior-quality Brazilian currently available. Cocobolo offers everything Brazilian Rosewood offers, and more: increased power, increased sustain, increased volume, along with beauty of color and figure not available in Brazilian Rosewood for years. “
Cocobolo back and sides characteristically have an abundance of low overtones resulting in a complex bottom end and strong upper register. The overall effect is also a bell like tone with clear, slow decaying harmonics. Warm, brilliant and powerful. Bruce Sexuaer says: People like to say that Cocobolo is the closest thing to BRW, or even that it is better. I think that it is certainly harder and more brittle, both as a material and in it’s sound. Most Cocobolo guitars I’ve heard seem to have so much cutting edge that they sound harsh to me, but there are things to be done about that, and my last several please me just fine... Oxidation darkens the lighter colors and merges them with the darker which can produce a deep red with irregular markings of purple or black.”
CHARACTER: Cocobolo Rosewood wood has irregular grain, medium fine texture
COMPARES: Cocobolo Rosewood tonewood compares to Brazilian Rosewood, but is heavier
Cocobolo grows on a thin band along the Pacific Coast of Mexico down through Central America. It is selectively cut and logged by hand in Mexico, squared by chainsaw, and drug out of the forest by Mules. This is a very environmentally low impact procedure. Cocobolo is a true Rosewood, similar in color & tap tone to Brazilian Rosewood and considered to be a good substitute. It is denser than most Rosewoods and oilier. For best results in gluing, epoxy is recommended. Cocobolo has great working properties. The colors range from any combination of orange, red, yellow, black & violet. For this reason, it has also been called rainbow wood. Special quality is quarter sawn, containing beautiful colors. The best grade sets are slab sawn with beautiful colors & patterns.
It has a Janka of 1136 and a specific gravity of 1.0.
Cooba Acacia salicina Wilow Wattle
Lighter than most other acacia, it is not large or common enough to attain commercial viability. The trees have willow-like leaves and yellowish white flowers. Often, they grow in a curved manner, which precludes them for commerical buldiing - but does not eliminate their use for guitars. 60' tall would be a big one. Its native range is eastern Australia, but it has been planted in many other areas around the world.
The heartwood is dark brown and attractively marked, close-grained, tough and moderately heavy while the sapwood is light yellowish. It's ability to take a high polish, coupled with attractive coloration has led to its use in fine furniture.
43lb/ft3, Janka = 1270
Copaiba (Copaifera officinallis)
Copiaba is an unusual hardwood whose delicate figure features lots of small curly lines of medium-dark brown on a grayish-tan field. The figure becomes very prominent when under a clear finish. At 38 pounds per cubic foot, Copiaba is of medium weight, and its density and moderate flexibility lend to enhancing the instrument’s tone in the mid and bass ranges. (from "Forgotten Woods")
38lb/ft3
Cuban Mahogany Swietenia Mahogani H=4, M=3.9, B=4.5, S=2.9. O=3, T=3.2
Cuban Mahogany is a light pink when fresh oxidizing to deep rich red. It is easy to work with hand or machine tools and takes a excellent polish. Compared to Honduran Mahogany, Cuban is even easier to work with. It has a closer, finer grain and carves beautifully. It is seen in various 3D figures, with curl, quilt and wavy grain although these are now rare. Heartwood is a pinkish brown to a darker red-brown, which darkens as it ages.
Cuban Mahogany tends to be denser than Honduran and hence has more rosewood like qualities, with a better developed midrange and low end. Plantations occasionally yield logs wide enough for guitar sets, although old growth timber is now on the CITES appendix II and although raw timber trade is regulated, finished articles can be traded freely.
Basic specific gravity (oven dry weight/green volume) 0.40 to 0.68; air- dry density 30 to 52 pcf. Janka side hardness 740 lb for green material and 800 lb for dry.
Curupau (Curupay, Cebil, Patagonian Rosewood, Angico Preto, Tigerwood) Anadenanthera colubrina, A. peregrina
The trees can reach 80-100' in height and 2-4' in diameters a legume.It is not a rosewood, despite the name sometimes applied to it. lmny uses, and is often used for veneers and flooring.
Pink and Yellow tones which contrast with a dark cinamon brown heartwood with black streaks, which darkens with exposure to sunlight. Tans can change to reds. I find that uncommon as in my experience wood is far more likely to fade, to lighten from sunlight. It has fine and uniform texture. Very irregular and interlocked grain, and is quite resistant to splitting. One of the very hardest woods available, with Janka rating of3630- 3840. Density is high - (64lb/ft3 Because of this, it is hard to work and quickly blunts formerly sharp edges. Chips easily when planed. I have heard that it will twist and turn if dried quickly. And I have heard that it does not warp when drying, though kiln drying may produce checking. Naturally lustrous appearance. In appearance, may be confused with Goncalo Alves. Most is used in the flooring industry.
Simon Fay has used it for bridge plates and has this to say, It " is about as split resistant as wood can get. IMO, it is a perfect wood for the bridge plate. It would also work great for fingerboards and bridges but it isn’t especially attractive."
Janka - 3840
**Cypress Cupressus sempervirens, Mediterranean Cypress
1) Clear penetrating sound excellent response and tap tone. It has become the wood of choice for Flamenco construction because it s easy to come by. It is also true that it makes for great classical playing. Cypress allows for a crisp sound with little sustain but very penetrating trebles. Also great to accompany singing. The pale coloring of the grain makes the resulting instrument a striking one.
Cypress is one of the few coniferous woods, which are suitable for backs and sides for their comparable high density. It is mostly used for Flamenco guitars. Besides its light-yellow color, its appearance is typical for coniferous woods. Remarkable is its intensive, aromatic smell, which lasts for years.
2) True cypress (Cupressus spp.) is hard, sonically reflective, difficult to bend, and absolutely isn't used as the soundboard of modern instruments. There is a tree of southern US swamps that is more properly called bald cypress (Taxodium distichum); this tree is actually a redwood (along with the whopping Sequoia spp.). It would probably be similar to redwood as a soundboard...but that's just a guess. It could be substantially different as most redwoods grow in moist but well-drained soils while Taxodium grows in inundation.
The Spanish cypress traditionally used for flamenco guitars (cupressus macrocarpa) is unlikely to be the same as US woods.
3) Canadian Cypress Botanical Name: (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) Canadian Cypress/Yellow Cedar Alaskan Yellow Cedar, aka Canadian cypress, is so closely related to the true cypresses that it has been classified with them by botanists in the past. It is an excellent carving wood, with fine even texture, and very close-grained. It is one of the most stable woods in terms of dimensional change due to moisture content change. It works easily and finishes well. Though YC/CDN Cypress is not a traditional wood, it is gaining popularity. Many custom builders use YC/CDN cypress for guitar tops, including archtops (jazz guitars and mandolins). It is also used for backs and sides of Flamenco guitars. It is a denser wood than Red Cedar, with a specific gravity very close to Sitka Spruce. It has a nice light yellow color and a pleasant aroma. Tonewise, the wood is very well suited for flatpicking steel string guitars. With a specific gravity close to Sitka and Adirondack Spruce it makes a very good soundboard material as well as back/sides.
4) Greg Monroe frequently uses Florida Bald Cypress and reports a tone unlike any other - warm, full and mellow. He uses sinker material or recovered fallen logs that were seasoned for decades.
50 see also Port Orford Cedar and Alaskan Yelow Cedar - they are both Cypresses.
Desert Ironwood (Palo Fierro) Olneya tesota
"Tree Size: 20-30 ft (6-10 m) tall, 1-2 ft (.3-.6 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: About 75 lbs/ft3 (1,210 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): ~.97, ~1.21
Janka Hardness: 3,260 lbf (14,500 N)
Shrinkage: No data available; reported to be very stable in service
Color/Appearance: Heartwood color ranges from an orangish yellow to a darker red or brown, with darker violet to black streaks. Some pieces may be almost entirely black. Narrow yellow sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartwood.
Grain/Texture: Due to the small size of the tree, grain can be wild or gnarled. Fine even texture and excellent natural luster.
Workability: Very difficult to work on account of its density. High cutting resistance. Desert Ironwood is usually restricted to very small projects, though it takes a good natural polish and is very stable in service. Turns, polishes, and finishes well." (Wood Database)
"Desert Ironwood (Palo Fierro in Spanish) only grows in the Sonoran Desert in Southwestern Arizona and the Northwestern part of Mexico.? It is one of the hardest and densest woods in the world. It ranges massively in color and can have some stunning figures as a result. A very difficult timber to work with due to its density, but it does turn, polish and finish well." (Rare Woods SA)
Because of size limitations, it is nearly impossible to get wood large enough for a 2 piece back. But it would make an outstanding fingerboard material, because of its extreme hardness and also its beauty. It has a natural luster and polish and exhibits a fine and even texture. Chatoyance is common. When being worked, you may experience an unpleasant odor. Tonally, it may resemble Ebony.
I played a Desert Ironwood guitar (Simon Fay, luthier) for a couple of weeks and found it quite well-balanced, with perfectly adequate (ie - less than "outstanding") overtones, volume and sustain. The kind of guitar that does most anything well, but does not specialize. Darkish wood at first glance. At second glance you begin to see the variation in color and tone in the wood.
Dogwood Cornus florida
Another smaller tree, famous for it's delicate blossoms, the State Tree of Delaware (like you needed to know that), and capable of making a very pretty guitar. Who knew?
Dry Weight = 51lb ft2
Janka rating - 2150
From the Wood Database
"Color/Appearance: Most boards and blanks and composed primarily of sapwood rather than heartwood. Narrow heartwood is a reddish brown. Wide sapwood is cream to pale pinkish in color.
Grain/Texture: Grain is interlocked, with a fine, uniform texture. Moderate natural luster.
Workability: Despite it’s high density and interlocked grain, Dogwood tends to produce decent results with both hand and machine tools, though it can have a blunting effect on cutters. Glues, turns, and finishes well.
Pricing/Availability: Not generally available commercially. Small quantities of Dogwood are occasionally harvested and utilized locally throughout its natural range, with prices high for a domestic hardwood.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Comments: Dogwood has excellent shock resistance, and is one of the hardest domestic woods of the United States or Canada. Its toughness is appreciated in a variety of applications, though its poor dimensional stability means that its use is usually restricted to unglued/unjoined standalone components where it’s expansion and contraction can occur freely."
*Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
This common wood, actually a false hemlock and not a true fir, is often overlooked for musical instruments. Yet, when a major scientific study was conducted on a wide variety of woods for their tonal qualities, old growth Douglas Fir was rated as one the most desirable, rating higher than nearly every other species.
It tends to be harder and heavier than spruce. The tone is good. Rolf Gearhart used Doug fir in the Unicorn mandolins he used to build before he built Phoenix mandolins. He liked the tone, but had splitting problems, and switched to spruce. Others report no splitting problems with Doug fir.
If you don’t personally know the person who cut the tree the produced the board you’re looking at, you really can’t be sure of whether what you have is hemlock, false hemlock, true fir or larch. You just have to rely on your instincts, or your luthier’s instincts, whether it’ll be a good top or not.
COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish tan to light brown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood may be confused with that of Southern yellow pine. Radical color change upon exposure to sunlight.
GRAIN: Normally straight, with occasional wavy or spiral texture.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Wood varies greatly in weight and strength. Young trees of moderate to rapid growth have reddish heartwood and are called red fir. The narrow-ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish-brown and is known as yellow fir.
HARDNESS (JANKA): 660
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Above average (change coefficient .00267).
DURABILITY: Durable but easily dented. Somewhat brittle and splinters easily, especially with age.
SAWING/MACHINING: Harder to work with hand tools than the soft pines.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
FINISHING: Some boards develop a slight pinkish to bright salmon color when finished with some products.
J Humphrey:
"RE soundboard: old-growth tight grain fir compares very well with some of the tighter sitka spruce I have used. The tone is bright and clear, but believe it or not, there is plenty of warmth and room for bass as well. Sustain and volume are both readily available with fir.
RE back and sides: fir is a funny one to bend; it loves to bend if it's soaking wet, but as soon as its dry it won't budge. I bend most of my woods dry, so this was surprising to me. It was no problem to attain my desired stiffness for the back, and it is lightweight and visually interesting.
RE Neck: easy to find straight grain, locally sourced, tap tone rings like a bell, comparable in stiffness to mahoganies, but lighter. "
Francois Gunning:
"The one most obvious (to me) characteristic that makes Douglas Fir easily recognisable is its smell. It has a bit of Damas rose and a bit of strawberry and some camphor along with more subtle undertones. I once worked some timber issued from an old barn from Oregon and the smell lingered in the workshop for weeks."
Dragonwood Termanalia Oblonga Sura, guayabon, Guayabo de montana
Appearing from Honduras to the Amazon, this wood has creamyu sapwood with grayish-brown heartwood. As it dries, the sapwood turns to yellow/gray as the heartwood gets darker and even darker veins appear in an olive/brown solor. it is used for a variety of other things besides guitars - furniture, flooring, veneers and in bridge fpundations and shops as well. It has not been affected by CITES regulations and no special health concerns have been nnoted.
Janka = 1800lb
Density = 4.47
Thank you to Reuben Forsland for providing this nformation.
East Indian Rosewood (India) Dalbergia Latifolia
It is richly grained with dark purple, red and brown color. It is resinous, stable and generally more consistent than most other rosewood species. It produces a deep warm reverby projective bass response that is especially marked on large-bodied guitars.
Ebiara Berlinia Grandiflora, Red Zebrawood, berlinia, aben, poculi, and essaben.
H=3.7, M=3.5, B=4, S=3.6, O=1.8, T=4
"This exotic hardwood comes mostly from West African countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Congo and Zaire where the tress can be found growing up to 130 feet tall and with trunk diameters up to 48 inches. Ebiara has a whitish pink sapwood with a heartwood color that ranges from red to brown and purplish brown streaks throughout. When quartersawn, this timber resembles Zebrawood but without the Zebrawood odor. Tap is somewhat brighter than IRW." (RC Tonewoods) Bends easily, finishes well. It has the beautiful reds of Bubinga with the striking stripes of Zebra in one species. Interlocking grain with coarse texture, yet bright and crisp, sharp overtones, and good trebles with out the sacrifice of bass.
Specific gravity .58, Janka hardness 1350
Ebony Diospyros crassiflora , also called Gabon Ebony (or any other African name)
Black. Hard. Dense. Mostly used for saddles and fingerboards, it can make a nice guitar as well, though it's getting rarer and rarer. Tight grain, powerful bass, rich kids and trebles that ring. Lots of sustain and projection. Even termites will bypass a fallen ebony log. I once picked up a smallish stump section at an Ecuadorian luthier's shop. With one hand, I could barely lift it. This density contributes to ebony's commercial appeal, as it results in a finish that will take a high polish, adding to its beauty.
(Savagewoods) "Gabon Ebony, also known as “Gaboon” or “Black” Ebony, is capable of polishing to a glass like finish, and can provide a genuine black color with almost no visible grain whatsoever. Most often is straight grained but infrequently might have some interlocked grain.
From a musical instrument perspective, it has proven itself time and again to be of the finest material to work with, and is known for superior tonality due to the higher density over the other types of ebony. It has a long history as being used for piano keys, as well as bodies for clarinets and other woodwind instruments. Also, with luthiers it is prized for fingerboards, bridges and headplates in quality guitar building. Size limitations of available stock prevent it from being widely used for the guitar body itself, but there are some out there.
Few species can imitate the depth of blackness true gabon ebony affords. While there are a number of other species in the Diospyros genus, the vast majority of them don’t yield a true black color tone. And when they do, it is variegated with other tones. Even the best quality of gabon is subject to having sporadic caramel streaks in it, but this is not to be considered a defect rather, it is the character of the wood. The only competitor from a visual perspective would be African Blackwood, an acacia, not true ebony. One of the few species that is an accepted substitute (from a grain density and tonal perspective) is Katalox (aka Mexican Royal Ebony), but it provides a purplish color tone in lieu of the solid black.
As for price and availability, Gabon Ebony is one of the most expensive lumber species on today’s market. This is driven by 3 factors. First, if & when the tree is allowed to grow to maturity they usually only grow to a maximum diameter of 2 feet. These mature trees are still subject to a varying ratio of the coveted heartwood (as are all Diospyros species). Second, a consistently high demand has spurred overharvesting and illegal logging in its native regions which has pushed the species to being unsustainable. Third, there is no easy access or viable roads to easily get to the remote areas where mature trees can still be found. The primary method for harvesting remains to be local villagers hiking deep in the jungle, manually felling the trees and then stripping them down to the black heartwood. Once this is done, they then must be cross cut down to a manageable size that a person can carry out while navigating uneven and perilous terrain over long distances. The weight of fresh cut lumber combined with the extreme density of this species translates to an average of 6’’ diameter heartwood logs that usually don’t exceed 6’ ft lengths. These combined factors render the vast majority of gabon ebony on today’s market into small sizes of varying quality. It is almost unheard of to find widths exceeding 7’’ and therefore has reduced the role of this amazing timber to that of accent wood on larger artisan projects."
LJGuitar - He has played one and found: "The sound profile was Incredible sustain, very clear tone & projection, and a very articulate bass, very concise attack, strong voice. I'd have classified it somewhere between Rosewood and Mahogany - but more to the Rosewood side of things."
Howard Klepper said, "The ebonies are all in the same genus, which is closer than the family relationship between, say, rosewood and English peas. They share high density and high damping. This translates into a general tendency to deep bass but not too long sustain. That doesn't mean that the guitar is going to sound like it's stuffed with feathers. In good hands, there will be sufficient sustain, and the damping will be heard as good string to string separation. "
Roberts: "Saw a couple of Gabon/Black Ebony numbers by Bernie Lehmann and Randy Muth last week at Woodstock, which were outstanding, so maybe this species is becoming more available. These were literally almost black in color and sounded fairly complex, though with the noise in that room it was hard to tell."
Harvey Leach, "Black ebony has become one of my favorites. I think I've built 4 guitars from it and all of them had the same characteristics. Great volume and sustain with great note separation and clarity. Plus I love the look!"
Other Ebonies -
Diospyrus macassar, commonly called Macassar Ebony (see elsewhere), is not as plentiful as the African species, but its greater density makes it even more useful in certain types of manufacturing. With a weight of 68 lb/cu ft (1,090 kg/cu m), it is even more dense than African ebony. It has a specific gravity of 1.09, and also does not float. Macassar ebony is found mostly in the Celebes Islands of Indonesia, with some minor growth in India. The heartwood is frequently streaked with lighter bands, and this type is favored by piano makers. Because they are so difficult to dry, the trees are usually girdled to kill them and then left standing for two years to dry out. After they are felled and cut into lumber, they must dry for another six months.
Diospyros mespiliformis, also known as the Jakkals-bessie (Jackal's berry), Transvaal ebony, or Rhodesian ebony, is a straight tree that grows 70 ft (21 m) tall with a trunk up to 4 ft (1.4 m) or more in diameter. It is more widespread and abundant than other ebonies, but the heartwood is more brown than black, limiting its appeal. Color aside, the density of Rhodesian ebony renders it desirable for furniture, knife handles, and flooring. The fruit is edible.
Diospyrus virginiana, the Persimmon (see elsewhere), or American ebony, is a native of the southeastern United States. It takes approximately 100 years to mature and grows to a height of 65 ft (20 m). Due to its hardness, the wood is used for handles, furniture, and golf club heads. Since there are no vast groves of persimmon, it is not of great economic importance. Persimmon weighs 53–55 lb/cu ft (826–904 kg/cu m).
Elm Ulmus americana
An underrated wood. Sounds like maple, but warmer in the highs. This is an amazing tone wood and looks incredible. Elm wood is tight grained and generally comes in an ash-gray or brown color. The beauty of this wood is its discernible oblong ridges within the wood pattern itself. Hard and tough, elm still bends when steamed and when dry, holds its shape. As the wood is resistant to decay, it is prized in woodworking, furniture and flooring. Nearly impossible to split due to interlocking grain. In terms of musical instruments, Elm isn't as commonly used as other woods but it still produces a sturdy instrument. Can be a little unstable. It's quite dense.
*Engelmann Spruce Western North America (Picea Englemannii, also Picea abies/excelsa (European) H=3.5, M=3, B=4, S=3.7, O=3.2, T=2
1) Engelmann is also known as white, European or German spruce, although they are technically different species. It is usually visually distinguishable from Sitka by its creamier complexion. We’re almost out of the “good stuff.” Engelmann trees these days are so small and twisted that there is a fair amount of runout (grain that doesn’t run parallel to the surface) and as a result, mismatched tops. Sonically, Engelmann has a mature tone, and yields a slightly richer midrange than Sitka, which makes a guitar sound a bit older. Old growth Engelmann tends to have a sonic attribute of smoothness or refinement to it, but the days of older growth Engelmann trees are essentially gone for now. Goes well with all styles of guitars and players, but especially favored by fingerpickers.
Englemann Spruce is a bit softer than Sitka, and while many sets can be quite stiff and produce wonderful tap tones, they are not as consistent as Sitka and you may spend a considerable amount of time working with suppliers to procure the best, stiffest sets. The color of Englemann tends to be a bit whiter and creamier than Sitka, and the silking patterns are very pronounced and quite striking in master-grade soundboards. With its high overtone content and strong fundamental tone, Englemann Spruce delivers a warm mellow tone that is well suited for light strumming and fingerpicking.
Engelmann is often more expensive than Sitka due to the lower yield from its smaller logs and because most logs have a spiral-grained structure that renders them unsuitable for proper quarter-sawing. Engelmann is considerably lighter in color than Sitka spruce, lighter in weight, and usually less stiff, resulting in a slightly lower velocity of sound. Engelmann also tends to exhibit a weaker fundamental tone, although it produces a noticeably broader and stronger overtone component. It is therefore a good choice for players who require a richer, more complex tone than can be obtained from most Sitka tops, particularly when the instrument is played softly. It exhibits a weaker fundamental and has stronger overtones and can sound complex when lightly played.The downside is that Engelmann tops can have lower "headroom" than Sitka tops, which is to say that clarity and definition are often sacrificed when the guitar is played loudly.
Englemann Spruce (USA) Is prized for being similar in color to European (German) White spruce. Extremely light in weight, it seems to produce a slightly louder and "open" sound than Sitka spruce. It is thought to have the greatest overtones of any top wood. Grows in the American Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Cascades. Considerably limited supply.
2) There are other spruces that differ from Sitka in that they are a little sweeter sounding. Along with Engelmann spruce from Western Canada, there is blue Engelmann spruce from Colorado. These have become popular with fingerstyle guitarists. When Engelmann spruce was first being discovered by luthiers, it was touted as an inexpensive replacement for German spruce and in fact, it has many of the same fine qualities- a robust sound rich in harmonics with good projection.
3) European or Silver Spruce, the spruce of choice for makers of classical guitars, shares a number of characteristics with Engelmann spruce, including color, lightness of weight, harmonic complexity, and fullness at the lower end of the dynamic range. Next to Englemann, European has been said to have the greatest overtone of any top wood. Because of its visual similarity and significantly higher cost, its name has been affixed more than once to a piece of Engelmann spruce by unscrupulous (or uninformed) wood dealers and luthiers. European spruce differs from Engelmann in its potentially quicker response and greater headroom. The availability of anything better than mediocre European spruce (which is easily exceeded in quality by the better grades of Engelmann - a commodity that is still readily obtainable) is sharply limited, unless the boards are selected at the source in Europe.
4) German Spruce: Very “ringy” and white in color. Extremely clear and bell like, has the versatility of Sitka. Exceptional sound for light to very firm techniques. "German Spruce is a common term for Spruce coming from Europe, but it is not really accurate. Guitar grade Spruce has not come out of Germany for many years now. The best material comes from the former Yugoslavia region. With German Spruce, you can expect the excellent, slightly golden-colored tonewood that, for years now, has been the staple of the bowed instrument world, and a favorite among high-end steel string and classical guitar builders. "German Spruce is of exactly the same species as Alpine or Italian Spruce, but is different in sound because of the high regions the Alpine Spruce grows in. Alpine Spruce is just a bit warmer in color and the winter grain, when visible, is a bit pinker. Tonally, it is said be more focused with a slightly stronger fundamental than regular German Spruce." (Fellowship of Acoustics)
5) Recently, several European alternatives to German spruce have emerged in the American market. The first is Italian spruce and its cousin, Alpine/Italian Spruce. Italian spruce is of the same species as German spruce (picea abies). Alpine/Italian spruce (also picea abies) is similar in tone, but varies in appearance in that it is a little more pink/tan in color (though still basically white). Finally, there is Ukrainian Spruce from the Caucasus and Carpathian mountains.
English Oak Quercus robur H=3.9, M=3.7, B= 4.1, S=3.6, O=1.8, T=4
Medium to light brown and may have N olive cast to the heartwood, straight-grained, coarse and uneven texture, with interlocking grain. It is noted for dense mids and clear and loud trebles. It's versatility will allow it to be used for many styles of music.
English Walnut Juglans regia H=3.9, =3.5, B=3.9, S=3.9, 3.5, T=3.5
Heartwood can be various shades of brown, sometimes with a red,purple or gray cast to it. Sapwood is white. Figure can be burled, crotched, or curly. It exhibits as moderate texture and luster. Grain is most commonly straight, but can also be irregular. Tone can be loud and punchy with a huge bass. Lots of overtones and rich highs and mids, a good tonewood.
Espave (White Mahogany)
Panamanian. I don't know much about this; maybe it is more widespread. Used for solid-bodied guitars, but can be used for acoustics as well. Easily worked, softer than either alder or mahogany. Appearance may vary considerably. Has a "memorable" smell (is that good - or bad?)
Estoraque (Myroxylon balsamun)
Estoraque is an interestingly-figured wood decorated with a medullary-ray figure similar to what we commonly see in red oak (Quercus rubra) but of more minute detail. Estoraque weighs 63 pounds per cubic foot and is a light red-brown color that finishes to a rich and beautiful mahogany brown. The elevated stiffness of Estoraque helps to enhance the mid- to treble-range of an instrument built from this wood. (from "Forgotten Woods")
63lb/ft3
Eucalyptus (Jarrah, Tasmlanian Oak, Mountain Ash, Red Gum)
As far as the eucs go there's about 400 or more species of all sizes & characteristics covering a range of landscapes as diverse as the continent itself. Tropical to temperate rainforests, vast tracts of woodlands, deserts, alpine areas etc. etc. Pretty much the dominant hardwood family down here. E. camaldulensis is the River Red Gum. (Saxonblue) It is a sustainable wood and not on any CITIES list; for instance, I have seen it in Arizona, California, New Zealand (as I recall), and it seems to be the dominant tree in the Eucuadorian Highlands, growing there very quickly, with a tall but narrow trunk. In some areas, it is considered invasive.I suspect there are large differences between varieties and between the areas in which it grows. It is the tallest flowering plant in the world and can be 300' tall.
Tree Size: 100-150 ft (30-46 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 54 lbs/ft3 (870 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .67, .87
Janka Hardness: 2,160 lbf (9,600 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 17,940 lbf/in2 (123.8 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,711,000 lbf/in2 (11.80 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,370 lbf/in2 (57.8 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 5.3%, Tangential: 8.8%, Volumetric: 14.1%, T/R Ratio: 1.7
Allergies/Toxicity: There have been no adverse health effects associated with River Red Gum.
"There are more than 250 types of eucalypt tree and for each type the characteristics of the wood are heavily influenced by the growing conditions. Plantation eucalypts in Australia (mainly E. globulus) are focused on fast growing trees for the pulp and paper industry and they grow with significant stresses built into the wood. They would be terrible for guitars.
On the other hand, redgum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) has been used for guitars. This is a tree that can grow slowly and to great size. It is much harder than E.globulus and used to be favoured for house stumps and railway sleepers. I tried to cut some years ago to use it for firewood, and it was like cutting concrete.
And the eucalyptus scent? It is an oil in the leaves, not the wood." (Colins)
Marketed as "Urban Ironbark" by Taylor, they have this to say: "Usually, denser woods are hard to dry and prone to distortion, which needs to be carefully controlled to yield a stable guitar part — like ebony," Powers said. "With red ironbark, we found that we could dry it consistently well the way we might dry East Indian rosewood. This ironbark has similar characteristics in that regard. It's very stable. On top of all of this, it has one of the smoothest and most uniform textures of any dense wood I've ever seen. The Urban Ironbark backs add more volume and projection to the guitar's sound.
The new urban tonewood has a physical density comparable to ebony while also delivering the sonic depth and richness of Indian rosewood, but pushed to another level, according to the company. The voicing recipe for the new guitars include a torrefied (roasted) Sitka spruce top paired with Taylor's V-Class bracing. The result can be described as a fresh variation on the classic spruce/rosewood sound with the help of Taylor's modern acoustic engineering, and with the guitar's enhanced volume and projection immediately evident, even with a lighter playing touch, according to the company.
"Urban Ironbark has a tone-shaping quality where it produces the deep, clear sound of rosewood but with just enough of the damping effect of ebony or mahogany that helps smooth out the sharp edges of the sound," Powers said. "With the ironbark's density, the guitar sound is what I would describe as muscular and strong. The sensation I get when I play it is like the guitar is naturally amplifying everything I do. It's giving me back more than I put into it — like the notes want to jump out of the guitar. These are guitars I'm really excited to get into people's hands."
Full, strong mids and trebles - balanced bass. (Kupuna50) Others have called it a bit bright. Generally straight-grained but can exhibit fiddleback figure. Weight and taptone are similar to mahogany.
Wade Hampton Miller tells this story: "Luthier Roy McAlister... had eucalyptus trees growing on his property ....He had a eucalyptus tree on his property blow down, so he experimented by building a guitar out of it.
Afterwards he had strongly negative opinions about eucalyptus as a tonewood, both in terms of its workability and in the unpleasant sound of the instrument itself. It was a real “never again” proposition for him."
But which Eucalyuptus was it?
European Spruce - look under Englemann Spruce
European Beech Fagus sylvatica H= 3.9, M=3.6, B=2.8, S=3.0, O=2, T=2
Like American beech, it is a nearly white wood but may have some pink or brown mixed in. Moderate texture and straight graIn, when quartersawn, it may show silvery flecks. Rings like a bell, great projection, a balanced sound, sweet and rich.
Flamewood Dalbergia cochinshinensis
A true rosewood from SE Asia (Laos). Similar in color to freshly cut Nicaraguan Cocobolo but will keep it's color. It is not oily like cocobolo. Glues well and bends readily. A truly exciting find. Tap tone is comparable to Honduran RW and rings like a bell. Some people have an allergic reaction to it.
Franquette Walnut – aka Carpathian/English Walnut.
The Franquette is a very old Walnut variety, originating in Persia. For centuries it was cultivated for nut production, but is now being replaced with more productive hybrids. Franquette Walnut is very dense and hard with spectacular high contrast marbling. It is highly prized for the finest gun stocks and furniture. The tonal qualities are excellent.
Freijo Cordia goeldiana (Jennywood)
From Brazil, it is olive-brown to golden brown in color, similar to Teak, occasionally with darker stripes. It has large, flaky, lustrous medullary rays on the quartersawn surfaces. Moderately hard and heavy, dimensionally stable, it works easily and takes a beautiful finish. (from Gilmer Hardwoods) I suspect it is rarely large enough for back and sides.
German Spruce - look under Englemann Spruce
Gidgee Acacia cambegei
This timber is chocolate colored with a fine, even grain. It occurs in flamed varieties, occasionally called Ringed Gidgee. The leaves and bark of this tree produce a characteristic odor, hence the name “stinking gidgee”. is a dark chocolate brown to black, occasionally with streaks of purple. Unusual to find it large enough for back and sides. Great fingerboards, however.
Goncalo Alves Astronium graveolens, or Tigerwood, S American Zebrawood
H=3.4, M=3, B=4.1, S=3.5, O=3.6, T=4
Goncalo Alves, a wood that comes mainly from Brazil, has been growing in popularity among builders who favor bold, contrasting figure on the back and sides, which will darken as it ages. Sometimes called ”Tigerwood”, the color is an attractive honey-tan with broad reddish brown stripes which often paint dramatic, symmetrical shapes across the bookmatched guitar back. Although it is lightweight, it is only slightly porous and finishes nicely. Some say the tone is similar to Mahogany.
Goncalo Alves Astronium fraxinifolium (Figure that out)
Goncalo Alves is another one of the dense wildly colored tropical hardwoods. Also known as Tigerwood because of the colors in this species with its orange and black streaks. It is a dense heavy wood with a specific Gravity of .95. Tree is Native To: Guyana, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Trinidad and Brazil. Goncalo Alves is a wonderful often overlooked tonewood. It has tone very similar to that of Mahogany except it offers clearer highs with warm mids and lows.
Goncalo Alves, also known as South American Zebrawood , originates on the East Coast of Brazil though this particular species can be found anywhere between Mexico and Brazil. Huge logs up to six feet in diameter are available, but these large logs usually lack the beautiful dark streaking that makes this wood so desirable. Dense and colorful, most sets are near quarter or better. It is unusual in this species to find well striped backs & sides. Bright tap tone and good sustain make this a great choice for backs & sides. One of the most notable features of Goncalo Alves is the rare striping that occurs in very few of the logs.
Well balanced sound throughout the strings, quick response, resonant with clear and crisp bass, lush trebles, superior mids. It is a very "unknown wood" and yet it offers some of the most valued characteristics of the more expensive tropical species. Clear crisp basses, great middle tones and rampant trebles. The finished instrument looks like a wild cat. You can find yourself staring at the grain for hours at a time. It honors its name because it really looks like a wild cat. The best cuts are found in Brazil although it grows in parts of Africa as well.
Granadillo Pittier Dalbergia granadillo
Dalbergia granadillo is also a form of cocobolo, a closely related cousin in fact. Sometimes called Black Cocobolo. Also known as 'Granadillo Negro". The wood has a beautiful red/purple wine color. This is a true Rosewood. Grace Guitars and Bruce Sexauer have used it, among others.
Granadillo Platymiscium sp., Granadillo, Mexican or Amazon Rosewood, Macacauba, Hormigo
This wood has a nice purple brown color reminiscent of Indian rosewood, except that it does not have the straight lines that Indian has. The heartwood may have blacks, violets, reds and oranges, frequently streaked. Grenadillo does have a subtle wavy figure & a bright responsive and ringing tap tone. It is a good Cocobolo or Rosewood replacement. Hard, dense, and heavy, would be good for fingerboards. In fact, Tom Rein uses it for that. Takes a high natural polish. Used in banjos and recorders as well.
Granadillo is a relatively new wood to American guitar making but is fairly common in South America. It is nonporous, straight grained, very dense, and has a ringing, bright tap tone. Brittle, it works easily but can dull tools a bit, has a medium to fine texture, and finishes and glues well. The reddish brown color will darken to a brick color over time, much like Honduran rosewood. It is sure to become popular for steel string guitars. Tim McKnight has built several. Gibson has offered a model in Grenadillo as well.
Similar to Cocobolo, another name for Grenadillo is Mexican Rosewood. Not a true Rosewood, it is commonly used by many in South America for instrument building under the name Macacauba. Dense, straight, and closed grain structure combine to produce bright tap tone with good sustain. Wood darkens to Rosewood colors. Some have sapwood centers. Best Grade is quarter sawn. Second grade sets are rift or flat sawn with pin knots - beautiful color & character at a good value.
Clear, ringing notes with long sustain.
There are several subspecies and they vary some. Savage Woods describes them this way:
"P. yucatanum: Granadillo that is indigenous to the Yucatan peninsula of southern Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala and is known for more saturated color tones and frequent figuring in the logs. Found to be slightly denser than the other Granadillo species.
P. pinnatum: Granadillo that is most common on today’s market due to its abundance and wide availability. Sometimes misrepresented as “Amazon Rosewood”, it is not a true rosewood but rather is a Platymiscium that is indigenous from the Amazon basin up thru to the lower portion of Central America. On average, this Granadillo carries more of a reddish tone throughout the logs. Also called Macacauba.
P. pleiostachyum: Granadillo that carries the reputation of being the best quality in the Platymiscium genus. Unfortunately, this reputation as also caused pleiostachyum to be severely exploited over the last few decades and consequently is now listed as endangered in the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species including being CITES Appendix 2 Restricted. ... If you’re looking for the absolute best in Granadillo material, then this is it. Originally indigenous to Costa Rica, it is now virtually extinct in this country due to illegal logging and exploitation. It can still be found in El Salvador and Nicaragua and legally sourced from these countries." Also called Hormigo, same species, different name.
Janka rating = 2450-2700 72lb/ft3
Guanacaste Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Also known as Parota, it has beautiful golden-brown, Hawaiian Koa or Monkeypod-like figure, consistent availability in large hard-to-find dimensions. Guanacaste has a unique appearance and texture, which is mostly due to its very large pores. It works easy and is chatoyant. This tree is found in Mexico and Central America and abundant in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica where it is their national tree. It is easily grown from seed (think: no CITES) and is one of the largest, shadiest and longest lasting trees, able to reach heights of up to 125' with a trunk measuring more than 4' in diameter. The wood from Guanacaste is reddish-brown, lightweight (density 0.34–0.6 g/cm³) and it's water-resistant, as if you'll need that.
Guatemalan Rosewood - dalberia tucanensis
Compared to other rosewoods, Guatemalan is lighter and less dense. It is one of the woods often compared to Brazilian. it glues and finishes well and will take a polish. It is very fine-textured and it's figure is less apt to be wild than many other rosewoods. Average workability. Reddish brown to darker brown, it has a cinnamon-like smell. It has a crisp tap tone.
Go to Woods: H - L
