CEDAR: Cedar is a soft wood that produces a bright tone. It has a quick response that favors a light playing
technique and is a common top wood for classical or flamenco guitars. It is also used for sides and backs.
Western red cedar is a popular top wood for its balanced warm sound. It is particularly favored by
fingerstyle players for its signature quick, rich response to a lighter playing style.
COCOBOLO: Cocobolo is a tropical Mexican hardwood used for sides and backs. It is fast, responsive and
produces a bright sound.
EBONY: Ebony is strong with a slick feel, which makes it an ideal fretboard material.
GRANADILLO: Granadillo is a scarce wood, which is considered a type of rosewood, but it is denser. It is
traditionally used for marimba bars, and when used for the sides and backs of acoustic guitars, it produces
a similar clear, ringing tone.
KOA: Koa is a Hawaiian wood with a distinct golden color that emphasizes mid-range tones. It is used for
all parts of an acoustic guitar body but is generally found on more expensive guitars due to its scarcity.
MAHOGANY: Mahogany is a dense wood, which gives it a slower response rate. When used as a top wood,
mahogany produces a strong sound that emphasizes high-end tones. It is often associated with country
or blues playing. It is more often used for sides and backs to add snap, boost mid-range tones and reduce
boominess in some styles. It is also frequently used in necks and bridges.
MAPLE: Maple is often used for sides and backs because its low response rate and internal damping does
not add coloration to the natural tone of the top wood. It produces a “dry” sound that emphasizes high-
end tones. Maple’s lower resonance makes it great for live settings, especially with a band because it can
still be heard through a mix of instruments with less feedback. Different species of maple, such as big leaf,
sugar and bearclaw, tend to be more acoustically transparent due to their lower response rate and high
degree of internal damping. This allows the tonal characteristic of the top to be heard without the addition
of significant tonal coloration.
OVANGKOL: Ovangkol is a sustainable African wood that is similar in tone to rosewood. It is usually used
for backs and sides because it emphasizes mid-tones and produces a well-rounded sound. Ovangkol's tone
offers the warmth of rosewood with the sparkling midrange of mahogany or koa.
ROSEWOOD: The diminishing supply of Brazilian rosewood has led to Indian rosewood replacing it in most
markets. While the two woods look different, the tonal quality is virtually the same. One of the most
popular and traditional woods used on acoustic guitars, rosewood is recognized for its rich, complex
overtones that remain distinct even during bass-heavy passages. Its cutting attack and ringing tones make
for highly articulate sound and plenty of projection. Rosewood is known for its high response rate and
broad range of overtones and is also characterized by strength and complexity in the bottom end and an
overall darkness of tone in the rest of the range. Strong midrange and high frequencies also contribute a
richness of tone to the upper registers. Rosewood is also a popular choice for fingerboards and bridges.
SAPELE: Sapele is another highly sustainable African wood that is used for sides and backs to add midrange
and additional resonance. Tonally it is like mahogany, but sapele offers a little more treble boost.
SPRUCE: Spruce is a standard material for tops, and Sitka is the most used species. Its high rigidity,
combined with the lightweight characteristics of most softwoods, makes spruce a natural for high velocity
of sound. Sitka spruce also has a powerful direct tone capable of retaining its clarity when played