Tone wood is really just a fancy word used to describe the wood that's used for building guitars. The word tone wood can be used to describe the back, sides, or top of the instrument but it's widely believed that the top wood of the guitar is the most important when it comes to overall tone. Wood that is used in guitar building should be carefully selected as it will have a major role in the acoustical properties of the finished instrument. Keep reading to learn what to look for in a high quality top tonewood for your next guitar building project.
Quartersawn Wood
There are a variety of ways that wood can be sawn. When you are purchasing wood for a guitar building project, you want to use only quartersawn wood. This is wood that has been sawn into quarters lengthwise. When you are looking at wood, try to purchase only wood that limits the grain to a maximum of 20 degrees off vertical. Quartersawn wood will provide more stiffness than other options.
Count Growth Rings
More growth rings means higher quality. The best guitar top woods will have at least 20 growth rings per inch. However, you can buy wood with as few as 12 per inch and still end up with a high quality sound.
Top Stiffness is Key
Stiffer guitar top wood will provide a higher quality sound. If you make sure that you count growth rings and choose quartersawn wood chances are that you will end up with tone wood that is stiff enough. You can also physically check the stiffness of wood by picking it up and carefully attempting to bend it parallel to the grain to see how stiff the wood is. Always purchase your guitar soundboards from a reputable dealer to ensure you are getting stiff wood.
Check The Tap Tone
What the heck is a tap tone? This is a simple test you can do when you are looking at tone wood for your guitar. Pick up one half of the top wood set. Hold it between your thumb and index finger and allow the wood to hang freely from your hand. Use the knuckle of your index finger from the other hand and rap the wood. You want to hear a bell like sound that is clear and has some sustain. You want a soundboard that will vibrate freely.
What About Species
The species of wood you choose for your guitar top is going to play a role in the sound of your finished instrument. Most guitar builders choose to use either a Red Cedar or Sitka Spruce for their acoustic guitar building projects. Both of these are quality tone woods. As you look at wood, keep in mind that different grades of wood will affect the appearance of your guitar more than the sound.
Quartersawn Wood
There are a variety of ways that wood can be sawn. When you are purchasing wood for a guitar building project, you want to use only quartersawn wood. This is wood that has been sawn into quarters lengthwise. When you are looking at wood, try to purchase only wood that limits the grain to a maximum of 20 degrees off vertical. Quartersawn wood will provide more stiffness than other options.
Count Growth Rings
More growth rings means higher quality. The best guitar top woods will have at least 20 growth rings per inch. However, you can buy wood with as few as 12 per inch and still end up with a high quality sound.
Top Stiffness is Key
Stiffer guitar top wood will provide a higher quality sound. If you make sure that you count growth rings and choose quartersawn wood chances are that you will end up with tone wood that is stiff enough. You can also physically check the stiffness of wood by picking it up and carefully attempting to bend it parallel to the grain to see how stiff the wood is. Always purchase your guitar soundboards from a reputable dealer to ensure you are getting stiff wood.
Check The Tap Tone
What the heck is a tap tone? This is a simple test you can do when you are looking at tone wood for your guitar. Pick up one half of the top wood set. Hold it between your thumb and index finger and allow the wood to hang freely from your hand. Use the knuckle of your index finger from the other hand and rap the wood. You want to hear a bell like sound that is clear and has some sustain. You want a soundboard that will vibrate freely.
What About Species
The species of wood you choose for your guitar top is going to play a role in the sound of your finished instrument. Most guitar builders choose to use either a Red Cedar or Sitka Spruce for their acoustic guitar building projects. Both of these are quality tone woods. As you look at wood, keep in mind that different grades of wood will affect the appearance of your guitar more than the sound.
About the Author:
Georgia Luthier Supply is your source for the best and most affordable guitar tone soundboards available anywhere. In addition to soundboards, GLSS also offers guitar plans and a wide variety of other guitar building products.. Also published at What Is Tonewood.
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