If you are planning to have an archtop luthier make a custom archtop guitar, one of the most important choices you'll make is the kind of wood for the back and sides of your archtop guitar. This is typically referred to as tonewood and different wood types are going to product different sounds when your archtop guitar is finished. There are plenty of quality tonewoods available for your use, but if you're searching for a specific sound, you want to be sure to choose the correct wood type or you'll end up disappointed with your guitar, and you don't want that, especially after all the work that goes into making it.
In this article, you'll find information about some of the most popular tonewoods used when building a custom archtop guitar and the sounds that they will give you.
Brazilian Rosewood: An extremely popular wood choice in the construction of classical guitars, this wood is difficult to get and is often expensive because it's considered an endangered species. It's a beautiful wood though and produces a sound that is deep and warm.
Mahogany: From South America, this wood is yellowish-brown or reddish-brown in color and is an extremely sturdy wood. It's considered to be a very beautiful wood and is a popular choice as well. Tonally, it will give you a strong loud sound and a very warm mid-range.
Rosewood: Here's another extremely popular choice for a tonewood when building an archtop guitar. It features a beautiful appearance and has dark purple, red, and brown grain. The sound that this wood produces is beautiful, with a deep, warm bass response.
Curly Maple: This is an extremely hard wood and has a bright sound.
Koa: Found only in Hawaii, this wood can be expensive and is extremely popular in the construction of the ukulele. It's a beautiful wood with a golden brown color and it features dark streaks and a gorgeous natural sheen. The sound that it produces is extremely balanced because its bass response is less than what you will find with rosewood and its treble is less than that of mahogany.
There you have the major tonewoods that are used for the backs and sides of archtop guitars. Take your time choosing the wood that's right for you and you'll end up with an instrument that plays exactly how you want it. In fact, it's best if you take the time to play some instruments that have been made with each of the tonewoods mentioned here in order to see what you like best, especially if you are not familiar with them.
To get in touch with archtop guitar luthier, visit Fine Archtops at www.FineArchtops.com.
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