Tonewood Selection for a Quality Sounding Guitar

Wood with acoustic properties, and is used for instrument building, is oftentimes referred to as tonewood. The designation certainly can apply to the top, back and sides in the same way, but it is more often used to determine the character of the guitar top plate. This is principally due to the fact that virtually of the tone and volume a guitar possesses, is a result of the species and caliber of the top wood.

The Back and Sides of the Guitar Play a Supporting Acoustic Role
The main aim of the back and sides of the acoustic instrument is the support and amplification of the tone and volume that the guitar top exhibits. I really don't want to minimize the importance of the back and side wood selection either, but this hypothesis was evidenced by the celebrated paper mache guitar that was constructed by Antonio De Torres, when he was experimenting with the significance of top wood and top bracing. It was evidenced that this guitar possessed an unbelievable amount of tone and volume and proved his theory of the relevance that top tonewood and bracing lend to the guitar.

The tonewood used for the top plate is thus one of the principal choices for the luthier to shape the tone quality of a fine acoustic instrument. The tone is improved by the form of the instrument, the volume of air within the body of the instrument, the amount of vibrations that are inherent within the wood, the moisture content of the wood, the type and placement of the bracing and the mass of the tonewood.


Tone is Governed Primarily By The Top Plate
The type and color of tone and volume of the guitar top tonewood is governed mainly by the wood species used and the quality of that wood. Also, as we discussed, the tonewood is greatly affected by the wood moisture content. The dryer the wood, the more tone it is capable of producing, as moisture produces a dampening consequence within the wood. Look for tonewood with a moisture content of approximately 6% for acoustic instruments. By using suitable drying strategies in heated and humidity controlled storage facilities, the tonewood should attain the ideal moisture content. Tonewood is also kiln dried to attain the desired moisture content. Oftentimes wood that is purchased from lumber suppliers does not meet the moisture content objective we have for our musical instruments. It is a good idea to properly stack this wood in your climate controlled shop, and let it acclimate for several months to a few years.

To attain ideal moisture content in your tonewood, properly stack the wood in the climate controlled atmosphere of your shop. This even applies to wood that has been properly kiln dried. For this reason, you will often see tonewood advertised as 'aged' wood for a minimum of 2 years. If you intend to make quite a few guitars, you would be well advised to buy quality tonewood that is acceptably dried, and buy as much of it as you can afford. Then store it in your shop, so you have a great supply of aged tonewood to draw from for many years. I bought quality tonewood 30 years ago and I'm still drawing from that quality 'aged' stock.

Article Source: Tonewood for Guitar Building

Article of Additional Interest: Guitar Building Plans