1. TONEWOOD MEANING
2. DOES WOOD MATTER?
3. TIMBERS USED IN GUITAR MANUFACTURING​

• BODY WOODS
• ​BODY TOPS
• NECK WOODS
• FRETBOARD WOODS

GUITAR TONEWOODS MEANING

One of the most commonly overused terms on guitar forums is “tonewood.” Tonewood refers to wood used in musical instruments that supposedly contributes to giving the instrument a “good tone” — although every listener has a different idea of what a good tone is. Certain types of wood are considered tone woods, while others are not.

However, when referring to good tone, the species of wood is less important than its individual qualities, because each piece of wood is unique — even two pieces from the same species will vary from one another. I prefer to focus on the wood itself, its beauty, and its ability to resonate.
Those qualities of wood are the length of time it resonates when hit, the amount of moisture remaining after drying, whether its resins are crystallized rather than gooey, its necessary strength (for example, a fretboard needs to resist sweat, while the back wood doesn’t), its ability to resist warping over time, and its aesthetic appeal. A magical guitar can be made from many types of wood, but those woods must possess certain qualities and be handled properly throughout the manufacturing process. So, to me, wood does matter.
​“Tonewood,” therefore, isn’t about making a better-sounding guitar, but it’s about crafting guitars that sound distinct due to the specific woods chosen in the build.

DOES WOOD MATTER?

The influence of the wood on the tone of an electric guitar is often underappreciated. Obviously, pickups, strings, signal chain, and amplifier all play a significant role in the overall tone of an electric guitar.
​Nevertheless, the importance of the wood in the final outcome cannot be denied.

Although tonal differences in electric guitars begin with their acoustic sound, they continue to influence the tone when the guitar is amplified. Pickups act like microphones, enhancing the guitar’s natural acoustic qualities. Beyond that, pickups have their own distinct frequency range, harmonic richness, attack and sustain properties, and volume output.
While it’s true that pickups detect the vibration of the strings, that vibration is affected by nearly every other component of the guitar. Each part resonates, enhancing certain frequencies and dampening others. 

Additionally, the pickups capture some of the guitar’s acoustic resonance from the body, blending it into the overall sound.
​The body of the guitar significantly affects the overall tone, with its influence being most pronounced in the character of sustain. The attack is primarily influenced by the wood of the fretboard (fretboard differences are as dramatic as those between a hardtail and a tremolo), while the neck plays a crucial role in determining the length of the sustain — though it also contributes to the attack.
Body tops tend to influence the attack of the notes, while the resonance and decay reflect the properties of the bottom wood. The thickness and carving of the top determine the extent of its impact on the tone. Since the glued layers create a more rigid structure than a single piece of wood, this generally results in improved sustain.
The neck-through construction method offers exceptional sustain and has a significant impact on the guitar’s tone, as it occupies a crucial area of the body: the center. In this design, the side woods contribute much less to the overall tone compared to bolt-on or set-neck guitars.
If the type of wood isn’t significant, then it stands to reason that the materials used for the bridge and the nut also wouldn’t matter. However, if we have two identical guitars with different woods, they will sound distinct from one another. Moreover, if we swap all the components (like the tuning pegs, nut, electronics, and bridge) from one guitar to the other, they would still retain their unique sound.
Saying that wood doesn’t matter simply because the internet claims “it doesn’t matter” or “tone is in your hands” feels like saying that worn strings, low-quality bridges, thick finishes, and poor pickups have no influence.
Guys, the tone is NOT in your hands. At least not all. What is in your hands is technique, skill, and your unique playing style. The dynamic range of your playing affects how your guitar sounds — and this is where the idea that 'tone is in the hands' comes from — but tone almost completely comes from your guitar and amplifier. Nevertheless, everyone can notice the difference when pickups, bridge blocks, or strings are changed. Even switching from a very long cable to a shorter one can make a difference! We’ve all experienced that.​

Where does the tone come from? You might be surprised to hear what pickup guru Seymour Duncan thinks. The answer is not so obvious.

Sure, Mark Knopfler and Stevie Ray Vaughan sound great with anything and can bring out the best even from a cheap guitar — that’s obvious. But what can they achieve with high-end guitars? The problem is that not everyone has a trained ear to hear the nuances of tone. Moreover, too much distortion and compression can flatten the sound, making an entry-level guitar sound like a Custom Shop or a true vintage guitar, as you won’t be able to hear the guitar’s real tone anymore.​
​It should also be unnecessary to point out that all the YouTube videos comparing guitars from completely different price ranges are crap and misleading, as what you hear in those videos is influenced by many factors, such as the microphone, recording equipment, editing, and so on.

TIMBERS USED IN GUITAR MANUFACTURING

The most commonly used timbers in the electric guitar industry include mahogany, rosewood, maple, ebony, ash, and alder. However, as some of these traditional woods become scarcer or pricier, manufacturers have started to explore alternative wood species. ​

While many of these newer options were selected for their similarities in sound and performance to the classic choices, there are often enough differences that can make it challenging to predict how an instrument made from these woods will sound.

It’s important to bear in mind that every listener has a different idea of what sounds good. Therefore, any descriptions of tone woods must remain general. And the best wood for guitars does not exist.

GUITAR BODY WOOD

Basswood

Basswood is a soft wood with tight grains. It's lightweight, but not due to large pores. Rather, it has a low overall density.
It is a popular choice for guitar bodies because it is cost-effective and efficient for manufacturers. It is easy to work with in terms of shaping, sanding, and finishing.
The softness of basswood dampens and smooths out sharp highs, which helps counteract the tinny sound often associated with knife-edge tremolo systems. Basswood also doesn't resonate deep, breathy sub-lows, and the reduction in the outer frequency range results in pronounced mids.
This makes it highly suitable for the typical guitar frequency range and particularly for lead guitar, due to its distinct “out front” sound. Complex overtones are dampened, resulting in a strong and clear fundamental tone.
However, basswood is a rather inconsistent wood. Some basswood bodies appear tan-colored and more uniform, while others have a more flawed, yellowish hue. These differences result in significant tonal variation. Clearer, darker basswood tends to produce a richer sound, whereas the yellowish, lower-grade variety exhibits more of the undesirable tonal qualities of poplar.

Alder

Alder is lightweight and features soft, tight pores similar to basswood, but it has a distinctive swirling grain pattern with harder rings and sections. It has a basswood-like texture enhanced by these harder rings. This contributes to increased stiffness and tonal complexity. Alder retains more of the high frequencies that basswood tends to soften while also allowing for some low-end presence. As a result, it offers a broader tonal spectrum, which can create the impression of slightly less midrange compared to basswood.

Ash

Ash is an inconsistent timber.  It can sport some striking grain patterns and may appear very light or it can be pretty plain and heavy.  ​

Its grain and its weight depend both on where the tree grows and which portion of the tree is used to cut the body.  Generally speaking, the more water is absorbed by the tree, the lighter the eventual wood spread.  When saturated with water the grain gets wider but, as the water recedes under warmer weather, the wood dries out and becomes much lighter.  Usually, the bottom portion of the tree absorbs more water, particularly during winter, than the top portion.
​So, the term “swamp ash” does not refer to any particular species of ash as often reported, but is generally used by luthiers to describe lightweight wood yielded from ash trees which are usually found in wet or swampy areas.

Swamp ash features large, open pores with a mix of hard and soft layers within each tree ring. This wood is highly resonant across the entire frequency spectrum, delivering clear, bell-like highs, pronounced mids, and strong lows. There is some random attenuation of mid frequencies, which can result in variations in sound from one guitar to another, more so than with alder or basswood.
On the other hand, a heavier piece from higher up in the tree will sound dull and lifeless. This is due to the wood being harder and more uniformly dense. The sweet resonance of the soft, open pores is lost, leaving behind a compressed sound characteristic of rigid, unresponsive wood, lacking the brightness and sustain of harder woods or the openness of softer ones.​

Mahogany

Open-grained with large pores, mahogany features a more consistent grain pattern and density compared to swamp ash. Its density remains uniform within each ring and from one ring to the next, compressing the mids slightly and resulting in a thicker sound, as it still delivers solid lows and low mids. With the mids not standing out as much or responding dynamically, it gives the impression of a “wall of sound.” While it resonates those guitar frequencies well, it's not as responsive as alder or ash. Additionally, it attenuates more upper midrange frequencies, resulting in a more nasal tone. Overall, it strikes a good balance between fundamental tones and overtones, making it ideal for higher register soloing, with high notes that are richer and thicker than those of alder or ash.
There are many types of mahogany, but they generally produce a consistent sound across different pieces. 

A higher-quality piece of mahogany often features an iridescent appearance, usually paired with wide stripes that create the impression of being assembled from multiple small strips.

Walnut

Walnut has a dark brown color with ash-like grain patterns, yet similar to mahogany in its consistent density. It not only delivers a distinct sound but also offers striking aesthetics. It is harder and denser than mahogany, resulting in a brighter tone, but the open grain structure creates a rich midrange that feels compressed in certain frequencies, yet dynamic in others. Its density contributes to producing a clear, focused sound with excellent sustain.
​Rhythms have a slightly nasal character, while individual notes stand out with clarity.

It combines many of the best features of other classic guitar woods. It offers a sharp attack and strong lows similar to ash while delivering smooth highs like mahogany and textured mids reminiscent of alder.
Although it is sometimes compared to maple, walnut has its own unique character, as it tends to cover the full spectrum from low to high frequencies when used correctly.
The downside is that it’s a heavy wood with a stubborn character. Indeed, it doesn’t respond easily to random pickup changes, which must be specifically matched to the guitar. A walnut body will influence the tonal signature of the guitar more than the other primary woods.
A heavy piece will muffle the mids, resulting in an overly nasal and dull sound, so it should be lightweight and sufficiently open-grained to allow the primary guitar frequencies to resonate.

Koa

Koa is a rare and expensive tropical hardwood. Like rosewood, koa is an oilier wood, which dampens some of the highs in the attack, though its density compensates for this to some extent. Due to its density, koa tends to start out sounding a bit bright and tight, somewhat similar to maple. Like walnut, koa is denser than mahogany, but it lacks the bright tone of walnut. The highs are present but compressed — they don’t stand out sharply, like breaking glass. Additionally, the highs reside in the upper midrange than in the higher frequencies.
​

Korina

Korina, also known as white limba, is a warm and resonant wood, offering excellent clarity and sustain. Often referred to as a “super-mahogany” or “mahogany deluxe,” Korina shares similar grain patterns and sound characteristics but it’s known for a sweeter midrange and greater responsiveness than mahogany. While the grain may appear similar, the wood itself is slightly less dense. Therefore, if it weighs more than a comparable piece of mahogany, it’s likely due to higher moisture content rather than greater density.
It is more expensive and rarer than mahogany.

Maple

Maple is traditionally recognized for its focused tone and fast note decay. Luthiers typically distinguish between hard maple and soft maple. The term “soft maple” does not refer to a single species; rather, it encompasses several different species and is primarily used to differentiate them from hard maple. In contrast, “hard maple” generally refers to the specific species Acer saccharum.
Soft maple is commonly used in Korea. It features a bright upper midrange and dull-sounding lows. The sharp, snappy highs are also lacking because the tightly packed pores compress the higher frequencies. However, with the right pickups, it can provide some appealing characteristics, especially if you're seeking a brassy, piercing upper midrange tone for the bridge or a dry, focused rhythm sound. It is also tougher on router bits than basswood.
Hard maple, on the other hand, is quite heavy and can be hard on tools, so it is not frequently used in factories. It produces a loud sound with a strong upper midrange, bright highs, and tight but subdued lows. A pickup designed to enhance low frequencies can bring them out in a hard maple body, but the lows will remain tight.
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Spruce

Although it feels very soft to the touch, it is remarkably stiff for its overall density. Similar to alder, it has a “skeleton” with soft sections in between. In a solid body, it generates a rich, resonant midrange while maintaining a bright high-frequency attack and good low-end. Due to its lower overall density, the sound won’t be perceived as having less midrange compared to basswood. The midrange will remain just as strong and dynamic, complemented by clear highs and lows. It is likely one of the most balanced body materials available in terms of frequency response.
However, spruce is rarely used for solid-body electric guitars due to its softness, which requires a thick finish.
​

Lacewood

Its natural color is reddish-brown with gray or light brown rays, which create a lace-like pattern when the wood is quartersawn. The texture is relatively coarse and uneven, primarily due to the differences in density between the regular wood tissue and the rays.
These contrasting densities enhance certain tones while filtering others, providing a brighter tone than alder and a richer sound than solid maple.
Lacewood is also well-suited for producing extended low frequencies, as its dual density offers a solid structure that helps maintain tight, focused lows. Despite enhancing the lower frequencies, it doesn’t negatively affect the higher frequencies as much. The softer parts of the wood add warmth to the overall sound, allowing the higher frequencies to retain their clarity and richness. Essentially, the wood strikes a good balance between low and high tones.
However, lacewood can be challenging to finish due to its uneven absorption across different density sections. Oil-based finishes and thick polyurethane coatings work better than nitrocellulose or acrylic lacquers, which tend to absorb inconsistently. Over time, these lacquers may sink into the grain, causing the wood’s texture to show through the finish.
​

Pine

Pine is soft, conducts sound fairly well, is rigid, can have fine, tight grain lines, and is cheap. It’s very lightweight and resonant. It offers a warm tone with more midrange and smoother highs.
As a softwood, it’s easy to work with both hand tools and machines. It glues and finishes exceptionally well. However, it is susceptible to tear-out, can split easily, and is prone to warping if not fully dried.​

Nyatoh

Nyatoh is sometimes called “eastern mahogany,” although it is not true mahogany, or “nato,” even though it is not true nato wood.
It can exhibit a range of colors from light pink to reddish or purplish-brown. It’s a diffuse-porous wood with a fine texture. Its grain typically appears straight, although shallow interlocking patterns are frequently observed.
Nyatoh has a density and hardness similar to mahogany and is used as a more affordable alternative in electric guitars, although it has a relatively bland tone compared to real mahogany.
It is also heavier than the other common body woods.
Nyatoh’s workability varies between species, but it is generally fairly easy to work with.

Body Tops

Maple top on Basswood

The clear attack and balanced high frequencies of maple compensate for the natural attenuation of those frequencies in basswood. While the lows may still diminish, the overall outcome covers a broader range of frequencies than either wood would achieve on its own. Dynamics aren’t reduced, except in the upper register, where they were less pronounced in basswood alone. Consequently, the enhancement in high response is somewhat more compressed and lacks the crispness and responsiveness found in swamp ash, for instance.

Maple top on Mahogany

The essence of vintage construction. Maple adds a crispness to mahogany while still retaining the lows and low-mids of mahogany.
​Although maple lacks in the upper midrange, it interacts differently with those frequencies compared to mahogany, resulting in a combing effect that diminishes some of the upper midrange frequencies. This phenomenon is part of the “smoothness” often associated with Les Paul and PRS guitars.

Maple top on Alder

It brings alder’s tone closer to that of solid swamp ash, though it lacks some of the dynamics. The open resonance of the alder is complemented by the sharper attack and brightness contributed by the maple in the higher frequencies. The impact on the alder is similar to that on basswood. The upper mids of the maple are prominent since alder does not suppress those frequencies.
​

Maple top on Swamp Ash

The two woods work harmoniously together, adding a bit more of a rock and country-style compressed “scream” to the sound, albeit at the expense of the complex lows and low mids associated with ash, as well as the open, airy dynamics typically found in solid ash.
​

Spalted Maple

Spalted maple is used for many tops because of its attractive appearance, but it is not a different kind of maple.
Spalting refers to a fungal discoloration of wood and can occur in various wood species and genera. It typically appears in wood that has entered the early stages of decay and has been dried afterward to halt further deterioration. This partial decay, known as spalting, can create dark contrasting lines and streaks on the wood's surface, indicating where the fungus has started to invade.
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Rosewood tops

Rosewood tops contribute to sustain due to their density, as well as the effect of lamination. The natural oiliness of rosewood reduces the sharpness of the attack and softens the higher treble frequencies. Therefore, pairing rosewood with mahogany results in a smooth tone, while combining it with ash preserves some of the open midrange resonance. When used over alder or basswood, rosewood mainly enhances sustain, with minimal tonal changes except for slight high-mid filtering caused by the lamination. The dampening of high frequencies by the rosewood becomes less noticeable in this case.
​

Koa Tops

Figured or plain koa tops produce a tone similar to maple tops, but they don’t clash with mahogany backs as much in the upper midrange. While maple emphasizes more upper mid frequencies, a koa top on mahogany would result in less frequency filtering and compression in that range, offering a smoother tonal blend.
​

Walnut tops

Similar to koa, these tops would produce slightly fewer high frequencies than maple but would exhibit less compression and frequency filtering when combined with mahogany backs.
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Lacewood tops

Due to the mix of hard and soft sections, a lacewood top tends to adopt the tonal characteristics of the back wood. Only in thicker cuts does it begin to impart its tonal qualities. It's like drilling ½” holes in koa and filling them with alder plugs. The harder structure provides lacewood with good sustain and clarity in the top end, while the smaller, softer sections contribute to a heavily filtered midrange and low end. 

Neck Woods

Maple

Maple is the most commonly used wood for electric guitar necks because of its consistent grain, strength, and stability. It is less affected by environmental changes than other hardwoods. Maple efficiently transfers string vibrations to the guitar’s body, rather than dampening the sound. Generally, bolt-on maple necks have less influence on the guitar’s tone, allowing the body wood to play a more prominent role in shaping the overall sound.
​

Mahogany

The uniform density of mahogany creates stable necks, while its open pores make the neck slightly more responsive than maple. Mahogany absorbs more string vibrations than maple, resulting in a slightly compressed attack and high frequencies.
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Rosewood

Rosewood is a dense, oily wood that delivers excellent sustain while softening the high frequencies. Typically, increased sustain leads to a brighter top end, but this isn’t the case with rosewood. It dampens high-frequency overtones, emphasizing a strong fundamental tone while preserving the richness of mid and low-mid overtones.
​

Koa

Its tone falls between that of mahogany and maple, with a slightly sweeter high end.
​

Wenge

Wenge is stiff, strong, and stable, much like rosewood in its ability to reduce high overtones. However, it emphasizes fundamental mids and low mids even more, thanks to its unique multi-density “stripes,” which filter out additional mid and low-mid overtones.

FRETBOARD WOODS

Maple

Well-known for its biting response and sharp attack, maple is very bright and dense, making it highly reflective. When used for a fretboard, it enhances a significant amount of higher overtones, while its tight, almost muted bass response highlights harmonics and variations in the pick attack, allowing for a more expressive playing style.
Various types of maple are utilized, including flatsawn, quartersawn, flame, curly, and bird’s eye. Furthermore, roasted maple performs exceptionally well, resulting in visually appealing and stable fingerboards.

Rosewood

Along with maple, rosewood is one of the most common fingerboard woods. Rosewood is naturally oily and is ideal for surfaces that experience frequent human contact. It also alters the feel of the neck. A player’s preference for a maple or rosewood fingerboard may depend as much on the tactile sensation and aesthetics as it does on the tonal qualities.
Its sound has a richer fundamental tone compared to maple, as the excess overtones are absorbed by the oily pores.
When combined with a mahogany neck, known for its warm, mellow tone, a rosewood fingerboard adds complex highs, thick and creamy lows, and a pleasing midrange. In contrast, when paired with maple necks, rosewood fretboards soften the bright tonal qualities of maple, making the sound warmer and sweeter. The maple contributes sparkle in the highs, while the rosewood smooths the tone and enriches the lows.
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Ebony

Ebony offers a snappy, crisp, fast attack with a density similar to maple, yet it features more brittle grains and oilier pores, resulting in a stronger fundamental tone. It produces a significant amount of percussive overtones during the pick attack, which quickly mute to enhance long sustain.
It provides a strong, controlled bass response alongside sharp, sizzling highs. The mahogany back adds warmth and openness to the overall sound, making this a highly appealing combination. Additionally, ebony doesn’t wear down from years of contact with fingers and strings.
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Pao Ferro

Although it is often regarded by many as a second-choice wood, pao ferro is actually an excellent material, both for its tonal qualities and for its appearance.
Its color can vary significantly, ranging from reddish-orange to hazel color and dark brown with black streaks. It generally features a straight grain and a fine texture.
In simple terms, pao ferro is a wood that lies between rosewood and ebony, and its tone reflects this balance. It has a snappier attack than rosewood, offers good sustain, and has a warmer sound compared to ebony. Many people view pao ferro as embodying the best qualities of both woods.
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Indian Laurel

Laurel is increasingly being used as a substitute for rosewood on many Fender guitars.
It is a moderately hard wood with a generally straight grain, resulting in a smooth, balanced response and a refined playing experience.