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Richard F. Sayage

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Savage Classical Guitar

Tone Wood Discussions

in no particular order

TOP Sound boards

Sitka Spruce can be quite stiff, where it's main use is in Acoustic Steel strings, testament to its toughness.  Thinned and tapped properly by a master luthier, one can achieve a brighter ringing across the spectrum, especially in the trebles.  This wood in its better grades, will evidence silk or medullar rays across its grain.  Bear-claw markings across the grain may also be evident.

See Lubos Naprstek Spruce Brazilian #0101012 for a quality of example of this wood

Quality wood in appropriate size is very difficult to come by in these times.  The wood gives us a very bold, forceful tone with exceptional clarity.  This is one of the reasons you will find this wood used in vintage instruments.  Finding quality boards of master grade is rare. 

See Lubos Naprstek's Maple Classical and Cocobolo Classical Guitar

This spruce wood can be very uniform and consistent for the builder.  A bit softer than typical German Spruce, this wood primarily comes from the Canada.  The wood can be a bit stiffer than your typical Sitka Spruce.  Finishing to a gorgeous gloss in the hands of a master builder, it produces some fantastic looking and sounding guitars. 

See Pete Barthell's #138 for an excellent example.

Numerous well built guitars that I've had using Western Red Cedar of good stock have produced an instrument with a very woody sound, very clear as you would find in a good Spruce top, yet warm as you would find in a regular Cedar top.  Richly brown and red, sometimes with gorgeous markings, this wood produces some beautiful ringing tones.  The wood must be older growth for appropriate stiffness needed in a quality instrument and should always be harvested responsibly.

One of my favorite all time guitars was made with this incredible wood - see Hippner #506

A wood that is well known to be stable regarding environmental conditions, she is a soft wood, with warm coloring, warm tap tones and a straighter grain.  Some of the finest guitars are being produced using this gorgeous ruddy wood.

Please see Pete Barthell's #149 and my Lubos Naprstek Western Red Cedar

Stiff and light this wood is less prone to splitting, which may be why it is used in some of the finest violins and cellos. A beautifully clear sound is evident in these tops, yet able to evidence a warmth that may be a bit surprising.  One of my personally favorite top woods, I wouldn't ignore a well made guitar using this wood.

Please see Hippner #570 for a gorgeous example.

Back and Side Tone Woods

By far the most popular sound wood available, it is known for its workability and consistency.  Given the numerous examples of this tone wood that I've seen over the decades, it is remarkable to note the various color ranges, where some have fooled me into thinking that I was looking at Brazilian Rosewood.  Ruddy looking to deep and dark brown, straight-grained, and extremely stable, it is a favorite amongst the many top-notch luthiers out there such as Kenny Hill, Friedrich, D'Andon, Ken Whisler, Lubos Naprstek, Pete Barthell as well as numerous Spanish builders, etc. 

Please see our selection of Kenny Hill Signatures and Master Series guitars for fine examples of this tone wood

Difficult to work with, difficult to get (legally), Brazilian Rosewood is the benchmark for all other Back woods.  Dense and wet, she never really stops leaking.  It's denseness lends itself to a strong and bold tone, with crystalline ringing in the trebles.

Luthiers must work with dried specimens, wiped with acetone, glued quickly,  filling with pumice and shellac, and doing it numerous times.  Even the best luthiers have trouble filling in the pores, where over time, the shellac still seeps in, leaving little check marks and or pocking marks.  Subject to cracking, especially in less than ideal and consistent humidity and temperature conditions, the luthier and the player both must consider their environment at all times.

Much like Cocobolo, even more so, this wood commands a premium of anywhere from $1000-$2500 from a master luthier, given its rarity, its scarcity and its difficulty to work with in the luthier's hands. 

Anyone selling it for less than a premium has no idea what they are doing.  Do not even think of approaching a luthier outside of North America who works in Brazilian.  I have seen too many examples of poor workmanship and poor preparation by the luthier when it comes to Brazilian RW or other exotic and oily woods.  Go cheap and you will get what you pay for, I guarantee it, i.e. Paraguay?  <shaking my head in disgust>...what?  I speak my mind...get over it...ha!

Please see our Robert Vincent -  Ken Whisler Brazilian and Pat Caruso Guitars for excellent examples.

A beautiful wood in appearance as well as in workability.  The wood ages to a superb and rich, ruddy brown complexion, sometimes with black streaking, lending a very handsome affect to superb guitars using this wood.  Equal in temperament to Brazilian Rosewood, she evidences beauty and tonal quality throughout the spectrum, being heavier and wetter than most rosewoods.  Its denseness is what lends guitars built with it to bring forth a very strong and bold tone.  A bear to work with for the luthier, the woods must be cured (exactly like Brazilian RW) and glued properly. 

This wood commands a premium by the luthier and rightly so.  It can be difficult to work with, its dust is considered dangerous, but when done right, it is a superior back wood used in the finest guitars. 

Please see our Lubos Naprstek Cocobolo Guitars for excellent examples, one of which will be showcased in the upcoming 2010 GFA Guitar Competition.

A stable and handsome wood, it is a pleasure to work with as she bends and glues with a bit more facility than others.  Guitars usually evidence a very even tone across the spectrum built with this wood.  The evident alternating striping of this wood is very appealing.  She can also be quite expensive in the best examples.

See our Barthell #138 for a striking example of this fantastic tone wood.

Koa

Hawaii's version of Rosewood, she can be tough to work with but the results are most rewarding.  Much like a porous Rosewood, she requires care by the luthier with respect to filling and preparation.  The high tones achieved by Koa coupled with an excellent top might leave you wondering why luthier's have not chosen to work it until recently. 

She can be Curly in her appearance, with golden coloring and dark streaks,, she is a handsome wood as well as tonally consistent.

Please see our Naprstek 0409015 for an excellent example