Wood is Good: What Woods are used For Making Guitar Bodies?

The finished product is usually a very shiny, clean and perfectly shaped machine, whether it plugs in or not.

The truth of the matter is, however, the body of your electric or acoustic guitar was constructed from wood and not all woods are alike. The density and quality of the wood affects the reliability and durability of the guitar. Let’s take a closer look.

Pine
Pine is an inexpensive wood that has a reputation for drying out easily unless it is treated properly. It is used in many cheap guitars that are decent for beginners but not widely used in making pricey guitars for experienced musicians. A guitar made of pine usually has a sharp, stark sound.

Ash
Ash is a hard, sturdy wood which is known for it’s bright, cutting, lasting tone when used in guitars. It is a commonly used wood for electric guitars and has an excellent reputation. The Telecaster is made of Ash wood.

Alder
Alder is a lightweight wood with small, tight pores, making it dense. Alder also, however has a pattern in its grain where the wood is sometimes hard and brittle inside. Be cautious of brand when choosing a guitar made of Alder.

Walnut
Walnut is a dark wood with a very consistent density and rich sound, which makes it an awesome choice for a guitar. It’s also a very attractive wood for a guitar body when it’s properly treated and coated. Some of the Walnut wood used in guitars even have an Ash-like quality to their sound and feel. Avoid heavy walnut guitars, however. The weight does not improve tone or quality and the weight can be cumbersome when playing while standing.

Maple
There are two types of Maple: soft and hard. Soft Maple is most often used by Korean manufacturers and is often a bit heavy. With a decent pickup, however, a Soft Maple guitar can certainly be useful for a beginner or for those on a budget, though its sound is often stark and short.
Hard Maple has a much better reputation than soft, it resonates better and makes for a great slim bodied guitar. The wood itself, however is very hard on production equipment and can be more costly. It is not overly-used in guitar bodies for this reason though its durability has attributed to the popular use of Hard Maple in guitar necks.

Swamp Ash
Swamp Ash wood is not a consistently high quality wood. Often times there are areas of the Swamp Ash tree that are hard and dense, and others that are brittle and porous. For the best quality when buying a guitar made of Swamp Ash, choosing a high end brand name is best. The Gibson Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio Electric Guitar, for example is a quality guitar made from Swamp Ash.

Spruce
Spruce wood has a solid, hard surface and a soft core. Many believe that a high quality Spruce will greatly sharpen your resonant sound and improve frequency attack. Spruce is rarely used in guitar production, however, because it requires such a heavy finish to protect the soft wood inside. When purchasing a guitar made from Spruce, be sure that the finish on the guitar is solid, thick and incredibly shiny. Choosing a brand with a reliable reputation in warranties is another great idea.

Bass Wood
Basswood is a soft but dense wood. It is an inexpensive wood and well known for being easy to cut, shape, sand and seal. Basswood is also light despite how dense it is and can make for a very attractive guitar. Ibanez uses a lot of Basswood in their guitars because of its crisp, lasting sound and durability.

Koa
Koa is a very oily, Hawaiian wood and it’s more dense than Mahogany but it is very expensive. It is also rare that Koa is used on a guitar, but when it is, the sound that is produced is rich and bright. There once was a Special Edition Telecaster released in a Koa wood. It is more often used in tops production than body production.

Mahogany
Mahogany wood has an open faced grain and is usually very porous. It’s also very dense, which makes it sturdy and popular for many guitars. The Gibson Les Paul line and many PRS guitars are made of rich Mahogany which always makes for a very dark, beautiful looking guitar with deep, rich sounds that almost seem to curve.

Korina
Korina wood is very similar to Mahogany and though it is slightly less dense, it is a bit heavier than Mahogany because of it’s moisture content on the inside of the wood. Korina wood is high quality and very durable but it is rare and pricier than Mahogany. It’s a beautiful wood but its weight is not suggested for gentle players.

Lacewood
Lacewood is a very pretty wood. It has a rum color to it and is a grey color on the inside, like Alder. Lacewood, however is difficult to finish because the inconsistency in its moisture content causes the wood to soak in finishes unevenly. Over time, a guitar made of Lacewood will show its grains through the color and finish it is dipped in. However rare, if you can locate a guitar made of Lacewood, you are guaranteed an old, worn in sound as if you have owned the guitar for decades though it may be new.

Though every wood has its own sound and detail, in reality the differences in those sounds only come through when you are using a hollow body guitar like an acoustic or hollow body electric. Even then, some will argue that the sound is much less affected than the durability and quality of the guitar, but what is quality if it isn’t tone and sound detail?

In the end, the body of an excellent guitar is made from, in my opinion, Maple or Ash. Maple and Ash both have excellent densities, sound and are durable. Both woods are also at the mid-range price which lends to the best quality for your money. In fact, I will shortly be making my own custom solid body from Spalted Ash, which is Ash Wood that has been injected with mold and bacteria before it’s cut down. This give the wood an almost 3D effect and really boasts the grain and many layers of the wood. And now you know which wood is good. Rock on.

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