Tone woods for electric guitars

Originally written 2009. Updated 2025.

NOTE: There are many other well-known tone woods used in the making of acoustic guitars. This article is not about acoustic guitars. Tone woods are listed in no particular order. 

When it comes to obtaining your dream guitar, careful consideration must be made to your choices of tone woods for it. Wood is not just "wood." You know this. For the money you are spending on a custom guitar you want to ensure every detail is exactly right for you. At Gaskell Guitars we spend a lot of time on the details for your build list. I hope this guide will help your research or help you choose appropriately for your build. If you have any questions on any of these tone woods, contact me directly at gaskellguitars@mail.com

Basswood

Botanical name: Tilia. Also known as Linden or Lime in Europe, basswood is a colourless wood which is very easy to work with. It is native to Europe, Asia and North America. As a tone wood it is used for guitar bodies only. Its colour ranges from pale white to light brown, with no grain. This is not a tone wood that suits a natural finish. Despite being classified botanically as a hardwood, it is very soft and can dent quite easily. Its tonal qualities are excellent with a powerful prominence in the mid-range. Since the late 1990s basswood has become the tone wood of choice for many international brands and has become the hallmark of the "Rock guitar."  

Tonal properties: Basswood has excellent mid-range tones and has a very warm and pronounced sound with very good sustain. Because of its "growl" it is very suited for Rock and Metal. It is the best wood choice for Floyd Rose equipped guitars as the tremolo tends to be very tinny sounding with other woods due to its minimal contact with the guitar body. The tonal properties of basswood eliminate that problem. 

Genuine Mahogany 

Genuine mahogany is of the genus Swietenia in the Mahogany family which is native to Central and Southern America and the Caribbean. It has three species, two of which have been used as tone woods in the past. All species of Swietenia may be collectively called American Mahogany. Unfortunately, mahogany can no longer be regrown natively, and native sourcing has been commercially restricted since 2003 and now requires special certificates to import or export.

Today all newly harvested American mahogany comes from plantations in Asia and the Pacific. The largest producer of American mahogany today is Fiji. I have stocks of Fijian American mahogany.

There are ongoing salvage operations taking place in Belize in Central America to recover sunken mahogany logs that were lost when they were sent down the rivers to the ships 100 or more years ago. Some of these logs have been underwater for 200 years and can be up to 100 years old themselves. A company in Missouri, USA runs this operation and sells this prized mahogany all over the United States. It has come to be called "sinker mahogany" and is especially popular with high-end guitar manufacturers. Unfortunately, this prized mahogany is unavailable to the rest of the world, at least until a U.S timber company becomes willing to export CITES-restricted material such as this out of their country.

There are two terms to describe mahogany: “genuine mahogany” applies only to the Swietenia species, whether grown natively or elsewhere. “True mahogany” applies to any other Mahogany family timber that is not specifically Swietenia. This would include the various African mahoganies such as Khaya (genus Khaya), and Sapele (genus Entandrophragma), various species native to Asia such as Red Cedar (species Toona), and various species found in Central America and the Carribean such as Spanish Cedar (species Cedrela odorata.) There are other species that yield usable wood, some even suitable as tone wood, but some of them have limited or no international trade.

For more information read this: What is Mahogany?

Tonal properties: American mahogany gives a dark yet warm sound with a smooth bottom end and warm mid-range. It doesn't particularly have much top end but in combination with a maple cap and/or a maple neck the overall sound will brighten. The sound properties of "sinker mahogany" are even more pronounced and resonant.

Lighter weight pieces tend to have better tonal properties than heavier pieces.

African Mahogany

There are several established Mahogany family woods from Africa used as tone woods which are collectively traded as "African mahogany." These include Khaya (genus Khaya), and Sapele (genus Entandrophragma.) African mahogany is used because of its visual and tonal similarities to genuine mahogany and was easier to source. However, this is no longer the case with Khaya which has CITES restrictions since 2023 thereafter requiring permits to trade logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood and transformed wood. Other African Mahogany family species that are not commercially restricted which are used as tone woods include Avidore (species Turraeanthus africanus) and Bosse (genus Guarea) among others. For those species see here: What is Mahogany? Part 2 | Gaskell Guitars

Alder

Botanical name: Alnus is grown all over the world and is especially widespread throughout the United States. As a tone wood it is most commonly associated with Fender® guitars. It is light in weight with soft tight pores like basswood but with large swirling grain patterns and rings. It has become quite expensive in the 21st Century and this has led to similar, yet cheaper woods becoming popular replacements.

Tonal properties: Alder gives more highs and less of the mids and is relatively deficient in bass in comparison with other tone woods. It has a very warm sound but does not quite have as much "bite" as ash. 

Ash

Botanical name Fraxinus is grown all over the world and there is significant international trade in its timber. It has many species with about half a dozen in commercial use, most native to the United States. Wood from this genus is medium-density but light weight and has a pale, uniform colour with usually straight grain. Sometimes it can have wavy or curly swirls. One American species, Fraxinus nigra is generally a bit darker in colour and can be quite figured. This species is traded as Black Ash. Another American species Fraxinus americana is a plainer, yet denser species and traded as White Ash. The European species Fraxinus excelsior is the equivalent of American White Ash and often traded simply as European Ash.

Ash is a popular tone wood used by guitar brands and custom builders all around the world. Like basswood, it is tonally well-balanced and is dominant in the mid-range making it a good choice for heavier music styles. It can be quite twangy in Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars with single coil pickups. Due to its density and consistency, it is particularly ideal for bass guitars.

Tonal properties: Twangy and sweet with scooped mids

Swamp Ash

Botanical name: Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a particular type of ash tree whose root systems are under water, with its above water equivalent being Green Ash. It is used as a body wood by many American guitar manufacturers. It is mostly obtained from the Southern parts of the United States. It is very light and highly figured. It is a popular choice for natural finish instruments.

Tonal properties: The swamp-ash sound is twangy, airy, and sweet. It gives firm lows, pleasant highs, and a snarly midrange, and good sustain.

Japanese Ash (Sen)

Botanical name: Acanthopanax ricinifolius also called Sen or Sen Ash is a high quality tone wood native to Japan and south western China, most recognized on early Japanese-made Greco, Fender and Tokai guitars. Although it's trade name includes the word "ash" it is not related to Ash (genus Fraxinus) other than by visual resemblance. Like genuine Ash, it is a good choice for natural finishes and can be particularly outstanding in appearance. It is graded on degree of figure, i.e. "light figure", "medium figure", etc. Outside of its use in musical instruments it is marketed mainly as veneer.

Tonal properties: Its tonal qualities are similar to that of alder hence the commonly used quick description "looks like ash, sounds like alder." It has a bright, and even cutting midrange tone, good bass, and excellent sustain. 

Tamo Ash

Botanical name: Fraxinus mandshurica is a unique and specific species of Fraxinus native only to China, Korea, Japan, and Russia. The wood can be deeply figured in what is sometimes called a "peanut" figure. It is similar to quilted maple figure and the more figured examples of American Black Ash. In it's more plain appearance it is referred to as Japanese Ash, not to be confused with Sen which is also called Japanese Ash. Highly figured examples are specifically called Tamo or Tamo Ash. It is sold mainly as veneer and is thus used for figured tops in guitar manufacturing. Pricewise, it is quite expensive.

Maple

Botanical name: Acer. Traditionally used for guitar necks. It is very hard. It has a uniform grain and its tonal qualities highlight and emphasize the body wood well. It sustains very well. Maple is found in the northern hemisphere with most species found in Europe and Asia. Maple timber can have a highly decorative grain called “figure” and can produce “quilt”, “flamed”, “spalted” (ink-like patterns caused by fungi in the wood), “birds-eye”, and “burly” appearances. Laminates of these grains are often glued to the top of a guitar body for a beautiful appearance. Veneers are usually 1mm or 2mm thick on mass-produced guitars. For a Custom build I can do a full 5mm cap all the way up to an 18mm carved solid carved cap depending on the guitar model.

Guitar necks made of maple can be "roasted," "baked," "torrefied," and "caramelised" in a process that involves heating the wood to remove any moisture, oils and sugar, creating a more stable structure. As a result, the wood is much less vulnerable to temperature and humidity changes. The process takes place in an oxygen-free kiln so that the wood does not combust. During this process, the wood darkens due to a chemical reaction between the oils and sugar content, with the wood becoming darker the longer it is roasted. This colour change tends to make the figure pop and can become a very nice caramel-walnut colour. What has happened in effect is that this process speeds up the natural ageing process resulting in properly cured wood which otherwise may take decades to achieve. 

NOTE. Prices for high quality figured maple have tripled in the last few years. Expect to pay huge prices for a high quality figured cap. 

Australian Blackwood

Botanical name: Acacia melanoxylon is Australia's most renowned tone wood. It's taken quite a few decades for this wood to become internationally recognized as a sought-after tone wood. It was originally touted as an alternative to Hawaiian Koa (species Acacia koa) which is not readily available.

If you want a truly "Australian" themed guitar it has to be made of Blackwood. Blackwood grows along the eastern coast of Australia and in Tasmania. Most commercial supplies come from Tasmania and Victoria. It's colour is light to dark golden brown sometimes with reddish tints and streaks. The grain is usually straight but can have some incredible figure with striped, mottled, raindrop, birdseye, and fiddleback patterns; with an impressive natural shimmer. Highly figured examples are sold in the market specifically aimed at Australian guitar manufacturers. The tree has been planted in a number of countries in Africa, South America, and Asia and has become invasive in some countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, Spain, and New Zealand. This is one of the easiest tone woods for me to obtain so I do not keep stock.

Tonal properties: like genuine mahogany but brighter

Korina (US) Limba (UK)

Botanical name: Terminalia superba. This wood is grown in the tropical regions of western Africa and has a very interesting and appealing grain. It is held in very high regard by guitar builders. It was first introduced to the world as a tone wood in 1958 By Gibson. Original Explorer guitars were made of Korina. It was only briefly used then but it has never been forgotten. For a hardwood it is quite lightweight. This wood is a light yellowish to golden brown, sometimes with grey or even black streaks and veins or sometimes with interesting swirls. Pieces with dark figure are referred to as Black Limba, while plain, unfigured wood is called White Limba. Personally, I have never used this wood and have never had any enquiries for it.

Tonal properties: a very warm, balanced sound with excellent clarity and sustain. 

Poplar

Botanical name: Liriodendron tulipifera also known as American Tulipwood, Yellow Poplar, and Tulip Poplar is native to America. It is a medium-density wood generally used as a utility wood but is also used in electric guitar manufacturing as a body wood. There is one other species, Liriodendron chinense, that is native to China and Vietnam. The Asian species has been introduced in some European countries as an ornamental tree.

Both these species should not be mistaken for another timber also called "Poplar" from the genus Populas which is grown all around the world and is used mainly as a pulp wood. 

The colour of Poplar is light cream to yellowish brown, with occasional mineral-stained streaks of gray or green. Sometimes it can have a mild figure. It's not like ash but some pieces can be quite appealing. But the best thing about Poplar is its sonic properties. Some try to pitch these as a negative. I strongly disagree.

Tonal properties. The sonic properties of Poplar are dead flat. Completely horizontal equalizer settings, across all frequencies. Nothing is boosted, nothing is lost. This is useful for the reason that you can define your sound through your amp and pedal settings very well. Poplar naturally sounds quite "nasal," like ash, and can be jarring to some due to the naturally bright highs that you don't get from basswood or mahogany. It is very good for the funky sound of Telecasters and Stratocasters, but you do need to wind the Tone back. 

Poplar is also a benefit when upgrading to hot or scooped pickups, or if basswood has too much mid-range for your liking. Hotter, boutique-type pickups have huge boosts in the lower and mid ranges depending on the models. You need a flat EQ base-point to work from to appreciate what those sorts of pickups have to offer. You get that flat-EQ starting point from Poplar. You use your amp and pedals to model the sound you want. Poplar is an excellent tone wood for this scenario.

Okoume

Botanical name: Aucoumea klaineana is a hardwood from Africa, primarily from Gabon, known in the world market as Okoume. Sometimes it is traded as Gaboon mahogany (even though it is not a mahogany.) It's a fairly recent choice of wood for guitar and other musical instrument manufacturing. This wood is pinkish to light brown with similar grain to American mahogany and little to no figure. It is mainly used as veneer in North America, and as timber in Asia and Europe. China is the largest importer. Because it is relatively cheap, it is starting to show up more and more as a body wood in many generic Chinese mass-produced guitars. Ibanez and Jackson are consciously using it in their new acoustic and electric guitars.

Okoume has an unexpectedly low density compared to other hardwoods. It is very light. Luthiers have said it is suitable for guitar bodies as well as necks. However, it is a bit soft, like basswood. It will dent easily. I tried it in my 2023 Hybrid Series headless model. I would describe the sound as "dull" and a bit "muted" but still very pronounced. With the right pickups I would say this wood would be quite suited for very heavy music and drop tuning. It is definitely very light weight and a good choice if light weight is important.

Tonal properties: Somewhat mid rangy with a pronounced bark that can be at the same time a bit dull and muted.

Wenge

Botanical name: Millettia laurentii is a very heavy density hardwood which is native to western Africa. It is also very expensive. Wenge is used by some Custom guitar builders for bodies, necks and fingerboards, particularly for bass guitars. It is very dark with lots of brown streaks. Wenge is a lot more porous than other woods and is thus much harder to work with. The dust of this wood is also extremely hazardous to one's health and personal protective equipment and other dust removal systems are essential in any workshop that uses this wood. I confess I have never used this wood and I really don't know too much about it. To me it looks like what you could achieve with figured ash that has been finished with a dark stain. From sources I have found, Wenge apparently trims some high overtones like Rosewood does, while resonating more fundamental mids and low mids.   

Tonal properties: rich and warm sounding especially in the mids and lows.

Paulownia

Botanical name: Paulownia tomentosa is a nice-sounding, extremely light-weight Asian hardwood which started to filter its way from China and Japan into the Western world beginning in the early 2000s. In English it is called Paulownia, Royal Paulownia, or Empress Wood. In China it is called Pāotóng (泡桐) and in Japan it is called Kiri (桐.) The colour of the timber from this species is a pale cream to greyish brown, sometimes with yellow, reddish or purplish striping or swirl. It is overall rather bland but can be similar in appearance to Ash or American Alder.

Paulownia is native to China and is also cultivated extensively in Japan and Korea. It has been used in Asia for hundreds of years to make high-quality traditional musical instruments (including the Japanese koto.) Paulownia is the fastest growing hardwood species in the world, taking only 5-7 years from planting to harvesting (as opposed to 35+ years for mahogany and other timber trees.)

Tonal properties: It is used in guitar manufacturing for electric guitar bodies and has a flat-EQ sound similar to the tonal properties of Poplar. 

Dean Guitars, Glendale Guitars, Mario Guitars and others use this wood for some of their instruments, and it is often used in generic DIY guitar kits from China. Most people would not consider this tone wood for a custom build unless the guitar being very light weight is a priority, or its flat-EQ tonal properties are desired.

Agathis

Botanical name: Agathis is called Kauri in New Zealand and Australia. There are 21 species and it only grows in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Philippines, and on the island of Borneo. Its timber has many uses. When I was a boy back in New Zealand, Kauri was used for everything. It was considered "cheap and nasty" and only a practice wood, or for hobbyists. I don't know why this wood would be used as a tone wood. It's soft, has no figure, is ugly and purportedly sounds dull and lacking in sustain. In the context of guitar manufacturing, I would want to call this a "poor man's tone wood." I have never used it. Apparently, it is used in some Tokai guitars. An electric guitar made of Kauri will require serious corrective measures to try and make it sound any good. Why bother? The only thing going for this species is that some Kauri obtained from swamps in New Zealand is 50,000 years old and has become fossilized, which produces some unusual figure that some people might find attractive. Maybe good for carvings or fancy furniture. If you want a guitar that sounds good with nice figure, choose something else.

Tonal properties: dull, lacking sustain

Rosewood

All species of Rosewood are from the botanical family Dalbergia and consists of 275 species found throughout South America, Africa, Madagascar and Asia. It is commonly used for the fingerboards of electric guitars. Up until 1992 guitar manufacturers usually obtained rosewood from Brazil but trade in Brazilian rosewood was banned in that year due to it becoming listed in CITES Appendix I (the most restrictive.)

From 2017-2019 all species of Dalbergia were commercially banned. The reasons for the species-wide ban was because of the threat from China. To put it simply, China's obsession with and consumption of rosewood and other timbers has become a cultural psychosis. This psychotic greed has intensified because China has become very wealthy in the 21st Century. (There are more millionaires in China than all the millionaires in every other country in the world put together.) This greed was fuelling an illegal trade, which was decimating the world's Dalbergia populations. The Chinese are a very nationalist and racist culture. They do not care about any other culture or race than themselves and are even very racist toward their own ethnic groups. This is what happens to a culture that has embraced many generations of Left-wing, totalitarianism. The Chinese Communist regime won't allow their own resources to be used. They have legislated this. They prefer to rape and pillage the rest of the world's resources instead. And that is exactly what happened. CITES response to this Chinese psychosis was to put the entire genus into Appendix II (trade only with permits.) CITES restrictions were lifted in 2019 for finished musical instruments consisting of less than 10kg of any rosewood species other than Brazilian rosewood which remains fully restricted. 

Common species used as tone woods include:

Brazilian Rosewood

Dalbergia nigra is the species native to southern Brazil and is commonly called Brazilian Rosewood or Rio Rosewood. This was the most sought-after rosewood species in guitar manufacturing for many years. However, due to over harvesting and habitat loss commercial trade in this species has been banned since 1992. The wood is typically a dark chocolate brown, although it can possess varying degrees of reddish or purplish tint, with darker contrasting streaks in all kinds of grain patterns. It can be a truly beautiful wood with no two pieces looking the same. The only way Brazilian rosewood can be used for anything today is if it was harvested prior to 1992 and the fact can be proven with documentation. It is too difficult to export a guitar made with Brazilian rosewood.

East Indian Rosewood

Dalbergia latifolia is native to eastern India and naturalized in Indonesia, possibly because of planting during the Colonial era of the 1800s. D. latifolia was the main species used in guitar manufacturing after Brazilian rosewood (species Dalbergia nigra) was banned in 1992. It is usually called East Indian Rosewood but also goes by the trade names Indian Rosewood or Indonesian Rosewood.

This species of rosewood can vary greatly in colour. Although its basic colour is mostly always brown, the shades can range from golden brown to purplish or dark reddish brown. Dalbergia latifolia is generally less dense than most other rosewoods. This species has been introduced into Nigeria, Kenya, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other parts of tropical Africa and Asia as an ornamental plant. Dalbergia latifolia rosewood is listed on CITES appendix II under the genus-wide restriction on all Dalbergia species—which also includes finished products over 10kg made of the wood. Fortunately, that means that guitars with rosewood fingerboards don't need CITES documentation.

Sheesham

Dalbergia sissoo is native to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, and Pakistan and traded as Indian Rosewood, or Sissoo. It is the primary species of rosewood in northern India. Its colour ranges from golden brown to a darker reddish brown with stripes which can range from white to light brown. It’s density, hardness, and colour intensity are less than other rosewood species and it is not well-known outside of India. Although it is an accepted tone wood it is commonly used in the manufacturing of percussion instruments. It has been introduced into many Asian and African countries as a plantation crop. Dalbergia sissoo is listed on CITES appendix II under the genus-wide blanket restriction on all Dalbergia species—which also includes finished products with over 10kg made of the wood. Fortunately, that means that guitars with rosewood fingerboards don't need CITES documentation.

Madagascar Rosewood

Dalbergia baronii, and Dalbergia maritima are both native to Madagascar and are traded as Madagascar Rosewood or Palisander. Wood from this species ranges from light yellow-brown to a darker orange or reddish brown with dark streaks and patterns similar to Brazilian rosewood. Both Madagascan species are listed on CITES appendix II under the genus-wide trade restrictions on all Dalbergia species—which also includes finished products over 10kg made of the wood. Trade restrictions have been in place since 2011 and an export ban has existed since 2015. Whatever left over stockpiles still exist today will be sold at very high prices. Luthiers who were on the ball at the time have stashes from before the ban. I have some.

Bois de Rose

Another two rosewood species native to Madagascar are Dalbergia maritima and Dalbergia louvelii which are traded specifically as Bois de Rose. These two species differ slightly from the other two more well-known species normally traded as Madagascar Rosewood by their colour which ranges from magenta to reddish purple, sometimes with darker violet-black streaks. As with all Madagascan rosewood, these species are listed in the CITES Appendix II, which also includes finished products made with 10kg or more content of the wood (which means guitars are ok.) Trade restrictions have been in place since 2011 and an export ban has existed since 2015.

Honduran Rosewood

Dalbergia stevensonii is native to Belize and is commonly traded as Honduran Rosewood. It grows in swamp forests in southern Belize and adjacent Guatemala and Mexico. Its colour ranges from light brown to deep purplish brown, sometimes with contrasting darker brown stripes. It is a well-established tone wood species for the manufacture of musical instruments. It is a common choice for the fingerboards of electric guitars and the backs and sides of acoustic guitars, as well as for xylophone keys. This wood species is listed in CITES Appendix II but is not on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Trade restrictions have been in place since 2008. Fortunately, guitars made with rosewood fingerboards don't need CITES documentation as the rosewood content is way under 10kg.

African Blackwood

Dalbergia melanoxylon is native to central and southern Africa and commonly called African Blackwood. Tanzania and Mozambique are the primary exporting countries. This African species is known to be one of the hardest woods in the world. It is a consistent favourite with acoustic guitar luthiers, wood turners, carvers and fine furniture craftsmen. It often appears almost completely black, with its grains hardly discernible. It is popular as a fingerboard material in the manufacturing of guitars whereby the tonal properties of rosewood are preferred over the tonal properties of ebony but with the colour of ebony. Dalbergia melanoxylon is listed on CITES appendix II under the blanket trade restriction on all Dalbergia species—which also includes finished products over 10kg made of the wood. Fortunately, that means that guitars with rosewood fingerboards don't need CITES documentation.

Cocobolo

Dalbergia retusa is called Cocobolo, and is native to Central America. It can be a wide range of colours ranging from yellow, orange, red, and shades of brown with streaks of black or purple. It has become popular in more recent times with custom builders for its outstanding appearance and is used for guitar tops as well as fingerboards. Tonally it is apparently brighter sounding than other species of rosewood with less lower end. Woods from Panama and Guatemala were listed on CITES Appendix II in 2013. All Dalbergia retusa is listed in CITES appendix II under the blanket trade restrictions on all Dalbergia species— which also includes finished products under 10kg. Fortunately, that means that guitars with rosewood fingerboards don't need CITES documentation as the rosewood content is way under 10kg.

Panama Rosewood

Dalbergia tucurensis is native to central and southern America and is known as Panama Rosewood among guitar-makers, and otherwise as Nicaraguan Rosewood, or Yucatan Rosewood in the general trade. It is fairly new to the mainstream wood market and was initially not restricted until the genus-wide trade restrictions were imposed in 2017. Wood from this species is typically a cinnamon brown with a somewhat bland grain occasioned by darker streaks or swirls. It is generally not well-figured so would not be a considered choice for a guitar build if you want an outstandingly figured rosewood fingerboard. It is the least dense of the Dalbergia species. There is no problem exporting guitars made with a Panama rosewood fingerboard as the rosewood content in a guitar is way under 10kg.

Brazilian Tulipwood

Dalbergia decipularis (also Dalbergia frutescens) is native to northern Brazil and is available in very limited supplies. It is commonly called Brazilian Tulipwood or just Tulipwood which can be confusing as Tulipwood is also a trade name for Tulip Poplar which is an unrelated North American species used for pulp and plywood. It is a paler species of rosewood ranging from cream to salmon-pink which can be streaked with yellows, reds, oranges, and pinks. As with all rosewood species, Brazilian Tulipwood is in CITES Appendix II, requiring permits to export or import including finished products with 10kg or more content. Fortunately, that means that guitars with rosewood fingerboards don't need CITES documentation.

Ebony

Ebony is the wood from the Diospyros family of which there are 700 species found throughout Asia and Africa. Ebony is very hard and durable and is used for the fingerboards of guitars. It is usually brown-black in colour. Ebony fingerboards are popular with lead guitarists due to its perceived additional hardness over rosewood. Common traded species are: 

Diospyros ebenum which is native to southern India and Sri Lanka and commonly called Ceylon Ebony or East Indian Ebony. Its colour is usually jet black, sometimes with grey or dark brown streaks. It is difficult to source today. As a tone wood it is not only popular as fingerboards of guitars, but also for guitar inlays, nuts and acoustic guitar bridges. It is also used for piano keys.

Diospyros celebica or Macassar Ebony is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia and is highly sought after as a tone wood. The colour of this wood is very dramatic ranging from yellow to reddish brown with darker brown or black streaks and stripes. It is one of the most expensive woods in the world due to limited supplies. I have used this in some Custom builds and its appearance and tonal properties are outstanding. Using this ebony for your guitar build is going to cost you money.

Diospyros crassiflora is the main African species and commonly called African Ebony or Gaboon Ebony. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Nigeria. Ebony of this species used to be a major export timber from Africa however there are individual country restrictions in place now and the species is listed as “endangered” on the IUCN Red List. It is noted for being the blackest of all ebony species. It is the most used ebony species for electric guitars these days.

Pau Ferro

Botanical name: Machaerium is a genus of tree native to Brazil and Bolivia. Its primary timber species is M. scleroxylon. Wood from this species is traded as Morado, Pau Ferro, Bolivian Rosewood, and Santos Rosewood. Its colour varies considerably, ranging from a reddish-orange to a dark violet-brown, often with contrasting darker streaks and swirls.

Due to the difficulty in obtaining rosewood since the late 2010s, Pau Ferro has become a popular rosewood replacement and is usually used for the fingerboards of electric guitars. It is physically harder than the rosewood species. Machaerium is not listed in the CITES Appendices and does not have an alert status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Trade is unrestricted.

Tonal properties: Said to be a cross between ebony and rosewood

Body tops

Tops seem to create a situation where the attack of the notes will be more like the top wood, while the resonance and decay more like the bottom wood. The thickness and carve of a top dictates the degree of its effect on the sound. The glued unit will be more rigid than a single piece, so generally sustain increases.

Maple top on Basswood:

The clean attack and even highs of Maple will make up for Basswood’s inherent reduction of those frequencies. The lows will still taper off, but the overall result is more frequencies covered than with either piece alone. Dynamics aren’t reduced, except for in the upper register, where they were less present in Basswood alone. So, the improvement in high response is a little more compressed, and not as crisp and responsive in the attack as Swamp Ash for example.

Maple top on Mahogany:

The staple of vintage construction, the Maple adds crispness to the mahogany, but the lows and low mids of mahogany are still as apparent. The Maple combs out some of the upper mids, not because Maple lacks in these areas, but because it is vastly different from mahogany in its handling of the upper midrange. There is fighting going on in that range between the two pieces that results in a canceling out of some of those upper midrange frequencies. That’s part of the “smoothness” associated with the Les Paul and PRS types.

Maple top on Alder:

Takes Alder to a tone closer to solid Swamp Ash, but without the dynamics. The open resonance of the Alder comes through with the sharper attack and brightness of the Maple on the top end. The effect on the Alder is similar to the effect on Basswood. The upper mids of Maple come through, as Alder does not suppress upper mids.

Maple top on Swamp Ash:

A good addition to Swamp Ash but reduces the open, airy dynamics of solid Ash. It mutes the expanded midrange, but doesn’t really comb out any sections. They work well together. It adds a little more rock and country compressed “scream” to the sound at the expense of Ash’s complex lows and low mids.