CATEGORY
Tonewoods & Materials
The wood decides more of the finished instrument than any other choice. This category covers the species that actually get built with, what each one contributes tonally, and how to judge a board before you spend the money.
What this category coversTop, back, side, neck and fretboard stock — what each species does to the sound, how it moves with humidity, and how it behaves under a chisel.
Spruce top
The default soundboard: stiff along the grain, light, and loud.
Tonewoods & MaterialsSpruce
Cedar top
Opens fast, plays warm, and marks if you look at it wrong.
Tonewoods & MaterialsCedar
Mahogany back & sides
Dry, focused and punchy — the working musician’s back wood.
Tonewoods & MaterialsMahogany
Rosewood back & sides
Deep bass, long sustain, and a wall of overtones.
Tonewoods & MaterialsRosewood
Maple neck
Stiff, stable, bright — the electric default.
Tonewoods & MaterialsMaple
Ebony fretboard
Hard, slick and black — the fretboard that stays put.
Tonewoods & MaterialsEbony