Solid Wood

Solid wood:   Solid wood means that the part (top, sides, back) are made from single pieces of wood.

Laminate Wood

Laminate is wood in which sheets of wood are layered on top of each other. Usually a thin layer of more expensive wood is placed over several layers of cheaper wood which saves money.

Sitka Spruce

Sitka Spruce is the most dense wood to use and this is apparent to the sound which is very balanced with tight response .

Sitka Spruce is considered to spread out more tonality in the high registers and have crispy bass character.

Engelmann Spruce

Engelmann Spruce falls somewhere in between sitka and cedar. It’s higher cellular resin content brings in a deep richness in tone but slightly more balanced than cedar.

Engelmann Spruce is considered a bit more woody sounding than sitka.

Red Spruce (Adirondack)

Red Spruce is typically a creamy white, with a hint of yellow and/or red.

Red Spruce compares very similarly with Sitka Spruce in terms of mechanical properties, with the two species having perhaps nearly  identical sound.

Norway/European/German Spruce

Norway Spruce, frequently sold under more “sophisticated” names such as German Spruce, Yugoslavian Spruce, European Spruce etc.  is typically a creamy white, with a hint of yellow and/or red.

Norway Spruce compares very similarly with Sitka Spruce in terms of mechanical properties, with the two species having perhaps nearly  identical sound.

Cedar

Cedar is a relatively uniform  light pinkish to reddish brown; colors tend to darken with age. Random pockets of gum and natural oils are commonly present. Grain patterning and figure tends to be somewhat bland.

Cedar generally is a very ‘woody’ sounding species. Quite punchy and warm. In classical guitars, cedar gives this Spanish sound, if you know what I mean.

Madagascar Rosewood

Another wood belonging to the Rosewood family is the Madagascar Rosewood.  Itself now endangered and illegal to harvest, a luthier need to have a stock of older wood to be able to make an instrument.

Heartwood generally ranges from a light yellow-brown to a darker orange or reddish brown. Darker black streaks are common, and can produce a grain figure known as “spider-webbing” or “landscape,” also found on Brazilian Rosewood.

Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood is the industry standard for a well balanced and rich sounding tonewood. It is considered to have excellent response in all frequencies with defined sustain and no boom-iness. Indian Rosewood has a straighter grain than Brazilian Rosewood.

With the increasing rarity of Brazilian Rosewood and limits to the supply of Indian Rosewood (it is not endangered but the large trees needed for instrument grade wood take 150 years to grow), other forms of wood are being used more frequently for mandolin backs and sides.

Brazilian Rosewood

Brazilian Rosewood is an endangered species as much of its habitat has been converted to farmland.

Since 1992 it has been illegal to harvest and export Brazilian Rosewood and only old stock Brazilian Rosewood or wood harvested from stumps (generally considered of lower quality) of trees cut down before 1992 can be legally used. Thus, Brazilian Rosewood is very expensive and only those makers with access to old stock are still able to use it.

While there is much debate over whether Brazilian Rosewood produces a better sound than Indian Rosewood, Brazilian Rosewood is considered a beautiful wood due to its swirling grain.

Ovangkol

Ovangkol or Shedua or Amazique as named by woodworkers not in the luthier business, has varying shades of yellowish to reddish brown with darker brown, gray, or black stripes. There is good availability for Ovangkol and generally found in the price mid-range.

Cocobolo

Cocobolo can be seen in a kaleidoscope of different colors, ranging from yellow, orange, red, and shades of brown with streaks of black or purple. Sapwood is typically a very pale yellow. Colors are lighter when freshly sanded/cut, and darken with age.

Cocobolo is one of today’s most prized lumbers for its outstanding color and figure;

Honduran Rosewood

Honduran Rosewood is known for its acoustic properties, possessing an excellent tap-tone, making it well-suited for acoustic instruments, including mandolins.

Heartwood color can range from a deep brownish-purple to a light-brown. Most common is a brownish-mauve color.

Honduran Mahogany

Honduran Mahogany is one of the ‘woodiest‘ sounding tone-wood. It is warm and loud and maybe kind of “thumpy” with nice bass and warm trebles.

Heartwood color can vary a fair amount with Honduran Mahogany, from a pale pinkish brown, to a darker reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age

Paduak

Paduak (pronounced ‘pad-OOK’) is similiar sounding to mahogany but a little tighter trebles and balance.

Paduak color can vary, ranging from a pale pinkish orange to a deep brownish red. Most pieces tend to start reddish orange when freshly cut, darkening substantially over time to a reddish/purplish brown (some lighter pieces age to a grayish brown)

Flamed Koa

Flamed Koa is probably among the most stunning hardwoods on the planet.

It produces wonderful warm presence in tone and lacking the boominess of mahogany but similiar in volume output. Expensive due to it’s rarity.

Color can be highly variable, but tends to be medium golden or reddish brown, similar to Mahogany. There are usually contrasting bands of color in the growth rings, and it is not uncommon to see boards with ribbon-like streaks of color