Electric guitars are normally built with wood from deciduous trees, so-called hardwoods. However, of all the different types of hardwood only very few are actually used for guitarbuilding purposes. For making the body these are traditionally maple, ash, mahogany, alder, basswood and nut. This limitation to such a small number may at first sight seem surprising, but bearing in mind the large quantities of wood that big guitar-manufacturing companies need, it is understandable that using the wood of less common trees cannot be a serious option.
A much greater number of different types of wood, including such exotic ones as bubinga or wenge, are used for building electric basses.
The above-mentioned hardwoods have become the standard ones used because experience has shown that they are the ones most likely to produce the sound which we have come to expect from an electric guitar. Birchwood, for instance, was also once used for making cheap guitars, but was found to produce a rather poor sound. Maple and mahogany have a lot in common,
both being medium-hard to hard timbers. Basswood, on the other hand, is relatively soft. While the typical Les Paul sound is created by a mahogany and maple body and a mahogany neck, the typical Stratocaster sound is the result of a maple neck and a body made of either maple, ash or alder. Different scale lengths and, of course, pickups can further add to differences in sound. Due to its shorter scale length of 24.75″ (as opposed to a Stratocaster’s 25″) a Les Paul, for instance, will sound softer than a Stratocaster because its strings are not as highly tensioned. The wood of conifers such as spruce is not ideal for building
electric guitars for reasons of sound and insufficient solidity. Equally, plywood or similar man-made types of board cannot be recommended, either, because of their cross-grain structure (the grain of each ply of wood runs at right angles to the next one) by which the transmission of vibrations is weakened, resulting in a poor sound One of the many factors determining the tone color of an electric guitar is the type of wood used for building it. Hardwood and softwood, for instance, are totally different in their resonance characteristics. But even different types of hardwood can, owing to the specific structure of each wood, be different in sound. These structural differences are what experts look at when identifying and analysing wood. Each type of wood brings
out certain frequencies more strongly. Via the bridge the hardness of the wood is passed on and reflected in the strings’ vibrations: a guitar made of softwood will sound slightly “darker”, one made of hardwood slightly “brighter”. If you wanted to go to extremes, you could, for instance, make a guitar with a rubber body which would then sound extremely muffled and lifeless. If, on the other hand, you were to make the body from
metal or stone, the guitar would produce a very bright, yet artificial and cold sound. A reasonable “compromise” between hardwood and softwood will most probably produce the most satisfactory results. Weight is another aspect to consider when deciding which wood to use: some types of wood are heavier than others, and it is common practice to substitute heavier types of wood with lighter varieties of the same species: much
lighter swamp ash is, for instance, commonly used in place of ordinary ash. For reasons of stability it is best to use wood cut from the
middle of a log which is as near as possible quartersawn - this reduces the risk of the guitar neck or body warping. If, however, the body surface is to have a more attractive-looking grain pattern than just parallel lines, you need well-seasoned, rather flatsawn timber. Alternatively, you could also glue on a thin piece of nice-looking veneer. Most necks of electric guitars are made of either maple or
mahogany. Slowly-grown hard rock maple is ideal for this purpose. The closer-ringed the wood is, the harder it is. A hard, stiff neck will favour a quick attack while a softer neck will make the guitar sound warmer. For making the neck, wood of the highest quality available should be used; ideally, it should be straight-grained and without knots or defects. Maple necks are usually made from flatsawn and mahogany necks from quartersawn wood. Rosewood and other exotic timbers are also, but less commonly, used for making necks of electric guitars.
Electric guitars are normally built with wood from deciduous trees, so-called hardwoods. However, of all the different types of hardwood only very few are actually used for guitarbuilding purposes. For making the body these are traditionally maple, ash, mahogany, alder, basswood and nut. This limitation to such a small number may at first sight seem surprising, but bearing in mind the large quantities of wood that big guitar-manufacturing companies need, it is understandable that using the wood of less common trees cannot be a serious option.
A much greater number of different types of wood, including such exotic ones as bubinga or wenge, are used for building electric basses.
The above-mentioned hardwoods have become the standard ones used because experience has shown that they are the ones most likely to produce the sound which we have come to expect from an electric guitar. Birchwood, for instance, was also once used for making cheap guitars, but was found to produce a rather poor sound. Maple and mahogany have a lot in common,
both being medium-hard to hard timbers. Basswood, on the other hand, is relatively soft. While the typical Les Paul sound is created by a mahogany and maple body and a mahogany neck, the typical Stratocaster sound is the result of a maple neck and a body made of either maple, ash or alder. Different scale lengths and, of course, pickups can further add to differences in sound. Due to its shorter scale length of 24.75″ (as opposed to a Stratocaster’s 25″) a Les Paul, for instance, will sound softer than a Stratocaster because its strings are not as highly tensioned. The wood of conifers such as spruce is not ideal for building
electric guitars for reasons of sound and insufficient solidity. Equally, plywood or similar man-made types of board cannot be recommended, either, because of their cross-grain structure (the grain of each ply of wood runs at right angles to the next one) by which the transmission of vibrations is weakened, resulting in a poor sound One of the many factors determining the tone color of an electric guitar is the type of wood used for building it. Hardwood and softwood, for instance, are totally different in their resonance characteristics. But even different types of hardwood can, owing to the specific structure of each wood, be different in sound. These structural differences are what experts look at when identifying and analysing wood. Each type of wood brings
out certain frequencies more strongly. Via the bridge the hardness of the wood is passed on and reflected in the strings’ vibrations: a guitar made of softwood will sound slightly “darker”, one made of hardwood slightly “brighter”. If you wanted to go to extremes, you could, for instance, make a guitar with a rubber body which would then sound extremely muffled and lifeless. If, on the other hand, you were to make the body from
metal or stone, the guitar would produce a very bright, yet artificial and cold sound. A reasonable “compromise” between hardwood and softwood will most probably produce the most satisfactory results. Weight is another aspect to consider when deciding which wood to use: some types of wood are heavier than others, and it is common practice to substitute heavier types of wood with lighter varieties of the same species: much
lighter swamp ash is, for instance, commonly used in place of ordinary ash. For reasons of stability it is best to use wood cut from the
middle of a log which is as near as possible quartersawn - this reduces the risk of the guitar neck or body warping. If, however, the body surface is to have a more attractive-looking grain pattern than just parallel lines, you need well-seasoned, rather flatsawn timber. Alternatively, you could also glue on a thin piece of nice-looking veneer. Most necks of electric guitars are made of either maple or
mahogany. Slowly-grown hard rock maple is ideal for this purpose. The closer-ringed the wood is, the harder it is. A hard, stiff neck will favour a quick attack while a softer neck will make the guitar sound warmer. For making the neck, wood of the highest quality available should be used; ideally, it should be straight-grained and without knots or defects. Maple necks are usually made from flatsawn and mahogany necks from quartersawn wood. Rosewood and other exotic timbers are also, but less commonly, used for making necks of electric guitars.