A Modest Introduction to Solid Wood Acoustic Guitars

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By Frank L. Wright

When you are considering acoustic guitars, it is important to realize that the type of wood used in making acoustic guitars has a tremendous impact on the sound, feel, and look of a guitar. Of course, some acoustic guitars are available in a solid plastic resin, like some of the less expensive electric guitars that are on the market, but when it comes to sheer sound quality, it is not worth it to get a plastic one because the sound quality is so much different and you get a sound that is more appealing with solid wood acoustic guitars.

There are many kinds of wood available, including Rosewood and African Black wood (which is quite rare). Each wood type has its own unique sound, timbre, and resonance, which will affect the music produced from your solid wood acoustic guitar. You can find inexpensive wood guitars, however, if you look hard enough, you can find solid wood acoustic guitars that are affordable and still have an instrument of considerable quality.

When it comes to solid wood acoustic guitars, the tonewoods are the best choice because they resonate better. Some people don't realize how important this is to tonal quality, but it can make a drastic difference. Just because a wood is strong doesn't mean it resonates good. That can be the reason that some guitarists are disappointed when they think that their solid wood acoustic guitars are made of good strong woods, like oak, only to find that the tonal quality is not that good. While oak might be good for furniture, it is not considered a good wood for tonal resonance.

Different woods produce different tonal and sonic qualities among acoustic guitars.
Different woods produce different tonal and sonic qualities among acoustic guitars.

Some of the best combinations of tonal wood for a solid wood acoustic guitar might include spruce, maple, rosewood, mahogany, alder, ash, ebony, cedar and walnut. Not only are these some beautiful wood grains, but the tonal value they have are part of the reason for their popularity. Many of the solid wood acoustic guitars may have a combination of at least a couple of these popular tonewoods, but even those that just have a few accents of a secondary tonal wood are recognized as some of the most popular.

If you are looking for a great solid wood acoustic guitar, there are several things to consider. Certain woods might be used for their strength, such as those used in the necks, which need to be the strongest, and those that are used for their tonal quality, such as those used in the body of the guitar. When you are looking for a good solid wood acoustic guitar, it can be a matter of preference, when it comes to tonal quality and attractive looks.

The main thing to consider is that there is no man-made plastic body guitar that can give you the resonant value of a good solid wood acoustic guitar. While these might not be the cheapest guitars, they can make a difference in the tonal qualities that are well worth the extra money spent. Some of the best guitar players have their favorite solid wood acoustic guitar, even though they specialize in electric guitar music. Some of the top rock stars play both, so a good solid wood acoustic guitar has its place, no matter what type of music or how experienced the guitar player is. The main reason is the resonance that a good solid wood acoustic guitar can offer.

If you play the guitar or you are just thinking about it, the important thing to consider is that you should spend plenty of time researching the tonal quality of the various "tonal" woods. There are many good and excellent quality solid wood acoustic guitars available and there is no reason to suffer when it comes to getting the best acoustic guitar sounds available.

The main problem for most guitar players seems to be that they see a cheaper acoustic guitar that isn't made from the best tonal woods, but they buy it based on price, alone. The main thing to consider when you want a good quality solid wood acoustic guitar is that you buy the best one you can afford.

To date, there is no plastic body acoustic guitar that can compare to a good quality solid wood acoustic guitar, when it comes to tonal quality or attractiveness. If you like the sound of a solid wood acoustic guitar, the best thing to consider is an acoustic sound that is deep and rich, which will compliment your music, no matter what genre you prefer.

Comments

nekros729 profile image

nekros729 2 years ago

Warmoth also gives a really good explanation of the characteristics of individual tonewoods.

Used Acoustic Gui profile image

Used Acoustic Gui 19 months ago

Very useful hub! I totally agree that the guitars made with the best woods available is the one i would choose too! Great hub!

indieramses 5 months ago

So just to be straight: is a plastic acoustic a good idea? Will I get a good tone?

B. 4 months ago

"Just because a wood is strong doesn't mean it resonates good”. Absolutely!... Take a Pine body Telecaster for example. I’ve been playing Tele’s for most of my playing years. It’s been my primary choice of guitar style. Out of my Tele playing years, I’ve never found a Tele that resonates as well as a Pine body Tele. And to think, Pine isn’t a hard wood at all. In-fact, pine is very soft. Actually, that’s about the only thing you have to worry about when it comes to pine. It dents quite easy, so you can’t really afford to have an accident & run it into something. How many guitars have you picked up to find a dent in the rear of the body where the strap button screws into? You only get one chance with a pine body. My buddy’s friend flicked a penny across the room at him. The penny hit my buddy’s pine guitar on the front of the body. That’s all it took to make a pretty remarkable indention.

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