sound very nice, and, to my ears, is to ash what
basswood is to alder: a less extreme variation.
Pine has a gentle but present top end, is open
in the midrange, and has a modest—not to say
anemic—low end.
WALNUT
Walnut is less common these days, but it offers
a tone that’s similar to mahogany’s but with a
little more definition: the low end is firmer, and
the midrange and high end are a little more
articulate. It also has a more attractive grain.
EBONY
A not-uncommon “upgrade” for fret boards,
ebony looks and sounds similar to the more
common rosewood. It has a very smoothbut-substantial feel than the more common
rosewood. The lows are a little meatier, and the
highs are slightly extended.
As you ponder the above, consider this
information a piece of the puzzle. Putting
together a guitar is, in some ways, a battle of
inches, and you can use your choice of tonewood
to complement pickup configurations, or to offset
or enhance neck scale, ergonomics and, yes,
aesthetics. With all the options we have available
to us today, once you’ve determined what you
want to get out of your wood you can probably
create the right combination of elements to make
the guitar of your dreams.
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TONE TALK //
Top 10 Tonewoods