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WOODS Common Woods Used for Guitars and Ukuleles
This is a simple, concise, and non-technical description of common woods used to make Ko'olau instruments. In addition to properties of specific woods, I will attempt to describe tone and volume resulting when certain woods used for backs and sides are combined with traditional woods used for tops, or soundboards, such as Spruce, Cedar, and Sequoia Redwood. Due to their flexibility and greater ability to vibrate under stress (vibrating string frequencies), wider tonal ranges and volume projection is possible. Often, entire instruments are made of the same type of wood. In these cases, the type of wood used is resilient enough (flexible), to allow the top to freely vibrate. Usually, this combination produces a softer, more muted but sweet sound. Almost always, when the same woods are used for tops, backs, and sides, these woods are Mahogany or Koa. On our instruments, the woods are always quarter-sawn (cut from the log a certain way to produce better stability and tone) and kiln dried. We hand pick each log or board to insure the highest quality instrument available. Below is a description of each wood: (click links for photos) MAHOGANY - Two different
types of Mahogany are used in furniture and instrument building. Both
are becoming rare due to over harvesting. The most common Mahogany is
Swietenia Macrophylla,
popularly known as Honduras Mahogany, although now known as Tropical
or South American Mahogany, since very little is harvested from Honduras.
We use this type of Mahogany exclusively for our necks due to its strength,
light weight, and stability. The wood is relatively light, red-brown,
and open grained. The other Mahogany we use is Swietenia
Mahogani, or commonly named West Indian Mahogany, Spanish Mahogany,
or Cuban Mahogany. This type, the West Indian Mahogany is more expensive
due to being considered commercially extinct, however many years ago
this Mahogany, Swietenia Mahogani was planted here on Oahu, so on occasion
we are able to acquire rarely harvested lumber. Due to its availability
here in Hawaii, we have named it "Hawaiian Mahogany". The
beautiful red-brown colored wood is more dense and closed grain than
Swietenia Macrophylla, and is used for topwood, back and sides. KOA - Acacia Koa. The most prized, revered woods of Hawaii, and now throughout the world. In Honolulu, beautiful architecture, carvings, and furniture made of Koa can be found as a legacy of Hawaii's mass deforestation of the 1800's. Even today, Koa is still the preferred wood, and in this case, for musical instruments. It should be noted that many other species of woods throughout the world closely resemble Koa, and now are being marketed and sold as Koa. Most trees have a characteristic, predictable pattern, hardness, density, and flexibility. Not so with Koa. Almost every tree, and planks from each tree look different, being yellow, red, black, purple, green, and grain is either straight, curly, mottled, or quilted. Koa is similar to Mahogany, though slightly heavier weight and greater in density, but like Mahogany it produces warm, sweet bass and treble tones, and adequate volume. We often combine the Koa sides and back with a softer top soundboard such Spruce or Cedar (or Redwood). On all of our Koa instruments we use the most beautiful cuts available, the higher the model, the more curly and quilted the grain. EBONY - most people know ebony as used for fingerboards and bridges, a dark black wood from Africa. Another species of Ebony is from Indonesia, in particular, from the island of Sulawesi, or formerly known as Celebes, thus the species name is Diospiros Celebes, and more commonly known as Macassar Ebony. This ebony is a rare and prized wood used for backs and sides of guitars and 'ukuleles. Too dense to be used as a topwood, it is often combined with spruce, cedar, or Sequoia Redwood. The color is a stunning dark chocolate brown with black streaks. And the tone is the best of all woods, similar to Rosewoods for deep bass and resonance, but retaining the high end clarity of mahogany. KAMANI - Kamani is a common local tree, found along all the coastal areas of the Hawaiian Islands. Traditionally used to make bowls and other tools. The tone of Kamani wood is similar to Mahogany, and the beauty is spectacular. Oil Varnish is the only finish available on Kamani, providing superior adhesion, durability, and beauty.
KOLOHALA - Cassia siamea, Commonly known as pheasant wood. This very rare, valuable, and stunningly beautiful wood produces shades of light to dark brown with fine black grain, which very much resembles the feathers of our local Hawaiian pheasant.
KULA WOOD - GOLD TREE - PRIMA VERA - Kula means golden, and this wood has the most beautiful golden laced grain. Locally the tree is also called the Gold Tree, not because of the golden wood, but because, at certain times of the year the tree is full of beautiful yellow flowers. Elsewhere in the world, this species of tree is called Prima Vera. The tone and volume is excellent, with a perfect balance of bass and treble. Kula wood is approximately the same density of Koa, possibly harder, and we usually combine this wood with a Spruce, Cedar, or Redwood top (see Combinations). MILO - pronounced (me-low), a highly respected wood throughout Hawaiian history. Rich red and brown colors with a delicate lacey grain. To the ancient Hawaiians MILO and a wood called KOU (now replaced by KOA as the most common Hawaiian wood) were the most valuable and colorful woods used for furniture, canoes, paddles, and bowls. MILO has proved to be an excellent stringed instrument wood, producing deep resonant bass tones. Combines well with top woods such as Spruce, Cedar, and Sequoia Redwood. ROSEWOOD - Many different types of Rosewoods are grown throughout the world, the most common being known as Brazilian and Indian, but many different Rosewoods grow in South America and Asia. They are all similar in that they are very hard and dense, producing deep, dark bass resonant tones. This wood is never used as a top soundboard, so when combined with tops such as Spruce, an excellent balance of bass and treble, and good projection is achieved. We use Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) for Model 150, 200, and 300, and Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) for Model 300SP, 400, and 500. They are both very high quality tone woods. New cut Brazilian Rosewood is no longer available, however we have acquired environmentally salvaged, legal remnant wood, at least 30- to 50-year-old lumber, with spectacular beauty and resonant tone properties. Macassar Ebony - Diospyros Celebes. Not to be mistaken with African ebony, the ebony wood is one of the most desired for woodworking, with deep rich chocolate color and black streaks. Harvested on the island of Sulawesi (formally called Celebes by the Dutch), very rare and very expensive. Photo with topwood is Sequoia Redwood, but combines well with Spruce also. Deep tone similar to Rosewoods. MAPLE - A very hard, dense, pale yellow wood often selected for a sharp, clear, and pronounced projection. Much less resonant bass than other woods. No muddy, overtones, so often used for jazz guitars, mandolins, and violins. Due to extreme hardness of Maple, a softwood such as Spruce, Cedar, or Redwood should be used for the top, and Spruce producing the brightest tone of the three. MYRTLE - "Umbellulria Californica" - Although this is not a locally grown hardwood, but imported from Oregon, we were so impressed with its beauty and tonal properties, we decided to include it in our line of available body woods. Myrtle has been used by well known guitar makers for many years. Also known as Oregon Myrtle, Laurel and Bay Laurel, this wood almost reminds us of a rare Koa wood known as "white Koa" with similar grain patterns and blond to light brown colors. Also, as with Koa, each piece is unique, with different colors and grain patterns. Exceptional bass, treble, and projection, Myrtle combines qualities of Rosewood, Mahogany, and Maple, in other words, almost the ideal stringed instrument wood. WALNUT - this has always been a precious wood throughout the world for furniture and guitarmaking. Although we do have walnut trees growing far up the slopes of the island of Hawaii (named the Big Island), walnut has rarely been used for 'ukuleles. One Walnut tree can bring over $50,000 for fine woodworking. The sample photos are a walnut wood that exhibits the most figured curly grain ever seen in this type of wood. The finish on this sample is a satin lacquer, but still shows the unusual and beautiful grain patterns. The tonal properties of walnut are easiest to describe as similar to Brazilian Rosewood. Deep and rich bass resonance, and of course, combined with Spruce or Cedar topwood for clean mids and treble tones. On occasion we enjoy breaking away from the traditional woods used to build guitars and 'ukuleles, so Walnut is another of our "rare" woods. Please inquire for availability as supply is very limited.
TOP - SOUNDBOARD WOODS Model
200 and 300 –
Spruce (note: for Model 200 and 300 customer may not specify the
species of Spruce), Western Red Cedar, or Sequoia Redwood.
Model
400, and 500 –
·
Englemann
Spruce (Picea Engelmannii) – very
similar to the high quality European or German Spruce, but more
economical. Beautiful ivory
color and sheen, softer than
·
CEDAR – Cedar has been used for many years in the classical
nylon guitar industry, and lately for steel string guitars also.
Our Cedar is the Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata).
Coloring is creamy tan to light brown.
Produces a somewhat more mellow “broken in” tone than most
spruces.
SEQUOIA REDWOOD - This is the tall, west coast US Redwood tree that has been used for many years for stringed instruments. The color is somewhat red, but very pale red, and combines well visually with most back and side woods. Redwood flexibility is similar to Cedar but leans more toward Spruce characteristics, combining the best of both. Since no new cut Redwood is available, we use environmentally salvaged lumber remnants, from 50 to 80 years old. * ALTHOUGH EVERY INSTRUMENT WE MAKE SOUNDS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, EVEN WHEN MADE OF THE SAME WOODS, THERE ARE SOME CHARACTERISTIC PREDICTABLE COMBINATIONS OF WOODS, AS FOLLOWS: 1. MAHOGANY TOP, BACK, AND SIDES (ALL MAHOGANY) - This is a traditional combination used for many years by many famous makers such C.F. Martin Company for guitars and ukuleles. The sound is predictaby good, soft, sweet, and mellow. Bass tones are sufficient and trebles are somewhat soft and muted. In time, this combination ages to produce the classic sweet ukulele sound. 2. KOA TOP, BACK, AND SIDES (ALL KOA) - Similar to all Mahogany, one of the most common wood choices throughout the history of ukulele building. Good sound and visually beautiful. 3. MAHOGANY SIDES AND BACK with SPRUCE TOP - this instrument has all the properties of above ALL MAHOGANY with a wider tonal range and greater volume projection. 4. MAHOGANY SIDES AND BACK with CEDAR OR REDWOOD TOP - same as #3, but a softer treble tone and slightly less projection. 5. KOA with SPRUCE, CEDAR, OR REDWOOD - same as above Mahogany combinations, but differences in Mahogany and Koa (see Mahogany and Koa). We often combine Koa with Spruce and the results are very good. 6. KULA WOOD (Gold Shower, Prima Vera) with SPRUCE - excellent tone and visually beautiful. 7. MAPLE SIDES AND BACK with SPRUCE TOP - bright tone, strong projection, most Maple, especially curly Maple is visually beautiful. 8. MAPLE SIDES AND BACK with CEDAR OR REDWOOD TOP - similar to #7 but more warmth of tone, and less projection 9. ROSEWOOD SIDES AND BACK with SPRUCE TOP - traditional combination for volume and deep tone 10. ROSEWOOD BACK AND SIDES with CEDAR TOP - enhanced depth and bass, Cedar produces a more "aged" tone. 11. MACASSAR EBONY BACK AND SIDES with SPRUCE OR SEQUOIA EBONY TOP - using Spruce will create more projection and enhanced treble and bass clarity. However, Sequoia Redwood , with similar properties also produces a beautiful tone. The decision to either use Spruce or Redwood is also determined by visual preference, namely a creamy white top, or dark brown top, again, both are beautiful. Home
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