When buying a guitar, many get carried away by the manufacturer’s brand and few cater to the types of guitar woods used. However, what most influences the sound and quality of these instruments are their construction materials. And it is that these determine not only the duration and resistance, but also the timbre, volume and overall quality of the sound.
Determining whether the woods on a guitar are good can be a bit tricky. It is not only about the types of trees, but the place where they were grown , the physical and chemical properties, the structure of the veins , among other aspects that must be taken into account. That is why, to clarify all your doubts, we have prepared this article. Here you will find all the information you will need before buying an electric or acoustic guitar.
Types of woods for guitars
The classification of guitar woods types varies depending on the manufacturer . Generally, the selection and arrangement of the woods for these musical instruments is carried out by experts in materials engineering. Such professionals should also have extensive knowledge of botany.
For example, Alhambra , the manufacturer of Spanish / classical and flamenco guitars, uses the most common of these classifications. We clarify that there may be variations between each company. However, the basis of this system is basically the same and they all use these three criteria:
- Botanical type: refers to the type of plant or tree used in the construction of guitars. Although this criterion is also often accompanied by some prejudices, because traditionally some plants are valued better than others, such as spruce versus cedar. This assessment obeys only tradition and is not based on the characteristics that each wood offers.
- Country of origin: luthiers tend to prefer woods that come from tropical countries and therefore these are more expensive. By contrast, woods from European countries with temperate or cold temperatures are considered somewhat cheaper.
- Parenchymal tissue purity: the molecular structure of plants is an element that is analyzed in the laboratory. This study serves to determine the quality of the joints between the layers of the tissue. It also determines the chemical integrity of the wood to know whether or not there are own or external agents that influence its molecular structure.
Physical and acoustic testing of guitar woods
They constitute the last stage in the classification process. To do this, samples are taken from different layers of the same trunk and analyzed in a laboratory to perform a mechanical characterization of that wood . Subsequently, such characterization is compared with already established values for that specific type of wood and thus it is verified that it is within the normalized standards.
The mechanical characterization of woods for guitars involves the determination of two groups of parameters such as:
Physical properties
It involves identifying the bulk density of wood and other elements such as hardness . One of four types of tests is usually used: Brinell, Rockwell, Chaláis-Meudon and Vickers. The most reliable of the four is the Chaláis-Meudon trial, but in many cases Brinell is also used. Finally, the tendency to bend is determined.
Mechanical properties
Four parameters are determined:
- Flexural strength : how many pounds or kilos of tension can it withstand when flexed at three points.
- Compressive Strength Test : Determines how many pounds of pressure a material withstands until it deforms to its center of gravity.
- Tensile Strength Capacity – refers to the pounds of traction that a standardized piece of wood is capable of supporting
- Modulus of elasticity : indicates the elastic properties of the wood.
- All these tests are carried out with standardized pieces of wood. That is, they are pieces of wood that have a specific percentage of humidity, length, width and depth. Another important factor is that they must not present defects in their structure , such as cracks, knots, tailings, eccentric hearts or hollow hearts.
Classification levels
This is something that can vary depending on the manufacturer . It is usually subject to the criteria of the luthier who, depending on his background, may have some biases. The most common guitar wood classification is:
A class
Type A or Class A woods on beginner guitars are almost always laminated. This means that they are made up of several layers that were joined by gumming and therefore their sound quality is inferior.
However, the type of woods for guitars classified as Type A varies depending on the manufacturer and its quality standards. For example, Alhambra classifies some solid woods as Type A and uses them in its beginner guitars.
Class AA
These are woods for conservatory and intermediate level guitars . They are always solid, with partially straight veins and the separation of these natural lines does not usually exceed 3 mm. They also have more stable vibrations, with better resonance and response to different sound frequencies.
AAA class
They are used in professional level guitars and their sound capacity is maximum. They are woods that have a larger caliber and
that’s why these guitars weigh more. Its response to vibrations is the most stable of all and thanks to this the advanced guitarist can find the desired sound.
Exotic AAA +
They are woods for guitars with the same characteristics as those of Class AAA but they are exotic. They are appreciated above all for the aesthetic contribution they provide to the instrument.
In addition to the classes mentioned, some manufacturers add the ‘+’ symbol as a transition between each class. For example, Class A + would be a transition to Class AA, while Class AA + would be a transition to AAA.Hope this blog is helpful in making your concept. To get more click over here.
