Ash; Swamp (Ash; Southern Soft)

Light weight American wood, has a distinct ringing tone [when used as body material]. This wood works well with spring tremolo systems and single coil pickups to produce a transparent timbre with bell-like overtones. Medium weight bodies yield the best tonal balance and sustain. Extremely light bodies have a weak bottom end and sound thin.

Southern Soft or Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many reasons. This is the wood many 50's Fenders were made of. It is easily distinguishable from Northern Ash by weight. A Strat body will be under 5 lbs. This is a very musical wood offering a very nice balance of brightness and warmth with lots of "pop". The grain is open and creamy - a nice choice for clear finishes. 

Popular in the 50's for electric guitars this wood is alive and light weight. Swamp ash just wants to vibrate. Bright and sweet at the same time, excellent grain pattern, all transparent finishes look great on Swamp Ash.

Basswood

Several [Fender] Japanese reissue models use Basswood [as body material]. Produces a light (body wt less than 4 lb.) guitar though some people find the sound to be too "dark". Basswood is a very soft wood and cannot handle a lot of abuse

Ideal for loud high gain tones [when used as body material]. The sound is smooth, without many sharp edges. Attack is moderate and sustain is round and even.  

For a solid color guitar it is one of the better woods. It is used by many well known large manufacturers. It comes from Northern U.S.A. and Canada. 

This is a lighter weight wood offering Strat bodies usually under 4 lbs. The color is white, but often has nasty green mineral streaks in it. This is a closed-grain wood, but can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a wood for clear finishes, and it is quite soft, not good for much abuse. Sound wise, Basswood has a nice, warm tone. 

Strong Midrange, balanced tone and light weight. Light color and almost no grain patterns Basswood is best suited for solid colors or is excellent as a backing wood for a maple top. 

Weight: 26
Grain: straight
Figure: the wood is a cream color with very little to no pattern from grain.
Texture: a soft wood with a very smooth even texture.
Properties: a top quality wood for carving with a knife. Machining qualities are poor, the wood tends to rip or crush under the pressure of a cutting tool. Basswood is weak and tends to break when cut into small parts. Sawing produces a woolly surface, sands easily. Finishing usually requires a sealer.
Use: the principle use of the wood is cutting lifts for solid hull construction or blocks for carving hulls. The easiness of carving makes Basswood suitable for the joinery work in deck framing. Usable as deck planking and the first layer of planking in plank-on-bulkhead hulls or planked hulls that are going to be painted or glassed over for R.C. models. 

Birch

Laminated Birch consists of 1/32" layers of Birch wood which is bonded with epoxy under high pressure into a composite material. This material is remarkably tough and strong for its weight. It is denser than Birch, but not excessively heavy. It is extremely stiff, and it's composite nature tends to even out its frequency response, alleviating "dead spots" inherent in single-piece necks. It is dark gray and in color, with alternating dark and light layers.

Weight: 47
Grain: generally straight but sometimes found as wavy or curly grain.
Figure: the sapwood is a cream colored tan. The heartwood is a light brown. Slight streaks of a darker color show from grain pattern.
Texture: medium and uniform, slightly on the brittle side.
Properties: an easy wood to work, with hand and power tools. Cuts clean and finishes to a smooth surface. The wood is very tough and flexible, once bent it will hold its shape.
Use: prime use is for framing, hull timbering and bent hull members such as deck clamps.

Blackwood; African (Grenadillo)

This is the most common wood for the orchestral woodwinds. The tonal quality is bright and stays clear and direct over the flute's full range. 

Black with a marble like figure of dark purple and charcoal gray. 

Bocote
 

Bocote, from the family Boraginaceae, grows in northern Florida, the West Indies, Central America, and southward to Brazil and Argentina. Bocote is grayish, yellowish or tobacco colored to reddish brown, with irregular dark brown or blackish streaks and variegations, with more or less of an oily or waxy appearance; fine to medium grain. Basic specific gravity > 0.84. Holds its place well when manufactured. A readily worked timber, finishing very smoothly. Durability is rated high. The particular variety we use is yellow with black and dark brown straight streaks. Very hard and dense, it makes excellent fingerboards with a distinctive look. 

From Central America; Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica.
Color ranges from nearly white to golden brown, with irregular reddish to dark brown streaks. The grain is typically straight, but may vary from straight to roey. The texture is usually fine to medium, with a somewhat oily or waxy appearance.
Common uses include cabinetmaking, decorative veneer, fine furniture, interior trim, balusters, excelsior, floor lamps, moldings, parquet flooring, and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .74 (very dense). Turns easily.

Dark bands of reddish yellow and black. 

Boxwood

Boxwood has been used for centuries for making woodwind instruments. It has a bright, sweet quality that can also be made rich and colorful by the player. 

Weight: 70
Grain: straight
Figure: an even straw yellow color.
Texture: ultra fine and uniform.
Properties: dense and hard. Finishes to a polished surface. Excellent machining properties. The wood will hold a clean sharp edge. Working with hand or carving tools is slow going due to the hardness of the wood.
Use: for all aspects of model work from fine tuned pieces to timbering. A little stiff, but with some care, the wood makes nice looking planking. 

Bubinga
 

This African import is a very heavy Rosewood, but some customers like it for solid body guitars.  Actually it's not a Rosewood because it's not in the Dalbergia Family, Some people try to pass it off as Rosewood.

Most of the material that begot the perception of quality in the rose wood family is now long gone old growth trees, so perhaps it's time to reevaluate our preferences. By the way, the publics desire for rose woods has also motivated manufactures to fib from time to time. Pau Ferro is not a rose wood, but is easily passed off as one. Bubinga is passed off as Chinese Rose wood even though it is not of the rose wood genus. 

A very stiff strong wood with a rusty brown color. Bright midrange and bass tones. 

From Africa; Gabon, Cameroon, Zaire, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Liberia and Nigeria.
Color is medium red-brown, with lighter red to purple veins. The grain is typically straight. Fine pores are diffused throughout the wood, which often contain a reddish gum. Texture is usually medium, and surface is highly lustrous. Excellent polishing qualities.
Common uses included boat building, fine furniture, tool handles, figured veneer, flooring, and handles.
Specific Gravity is .88 (very dense). Turns well.  Salmon pink with streaks of brown.
 

Cedar; Alaskan (Cedar; Yellow)

Weight: 31
Grain: is always straight
Figure: is an even sulfur color with no distinctive pattern
Texture: fine and uniform
Properties: for a soft wood, Yellow Cedar is quite heavy with a density about the same as Cherry. A very stable wood and it holds it shape with no shrinkage. This wood is exceptionally easy to work, turns well on a lathe, finishes smooth and carves well. Easy to glue. A durable wood resistant to decay.
Use: masting and spars, deck and hull planking, hull timbering and carvings. A good wood where a hand cutting joinery is used. 

Cedar; Aromatic
 

Guitar tops of Red Cedar are the Best Buy today. Material is very fine with good prices in the market. 

From the United States and Canada.
The color is light reddish brown, purplish or rose-red, usually with streaks of lighter colored sapwood. Grain is fine and even and texture is usually fine and takes a high polish. Has a characteristic mild pencil-cedar odor and taste.
Common uses include chests, interior trim, novelties, pencils, posts, wardrobes, woodenware, fine furniture, foundation posts, moldings and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .47 (medium density). Responds well to turning, but some crumbling is reported. 

Cedar; Spanish

Spanish Cedar is the Cedrela species from the Family Meliaceae (same family as Honduran Mahogany). Cedrela occurs from Mexico to Argentina and is found in all countries except Chile. Heartwood pinkish- to reddish brown when freshly cut, becoming red or dark reddish brown, sometimes with a purplish tinge. Grain usually straight, sometimes interlocked; texture rather fine and uniform to coarse and uneven; luster medium to high and golden; distinctive cedary odor. Specific gravity variable ranging from 0.30 to 0.60, averaging about 0.40; Easy to air-season or kiln-dry, slight warp with little or no checking. Movement in service rated as small. Spanish Cedar is easy to work with hand and machine tools and has good gluing properties; stains and finishes well.
Spanish Cedar is favored for millwork, cabinets, fine furniture, cigar wrappers, and cigar boxes. It is especially popular in boat building, because of its resistance to rotting. It is used in musical instruments for nylon string classical and flamenco guitars, because while similar in appearance, strength and workability to Mahogany, it is considerably lighter. We use it for that reason on our light weight instruments, weighing about a pound less than a similar Mahogany bodied instrument. 
 

Chechen/Chechin?

[Chechen:] Used for tops and fingerboards by Modulus; harvested in Mexico.  

[Chechin:] Marble like figure of shades of reds and maroons. 

Cherry
 

From the United States, Switzerland and Canada.
The popularity of cherry in the furniture market is reported to have increased over the years because of its warmth, personality, and ease of use. The narrow sapwood is whitish to reddish brown or creamy pink. The heartwood varies in color from reddish brown to deep red or light reddish brown, usually with brown flecks and some gum pockets. Cherry is reported to be very sensitive to UV light, and changes to its characteristic reddish-brown, mahogany shade upon exposure. The grain is fine, but material with dark wavy streaks which are described as striking in appearance are frequently found. Texture is fine and uniform, and the wood often has narrow brown pith flecks and small gum pockets. Luster is rich and satiny and finishing characteristics are good.
Common uses include boat building, cabinetmaking, caskets, fine furniture, musical instruments, scientific instruments, sculpture, figured veneer, interior construction, handles and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .54 (medium density). Turns very easily.

Weight: 35
Grain: straight, also found as curly.
Figure: color is a light red to pink which darkens with age.
Texture: is close, firm and uniform.
Properties: the wood is very stable in use with little to no warpage or movement. Capable of a smooth surface. Works easily with hand and power tools, carves nicely with a clean sharp edge.
Use: a good wood for hull framing and timbering. Suitable for small fittings and hull planking. 

Cherry; Figured

 
Cocobolo

Cocobolo is an attractive, colorful wood with an interesting grain. Due to its lower density it offers a smooth, mellow sound with plenty of warmth.  

Cocobolo is an extremely dense (it doesn't float!) hardwood from South America. The wood has a natural, oily finish. It requires no finish coat of varnish, shellac or any kind of sealer.
Cocobolo does not soak up water readily, and therefore does not swell when wet. Nor does it change size appreciably due to variations in temperature. It's easy to see why the physical properties of Cocobolo make it ideal for duck and goose call stoppers. Often a call can have a barrel made from other woods; the stopper is usually Cocobolo on a fine call. Other woods, such as rosewood, cherry and diamond wood, to name a few, work well as call stoppers - as do modern synthetics.
Call barrels can be made from anything, plastic or wood - walnut, bois d' arc, even cedar. It's the stopper that determines the sound of the call. 

There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes, they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested. Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the United States for over twenty five years. (

Cocobolo is in the Leguminosae Family and grows mostly in the Pacific regions of Central America extending from Panama to southwestern Mexico. Of limited occurrence, usually in the drier uplands. Somewhat variable in color, deep rich orange-red with black striping or mottling on exposure to air. Fine grain, straight to interlocked; oily; Basic specific gravity >0.98. Cocobolo is denser and stronger than Brazilian Rosewood. It has excellent drying properties, free of surface and end checking. Shrinkage is usually low; high stability in use. Very low moisture absorption. Cocobolo has excellent machining characteristics; natural oils give the wood a good polish.
We use Cocobolo for all of our fretless basses because of the extreme durability and long life of this wood. Its natural hardness and oiliness keep it from developing the grooves common to other fingerboard woods. 

We get it from Mexico and have sold it mostly for Laminate Body Tops.

Orange Cocobolo is a beautifully colored hardwood, much like ebony, but with a lot of orange, gold, and tones of brown in it.

From Central America: Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Color varies from orange to deep red with irregular patterns of purple or black. Grain is usually straight and fine textured. Contains a high oil content, which acts as a barrier to water absorption and imparts a waxy appearance when rubbed.
Common uses include cabinets, chessmen, inlay work, furniture, cutlery handles, and ornamental work.
Specific Gravity is 1 (very dense). Turns readily to yield smooth surfaces.

Streaks of dark maroon, black, purple and red brown.

Cocuswood

Cocus wood has always been the elegant one among the various flute making woods. A dense, brown wood. It gives a clear, colorful sound. Direct, rich and pure in quality.  
 

Weight: 53
A heavy and dense wood, also known as American Boxwood. A light cream color with a slight pink tint. Takes a super smooth finish. A top notch wood for machining and carving.  

Ebony

Almost none of the large guitar companies are using Ebony anymore. At Ed Roman Guitars we are still offering it on all of our guitars. Many companies simply don't want to spend the money for Ebony and because the guitars are made on huge CNC machines that tend to bash all the frets in at once will cause that super expensive piece of ebony to break and therefore ruin the neck. 
Ebony is without a doubt the absolute best wood to use as a fingerboard. Anyone who argues that with me is probably concerned about price.

Ebony, one the heaviest of the hardwoods, is very dense, machines well, and resists warping and cracking. Ebony is a popular wood for fingerboards due to its stability and strength. It holds frets extremely well and has a striking appearance. 

Maple neck with Ebony veneer gives a "bright" sound and is a very "fast" neck (some people find it "slick" feeling).

The hardest and heaviest; adds snap and clarity to the sound. Crisp attack and open (as opposed to warm) tone. Ideal for players who do a lot of hammer ons and two handed tapping. (as fingerboard material) 

Ebony, Macassar

Bands of dark brown and black.

Ebony; Texas

Texas Ebony is a member of the Legume family, Pithecellobrium flexicaule. It is very similar to Mesquite and is closely related. In the Mimosa family, the tree is shrubby and grows up to 60 feet tall, and three feet in diameter. It is rare, growing only in southern Texas and northern Mexico. The wood is extremely hard and dense, and very durable. A dark Chocolate brown to black, with distinct striping in the grain, it polishes to a mirror shine. It takes frets extremely well and once dried properly it is extremely stable and won't warp with changes in humidity. Difficult to work and rare, but its extreme density (sinks in water), color, polish and stability are everything you could ask for in a fingerboard.
Limited availability,

 
Goncalvo

Orange Cocobolo is a beautifully colored hardwood, much like ebony, but with a lot of orange, gold, and tones of brown in it. Goncalvo is much the same but more rich browns mixed together.  
 

Goncalva Alves
 

Very dense smooth texture with a waxy fast feel - no finish required. Color is tan with darker chocolate stripes (used by Smith & Wesson for pistol grips). Articulate clean warm tone. [As neck material.] 

From Central and Latin America; Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Guyana and Peru.
Color is initially reddish-brown, golden-orange or brown-beige to red, usually richly mottled with dark brown streaks and spots, becoming brown, red, dark reddish brown with nearly black stripes after prolonged exposure. Grain is irregular, straight to roey or interlocked. Irregular dark longitudinal bands produce an attractive figure. Texture is fine to medium. Can be polished and finished very easily. No grain filling is required and a clear finish has been suggested to enhance the beauty of the wood.
Common uses include billiard-cue butts, brush backs & handles, figured veneer, fine furniture, shafts/handles, sporting goods and tool handles.
Specific Gravity is .95 (very dense). Turns easily with sharp tools if straight grain. Figured pieces require care when turning.

Light and dark brown marble figure. 

Kingwood
 

There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes, they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested. Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the United States for over twenty five years. 

From Brazil.
Color is light golden brown to violet, with irregular black to brown streaks. The grain is irregular, and a mottled figure similar to that of Rosewood is sometimes present. The texture is typically fine, and the wood can be polished and finished very easily.
Common uses included bows, cabinetmaking, carvings, construction, fine furniture, railroad ties, decorative veneer and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .79 (very dense). Turns easily with sharp tools if straight grain. Figured pieces require care when turning.
 

    
Koa
 

It comes from Hawaii. The good Curly Koa is very hard to get. 

This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii and has been in short supply. Weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy, a good wood for basses. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with a little more brightness. Like walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its best sprayed clear. Koa is sometimes available in flame figure. [As body material.] 

Dark tan to brown with reds and purples. Same weights as mahogany but more beautiful. Warm and solid tone. Sometimes available with flame figure. [As neck material.] 

From Hawaii, it is rare within its natural habitat.
Color varies from tree to tree, ranging from pale yellow or golden brown to deep chocolate, but more commonly reddish brown with light and dark bands in the growth rings and various attractive patterns, such as fiddleback and rainbow. The wavy and curly grain is moderate to severely interlocked. The texture is moderately coarse, and the surface is quite lustrous and takes a high polish.
Popular for the manufacture of musical instruments because of its high resonant properties, other common uses include canoes, decorative veneer, gun stocks, joinery, excelsior, lifeboats, and rifle stock.
Specific Gravity is .67 (dense). Requires sharp tools. 

Medium brown wood which looks like Teak. 

 
Korina (Limba; White)

True name is White Limba, from Africa. Used in Gibson's Original  Explorers and [Flying] V's. A light weight wood similar to mahogany. Black Limba is usually lighter weight with more interesting grain and darker color. [As body material.]

 
Lacewood
 

It is a nice wood for Laminate Bodies, with good figure.   Not particularly good sounding.

From Australia: This can be had as a book-matched top, or solid body. The size of the spots range from very small to very large, creating a very striking, reptilian appearance. [As body material.] 

From Australia
Color is pink to reddish brown, and is highly figured with a distinct small lacelike pattern. The wood is lustrous and has good polishing properties.
Uses include cabinetmaking, fixtures, moldings, parquet flooring, baskets, casks, drum sticks, fine furniture, organ pipes, pianos, sounding boards, xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .53 (medium density). Turns easily, but crumbling caused by the figure is often reported. Care is required to achieve a smooth surface.  

From Africa  A light weight wood similar to mahogany. Black Limba is usually lighter weight with more interesting grain and darker color [than Limba; White, Korina]. [As body material.] 

Limba; White (Korina)

From Africa. Used in Gibson's Explorer and Flying V's. A medium weight wood similar to mahogany. Black Limba is usually lighter weight with more interesting grain and darker color.  

A warm reddish brown color, lighter in weight than maple with warmer, fatter tone. [As neck material.]  

Mahogany is a porous, but strong wood which is easy to machine and finish. It has a spiraling and interlocking grain pattern which makes it a very stable wood. Honduran Mahogany is the favorite choice of instrument builders, but is very hard to find. African and Spanish mahoganies are often used as a replacement for Honduran Mahogany.  

Light to moderately heavy wood with smooth attack and rich singing sustain [when used as body material]. When it's very heavy, the wood losses the warm round attributes. The Quicksilver is a classic example of a mahogany body capped with a maple top.  At least on the lower cost models.

Mahogany; Curly
 

From Africa
Color is yellow to reddish-brown. Grain is interlocked with a stripe or roey figure. Texture is typically medium to coarse, with a natural luster The timber is reported to polish to yield and excellent finish. African mahogany is reported to take stains well.
Uses include boat building, cabinetmaking, decorative veneer, furniture.
Specific Gravity is .44 (medium density). Requires sharp tools. 

Mahogany; Honduran

Fender uses the Honduran variety on their set-neck series [as body material]; provides a moderate to heavy weight (body weight at least 5 lb.) with a warm, full sound and good sustain; used in conjunction with a maple top to add brightness.

Swietenia macrophylla, from the Family Meliaceae it grows from Southern Mexico southward to Colombia, Venezuela, and parts of the upper Amazon and its tributaries in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Plantations have been established within its natural range and elsewhere. Honduran Mahogany is reddish, pinkish, salmon colored, or yellowish when fresh; deepening with age to deep rich red or brown. Texture rather fine to coarse; grain straight to roey, wavy, or curly, often with an attractive figure. Basic specific gravity 0.40 to 0.68 averaging around 0.60. The wood can be air-seasoned and kiln-dried easily without appreciable warping or checking. Movement after manufacture is rated as small. Very easy to work with hand and machine tools, Easy to finish and takes an excellent polish.
Long used in fine furniture and cabinet making, interior trim, paneling, fancy veneers, boat building, pattern making, turnery, and carving. Often called the queen of woods because of its working properties. It is the most common timber used in acoustic guitars for their sides, backs, and necks. Medium weight and resonant, we use this timber for out body wings.  

Nice and lightweight, this wood is good for bodies, laminates and necks. 

We use Honduran Mahogany, the wood LPs are made of. This is a fine wood with good musical properties, the tone is warm and full with good sustain. Weight-wise, mahogany is mid to heavy with a Strat body averaging 5 lbs. or more. The grain is easy to fill although not particularly good looking for clear finishes.

Maple

(Birdseye, Curly, Flamed, Quilted, Burl, Spalted)

Maple usually comes from 2 sub-families: red maple and sugar maple. The common designation of "curly" and "birds-eye" are natural phenomena of the wood and not a species of their own. Maple is a strong, very heavy wood which is light in color. Maple finishes well and can be steamed and bent. Maple is used in both bodies and necks. If used in necks, it is advisable to laminate the neck from two or three pieces for increased stability. Maple also has very tight pores, a feature which simplifies finishing. 

All maple neck; gives a clear "bright" sound.

Provides a sharp pick attack and quick decay, generating a strong fundamental response without major overtone coloration [when used as body material]. Varieties include; curly, flamed bird's eye, and soft.  

Slightly less snap than an Ebony board. More evenly balanced than ebony and the attack and decay characteristics yield sustain and a bright tone. These are mostly one piece necks, ie the fingerboard is the top surface of the neck. (as fingerboard material)

Weight: 39
 

Maple;

Bigleaf Maple; Soft, Maple; Western Soft

Western soft maple is another wood like alder that grows all around us here in Washington state. It is usually much lighter than hard maple, but is the same white color. Its sound is characterized by good bite and attack, bright, but not brittle like the harder woods can be. Fiddleback and quilted bodies are western bigleaf maple. 
 

 
Maple; Birdseye
 

Maple;

Birdseye (Maple, Maple; Curly, Maple; Flamed, Maple; Quilted)

Birdseye Maple is a softer wood [than Cocobolo and Goncalvo] but highly figured.

This is eastern hard maple, available as a book-matched top only. We also do many necks in birdseye. [As body material.]

This is the same hard maple but with a rare eye-like figure. There is a great deal of variation in figure shape and density. There is no difference in tone or stability from plain hard maple. 

From the United States and Canada.
The sapwood is white with a reddish tinge. The heartwood color is uniformly light reddish brown. Grain is straight but occasionally curly or wavy. Bird's-eye figure is present. Flecks caused by insects may also be present in the wood. The wood is very fine and even textured.
Common uses include bowling pins, decorative veneer, flooring, lumber, handles, windows, baskets, casks, drum sticks, figured veneer, fine furniture, cabinets, organ pipes, pianos , sounding boards, sporting goods, xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .64 (dense). Carbide cutter recommended. 

Maple; Curly
 

Curly Maple is a softer wood [than Cocobolo and Goncalvo] but highly figured.

From the United States and Canada.
The sapwood is white with a reddish tinge. The heartwood color is uniformly light reddish brown. Grain is curly or wavy. The wood is very fine and even textured. Fiddleback figure is present.
Common uses include bowling pins, decorative veneer, flooring, lumber, handles, windows, baskets, casks, drum sticks, figured veneer, fine furniture, cabinets, organ pipes, pianos , sounding boards, sporting goods, violins, [and] xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .64 (very dense). Good turning characteristics.

Flamed Maple is a softer wood [than Cocobolo and Goncalvo] but highly figured.  

This wood is available as book-matched tops on alder, ash or mahogany, or as a solid body.

 
Maple; Hard Rock 

Hard maple is the same as we use for necks. It is very dense, and weighs like hard ash. The grain is closed and easy to finish. The sound of maple is very bright with long sustain and a lot of bite. Looks good in any style finish. 

The traditional neck wood, creamy white color with a bright clear tone and excellent sustain. 
 

 This wood is available as book-matched tops on Alder, Ash Korina Koa or Mahogany, or as a solid body. For something really cool, get a 1-piece flame and/or quilt body.

Mesquite
 

Mesquite is a member of the Legume family, Prosopis Glandulosa, and produces bean pods yearly. It grows only in four southwestern states in the U.S. and in Mexico. Mesquite is a heavy wood (Specific Gravity > .8) with a unique quality. All woods shrink to some degree with changes in their moisture content. Most woods will shrink more across the grain than along the grain. This can lead to warpage if the forces are not equal or the grain of the piece is not consistent. Mesquite shrinks equally in all directions, meaning it is extremely stable and warp resistant.
 

 
Paduak

Orange to brown color, smooth feeling when played raw. Tone similar to mahogany. [As neck material.]

Bright orange red.
 

Pau Ferro
 

  (Morado, Rosewood; Bolivian)

South American Hardwood, combines rosewoods warm tone with Ebony's smooth feel. 

Also known as Bolivian Rosewood or Morado. It is heavy, brownish-orange wood with dark black stripes.

Most of the material that begot the perception of quality in the rose wood family is now long gone old growth trees, so perhaps it's time to reevaluate our preferences. By the way, the publics desire for rose woods has also motivated manufactures to fib from time to time. Pau Ferro is not a rose wood, but is easily passed off as one. Bubinga is passed off as Chinese Rose wood even though it is not of the rose wood genus

Primarily available as fingerboards. Medium brown color, very smooth fine grain, warmer tone than ebony.

Maple neck with Pau Ferro fingerboard:] Quarter sawn Pau Ferro has the good properties of ebony but seems to be more reliable and stable. Pau Ferro is a tight grained hard wood with excellent clarity on the "chunk" tones when using gain, especially when teamed up with an alder body. In overdrive mode it has a fatter low end and more pronounced sparkle when compared to maple. It adds excellent definition to the notes especially when using overdriven tones. Strong in the lower mids and bass, scooped mids.

From Africa; Congo, Ivory Coast, Zaire, Gabon, Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guine, and Nigeria.
The heartwood is pink, yellow, or dark brown in color and is often striped with red-brown bands. The grain is usually wavy or interlocked. The wood is rather coarse-textured. Polishing characteristics are rated as good.
Common uses include carvings, musical instruments, decorative veneer, fine furniture, and sounding boards.
Specific Gravity is .82 (very dense). Responds well to turning.

 
Poplar
 

Poplar is similar to Maple in color and weight. The difference is in the size of the pores.

Same as Basswood, as far as its application is concerned, and in the same price range. 

This is another standard music wood having been used by many companies over the years. Due to the grey/green color, this wood is used only when solid color finishes are to be applied. It's weight generally runs about half a pound more than alder. Tonally it is much similar to alder as well. Poplar is a closed grain wood that accepts finish well. [

Weight: 30
Grain: straight, sometimes with a slight wave.
Figure: heartwood has a greenish tint, sapwood is an even light yellow with an occasional streak of darker color.
Texture: moderately fine and uniform with a close tough texture.
Properties: easy to work and suitable for carving. Capable of a smooth surface but a non-lustrous finish. Stable and fairly strong.
Use: hull timbering and framing, deck beams and deck framing.

Purpleheart

Purple colored very dense wood. Bright sounding with a coarser grain, should be finished. 

An even royal purple. In time, turns to a darker purplish brown. 

Redwood

 waiting For Info

Rosewood

Rosewood, like ebony, is a popular choice for finger boards. Rosewood, however, is more oily than ebony, making finishing more difficult. Brazilian rosewood is the most sought after type of rosewood and therefore the most expensive. Indian rosewood is often used a replacement for Brazilian rosewood.  

Maple neck with rosewood veneer; gives a "warmer" sound compared to the all maple neck. On some higher ticket Strats, Fender uses Pau Ferro which is a more exotic species of rosewood.

This wood is very stable with a weight about the same as maple. Colors range from very dark purple to browns with shades of yellow and orange. Tonally, it is warmer sounding with balanced sustain. Rosewood requires no finish.

Rosewood; Bolivian (Pau Ferro, Morado)

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Rosewood; Bois de Rose
(Rosewood; Madagascar)

When you do order a Rosewood neck from Ed Roman, We always use this instead of the cheap East Indian Rosewood that costs pennies per fingerboard.  It is a little more expensive than East Indian, but a lot more rare;  Even though it costs a little more it's only a fraction of what Ebony costs. It grows only in Madagascar. 

Rich color, red brown with interesting patterns to sometimes almost black. Madagascar seems to have a wide frequency response brilliant highs and punchy lows. A tight grained rosewood similar to Brazilian Rosewood. Good with darker sounding body woods and humbucker settings. Strong upper midrange and presence. 

  
Rosewood; Brazilian
 

There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes, they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested. Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the United States for over twenty five years. 

"Beautiful" wood. There are a wide range of colors and grain. [As body material:] Book-matched tops only. Very limited supply. We also have some necks with Brazilian rosewood fingerboards. 

We always have Brazilian Rosewood Available for fingerboards . Very oily multicolored wood,  This wood will not take the smooth finish that the Macassar Ebony we offer.

From Brazil.
Varies in color from shades of brown to red or violet, and is irregularly streaked with black. The grain is typically straight, occasionally wavy. Texture is medium to coarse and of medium luster.
Common uses include cabinetmaking, fine furniture, marquetry, pianos, tool handles, drum sticks, organ pipes, sounding boards, umbrella handles, wainscoting, and xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .85 (very dense).

Dark red, violet and black streaks. 

Rosewood; East Indian 

It is preferred for musical instruments because it costs very little and somehow it has gained a wide acceptance. Be careful of the  Indonesian Plantation Rosewood, which happens to be the same species, but with different color and much wider grain. The grain will be uncomfortable on your fingers and you will commonly find it on your basic Wal Mart guitars.

There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes, they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested. Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the United States for over twenty five years. 

Rosewood; Honduran
 

From Belize.
Generally believed to be fairly scarce. Color is pink to purple brown with darker and lighter bands in attractive combinations. The grain is typically straight and the texture is medium to fine with a low to medium luster.
Common uses include cabinetmaking, marquetry, tool handles, drum sticks, fine furniture, handles, organ pipes, piano keys, pianos and xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .96 (very dense). Has excellent turning qualities. 

 
Spruce; Sitka

It used to be very easily available, at reasonable prices. This is not the case anymore. )

Weight: 32
Grain: straight.
Figure: is a creamy white with a pink tint. The grain pattern appears as narrow lines.
Texture: the wood is soft with a moderately fine to medium texture.
Properties: a tough strong wood, stable in use. When cut, the surface tends to be a bit fuzzy, but careful sanding will bring the surface to a smooth finish. The wood works well with both hand and power tools, sands easily.
Use: use for masting and spars. The wood can also be used for heavy timbering, bulkheads, structural members and framing. 

   
Tulipwood
 

 This picture is an exceptionally nice piece of tulipwood, Don't expect it too always look like this

There are roughly a dozen species of true rose woods in the world. (Yes, they smell like roses when cut with a saw.) A partial list would include Tulip wood, King wood, Cocobolo, East Indian Rose wood, and Brazilian Rose wood. With the exception of the latter, these are oily to the point of being dead in the tone department. So what is the point in coveting these materials when there are sonic superiors available? The problem is that in the public mind, rose wood is cool, so it has long been over harvested. Because of this Brazilian Rose wood has been banned from importation to the United States for over twenty five years. 

Tulipwood has shades of red, pink, and yellow in it and is hard like ebony.  

From Central and Latin America; Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Venezuela.
Straw colored background with irregular streaks of shades of yellow rose, pink and violet. Grain is straight to roey, texture is fine, and wood is highly lustrous with excellent polishing qualities.
Common uses included brush handles, cabinetmaking, flooring, furniture, inlay work, marquetry, and veneer.
Specific Gravity is .96 (very dense). Requires sharp tools.  

Very light cream color with bright thin streaks of pink or sometimes with a few colored streaks. 

        
Walnut
 

Walnut is a beautiful, rich, brown wood. Walnut is similar to mahogany, but with larger pores and less stability. It is also much more expensive. Walnut has a very appealing grain pattern. 

Walnut is not quite so heavy as hard maple and has a similar sound though not as bright. Walnut is very beautiful with an open grain. Oil finishes can look nice on walnut.

From the United States and Canada.
The color varies from light grayish brown to deep chocolate brown to an almost black purplish brown. The appearance of the wood is usually described as warm and inviting. The grain is slightly open and usually straight, but may be wavy or irregular. Texture is usually coarse, but uniform. Surface is generally dull, but is reported to develop a lustrous patina after many years in use. The wood has excellent finishing characteristics.
Common uses include cabinets, caskets, decorative veneer, fine furniture, gun stocks, paneling, handles, stencil & chisel blocks and wainscoting.
Specific Gravity is .59 (dense). Turns easily. 

Weight: 45
Grain: varies from straight to all kind of wild figures. For model building straight is selected.
Figure: when freshly cut, the wood is purplish-brown turning to a chocolate brown with simple figuring of darker brown streaks. Sapwood is a light tan.
Texture: is uniform and moderately coarse.
Properties: a very nice working wood with power tools right down to a carving knife. Very stable and it will not shrink or expand once in use. For its weight, Walnut is exceptionally strong.
Use: decorative planking, carvings and moldings. Well suited for hull timbering and framing. American Black Walnut is in such high demand on the world lumber markets, and the timber has been so freely exploited, that supply is rapidly diminishing year by year. 

Wenge

A black hard wood with chocolate brown stripes. Very hard, coarser textured wood with open grain. Good midrange tone with warm lows.  Recommended for Bass Guitars

Zebrawood

Same as Bubinga in application. It also comes from West and Central Africa. 

This is another heavy wood with a very open grain. It has a very distinctive look with light and dark brown stripes. It is becoming more difficult to find this wood in thick pieces for bodies, but it is more commonly available for laminated bodies where it excels. Its weight and sound are similar to walnut.