Buying an Acoustic Guitar -- Woods

Spruce

Strong and light, this is the most common top. About 90% of the steel-string guitars made today use spruce. It has a well-balanced tone for both low and high notes. The clear and full sound of spruce improves with age and playing.

Maple

Maple is a more expensive wood. It is very hard and dense, producing exceptional bright, crisp tone. It stands up well to changes in humidity and temperature. "Figured" maple also adds beauty to the guitar since patterns in the grain can be enhanced in the finishing process.

Other Woods

You will also see tops made of ash, walnut and cedar. More exotic woods featured in finer guitars are Koa (from Hawaii) and Dao (shown in the photo). These gorgeous woods produce well balanced, brilliant tone with sparkling highs and wonderful sustain.

Cedar

Cedar is a very popular top for classical guitars. It produces lots of sustain and creates a warm, sweet sound. Its tone is slightly darker than that of spruce, with an accent on the mid-range notes. While the sound of a spruce top guitar will mellow with age, a cedar guitar is capable of its full power immediately after construction.

Spruce

Although most popular for steel-string acoustic guitars, spruce is finding its way onto classical guitar tops these days. It's strong and light and has a well-balanced tone for both low and high notes. The clear and full sound of spruce improves with age and playing.