tone woods

There are multiple factors that play a role in the look, feel and sound of an instrument, one of which is the choice of wood for the fingerboard. Whether it’s the feel of the wood, the tonal qualities it imbues or even just the look, knowing which fingerboard best suits you is an important aspect in finding the perfect instrument.  While there are several different types of woods used for fingerboards, rosewood, maple, ebony and pau ferro are far and away the most common. Other wood varieties used for fingerboards are purple heart, wenge, cocobolo, padouk and bubinga but compared to the main four, they are not as widely available and therefore a bit more expensive to use, usually reserved for custom made or high end guitars. Let's take a look at how the main four stack up: Continue reading →